On Nick Rytting

February 23rd, 2011

 

Ohh, so you wanna know a little bit more about Nick Rytting, you say? Well, far be it for PX This, your expert in everything F&Bulous in New York City, to deny you by failing to satiate your intense curiosity. (You’re welcome!)

 

This is Nick Rytting, currently the General Manager of The Box and the former manager of longtime über-hotspot La Esquina.

 

 

 

 

Nick is 20-something years old, with medium-to-dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He primarily plays for Team Rainbow, but has been known to date girls on occasion, when they helplessly succumb to his irresistibility by throwing themselves at him mercilessly. He was born in East Someplace, Utah but considers New York City his "other" home. He likes vegetables, good wine, designer clothes, kind "geniune" people, Mariah Carey, and references to his uncanny resemblance to Hunter Parrish. His dislikes include meat, possessiveness, insidiousness, the cost of airfare, and arriving at the party "on time."

In short, we absolutely adore Nick Rytting, and we’re sure you would too.

:)

 

This has been a PX This PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

 

* Black and White photo of Nick Rytting by Kristin Brown

 

 

Filed Under: CONSIDER THIS

My Brother Nancy

December 14th, 2010

Michele Brilliant

 

My Brother Nancy

To avid fans and supporters of La Esquina, Michele Brilliant needs no introduction. So, we won’t bother.

We’ll just let the trailer for "My Brother Nancy" (such boldfaced names as Russell Brand and Jennifer Esposito are rumored to be involved) do all the talking instead.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: PEEP THIS

The Curious Case of Gwendolyn Butler

October 13th, 2010

 

The Curious Case of Gwendolyn Butler

OK, I don’t actually know if Boston’s notorious "$3M Bartender" Gwen Butler was really christened Gwendolyn at some point in her life, but I just thought it sounded better in the title.

 

Anyhoo! PX This hereby presents the following NEWSFLASH: Gwen Butler’s recent appointment as General Manager of La Esquina has been terminated. We repeat: GWEN BUTLER HAS LEFT THE BUILDING.

Fascinating, isn’t it?

No? Why should you actually care, you ask? Who gives a goddamn, you inquire?

Well, New York magazine’s Grubstreet cares! So nyeah. And frankly, we here at PX This care too. And YOU— curious, sagacious, cognizant, voracious, zealous associate of the NYC Food & Beverage industry— maybe you should care too. Think of it as an compelling case study!

 

You may recall Boston’s scandalous "$3M Bartender"/"Full Comp"-blogger first made her big splash in NYC as anonymous-writer/Keith-McNally-pillorer "Sympathy for the Restaurant Industry."
She trundled through various undertakings, searing her mountainous brand upon the backsides of venues across the great island of Manhattan— Bubby’s, Daydream, Thunder Jacksons, etc— all culminating in an unprecedented and uproarious smackdown with Wonder Douche dumb chef, Ryan Skeen.*
Still, she managed to emerge triumphant, landing her "dream job" as GM of longtime über-hotspot, La Esquina.

Unfortunately, despite her entrusted duty-bound title, it wasn’t long at all before Butler was up to her old shenanigans, unable to resist the siren call of glorious foodie-blog superstardom. It seems that under Butler’s deft Deep-Throat email-wielding hands, La Esquina soon came under befuddled stupefied scrutiny, and avid supporters of "co-owner" Serge Becker were suddenly left scratching their heads wondering if they should take their patronage elsewhere.

Apparently, this didn’t bode well for La Esquina’s bottom line; "an insider" from the restaurant approximates it may even have possibly diminished the nightly cover estimate by as much as "30 percent," as the cool crowd moved their party up the street, to fellow chronic cool-dude Nur Khan‘s Kenmare.

However, another "La Esquina insider" tells us that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of Butler’s "wackadoo" tenure. As early as July 30, 2010 (mere weeks into Butler’s regime) the staff had already organized a mass email campaign to owner Derek Sanders, imploring the ejection of the newly-instated Butler.
Truth be told, we here at PX This have been fielding the plenitudinous grumblings ever since.

 

That surprises you, doesn’t it? I mean, after all, the whooole "blogger world" (whoever the hell that’s supposed to be) considers us to be "the La Esquina shit-talkers" (whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean)—
don’t they, dear?
[Please, by all means, hit that "La Esquina" tag-link, and just revel in all the "shit" we've been talking. While you're at it, try the "Gwen Butler" tag-link too, and then maybe you can figure out what we've ever done to have Ms Butler trying to unofficially "blacklist" us from La Esquina for weeks now. According to a "La Esquina insider" (or two, or four, or more) that is.]

 

Oh waaait, never mind, I got it. It’s this comment here by our chieftain, isn’t it?

 

Well— you certainly can’t say she never told you so.

 

 

*Yeh, don’t think we didn’t catch that snide ignorant little dig on your Twitter page before you deleted it, Ryan Skeen.

 

 

Viva La Esquina!

 

***********************************************

For more on this story, read PX Me – The Sequel to PX This Coming in the Spring of 2011

 

 

Filed Under: IMAGINE THIS

Beyoncé @ Cipriani 55 Wall

August 31st, 2010

GREATEST HITS: PX This [The Blahg]

Hi! Thank you for your "search"!
This website is currently undergoing changes as it continually progresses, so the entry for which you are seeking has likely been archived within "The Greatest Hits – PX This [The Blahg]". It was removed from its original location in preparation for the upcoming release of PX This Too (The Sequel to PX This). If you would like more information and/or further clarification on this particular narrative, please read PX This – The Revised Edition and/or PX This Too (coming soon).

And so without further ado— by popular (search engine) demand, we proudly present THE GREATEST HITS of PX This [The Blahg]

 

[*** warning: Eats, Shoots and Ladders Leaves freaks, please CLICK HERE* and HERE before reading any further. then take that favorite book of yours and stick it up your ass. thank you! ***]

 

"Beyonce @ Cipriani 55 Wall"

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2005. 11:18AM:

… so last night was the official finale for this season’s Wall Street Concert Series at Cipriani55Wall featuring beyoncé! holy cow she’s gorgeous. i got to sneak in earlier and watch her rehearse and everything, she was all dressed down like she just rolled out of bed, and still she was so beautiful. actually i think she looked better without all the pancake and glitter and whatnot. don’t get me wrong, she was stunning during the concert, but just in her jeans without any makeup— no joke, she looked ten years younger.

anyways, it was a great extravaganza, beyoncé really put on quite the show. she sang and danced and changed her outfit so many times.
eheee at one point she handed her microphone down to alex-rodriguez standing in the audience so he could sing-along, and omygoodness. that poor boy couldn’t carry a tune if it was shaped like a baseball bat.

and the performance in the audience was almost better than the show onstage. all the big ballers (shot-callers and brawlers) were in da house, everybody was glossin and flossin, on and on’in, till six in the mawnin. or something like that.
i saw damon-dash & piddy-diddy & harvey-weinstein & vivi-nevo & flavio-briatore & of course giuseppe-cipriani. i think jay-z arrived late, i didn’t spot him at all until almost the very end of the concert, he was backstage watching from the sidelines and it seemed even beyoncé was surprised to see him there, she looked over when the jumbotron abruptly caught him lurking in the wings and she suddenly beamed and blushed like lovestruck teenager. aww.
oh and harvey-weinstein was totally sweating my dress. i’m just sayin.

… yah so aside from that
last monday (october 31) was a… halloween dinner at Matsuri
… and it was lots of fun everybody was all dressed up in funny costumes. eric-goode was a boyscout. sean-macpherson was a totally convincing jesus-christ. sante-d’orazio was an archbishop. rachel-williams was ummm heidi? saint-paulie girl? something like that. and fisher-stevens was himself.
oh and valentino-garavani & his homeboy giancarlo-giametti were themselves too. do they have halloweenie in italy? i guess not.

… afterward was another party at Crobar…
mark-baker was a pirate. and the lovely vicky-andren was a stepford wife. oliver-stone was some kind of military soldier or veteran or something, i think.
and then later i heard was heidi-klum & seal & usher but i didn’t see any of them because we left by midnight.

finally was a stop at LaEsquina… serge-becker was dressed as a gimp which was totally the best costume all night.

 

pxthis.com archives

This is an abbreviated version of Abbe Diaz’s diary/blog entry on February 22, 2005, for archival purposes only. A far more detailed, thorough, and incisive account is to be included in Diaz’s upcoming second book, PX This Too (The Sequel to PX This) – Coming in the Autumn of 2010

 

* "…The intellectual community, as usual, showed itself to be timid and divided, and even the most unexpected graphologists engaged in controversies regarding their inconsistent analyses of my handwriting. It was they who divided opinions, overheated the polemic, and made nostalgia popular…. Make no mistake: peaceful madmen are ahead of the future." – Gabriel García Márquez

 

 

Filed Under: WITNESS THIS

Brooklyn’s Finest

August 2nd, 2010

 

There seems to be a bit of controversy lately over our recent recommendation of La Esquina as the place at "the top of [the] list" to dine as a "hip and savvy local," should one happen to have a single night’s visit to NYC. It seems that the latest "changes" at La Esquina may not exactly be for the best (despite The NY Post’s rumination / elaboration-of-our-story over the speculative liability of "former" partner Serge Becker‘s “incorrectly reported” involvement).

Whew! That was a mouthful!

In any case, while we ponder the significance of the ongoing developments at La Esquina and the prospect of updating our suggestions, might I suggest you watch Antoine Fuqua‘s Brooklyn’s Finest. Sure, the plot may be a little tedious and slightly convoluted, but who wouldn’t want to behold La Esquina in all its fictional fabulosity? (Also, Wass Stevens is in it.)

Yeah, that’s the ticket.

 

 

Filed Under: NETFLIX THIS

My Day Off: Special Request

July 7th, 2010

Welcome to: Where I Spent My Day Off —by a NYC Restaurant "Insider" – BY SPECIAL REQUEST

 

From the inbox: "Hey… planning an upcoming trip that includes two days in NYC. Don’t want to end up at the tourist spots, I wanna eat like a hip/savvy local! What do you suggest, please? Like, where would you go if you only had one day? And how hard is it to get reservations or get in? … You’re like the Adrian Moore of NYC, [where] I got some great tips on dining when I first moved to Paris… Thanks! – D.B.

 

So, what do you do in the industry?
it’s me, bitches! or rather — for our Parisian friends— c’est moi, salopes!

 

And you have how many days off a week, generally?
let’s say 2

 

What did would you do for breakfast yesterday?
i don’t generally do breakfast, but if i did (or if i were entertaining, e.g.), i’d likely go to SantAmbroeus in the west village. boom— it’s only breakfast and already you’re a “hip and savvy” local. try not to stare at liv-tyler.
breakfast is a bit more sedate than lunch or dinner, so just walk right on in.

 

Lunch?
if it’s a beautiful sunny day, BarPitti.
after 2pm is best, but do plan on the possibility of a short wait unless you arrive after 4pm. they don’t take reservations, and they don’t take credit cards either.

 

And afterward?
as you’re already in that vicinity, perhaps some shopping in SoHo or the WestVillage?
and since you’re on vacation, after that, you’ll of course need a nice apértif. personally, when in SoHo, i like LaEsquina or CafeSelect. if i’m in the WestVillage, it’s CentroVinoteca or GustoRistorante e BarAmericano.
either/all are nice and relaxing in the hours from 4pm to 7pm, no reservation/waiting required.

 

Dinner?
this is where it gets a little tricky. firstly, because you asked where i would go if i only had one night (or had guests from out of town), and secondly because the answer to the question "is it hard to get in?" would likely be a yes oui. but here goes anyway:

at the top of my list would be LaEsquina.
unfortunately, it can be difficult to get a reservation even for a local. a good alternative since you’re coming in the summertime is to sit outdoors, provided you don’t mind dining early (around 7pm). tables outside are first come first served, but do not offer the full cellar dining room menu. however, the "scene and/or people watching" (one of LaEsquina’s primary attractions) is stellar from this vantage point.

also at the top of the list is MinettaTavern, mostly because whenever friends of mine visit from across the country or overseas, dinner at MinettaTavern is usually a principal request. i believe reservations at this juncture are still a bit difficult, so a decent strategy is to dine at the bar. i normally suggest people go early (around 6pm), check with the maitre d’ for any cancellations or sudden availabilities, but be prepared to have full dinner at the bar if necessary. of course, late dinner (around 11pm) is always an option too, but it’s not the choice i would make.

[i wanted to re-iterate however, these are selections i would make under the provision of one night in NYC as a "hip/savvy local." if you're one of those die hard foodie types, send your hate mail elsewhere, i'm not even remotely interested. then go get yourself a Michelin guide or something.]

 

And afterward?
sigh. if i had to? the BoomBoom. but yes it’s true, you’re not getting in. but since you must go home and tell everyone you’ve been there— go early, in the hours from 4pm to 9pm.

please do not ask me where you can "go dancing" after 10pm without a hassle at the door, because any pragmatic suggestion i would make would only serve to publicly embarrass myself. [okay here's a tip: you can go absolutely anywhere else you please if you're willing to "buy a bottle" and/or bribe the doorperson.]

 

How much did would you [have to] blow today?
with the exception of "BoomBoom Room," none of my recommendations are exorbitantly expensive. but, since it’s vacation, and i assume you mean to have a nice time— i would approximate the total cost for a day out like this (for two people) at about $550.00

i hope you have a nice visit!

 

*** See our latest UPDATE on La Esquina ***

 

 

Filed Under: EAT THIS

The Blabber in the Trenches

June 2nd, 2010

The Devil Eats Jerk Pork. NOT.

The latest captivating chatter in and amongst the industry has Anna Wintour rumored to have already slapped Serge Becker‘s latest not-yet-open downtown "café" with a preliminary smackdown. As you may recall, one of Becker’s other establishments, La Esquina, was recently unjustly obstructed from doing business for three days, and some speculation seems to place an irate neighbor at the core of that unwarranted temporary shutdown. Unfortunately for said neighbor, La Esquina was quickly found to be "in compliance with New York City building codes," and the Department of Buildings is said to have "scrambled" to rescind their erroneous judgement after an attorney and judges from as far away as Washington DC were consulted (presumably to help expedite the matter faster and more efficiently than New York’s frustratingly backlogged bureaucracy) on the arguably distorted assessment of celebrity-haven La Esquina’s "imminent… peril… to life."

Well!
Here we go again? The recent salacious out-and-about tittle-tattle has Anna Wintour allegedly warning Serge Becker to refrain from throwing "parties" at his new currently-under-construction exotic eatery, located (perilously?) close to Ms. Wintour’s abode.
LOL! Silly Anna. Every night’s… ♪♪ a holiday at Huuurleeey’s! ♪♪ [Quick: name that movie.]

In any case, Serge Becker & Co. might best hope a set of new $10,000.00 soundproof windows can propitiate Ms. Wintour. But frankly, we can’t help but suggest they get down on their knees and pray she doesn’t decide to implement a strategy that could conceivably be classified a "C*ntyNasty," whereby she would perhaps exert her powerful influence to contribute to the restaurant’s undoing, only to open her very own ‘hotspot’ hash house located conveniently close to her residence.

Does Anna Wintour have 311 on speed dial? Would downtown NYC be better served by a more subdued bistro, with a menu based entirely on supermodel-satiating lettuce leaves and water, than a "café" offering up callaloo and whatnot? Stay tuned!
Ahh, so starts the wintour of our discontent…

*************************************************************

For more details on Graydon Carter and the strategic implementation of “the C*ntyNasty” read PX This – The Revised Edition and PX Me – The Sequel to PX This (Coming Soon in the Spring of 2012)

 

** See our latest UPDATE on Serge Becker’s newest enterprise **

 

Filed Under: IMAGINE THIS

SPOTTED:

May 25th, 2010

Monday, May 24, 2010 10:30PMKim Catrall, John Corbett, Padma Lakshmi, Michelle Trachtenberg, Gabourey Sidibe, Narciso Rodriguez, Evan Handler, Mario Cantone, Syam, and Nick Rytting at the Sex and the City 2 Premiere Party at Lincoln Center.

Thursday, May 20, 2010 9:30 PMAlex Rodriguez and Cameron Diaz being accosted by fans at La Esquina.

 

 

Sunday, May 23, 2010 5:30PMJimmy Fallon strolling down Great Jones near Lafayette St.

Friday, May 14, 2010 7:30 PM [UPDATED--- My bad?- Ed.]Fierce Michelle Yeoh Look-Alike in the audience at the performance of O by Cirque du Soleil at theBelaggio hotel, Las Vegas.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: IMAGINE THIS

SPOTTED:

May 7th, 2010

Tuesday, May 4, 2010 4:30PMJulian Schnabel, in sarong skirt and sandals, having late lunch at Mekong.

Thursday, May 6, 2010 4:30PMRon Burkle with Danny "A" Abeckaser, having late lunch at Bar Pitti.

Friday, April 30, 2010 9:30PM – NBC Extra‘s A.J. Calloway arguing his way into La Esquina.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010 6:30PM – F&B superstar prodigal son, Pietro Pagano, having early dinner at Da Silvano.

 

 

 

Filed Under: IMAGINE THIS

My How Time Flies

April 16th, 2010

If you’re as fabulous as you think you are, then this little cutie pie needs no introduction.

Her father, however, may need a baseball bat in just a few more years.

:)

 

***Featuring Belinda Becker and Willow Beckerwith special thanks to LaRon Batchelor for shustir.com

 

 

Filed Under: PEEP THIS

Brooklyn’s Finest

March 9th, 2010

Just released in theatres – March 5, 2010. Yay!

Watch Brooklyn’s Finest, starring Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes and of course, NYC nightlife superstar, Wass Stevens. Check out the official trailer (see if you can spot the temporarily revamped LaEsquina!)

 

* See also (earlier):DON CHEADLE and WESLEY SNIPES… at LaEsquina"

 

 

Filed Under: PEEP THIS

My Day Off: Ippudo, Ed’s Lobster Bar…

November 19th, 2009

MDO

 

Welcome to: Where I Spent My Day Off —by a NYC Restaurant "Insider"

So, what do you do in the industry?
I’m a Service Coordinator and Floor Manager for a [highly publicized] 150+ seater in TriBeCa.

And you have how many days off a week, generally?
Two.

 

 

What did you do for breakfast yesterday?
Had an english muffin (with butter) and coffee at home while watching the morning news.

Lunch?
Met a couple of friends at Ippudo on 4th Ave. They’re big fans of the ramen, and I think one friend even knows one of the cooks there. It’s usually packed (or rather, the wait is long) for dinner, so lunch is a better bet if you can make it there early enough. I used to be a fan myself, until a girl I was dating a while back had an allergic reaction which she attributed to MSG. I was surprised that a ramen house as well-known as Ippudo would still be using outdated and controversial ingredients like MSG, so when I got home I googled "Ippudo MSG." Even though I didn’t actually get a definitive answer, there were enough reports online of people with similar doubts and experiences to make me somewhat of a believer. I haven’t eaten at Ippudo since, and I try to warn my friends of the possibility of MSG in the food. Some friends care — others don’t.
Obviously, these particular friends still love it, but I stuck with two pork buns, piquillo peppers and a small bottle of sake. I hope the pork buns don’t have any MSG, but if it weren’t for my friends insisting on lunching there, I wouldn’t have gone back even for those.

And afterward?
Walked around Union Square with my friends, then went home to clean my apartment and catch up on the laundry.

Dinner?
Met another friend at Ed’s Lobster Bar in SoHo. She was craving a lobster roll, and Mary’s Fish Camp is too much of hassle (long wait) most nights. I also won’t go to Pearl’s because the staff has such an attitude problem there. Ed’s isn’t much better, but the irony is that at Ed’s the staff is nice, but the owners are real dicks. Usually whenever I see Ed or that other big guy through the window, I keep walking. But this time my friend was starving so I gave in.
I always try to get a seat at the counter as far away from Ed as possible. Sometimes he mans the front oyster/raw bar, and other times he darts in and out of the kitchen in the back. Unfortunately, this time there were only seats toward the front, and we had no choice but to plop ourselves smack in front of his surly mug.

The funny thing is I was bracing myself for a mediocre to downright awful experience, but I think Ed heard us talking and realized we were from the industry. He was unusually attentive, and no exaggeration, the lobster rolls arrived more overstuffed and perfectly prepared than I have ever seen before (more often than not, it’s a crap shoot). The fries were also perfect (ditto on the crap shoot) and even the little ramekin of pickles was practically overflowing. We also shared a Caesar salad to start, and even that was fresher and better prepared than it’s ever been. It ended up being the best meal I’ve ever had there.

And afterward?
Popped into Cafe Select to see if another friend of mine was working, but she wasn’t, so we dropped into La Esquina instead. Had two rounds of margaritas, which was one more than I wanted, but I know the girl that was bartending, so she refilled the glasses when we weren’t looking. We spotted Mischa Barton walking by, but I think I heard she’s there all the time. Also ran into a couple of other people we know.

How much did you blow today?
I treated my friend to dinner at Ed’s so all in all, about $190, including tip (which I gave the bartender at La Esquina a little extra for the sneak round). My friend paid for the first round of drinks at La Esquina. No cab fare all day which is one of the main reasons I mostly only go to places I can walk to (I hate the subway).

 

 

Filed Under: EAT THIS

SPOTTED:

October 21st, 2009

spotted

Tuesday, October 20, 10:00PMBrian 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, 9:00PMHarvey 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, 9:30PMSalman 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, 11:00PMMischa Barton in for her "usual" visit to La Esquina. It’s possible she "has a little crush on a bartender" there?

 

 

Filed Under: IMAGINE THIS

SPOTTED:

October 15th, 2009

spotted

Jay Z, Rihanna, and entourage at La Esquina. Jay Z maybe wasn’t entirely pleased with his table. Rihanna wore her jacket and sunglasses all through dinner. At one point, the bodyguard attempted to restrict access to the "mosaic room" and turned away proprietor Serge Becker. LOL. Fun times.

Mischa Barton with two girlfriends strolling into La Esquina at 1AM. They had a quick drink and bounced.

Michelle Wiliams walking alone on Spring Street in SoHo. All bundled up and hooded against the sudden drop in temperature in an olive military-style fatigue jacket. What amazing skin she has; it practically glows.

Tony Shafrazi dining with a male friend at Lure.

Jonathan Morr wandering aimlessly down Greenwich Avenue in the West Village with friend/business associate Ray Pirkle. Looking for real estate?

Anne Burrell at the bar at Peasant. She ordered some convoluted complicated multi-ingredient cocktail but when informed, "Sorry, we don’t have the liquor to make that drink," she promptly responded, "That’s okay, I’ll have a vodka and soda."

Emil Varda lunching outdoors with Abbe Diaz at Gusto Ristorante e Bar Americano. Look out, world…?

 

 

Filed Under: IMAGINE THIS

SPOTTED:

September 28th, 2009

spotted

Adrien Brody lunching at La Esquina (with a male hipster friend)— looking pale, scrawny, and headshaved enough to possibly be filming The Pianist II. Rode off into the sunset (down Lafayette St.) on his bicycle afterward.

 

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds dining at Mr. Chow Tribeca with his son, wearing an olive military-style fatigue jacket, matching cap and dark sunglasses. Ate pretty quickly and left. Little Babyface Jr fist bumped Michael "Mr" Chow on the way out. Mr Chow tried to make it fancy and fly, but little homeslice wasn’t havin’ it – he likes it plain and classic.

 

• Real Housewives’ Kelly Killoren Bensimmon chatting with a shorter woman outside Cafe Select in the mid-afternoon. Wearing sparkly black leggings, and a short, black, suede fringed jacket and ballet flats. Supposedly "filming" for an upcoming episode.

 

• Über-photographer Sante D’Orazio lunching at Bar Pitti with an übertall, leggy, beautiful model-type. What else is new.

 

 

Filed Under: IMAGINE THIS

The Blabber on: the Boom Boom Room

September 23rd, 2009

boomboom

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.

 

 

Filed Under: EAT THIS