“A man who has not been in Italy, is always conscious of an inferiority, from his not having seen what it is expected a man should see”
- Samuel Johnson

Ten years ago, I left my broad in college and headed for my semester abroad in Florence, Italy. It was a seminal experience that left an everlasting mark on my soul. Living in a pre-globalized and pre-Euro Italian city with your best friends at the prime of your life is nothing short of everything. We drank, we ate, we traveled and we lived in ways that we never would have imagined, and which many couldn’t even dream of. Over the years, as it all faded into memories and photographs, the lifestyle, the food, and the wine stayed with me every day.

As humans, the things that make a mark on our existence rotate through our minds daily like cards in a deck. Countless times when the Italy card came up I attempted to plan a return to my dolce vita. My life took me around the world, but for some reason, like a falafel without a stomach ache, Italy alluded me. Finally, in early July, I decided it was time… and life obliged. The gates of heaven opened, the clouds parted and my moment to return to my promised land arrived. The trip was booked, and on August 28th I left for 18 days in Italy. 

Just as I began to anticipate an epic feast of salumi, cheese, and barrels of wine for bathing and drinking, that son of a bitch Mario Batali began an unrelenting marketing campaign for Eataly. He promised that just as I departed to discover my personal legend, he would be opening a 50,000-square-foot destination of all things Italy in the heart of downtown Manhattan. It would include pizza from Naples, Parmagianno-Reggiano and prosciutto from Parma, Chianti Classico and Bistecca Fiorentina from Tuscany, Artichokes and Amatriciana from Rome, an outdoor Italian Biergarten, and countless restaurants and markets overseen by an all-star team of celebrity culinarians. The nerve of this red-headed mastermind to tempt me with unrelenting gastronomic joy. Was G-d testing my resolve like Abraham with his son? Was there a hidden lesson in this torture?

 
Even more questions arose as I continued to prepare for my trip. Was this brash commercialism or were Batali and Bastianich honest in their intentions? Paris in Vegas and now Italy in New York—would this so-called “Eataly” serve as a way to promote and preserve the most beautifully simple and delicious food in the world, or exploit it for Disney-like commercial gain? Batali and Bastianich had always seemed genuine, but trusting a businessman with an unlimited supply of salted meats and wine is a fool’s errand.

Eataly would not hold me back from my pilgrimage, but it would remain in the back of my mind as I ate, drank, danced, and soaked in Florence, Rome, Tuscany, and Forte Di Marmi. Upon my return to New York, and after a brief detox from all things Italian, I began to investigate the Eataly. I jumped in a cab, with notes from my trip and a growling stomach, to begin the epic battle of Eataly vs. Italy…

Round 1: Coffee
I was never a coffee drinker until my first trip to Italy. I am not sure if it was the romance of sipping an espresso or cappuccino at an Italian café, or the smell and taste of the perfectly prepared coffee, but from then on, I was hooked. When I returned, not much had changed, except that now it was possible to find well prepared European coffee on almost every street corner in America. Eataly is no different than any of those cafes, except that it has a beautifully designed Lavazza Italian coffee bar and a specialized espresso section. Both serve delicious coffee and the same mediocre Italian croissants that are served in Italy. I would say that Eataly’s coffee is as good if not better than most gourmet coffee bars in the U.S., but the general ambiance and hyperactivity in this area of New York could never compare with the café culture in Italy. There is something about sitting in an ancient Piazza being served by a well dressed European waiter that can’t be matched by a student from FIT in front of a POS system. 
EDGE: Italy

Round 2: Pizza

For the Pizza at Eataly, Batali has partnered with Rossopomodoro, a pizza chain from Naples with multiple global locations. I think this was a wise choice considering his Otto Pizzeria, although an excellent restaurant, has mediocre pizza at best. I can honestly say that the pizza sauce on the Margarita pie at Eataly was the best I have ever eaten. The pizza at Eataly, as a total product, was extremely good and over time will definitely only get better. The only negative is that the sheer volume of customers coming out of Eataly will never allow this pie to reach the levels of the now defunct Una Pizza Napoletana, or comparable joints like Keste or Una’s replacement, Motorino.

With that said, the pizza in Italy is generally not much better. I have not tried the famous pizza of Naples, but my favorite pizza in Italy comes from La Bussola in Florence. It is perfectly spectacular in every way, and because the amount of pies they serve is minimal compared to the amount served by Eataly, the quality will probably remain slightly higher at La Bussola. But this isn’t Eataly vs. La Bussola, and overall the pizza in Italy is just aiiight.
EDGE: Eataly

Round 3: Pasta

For lunch at Eataly I enjoyed the Cacio e Pepe and Fusilli Ragu. Both were excellent preparations of classic dishes that you could easily find at any of the top 20 Italian restaurants in Manhattan. They were well executed, flavorful, and for the most part, perfectly seasoned. Once again I have concerns based upon the volumes of people being served in Eataly, but the most incredible part of the pasta operation is the retail side. Eataly has the most unbelievable selection of dried and fresh pastas you have ever seen.  I don’t believe any place in Italy showcases this type of selection under one roof. 

You can find some of the most sought after pasta in the world in Italy, but you can also find some of the most ordinary. Pasta cooked by a true Italian with years of experience and genetically superior taste buds will almost always be sublime. The truth though is that in modern Italy, many cafés are run by immigrants from surrounding nations who are serving boatloads of overcooked and under-seasoned processed crap. For the best interpretations of Italian classics, stick to the pastas of that region such as Amatriciana in Rome or Bolognese in Bologna, and find authentic cafés that have been doing that and only that for years, preferably in the countryside. You just might be able to get more consistent and reliable pasta in Eataly than Rome, but never better than the Italian grandmother in Maremma.
EDGE: Italy

Round 4: Fish, Meat & Cheese
Eataly has a Rotisseria, Macelleria, Salumeria, Steakhouse, Ristorante Pesce, Crudo Bar, Formaggeria, Mozzarella Bar, and even more. There is absolutely no fish, meat, or cheese from Italy that you cannot obtain in some form or fashion within Eataly. The preparations are excellent, fresh and flavorful, and the ambiance is clean and beautiful.

Outside of the cheese and some very notable exceptions with meat and fish, I find the main courses in most trattorias in Italy to be only average. I know there are exceptions in certain locations, but please explain to me how you can ever maintain consistency in the most disorganized country in the world.  More importantly, there is plenty of average (and a bunch of bad) meat and fish, and many restaurateurs and markets that keep their foods improperly stored because of antiquated food safety practices.

In terms of the Salumi and cheese, I am sure there are once again exceptions in Italy; but for the most part, Eataly’s selection is as bountiful and delicious as any average gastronomist can expect to sample on an Italian adventure. In this case, I have to say that Eataly, and New York in general, are superior when it comes to the preparation of meat and fish entrées and our selection of cheese and charcuterie is on par with the motherland.   
EDGE: Eataly

Round 5: Bread & Pastry

Once again it pains me to say this, but I really don’t enjoy the bread or pastries from Italy at all. Most of the bread is flavorless, except for some incredible focaccia (which is also available at Eataly). As for the pastries, most are distributed from commissaries to tourist cafés, and sweetened with fruit-based sugars and flavors like hazelnut that don’t stimulate my vulgar American palette. Eataly’s breads, by Nancy Silverton, are beautiful, flavorful, and fresh. The pastries are on par, if not slightly better than their Italian counterparts. Bread in Tuscany isn’t much better than eating a sponge dipped in lusciously delicious olive oil, and it goes down like cement. 
EDGE: Eataly

Round 6: Panini & Gelato
Mario Batali and company have made a valiant effort in this department. They feature a special selection of panini daily, along with pre-packaged versions for takeout. They also have a great selection of some of the most authentic gelato in New York. There are two problems. 

Number 1: the Panini is nowhere near the level of the best panini in New York, which means it is not even close to the best in Italy. They “dialed it in” on this area of the store and understandably got lazy or tired, knowing they would bank off of it anyway. 

Number 2: they have no Stracciatella gelato. It is my favorite flavor and available in all Italian gelaterias.  The girl at the counter told me that “the chef took it off the menu.” Seems like a decision solely based on economics, in an establishment based on exposing the best of Italy to New York. This was done too early in the game and I am sure will be economically irrelevant in the long run. Don’t fall asleep bitches, because if you do, I will be coming for you!
EDGE: Italy

So both Eataly and Italy have each won three rounds in this grudge match. Both are battered and beaten and the bell rings for the final round. As they approach each other in the middle of the ring, the salt of the cured meats and too many shots of limoncello are haunting them both. Like a French woman, you would think the native Italian would be genetically predisposed to these physical challenges, but that bitch (globalization) and her child (bastardization) are eating away at Italy’s years of culinary supremacy.  No longer will Italy’s cities automatically provide you with Italian cuisine superior to that available in the upper echelon of New York and other modern meccas. So with this in mind, and an overly optimistic Batali in his prime, Eataly makes one last ditch effort to knock out his opponent. As he lunges forward about to put the final blow to Italy and end this battle royale, their eyes meet and in dramatic fashion Italy screams “Gratzie!!!!!!”  At that moment Eataly immediately drops his hands, says “Prego” and walks out of the ring. 

In post match interviews, Eataly is asked why he forfeit the match against Italy when it was right in his grasp. He looked into the eyes of the reporters and said, “When I heard his beautiful accent, it stirred me. I realized in my oversized red-headed heart, that I would be nothing without Italy, and by beating him, I would be killing myself and everything I stand for.” With that, Batali and Bastianich boarded a plane and carried Italy back to his grandmother’s home in Tuscany. They were greeted warmly by his mother, Daniella, and her huge family in San Casciano De Bagno. They began a simply delicious meal with copious amounts of red wine while they watched the warm Tuscan sun set over the hills. As they looked out at the unrestrained beauty, they realized that they can bring everything to New York, but the true essence of the Italian spirit will always lie in the people and places where it all began.
EDGE: Italy

Danniella, Maurizio, and I…

Live deliciously and see you next time at Cocktail Hour, where more often than not one drink turns into ten and no one knows where and when the night will end.
-AP

September 1st, 2010 is already here and where does the world of nightlife and hospitality stand? This week I received an email from Brian Gordon of Miami Marketing Group (MMG) with a link to an article entitled “Dolphins SoBe Style.” The article outlines how Miami Marketing Group, the proprietors of LIV Nightclub, are clearing out 400 seats and 17 suites of Dolphins Stadium with new owner Steve Ross, to bring South Beach nightlife to the NFL. The space will be complete with table service, dance floor, and DJ booth, as well as models, celebrities, and some of the biggest DJs in the world. The ownership made a multi-year commitment because, according to team CEO Mike Dee, “We want to see it grow and build. Starting with two prime-time night games we think will be red hot from day one.” Additionally Dee is quoted as saying, “A lot of times teams design around a lounge or space, but in this case this is a more cutting edge project because we are talking more about the experience, the vibe. And why we partnered with these guys is because they bring the rest of the equation, the vibe, the programming, the celebrities, the feeling that you get when you go to LIV.” They have a stadium and franchise worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and the thing they want is the “feeling” you get from LIV—quite the complement.

With this in mind, I would like to take this, my last column prior to my departure on holiday, to point out to everyone and anyone who will listen, that nightlife is becoming the leading source of entertainment in the world. The Miami Dolphins deal (similar to the Hyde Lounge at the Staples Center in LA) is an incredible idea that I believe we will see duplicated throughout the world with sporting events and stadiums. It is a prime example of how nightlife culture, is being assimilated into every part of the modern entertainment business. The culture and business of the night has exploded out of the backroom and into the boardroom. An educated person cannot argue the profound effect that nightlife has had on our culture in the modern era (post 1970). The culture and business of the night pervades all areas of our day-to-day life from music and art to hotels and advertising/marketing. We have gone from an underground counter-cultural movement, to a multi-billion dollar industry controlling the tastes and employment of millions of people. Let’s go to the videotape.

Hotels:

Well this one is sort of easy. Ian Schrager created the boutique hotel with partner Steve Rubell during the ‘80s. They combined the design, art, music, and marketing they learned in nightlife and revolutionized the hotel experience. Enter W Hotels, Andre Balazs, Thompson Hotels, Kimpton Hotels, Ace Hotels, SLS Hotels, and so many more its hard to name; and we arrive at today. Marriot Hotels, the largest US hotel owner, has partnered with Schrager to develop Edition Hotels. "We're interested in getting into the market as fast as we can and with as many as we can," Marriott Chief Executive J.W. "Bill" Marriott said of the boutique segment in a recent interview. Boutique Hotels can charge 12% more on average than other properties on the same market for providing nothing more than design and “experience,” both of which can, in most cases, be provided at little or no additional cost. There are currently 55 W Hotels and Resorts around the world, which have been developed since 1998, and this trend is quickly seeping into residential real estate. Enough said.

Casinos:

Casinos are, in my mind, the modern day precursor to the development of the nightlife industry. They were, for the most part, shady operations until the late 1970s. Once corporate America realized how much money was being made, they took over, cleaned up, and made it into one of the biggest industries in the world. Is nightlife so different? Are there many businesses where you can make 20-30% profit on a drink or 150% profit on a bottle and charge a cover for access? We’ll leave it to the precursors, the casinos, to be the first to realize how much money there was in nightlife. We can argue that New York or Miami is the nightlife capital of the country, but the truth is Las Vegas is where the real scratch is made. From daytime pool parties to vibe dining restaurants to nightclubs, Las Vegas spends the most building the venues and makes the most profit from them. I don’t know the exact figures, but there is no way that nightlife isn’t a top 10 driver of visitation to Las Vegas (reason people visit). From what I am told, it is one of the only things keeping the city afloat as hotel and gaming revenues decrease. As Rande Gerber said, “When times are good people drink, but when times are bad they drink even more.” Who am I to argue with Cindy Crawford?

Restaurants:
All of the other critics may complain, but the writing is on the wall. Why aren’t there any restaurants to review in New York? Because people in New York, although they want great food, would prefer good and consistent food with some action. I am not saying that this is the correct approach, but the modern diner seems to be so much more about the overall experience than just the food. That is why bistros, brassieres, trattorias, wine bars, and cocktail lounges dominate the dining front. Yes, there are some exceptions such as Momofuku or Aldea, but for the most part people want to get drunk, listen to great music, be in a warm environment, meet the opposite sex, and eat salty, but not overly filling foods. Who did this?  Sorry to say, but nightlife guys. Stephen Starr of Buddakan, Marc Packer of Tao, Sam Nazarian of every restaurant in Los Angeles, the Meatball Shop guys, Jeffrey Chodorow of China Grill Management, Richie Notar of Nobu, Bagatelle Group, George V (Buddha Bar/Barrio Latino); they all have roots in the world of nightlife and vibe dining. The modern restaurant business is not profitable unless you can do a few things: sell liquor, bring in the customers, create energy, and generate BUZZ. Vibe and experience dining came out of the lessons learned from the world of nightlife. Abe & Arthurs, Kenmare, The Lion, Gemma, Griffou: they are good restaurants to eat in, but they are great restaurants to drink in.

Art, Music & Fashion:

Universal Music Group/Interscope reached out to my business partner a few years ago about a new artist they were trying to break. She had a new single and wanted to do some free shows at nightclubs in Manhattan. Josh set her up at Tenjune and the Hamptons Magazine party at Mansion. Her name: Lady Gaga. Look through pictures of Studio 54, Max’s Kansas City, Mudd Club, and Palladium. Andy Warhol, Halston, Michael Jackson, Keith Haring, Basquiat, Mick Jagger, Barishnakov, Diana Ross, Julian Schnabel, Truman Capote, Betsey Johnson, David Bowie, Lou Reed, Ross Bleckner, Vincent Gallo, and so many more.  Fast forward to our generation and the regulars include Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Damien Hirst, Zack Posen, Marc Jacobs, Julian Schnabel, Heidi Klum, Britney Spears, Giselle, the Olson Twins, Axl Rose, Katy Perry… the list goes on and on.

The bottom line is that music, art, and fashion (whether the artist, designer, or musician are in the club or not) are inexorably influenced by what goes on within the club and in the surrounding culture. Creativity finds a home within this world and the primary adopters of trends come from clubs, bars, and live music shows in the downtowns of cities all over the world. Having the privilege of living in the modern world’s version of Rome while it descends, I can say without question that creativity is spewing voraciously from nightlife. The current creative developments from nightlife culture are only beginning to show, and will have effects on Art, Music, and Fashion for decades to come.

Marketing & Advertising:
Can you remember the last time you purchased something because you really loved the advertisement? You saw the billboard as you drove from the Hamptons to Manhattan, and you just knew there was no way you could live without that new perfume. Yes, Apple has incredible commercials, but without the incredible product and “cool” factor, it is all just a Newton (the original iPad). Advertising is a dead model. Without layering in integrated marketing such as social networking, email campaigns, events, and product sampling, and engaging the consumer in their world through experiential programs, it is useless. Who are the first people to utilize new technologies to market their products?  Street marketers, nightclubs, the people who need low-cost solutions to reach large amounts of people. We were the first to use email blasts, Facebook, MySpace, street teams, PR stunts, YouTube, whatever new technologies and ideas that come out of the digital revolution. We are the ones testing the effectiveness for corporate America. After that, corporate America hires us to teach them and execute for them. Companies like Relevant, Mirrorball, and Strategic Group along with countless others, are creating strategies and executing them for the biggest companies in the world. Want your product to be cool? Instead of waiting in front of the velvet rope outside our clubs, line up outside our offices.

Employment, Families & Education:
Finally, countless families are supported and young people are educated through the money earned from the nightlife industry. Our industry, in New York alone, has an estimated $9.7 billion in economic activity, $2.6 billion in earnings (primarily wages) and 95,500 jobs in New York City. That’s just New York City. The total box office revenue for movies in the United States and Canada in 2009, a record year, was approximately $10 billion.

The Flipside
Despite all of the incredible accomplishments I have listed above, there are still some dark sides to the world of nightlife. Many young lives have been crushed because they couldn’t handle the temptation that surrounds the world. Easy access to drugs, sex, and liquor for many people can lead to a lifelong struggle with addiction and depression, not to mention it plays havoc on relationships. For all of the incredible things that came out of nightlife and its freedoms, as with anything in life, lessons were learned and the bills for fun and excess are constantly being collected.

For all of those issues, the truth is that an industry filled with PR people has a PR problem.  Headline-loving politicians and absentee parents exacerbate the negatives, but the truth is that all businesses have negative aspects. I know just as many people in finance and real estate with drug and drinking problems as I do in nightlife, and the problem doesn’t go away just because the clubs go away. People like their freedom and if it isn’t in the club, they will find it somewhere else. The real problem lies in the human condition.

"Seven Deadly Sins
Wealth without work
Pleasure without conscience
Science without humanity
Knowledge without character
Politics without principle
Commerce without morality
Worship without sacrifice."
— Mahatma Gandhi

Whether you are partying or working this Labor Day, hold your head high, and drink a toast to being part of an incredible industry. Keep dreaming and see you this fall at Cocktail Hour, where more often than not one drink turns into ten and no one knows where and when the night will end.
-AP

“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”
- Abraham Lincoln

I often wonder why people born within a 50-mile radius of Manhattan are so prevalent in the business world. You can travel all over the world and you will see them—in Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Miami, and London—working, harder, faster, and smarter to extract more out of life. It’s not just in business though, it pervades all areas of our existence. It is just the way we function. From a young age our environment shows us what we must do: either we accept what the world gives us or we shape the world around us into our desires and dreams. 

After I got my first big break (recognition by a business worth hundreds of millions of dollars), my business partner, Josh, and I applied all of our skills toward making this client’s business a tremendous success. When we achieved that goal and successfully launched the project, the organization’s Vice President of Marketing said to us, casually, “You guys are incredible, but you got to stop hustling.”  When I heard this I was hurt, much more than he or I probably expected. I had just put my heart and soul into launching a multimillion dollar business for this corporate behemoth, and on top of it, I looked up to this man. His comment, for the moment, sullied our achievement. It felt dirty, like because we didn’t sell our soul to the man, wake up at 8 a.m., rock a Men’s Warehouse suit, and check out before the job was done, our success was somehow criminal. This comment stuck in my side for years after that, as I always wondered whether our desire to do anything (within reason) to achieve the end goal was wrong.  That the fire that was lit from the playground pick-up games, trading baseball cards, telemarketing mobile phones, and starting out as an entrepreneur at the age of 14, was somehow suddenly bad.

The truth is, though, that all those things I was questioning at that moment and for years to come were what separate those of us who are born and raised in Manhattan and the surrounding areas from the rest of the world. Rich, poor, young, old, we are all hustling to make our dreams come to life and get our piece. Mr. Vice President of Marketing, you got it all wrong. You got to start hustling, baby, you ought to know. I am from New York, and I hustle ‘cause it’s in my soul.

And this brings me to John DeLucie. For those of you who don’t know, John DeLucie, is chef and partner in the current “king of cool” restaurant, The Lion. Mr. DeLucie’s story is an interesting one filled with food, desire, and ambition. As expected, he is one of us, born and raised in Merrick, Long Island, and he did not begin cooking in any capacity professionally until he was 29 years old. (Now, I am just as guilty as any of you. At 31, I regularly think that I cannot change my path, but John was able to change from corporate salesman to celebrity chef, so for those of you scared to jump, there is your inspiration.) Now around 50 years old and divorced twice, every action has a reaction, and he could easily pass for a youthful 35 year old. His culinary career started at Dean and Deluca and went up and down like a roller coaster until he landed with Eric Goode and Sean Macphearson at La Bottega, almost 10 years ago. From there he was able to cook and talk his way into becoming chef and partner at Graydon Carter’s Waverly Inn in 2007. With simple food based off of the original Waverly’s menu from Prohibition, along with massive hype and an everyday guy’s personality, John won the hearts of the Waverly’s clientele, both celebrities and non-celebrities alike. He parlayed this success into a book deal and now into his helm as chef and partner of the city’s hottest new restaurant, The Lion.

The Lion is a reincarnation of a 1960s village hotspot, where Barbra Streisand was discovered after winning a talent contest. It has been restored impeccably, with a beautifully classic and comfortable bar area and a dining room boasting dramatic 20-foot ceilings. This room is adorned with an incredible collection of art including multiple Basquiats and other recognizable pieces from one of the partner’s personal collections. I recently visited the restaurant on a Thursday evening, and though pleasantly surprised by the scene and ambiance, I was less than impressed with the Maitre d’. The door is run by a skinny and self important gentleman with little skill in the art of saying “no”. As anyone in the hospitality business knows, there is a good way and a bad way to say the most powerful word in the English language. We got our reservation through a friend for 10 p.m., and ended up having to wait 45 minutes.  We enjoyed the scene and generously poured cocktails, but when requesting our table we were offered one in the bar area. The Maitre d’ quipped, “You can have it, but it is a shitty table.” Now if I was John and I had worked 50 years to achieve this level of success, I would quickly deactivate this incompetent from being the first interaction I have in this restaurant, because, as they say, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Unless, of course, you are Adriana Lima. Once we got seated in this dining room it was as close to an incredibly beautiful woman as any dining room I have seen.

Entering the main room of this restaurant is an experience in itself. Our entire meal from this point was filled with exemplary service and food. New Yorkers are always looking to try something new, but when it comes down to it, all we really want is a little action and well prepared, simply delicious cooking. Reference Minetta Tavern, Raoul’s, Waverly Inn, Odeon, Pastis—they are all just riffs on classically prepared bistro or pub fare, with great drinks, fabulous lighting, and a good looking crowd. The Lion hits on all cylinders. I am not sure why people like Sifton or Platt feel the need to look for something more in these restaurants. They give people what they want and that is all that really matters. 

We started our meal with 12 deliciously fresh Kumamoto Oysters, a standard bistro style beet and goat cheese salad, and artichoke fritters with Meyer lemon and baby leeks. Although the oysters were incredibly sweet and flavorful, the appetizers where nothing more than well prepared versions of what DeLucie from the Waverly Inn is known for. The high notes of the meal definitely came from the main courses. My lady started with a beautifully presented Lamb Porterhouse, served upright and seasoned to perfection. I couldn’t resist ordering the “Special Blend” Burger, which I had watched pass by me so many times that evening. I did not believe it could taste as good as it looked, but the perfectly fatty meat topped with smoked gouda, bacon, and caramelized onion was perfection in every way. I tasted the pan-seared Halibut with fruits de mer, serrano ham, baby fennel, yellow and red pepper, and saffron broth. It was well prepared but a little too salty for my taste. I was also able to taste the homemade sheep’s milk cavatelli with San Marzano tomatoes, oregano, and Castella's olive oil, which was once again simple and nicely prepared. We had a hard time navigating desserts, as there was not one over-the-top exciting item, so we settled on apple beignets. They were nicely executed but lacked that memorable sweetness that finishes a great meal. On the way out, I ended up meeting John DeLucie and followed that by arranging coffee at his quasi-office in Mcnally’s Morandi. 

Over espresso, DeLucie wowed me with stories of his past and charmed me with his down-to-earth personality and thankfulness for where life has taken him. DeLucie is just a guy from New York, like any of you. But guys born and raised in New York are celebrities to the rest of the world, especially when provided the right introductions and platforms to showcase their hustle. DeLucie got his shot and he is making the most of it. My meal at The Lion was not groundbreaking, but it was very good and my hunch is that toward the fall it will keep getting better. DeLucie and his team will work harder and longer than the next guy because it took so much of him to get to where he is today. John and I laughed when we realized that my pop-up restaurant and his biography share the same name, The Hunger. Both names taken from the 1980s David Bowie/Susan Sarandon movie and identified with because of a boundless passion for food combined with desire and unbridled ambition. I live everyday looking for the platform to showcase my hustle like DeLucie, sleeping with one eye open so I don’t miss the shot. So if you were born in Manhattan, the boroughs, or just have that unmistakable desire running through your veins, when you get your chance, don’t hesitate, just show the world what you learned on the playground.  

Live deliciously and see you next time at Cocktail Hour, where more often than not one drink turns into ten and no one knows where and when the night will end.
-AP

Been a couple of weeks, sorry I have been M.I.A.
Hope you've been well, we both must have a lot to say.
Been hanging around, doing me and baking in the sun.
Eating, drinking, acting as pure as a nun.
But those good moods don't eternally last,
Because it is the human condition to be a pain in the ass.
Some want money, some want power,
Others want nothing more than a drink at happy hour.
I devour those who can’t play well
Because they didn’t study, they can’t see or tell.
A proper nemesis is what we all need,
Someone who, we can't exactly read.
Someone or something, that challenges us everyday,
Because otherwise our will to conquer will decay.
Just don't play too much or have too much fun
Or one day you will wake up and wonder what you have done.
The people you see on the way up are the same people you see on the way down.
So treat them the way you way you want to be treated or you'll be "east bound and down"
You see, balance is the key to life, control your ego and you will control your strife.
Do this and you will be rewarded plenty, with trips, homes and maybe even a Bentley.
Don't and you will just keep going up and down,
And when the merry go round stops, no one will be around.
See you at the finish line, be a good person and you will be fine
But never forget about today, because that's all that matters anyway.
- Alan Philips & Josh Shames

7th Street (Between First Ave & Ave A)
A couple of weeks ago, my cousin Rob and I went out to eat with a vengeance. I met him at his house for a drink, and we began to discuss our potential destinations for an early dinner. He mentioned two restaurants on 7th St between First and Avenue A—Pylos and Desnuda—which he swore to me were absolutely magnificent. Avenue A has never been known as a culinary mecca, more like falafel and cheap drinks, but Rob has never steered me wrong, so I followed him blindly into gluttony with an empty stomach and low expectations. Little did I know that we would be embarking on a ravenous expedition, to one of the city’s great hidden gastronomic destinations. 

Pylos – 128 East 7th Street
We decided to begin with some Greek appetizers at Pylos. Pylos is a modern take on the traditional Greek bistro. The space has clean lines, and the main design element is a ceiling covered in clay pots.  When it comes to Greek, I stick with white wine, and we began with a simple dry white table wine.  Along with our wine, we shared some sumptuous appetizers including Greek Giant Beans baked in a honey-scented tomato dill sauce, and the Maroulosalata, a traditional salad of shredded lettuce with scallions, dill, and feta. We also enjoyed the meatballs, which were beautifully light and flavorful, one of the house specialties. We could have escaped this voyage with a Branzino and Baklava, but it was not what the gods had in mind (and we were restless). So without hesitation, we got up and headed next door to Desnuda.

Desnuda – 122 East 7th Street
Desnuda is a perfect 25-seat Cevicheria and Wine Bar. We were greeted warmly by the chef, Dominic Martinez, a man akin to a young Beethoven or Mozart with raw fish. Dom, as he is called, has tremendous skills with simple ceviche. I believe that he is a good partner away from being one of the best ceviche chefs in Manhattan. We started with an incredible Pablo Pabin ‘07 Albarino, one of the best white wines I have ever had. As is traditional in a Cevicheria, the wine was accompanied by popcorn; theirs is covered in truffle butter, a simple but delicious trick to wake up your palette. We shared some of their signature ceviches, my favorite being the permeant off-the-menu lobster special. Some other highlights included the Hamachi with Fiji apple and jalepeno and a yuzu marinated yellowtail, seared tableside in hot chili oil. After two bottles of wine and four ceviches, we couldn’t help ourselves. We needed more.  

Porchetta – 110 East 7th Street
Inebriated, but unusually still hungry, we stumbled out and noticed a light still on at Porchetta.  Porchetta is Chef Sara Jenkins’ sandwich shop that specializes in only this one sublime Italian Sandwich.  For those of you not aware, Porchetta is a savory, fatty, and moist boneless pork roast. It is prepared by arranging (carefully) layers of stuffing, meat, fat, and skin, then rolling, seasoning, and salting, before roasting over wood. The result is drop-dead delicious, abundantly juicy, lusciously seasoned, and varied in its myriad of textures. From the moist, fine-grained loin meat to the chewy, fatty crackling and the little melting bacon-like bits. For our purposes, it was a palette cleanser. We downed two of them in five minutes flat on our way to Luke’s Lobster Bar.  The food is going in way too easily—I am in the zone. Like Kobe hits jumpers, I am eating sandwiches. This is easy like LeBron’s mom.

Luke’s Lobster Bar – 93 East 7th Street
At this point I am beginning to wonder why I am not full. Is it the fact that ceviche isn’t carbs? Am I just drunk?  Or am I so intoxicated with sugar and fat-induced joy that I am tripping the light fantastic, rolling on pork fat. Whatever the reason, our bodies said “yes” and we crossed the street into Lobsterville. Luke’s is the hipster version of Mary’s Fish Camp or Pearls Oyster Bar—all of the fun and none of the hullabaloo. We both decided to enjoy lobster rolls for our main course. Luke’s differentiates itself by using little or no mayo—a lighter option and at a slightly lower Ave A price of $14.  It’s good for the heart, not so much for the stomach. In this case, the lack of mayo probably saved me from throwing up, but I cannot say it is as good as Pearls, Mary’s, or Ed’s.

Butter Lane – 123 East 7th Street
As we staggered out of Luke’s, Ginger Brew in hand and barely breathing, we looked at each other and knew our expedition was nearing completion… but not without dessert. How would this journey be complete without dessert? Sugar would be our savior, the exclamation point on a feast of gargantuan proportions. So down the street we walked to our final destination, Butter Lane, a cupcake shop not unlike Magnolia or Billy’s. I am not sure we could speak at this time, but we managed to procure four deliciously sweet cupcakes including a salted caramel masterpiece. Like two men crossing the finish line at a marathon, we downed all four (including crumbs) and coffee. In disbelief, we sat outside staring at each other in complete silence. 

As we got up and finally departed Butter Lane, this fateful evening coming to an end, I felt as if we had set a new standard in gluttony. This was not a Jewish holiday, this was not Thanksgiving, there were no excuses, no birthdays… this was just pure unadulterated indulgence. Seventh Street between First and Avenue A will go down in my gastronomic record books as a monumental achievement. For one night there was no tomorrow, no calorie counting, no skim milk; just the mind of a Middle-American school kid implanted into two distinguished gentleman, looking cholesterol in the eye and coming out victorious. Long live pork fat, feta cheese, raw fish, lobsters, cupcakes, and alcohol, because what is life without them but a sad medley of conversations and broken dreams.   

“You have a choice. Live or die. Every breath is a choice. Every minute is a choice. To be or not to be.” - Chuck Palahniuk

Live deliciously and see you next time at Cocktail Hour, where more often than not one drink turns into ten and no one knows where and when the night will end.
-AP

In the course of a life, it becomes necessary sometimes, for a logical yet insane individual to dissolve his imaginary cultural restraints and reach for true fulfillment. He must assume a stance against the groupthink culture and declare his insolence. Forcing himself to a separate from those with the inability to think independently.

I, hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are not equal; some have the ability to think outside what they are told and some do not. We all have the option to assume our unalienable rights including life, liberty, intellectual freedom, intoxication in all forms, and the life-long pursuit of happiness and deliciousness. We must ignore the self-serving individuals and corporate entities that control the means of thought and good taste. They get their power from the consent of the masses: the group thinkers, with their nine-to-five jobs, Lean Cuisine dinners, chopped salads, fear of the unknown, and regular weekend visits to the Meatpacking District. Whenever any external forces—social media, boutique mayonnaise, five times distilled French vodka, little girls with oversized opinions—become destructive, it is the right of the independent thinkers to expose and abolish them. To call out the inauthentic; those who go to indie music festivals with Chanel bags and pretend to love Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros because someone told them it was “cool” at a has-been restaurant in Nolita. We built our foundation as a generation on the principle that no under-informed regurgitator of someone else’s thoughts shall tell us what to believe. So stop listening to US Weekly, ESPN, HBO, or Oprah and establish your own ideas. A sense of self will follow.

Take note: lifestyle and opinions should not be changed just for the sake of change. You may, if your lucky, have one, two, or ten truly original ideas in your lifetime.  Still make an attempt to take an accepted idea or taste and adapt it to your own sensibilities. Accordingly, my experience has shown me that Riesling, for the most part, tastes like pond water. In my mind it must be abolished, along with empanadas at pizza restaurants and all foods that originated in Great Britain. People like the Real Housewives of New Jersey will always be disposed to suffering; it is up to us to decide if we want to watch them suffer from their self-imposed evils (specifically that spooky tranny/cougar Dannielle and her band of bumbling idiots). When a long train of abuses, such as oversized Asian restaurants, City Center Las Vegas, and too many seasons of Entourage with the same weak storyline take place, it is our right, our duty, to stop these abuses of good taste. We have been patiently suffering and now we must stop them and go to Brooklyn, if not for the bowling, a microbrew or to be open-minded, then just to have a hamburger at Peter Lugers or a Blue Ribbon French Bread Pizza. The current Kings of Hospitality & Entertainment—the Shake Shacks, the Dos Caminos, and the MTVs—are in transition because of the freedom and thought inspired by the flow of information. This freedom is creating sub-cultures and movements in direct objection to a tyranny over our palettes and our minds. In response and in honor of the coming holiday, I, Cocktail Man, declare the following this 4th of July:

Honesty. We will all try the recently opened and soon-to-be-opened Food Halls. The latest attempt by mega-chefs to bring us gourmet markets and cafeterias may be the most honest thing they have attempted in years. Rather than pretending to be in the restaurants, they actually opened really good cafeterias. What’s the difference between a mega restaurant, a Disney theme park, and a cafeteria other than the style of service? When you feed over 250 people at a time, you run a cafeteria. So enjoy Todd English’s Food Hall at The Plaza and look forward to Batali’s Eataly and even Chodorow’s Food Parc. Honesty is always the best policy.

Loyalty. We will watch this season of Entourage for as long as it is bearable only because of the previous pleasure it has given us. E is getting married, Ari is a bloated success, and Vince is just a movie star; we might as well be watching Brothers and Sisters. I am just waiting for Drama to come out of the closet and start dating a studio exec for a job. At least then it would be like real life.

On to the next one, on to the next one. We will not get excited about burger joints anymore. Shake Shack will be the next McDonalds; it will probably be bought or financed by them like Pret-A-Manger. The writing is on the wall. Little known fact: Pop Burger was first, but like Yahoo to Google, first mover advantage is a misnomer. What matters is who executes best. 

Cultural Terror. We will all stop watching the Real Housewives of whatever city they are from.  They are like cultural terrorists sent to poison our society with bad plastic surgery and overt materialism.

Take the money and run. We will not feel bad for Conan O'Brien. I saw him perform and he is not funny, period. His opener actually embarrassed him with how much funnier he was. Conan sang some ridiculous songs and whined about being paid like $50 million to leave NBC. Conan, if I got paid that much and had your talent, I would be on a yacht in the Mediterranean being fed grapes and buying stock in Shake Shack. To reference the Daniel Craig pre-bond indie flick, “life is a layer cake.” You got shit on, so you had to shit on George Lopez and take TBS?

Who needs religion when you have technology. We will all thank Apple, Google, and Facebook for forever changing, bettering, and complicating our lives. I am looking forward to watching you compete for global domination over the next couple of years. Facebook Mail.  Google Me Social Network. iWorld by Steve Jobs aka the Messiah. Ain’t Capitalism grand? 

Another 1 Of A Kind. We will be legitimately excited for Scott Sartiano and Richie Akiva’s new restaurant and nightclub in the old Nell’s space, which is supposedly opening in August. Steve Lewis designed it and swears it is his best work to date. Patrick Robertson is managing it, with angst from his former employer, Strategic Group. If anyone doesn’t know, with Jayma leaving Cain Leisure and Patrick with the 1 Oak group, there is a game of nightlife musical chairs going on. Where it stops nobody knows, but either way I guarantee it will be filled with so many hoes, hoooooeeees.

Downtown UN. We will officially annex SoHo to Europe. No area in the entire United States is more excited about the World Cup. SoHo should be a diplomatic zone, like part of the United Nations.

Fair weather fans. We will really enjoy watching whichever teams come out the winner in this year’s NBA free agency aka C’mon LeBron. King James was seen at Avenue with Mary J. Blige last week, so watch out for a star player coming to a nightclub and restaurant near you.

Hotels, motels, no Holiday Inns. We will no longer plan vacations without using Jetsetter.com, the Gilt Groupe’s travel service. Having Sample sales for hotels is one of the best and most effective ideas to hit the travel industry in years. The ability to move the first room blocks at lower rates and generate cash flow takes the guess work out of the hotel business. You can now fill slow periods and hold out for premium rates for last minute travelers. It is a brilliant approach.  It can also become very dangerous for the industry. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Indulge. We will all eat a lobster roll and hot dog this weekend, along with something absurdly sweet and a crisp, cold beer. It is the 4th of July and nothing says independence like indulgence.

Do you. We will keep blogging and coming up with new ideas. We will not become our parents and grandparents, we will become ourselves. If you want to move to the suburbs, go to a country club, drive a Mercedes minivan, and wear a designer polo shirt your bored wife got you at the Miracle Mile, please stop reading NOW! You are probably missing an episode of the Real Housewives of “you might as well be in a coma", live vicariously through Entourage.

***

Slow down, you crazy child, you're so ambitious for a juvenile. But if you're so smart, tell me, why are you still so afraid? Where's the fire, what's the hurry about? You'd better cool it off before you burn it out. You've got so much to do and only so many hours in a day.  But you know that when the truth is told, you can get what you want or you can just get old. You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through.

Don’t worry, you're doing fine. You can't be everything you want to be before your time, it will be so romantic, thinking of you under the fireworks Sunday night. Too bad but it's the life you lead you're so ahead of yourself that you forget what you need. Though you can see when you're wrong, you know, you can't always see when you're right.

You've got your passion, you've got your pride but don't you know that only fools are satisfied? Dream on, and imagine they'll all come true.

One day you will realize; true independence, can only come from within you.

***

Happy July 4th and see you next time at Cocktail Hour, where more often than not one drink turns into ten and no one knows where and when the night will end.
-AP