Saturday's Spot

www.donhills.com

Saturday's Spot--this week's hotspot was Don Hills. The buzz around this Soho hangout soared when it reopened during NYC Fashion week, penned as a welcome alternative to the bottle-service glitterati of the meatpacking district--glamour but with a downtown edge. Helmed by Paul Sevigny and Nur Khan; this spot did not disappoint, delivering grungy, stripped down fun.  We spent much of the night dancing to rock remixes and Miike Snow, the collaged walls with green neon lights blinking only added to our euphoria grooving with the laid back crowd in this hazy heaven.

Looking for a funky hideaway for your music-happy crew?? Don Hills is the spot. When were loving it:

Nur Khan Sessions the owner's wild, handpicked concerts

Thursday night post Margaritas at El Cantinero in West Village
Saturday with an epic crew and dancing shoes

Painting on one wall...and a Don Hill's motto
www.rachelhruska.com

Spotlight Thursday—
A place where the beer flows like wine… Where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano.. I'm talking about a little place called…Sweet Paradise!!


This week’s limelight is on Headband and Hooligan—USC alums migrated east to get you dancing in NYC. These music gurus have been drumming and mixing since the ripe age of 14 or so and team up under their monikers to bring heady beats to New York's recent grad scene. Fun fact: Headband once caught a pitching session for Mariano Rivera—if he’s good enough for the yanks he’s sure as hell good enough for you. Plus, rumor has it Hooligan played HORSE with Obama. And won.

Ok reputations aside—this Saturday they’ve teamed up with Sweet Paradise (everybody’s favorite secret hide-away on the Lower East Side, complete with candy, liquor and a jukebox…um hello!) to bring us Pleasure Treasure. All night Sweet Paradise is offering $5 shot and beer combo and $8 Jameson/beer special...that's sure to get your boyfriend off the couch. Bottom line: this evening is dont-miss guaranteed party-your-face-off fun with a sexy crowd, insane beats and strong drinks—does it get any sweeter?

Sweet Paradise Lounge

        located at:   
14 Orchard Street
New York, NY 10002                                                              Better see you in paradise...MS




The Elusive Twosome

 

Wednesday’s Je Ne Sais Quoi—HUMP DAY…well let’s be honest, feels a little more like bump in the road day…but there is good news to be had on this mediocre Wednesday in NYC.  It comes in the form of Piola, an Italian pizzeria in Union Square. And for once, we’re not talking about the pizza.  From 8pm to close every Wednesday, Piola showers its female diners with free wine included with any entrée. FREE WINE. Pretty sure Kool & the Gang would write a new rendition of Ladies Night for this. Oh and they have some pretty great other promotions as well—check it all out at Piola Union Square

http://soulfunkjazz.files.wordpress.com/

See you ladies there!  MSS


Piola NYC





  

Recovery Sunday

Pirate Mike doing his thing at Iggy's

63 and sunny this weekend led to a lengthy and boozy brunch on Saturday before the Heineken Inspire Encore concert--mental notes: Donnybrook's irish brunch leaves a little something to be desired in the food department, pirate Mike at Iggy's on Ludlow and Rivington makes a mean (variations of mild, medium, hot and VERY hot) Bloody Mary and a combination of Diplo tunes, free heineken and black light walls is pure perfection.

Diplo

Heineken vision

However, all this led us to spend much of today curled up in bed. The still balmy weather forced us out around 3 though and after wandering the New Museum on Bowery (check Monday Marks tomorrow for a full recap) we were ready for some good and greasy recovery grub.  Pulino's, Keith McNally's relatively new restaurant, shone bright red across the street and surprised at the rare lull we saw through the windows, we hurried over.






While the service was spotty and the pizzas (funghi/pancetta and salame picante) upsettingly bland--the spectacular mozzarella burata, flavorful cannelloni beans and peaceful buzz of eating in a golden glow of liquor bottles and hanging prosciutto, made 5pm Sunday recovery at Pulino's something to look forward to as the weather cools and getting out of bed is increasingly challenging.









Pulino's Menu

the entirety of Pulino's corner of Bowery seemed highlighted with red--how could we resist??

Canelloni beans with vegetables, pecorino and bruschetta

Funghi/Pancetta and Salame Picante pizze

Mozzarella Burata, prosciutto with apples 

the exposed kitchen was the most bustling section of the room

I Love This City.

View from our apartment--get out there and seize the night.

Monday's Marks

I couldn’t wait to get to John Baldessari’s exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum, his first major US show in over twenty years. When I heard that the College Group at the Met was sponsoring a late night viewing party, complete with music and food, I knew that the night to relive my glory days and pull out the trusty old college ID had come.  Pretty sure my slow sipping of a glass of red wine and endless attention to John Baldessari’s later works separated me from the revelers focused on dancing to the beat of the opening band the Beachniks, but it really was exciting to be amidst a group of young art lovers celebrating in the Met after hours.  The exhibit itself spans a vast portion of Baldessari’s career; definitely take note of how elements of his earliest works, like body parts (God Nose, 1965) continue to be his focus in later pieces like Nose and Ears, (Head with nose), 2006.

I particularly enjoyed his photographs that had been painted over and attached—pieces like Heel, 1986, The Overlap Series: Jogger with Cosmic Event, 2000 and The Duress Series, 2003. In The Overlap Series, Baldessari experimented with photographs printed on clear acetate, attaching and reversing them. Two seemingly incongruent scenes, a black-and-white still from a Buck Rogers movie and a color snapshot of a local jogger become intertwined, the new, fused image brought to life with bright, acrylic scratches of color. Images like this are the fire behind Baldessari’s work; a unique and somewhat odd vision that allows him to take everyday shapes, images and primary colors and turn them into something completely new and eye-opening. This is a main reason he has been so influential in contemporary/conceptual art—he highlights subjects that have historically been very important in the evolution of art; eyes for emotion, the ability to create a realistic human form, and upends that focus—into separation and abstraction.

This show is a must see, for its expertly curated evolution of style and subject matter and more importantly, Baldessari’s witty commentary on the conventions of art, mass-media, and his heightened awareness of the world around us.  Huge kudos to the College Group at the Met for bringing students (and delicious hors d’oeurves) to this important exhibition.   xx MS

 John Baldessari, Pure Beauty, is on view through January 9 at the Metropolitan Museum.

Overlap Series, Jogger with Cosmic Event

The Duress Series

Spotlight Thursdays

Last Friday we started the Halloween festivities off on an extremely loud note at the Boyznoize and Rusko concert at Webster Hall. Spotlight Thursdays was created to highlight the events, places or people that we were most excited about and this week I have to pass that torch to Rusko. While Boyznoize were the headliners at the show, Rusko completely stole the lime(laser)light with his innovative dubset tunes.  While he did not come on until after Boyz, an interesting twist, he had the venue packed and rocking well into the early morning.

 If you were there I know you were jumping along with me when he wrapped up the show with his single Hold On, but if you didn’t make it on Friday fear not; your electro buzz shall go on.  Inspired by the eclectically dressed crowd and hyper beats—we compiled a few of the most exciting upcoming electronic sets for November—starting with Scottish DJ Calvin Harris at Lavo tonight, 10pm.  If the rain keeps you from donning your favorite neon sneakers this evening, definitely look into tickets for these:

Crookers/Jack Beats, Webster Hall, 11/5

Simion Mobile Disco, Santos Party House, 11/18

Dirty South, Pacha 11/19

Axwell, Webster Hall, 11/20
A-trak/Miike Snow/Tiga/Flying Lotus, Terminal 5, 11/27

This Week's Juiciest Bite

Factory Magazine, published by Tokion, has been advising New Yorkers about the endless art that street culture provides the creative community with for several years now. Its ability to dig deep into the worlds of contemporary artists, talented musicians, and daring designers, has given Tokion’s Factory Magazine an inspiring outlet to discuss these pressing issues. Demonstrated through colorful artwork, world-class photography, and cutting edge design, Factory Magazine is pushing the boundaries of art that incorporates every day life—which hopes to shape the way we see the world.

Published only six times a year, the magazine provides a one-of-a-kind platform for emerging artists as well as established icons in everything from design to film. Their goal is to generate the overall ideas of these artists and to present their unfiltered visions to an audience of cultural worshippers.

Over the weekend, Tokion held a release party for their latest issue, The Expressions Issue, which tackles all subjects “express yourself” related. The event was held at Greenhouse nightclub and offered cocktails provided by Bulldog Gin and music by DJ Tim Robert.

 The crowd was comprised of artists, editors, models, and bloggers. The night was lively and eventful—meeting interesting people that can actually hold a conversation about something they’re passionate about always does the trick. Pick up your copy of Factory Magazine out this week. In the meantime, get familiar: Tokion Art and Culture

Xx AT

Saturday's Spot

After a one-day hiatus for yesterday’s Halloween festivities—which involved a run-in on Third Avenue with Bert, Ernie and a gorilla—we are back with a now established staple of the East Village brunch scene, The Sunburnt Cow.  This darkened enclave off Avenue C was a welcome respite from the fall breeze and the crowd inside seemed energized by the laid-back surfer vibe.  As various tables finished their meals, a makeshift dance-floor appeared, everyone moving to tunes from the likes of Yolanda Be Cool. 

While boozy brunches are becoming indispensable to the New York weekend crowds, this one took the notion of all you can drink brunch to a new level with its delectable dishes and 18-dollar price tag. Our group sampled everything from crispy crab cakes benedict and smoked salmon benedict with avocado to a burger with toppings straight from the far reaches of The Sunburnt Cow’s owners’ Australia: lettuce, tomato, thick slices of beet, fried egg, cheese, fried onions, pineapple, and bacon strips.  While this combination sounded odd at first, the photo below really says it all.  

Mix these platters with unlimited “Moo-marys,” “moomosas”, screwdrivers and the Sunburnt special Greyhound—a refreshing grapefruit and vodka concoction—and your weekend keeps rolling through Sunday.   If you and a group are looking for a pick-me up in the coming weekends look no further than this Australian transport in Alphabet city—just be sure to call ahead or wake up early—this spot has New York brunchers flocking.  One too many moomosas left us with the below snapshot--and a thank you to nymag.com and yelp for the decor images....The Sunburnt Cow is located at 137 Avenue C at 9th street. 

This Week's Juiciest Bite

Juliet’s 1 year anniversary party was definitely a reason to celebrate this past weekend. Everyone from John Mayer to Stephanie Pratt was in attendance-- looking polished and ready to party. Upon entrance a beautiful woman covered in diamonds, who just happened to be an expert musician, greeted you. She killed it on her violin as she played vigorously against the electro that Samantha Ronson was dishing out. Setting the bar high, Juliet did not cease to wow its crowd of A-Listers as everyone was treated to endless champagne and the musical stylings of Lilo’s ex-girlfriend. 

Ronson was loving the old school hip-hop tunes mixed with today’s bangers, like “This Is How We Do It” and Duck Sauce’s “Barbara Streisand". 

Juliet continues to prove itself as one of the trendiest places to let loose in New York. With top DJ’s rotating nightly, it was founded by nightlife guru, Jon B, who also happened to open the first eco-friendly nightclub in New York called Greenhouse. So if you find yourself walking around West 12^th st and looking “perfect”, I would suggest trying to finagle your way through the burly bouncers. 

Xx,

AT

Saturday's Spot

BAR PLEIADES-- The spot this week is an upscale, Coco Chanel inspired hotel bar called Bar Pleiades. Nestled in the Surrey Hotel and owned by Daniel Boulud, this French inspired restaurant is named after a Parisian cafe that was frequented by some of the most prominent Manhattan artists in the 1970's and 80's. The decor is what stood out the most; with it's polished black and white lacquer seats, pearl quilted walls, and intimate areas for privacy, this bar is an ideal spot to meet someone new while doing some people watching on Madison.

After browsing through the cocktail menu, the master mixologist himself, Cameron Bogue, came over to speak with me about his unique creations that are always seasonally inspired. He said, "I sample flavors constantly, to come up with the most exquisite and strong cocktails around." He explained that there are four sections to the menu.

First is La Tradition, which are always traditional cocktails with a refined twist. Second is Le Potager, which contain garden fresh ingredients like the cocktail, Autumn Thyme, which contains our favorite, fresh fall raspberries. Third is La Saison, which is an ode to the current season. For fall, Cameron is serving up a Cornucopia that contains apricot and fresh sage. Lastly is Le Voyage which is regionally inspired by the month, right now it's Beijing, China. Ask for the Beijing Mule containing roasted Asian pear vodka and house fermented ginger beer.

After sampling cocktails and enjoying some bites like their blue point oysters and crispy prawns, I found myself chatting with some lively Spaniards that were only in town for a couple of nights. They said that they had stumbled upon this charming spot and have been sitting here sipping martinis for several hours. They were having a fabulous time! Bar Pleiades offers a wonderful selection of bar bites and seasonal cocktails that will leave your palette for food and friends satisfied. 

Current Cocktail Menu