Welcome to: Where I Spent My Day Off —by a NYC Restaurant "Insider"
So, what do you do in the industry?
Now? I’m a consultant. But I used to work directly in the industry for about 20 years— I started as a waitress, but I’ve also been Read more…
• Tuesday, December 8, 2009. 3:30PM – Kanye West lingering outside a dark SUV parked in front of a luxury residential building on West Houston St, with two bodyguard types, a driver, and a very talented young man— who was serenading him acapella right there on the sidewalk. No joke.
• Monday, December 14, 2009. 8:00PM – Sean Paul, with friend, using an Apple MacBook Pro in the American Airlines Admirals’ Club at Miami International airport.
• Sunday, December 13, 2009. 9:30PM – Steve Stoute (with entourage) having dinner and chatting with Michael Chow at Mr.Chow in Miami Beach.
• Wednesday, December 10, 2009. 6:00PM – John Utendahl and Merv Matheson having a drink (and chatting with Sasha Muniak) at the Standard Grill— because "the boom boom" was booked/closed for a private corporate holiday event.
… with the staff of The Standard Hotel.
Gotta admit— the F&B/Hospitality industries really know how to throw a party like nobody else’s business!
:)
• Friday, November 20, 2009. 9:30PM – Stephen Gan, Glenn O’brien, Andre Balazs, Jacqueline Schnabel, Ann Dexter-Jones, Geoffrey Zakarian, Jason Pomeranc, Kenny Kenny, Ronnie Madra, Richard Johnson & Sessa Von Richtofen, Anna Sui, Willem Dafoe, Lauren Ezersky, Lyor Cohen, Tory Burch, Carmen d’Alessio, Merv Matheson, Marc Bagutta, Sean MacPherson, John MacDonald, George Wayne, Steven Greenberg, Sasha Muniak, Liev Schreiber & Naomi Watts, Kamil Parchomienko, Heikki Sorsa, and (of course) Nadine Johnson, Jean-Marc Houmard, Huy Chi Le, Jorg Rae, and Susan Wanzer at the Indochine 25th Anniversary Party.
• Friday, November 20, 2009. 11:50PM – Michael Bay, Caroline Murphy, Liev Schreiber, Thom Filicia, Greg Callejo, Heikki Sorsa, Sasha Muniak, and Kevin King at The BoomBoom/BonBon at the Standard Hotel.
• Saturday, November 7, 2009. 8:00 PM – Famke Janssen dining with female friend (having the miso cod) at Omen.
• Thursday, November 5, 2009. 8:30PM – Tony Shafrazi joining Peter Brant and several other guests for dinner at Indochine.
• Tuesday, November 3, 2009. 3:00PM – Ann Dexter Jones with a female friend walking up 6th Ave near Bleecker St.
• Monday, November 2, 2009. 2:30PM – Michael White walking alone, headed east up W. 4th St. in the West Village. Looking for real estate… ?
• Wednesday, November 4, 2009. 7:30PM – Calvin Tsao, and then later, Hervé Descottes, chatting with Sasha Muniak at The Bon Bon.
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of lucks[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
The Bon Bon [ the early hours ]
What was your first impression?
wow did i just waltz right into an andre-balazs hotspot without having to submit my credentials (see: MercerLobby, subMercer, SunsetBeach, Chateau/BarMarmont, theRaleighPool, TheBonBon[late night], MK)? huh. that’s weird, i almost feel a little displaced or something. where am i?
Please rate the Bar:
love it. what more can i say. it’s got it alllll goin on, and my bartender this evening (aaron, was it?) is a total sweetie pie.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
oh crap. okay i messed up, this is my 5th or 6th visit here already, and i’ve never once looked at the wine list. the liquor list is extensive, worldly, and impressive, and the cocktails are expertly prepared (albeit a tad slow at times). it’s expensive, but that’s okay (see: below).
Please rate the Dining Room:
with views like this, who cares? oh okay, obviously, it’s designed more for drinking/lounging than dining, but there isn’t a single "bad table" in the whole place. and the room itself is spectacular of course. but i fear those pompous contrived uniforms on all those beautiful ladies are going to get tired/dated reeeeeal quick. this is downtown, it aint times square, bitches— i’d get rid of those awful things if you ask me.
Please rate the BOH:
uhhh… well
personally i think the menu is PERFECT. if it was INTENTIONALLY created to spare theBonBon from the most irritating people in new york, it’s GENIUS. pedestrian enough to keep away the foodies/foodists, expensive enough to thwart the trite but opinionated bloggers, and intimidating enough to hinder the hipsters— it’s GOLDEN.
i have finally found the perfect place for me. i have come HOME.
How was the staff?
i love the staff. it’s everybody i’ve met and/or worked with over my entire 20+ year career, and i adore them all. their collective résumés span centuries of service in the most renowned establishments in the very best cities all over this country.
they’re perfectly nice to me. i can’t speak for you.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
at this point, over several visits, i’ve had pretty much everything on the "preview" supper menu except maybe the caviar sandwich. so far, my favorites are the burger, the croque monsieur, the english tea sandwiches, and the french fries (which, by the way, are $10. ha ha ahaa i LOVE it).
but frankly, who gives a shit. let’s be honest already— you’re not here for the food. and if you’re here just because you could finally get in, and all you want to do afterward is tell everybody how "overrated" or "not any big deal" it is, stay home or go someplace else. feel free to experience it from the comfort of your living room sofa when it inevitably shows up in an episode of Entourage or Gossip Girl or Sex and the City The Movie2 or whatever.
What did you like?
everything. everybody.
What did you dislike?
that it was so damned easy to get in here.
that one girl with the unwashed hair in the too-tight jeans and the too-tight/too-short teeshirt with the cheap shoes and the ugly handbag completely ruining the aesthetics for a moment when she lamentably crossed my line of vision.
and what the fuck is with the baby strollers all of a sudden?
What was your last impression?
as soon as i can charm a WiFi password out of somebody with some juice (and i will) i’m moving in here.
Would you come back?
i’m on my way over…
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
sure, you say that now. wait til you’re sick of seeing my face.
• Tuesday, November 3, 2009 – Valentino Garavani, Giancarlo Giametti, Narciso Rodriguez, Marc Jacobs, Michael Chow, Martha Stewart, Larry Gagosian, Shala Monroque, Brian Grazer, Madonna, Adrien Brody, and Hugh Jackman at the Valentino: The Last Emperor DVD release party at The Bon Bon Room.
• Tuesday, November 3, 2009. 7:00PM – Martha Stewart dining with three guests at Le Bernardin. Also Gil Bellows (not together).
• Friday, October 23, 8:57PM – "@ Blue Ribbon Sushi right now Chelsea Clinton sitting next table over!"
• Saturday, October 24, 10:00PM – Eric Goode and Emil Varda at The Bon Bon (née The Boom Boom) "just checking out the digs" and saying hello to Andre Balazs. When asked to confirm Artan Gjoni’s (earlier) assertion that Juliet Supper Club is housed "in the former Area" space, Eric Goode replied, "What? Where? Twenty first street? No way."
• Monday, October 19, 2:30PM – Sante D’Orazio lunching outdoors at Bar Pitti. Also, Merv Matheson (not together).
• Tuesday, October 20, 2:00PM – Mark Baker and Artan Gjoni lunching outdoors at Gusto Ristorante e Bar Americano.
Despite some vague reports to the contrary, PX This has learned that the latest incarnation of "The Room Formerly Known as Boom Boom" on the 18th floor of The Standard Hotel will (as of tomorrow) officially be named The Bon Bon, and will begin admitting "the general public" from 4PM to 9PM for Supper (an extended version of their current Preview menu). The room will then be "cleared out" from 9 to 9:30PM, and (its current policy of) "exclusive" admittance will begin from 10PM onward.
BOOM.
Bon Bon Apetit!
• Tuesday, October 20, 10:00PM – Brian Grazer having his "first visit" and "lov[ing] it" to The Room Formerly Known as Boom Boom, sitting at the bar with two friends (/business associates?) in a dark gray business suit with no necktie. Moved to a quieter banquette table (with a view) as the bar area quickly filled up.
• Tuesday, October 20, 9:00PM – Harvey Keitel dining at Abe & Arthur’s with a woman at a corner table on the main level. Wearing a dark suit and lightly tinted eyewear with heavy black frames.
• Friday, October 16, 9:30PM – Salman Rushdie at Indochine, having drinks in the lounge with four women, and later adjoining to the dining room for dinner at a circular banquette. He sat firmly planted directly in the center of the ladies (and attention) both times.
• Thursday, October 15, 11:00PM – Mischa Barton in for her "usual" visit to La Esquina. It’s possible she "has a little crush on a bartender" there?
SPOTTED:
- Matt Damon filming an upcoming movie on West 4th Street, wearing a pinstripe suit. Trailers, film crew and general chaos everywhere. Looking pretty good. Maybe not Jason Bourne good, but definitely not bad, either.
- Philip Seymour Hoffman having late lunch with a gentleman friend at Sant Ambroeus, watching Matt Damon filming an upcoming movie right up the street.
- Owen Wilson at the Room Formerly Known as Boom Boom (we hate the name QT). Apparently alone, but seemingly enjoying the spectacle and festivities. All smiles jubilantly all night long. Sticking out of the resplendence like a sore thumb busted nose in his battered fedora and tee-shirt.
- Charlie Walk at Abe & Arthur. Party of two hundred and twelve. Table hopping and happy as a clam. Go, Charlie.
- Wesley Wang at Abe & Arthur. Party of three hundred and fourteen. Super hot babes in tow. Go, Wes.
- Timothy and Helen Lee Schifter at the Room Formerly Known as Boom Boom. Homegirl looks pretty good, actually. Great dress. Sweet shoes.
The Boom Boom Room
(or whatever it’s called) at The Standard Hotel
yah so by now you’ve heard so much about the BoomBoom, you probably feel like you’ve already been there, yes?
slow down, skippy. it’s worth a real live flesh and blood visit anyways. that shit is hott.
sigh. if you can get in.
but fear not, bitches. it’s actually not as hard as everybody makes it out to be. not for YOU, anyways. cuz gawd knows you wouldn’t even be here reading this right now if you weren’t fabulous, am i right?
don’t get me wrong, it CAN be a bit of a chore if you don’t have the skinny, of course. so here’s the 411 google.
it aint open at 4PM, 6PM, or even 8PM. anymore. (for now.)
apparently it opens at 9PM. you’re welcome.
cuz fer sure you were not about to get that information by asking anybody working inside the hotel or the restaurants. holy oh my shit— they are so fucking cryptic about it (ugh bloggers ruin everything!), it’s like fucking fort knox up in that mutherfukker. nobody knows what the hells is going on. or at least they don’t want to tell you what the hells is going on. even the really nice doorman who goes and asks three different peoples on your behalf what the hells is going on will only come back to tell you he doesn’t know whether or not anybody knows what the hells is going on.
and when somebody finally offers up the morsel of information "if the red light is on, it’s open"— that’s a lie.
and to top it all off, no joke— the DOZEN OR SO peoples employed at theStandard you’re very well acquainted with personally— all have the fucking night off.
GAAUGH.
but it’s okay it’s all good.
cuz when you eventually figure out IT OPENS AT 9PM, you will subsequently suddenly find people at the side entrance who are more than happy to accommodate you, and your ass will breeze right through like it was never a damned problem in the first place.
ha ha ahaa umm if you "belong" that is?
siiiigh what can i tell you. if you are even bothering to wonder right now whether or not you "belong" then maybe save yourself the hassle and stay yer ass at home.
oh but here’s a little bit of a tip for you (even if you do "belong"):
see, supposedly even agyness-deyn was turned away last week. now—
if you’ve ever seen agyness-deyn runnin round town as is her wont, then you know homegirl dresses like a typical brooklyn broke assed homeless hipster street urchin.
well, sorry bitches. supermodel or no supermodel, BoomBoomRoom clearly aint feelin your st.mark’s place fedora. they don’t think your canvas converse are cute OR ironic.
all you have to do is take one look at the room to know this. every man who works there is wearing a tie. yah even kamil-parchomienko— and i would bet cash money he never even OWNED a necktie before the BoomBoomRoom opened.
so ya know. if you really wanna go, work it out.
oh and by the way. contrary to popular belief, "knowing" kamil-parchomienko aint gonna help you get in AT ALL. cuz you can’t get that boy on the horn for anything, i don’t care how many times he’s called you "baybee."
once you get inside though, oh! it’s so so nice to see him.
and everybody else too. seriously, that crowd is fierce.
anyhoo. i left right when it started to get really boisterous around 11:30PM, but i still got to see owen-wilson sitting at the bar. (okay fine— HE can dress like shit if he wants to. but he’s owen-wilson and you’re not.)
**check the latest UPDATE on the BoomBoom/BonBon.**
yah so. everybody’s been buzzing bout theBoomBoom! and evidently, pxthis was no exception (it also seems we were the ones who got the information correctly the quickest, but hey what else is new).
then apparently yesterday, our ole buddy steve-lewis (and then grubstreet) broke the news "Kamil Parchomienko will handle the room…" !!
wow! and yay!
those of us who know and love and/or remember former original subMercer GM/Maitre d’ kamil-parchomienko (also of MercerKitchen, SunsetBeach, StandardMiami, and StandardLA) are of course totally delighted that kamil, the prodigal son, has returned to NYC after a loooong time away. hooray!
oh but i kinda feel a little bad for him though, cuz i don’t know whether or not kamil will appreciate his name being alls out there right before he is about to open the hottest spot in town. i mean like for example,
we alls know the WaverlyInn’s emil-varda has a fake name (and business cards). i also know two of my pals who run LaEsquina refrain as best they can from giving out their names too. and for sure, back in the day, i rarely ever gave peoples my real name either.
not that "the press" ever gave a shit who the GM or Maiterdees were before, so that’s a new one, but whatever.
but i digress.
anyhoo. steve-lewis goes on to describe "They want to do two seatings, 4–9 for small plates and 10–2/3 for late night. Super high-end Rainbow Room/Rose Bar/Windows on the World style $18–25 drinks and DP by the glass…"
wow again! and uhhh… kinda… THANK GAWD (?!)
i don’t know about you, but i’m a little sick of places that only cater to young unkempt insomniac kids whose trust funds haven’t quite kicked in yet. not that i ever went to any of those places (mostly cuz ha ahaa i couldn’t get in), but i just think it’s really really great somebody is finally thinking of us "olds" (ya know— the ones with TASTE) and giving us a place we can go and have fun before one o’clock in the fucking morning.
oh! yah— and since you were wondering
the answer is YES! that’s the kamil you’re thinking of. of course it is! who else would it be.
he’s also one half the character "michael" in the series (the other half is current BlueHill@StoneBarns GM, philippe-gouze) and if all goes well, he’ll be played by actor (and former clubUSA bartender) darren-kendrick.
hmmm how many is that now? ha ha ha ahaa haaah i’ll give a crisp new benjamin to the first person who can correctly identify every person in the book who now works at theStandard.
= "personne extraordinaire"