On the opposite side of the style spectrum is stylist Catherine Baba, who really has a flair for drama. She wore a pale pink silk dress with Chinoiserie accessories: a tassel necklace and earrings and a straw hat for the hot weather. The jewelry looks like Eddie Borgo but the design is slightly different. Baba may be about fashion, but she’s not all about labels.
There’s something timelessly appealing about a grilled cheese sandwich eaten on a dreary winter’s day, especially when you’re eating it in a warm dining room with a view of the cold street.
You could go to your local diner for grilled cheese, but unadulterated American comfort food is so comforting, it could put New Yorkers to sleep. Why not improve on the original while keeping the spirit the same? That’s what new grilled cheese shop Little Muenster sets out to do on the Lower East Side.
Amid all the fantastical outfits of Paris fashion week, it’s the classic work attire that provides the most useful inspiration. Virginia Smith wore an off-white silk button down and tailored trousers to the Lanvin show. The accessories – python print clutch and polished brown leather boots – are what makes it fashion.
East Village stalwart Veselka has been around so long, it’s impossible for most of us to remember a time when it was not. Beginning in 1954, the original restaurant on Second Avenue operated like a club for Ukrainians until it opened its doors to the artists and musicians of the East Village in the ’70s. Now it’s a necessary stop for many a kid making the pilgrimage down St. Marks Place, but if you’re a New Yorker who’s always seeking out the latest and greatest on the dining scene, chances are the original Ukrainian restaurant falls by the wayside.
Perhaps to prove that the restaurant is more than just a piece of history, Veselka’s owners just opened an additional branch in a shiny new space on East 1st Street off the Bowery. Airy and open, with plain wooden tables, dishtowel napkins, sleek navy chairs and wrought iron chandeliers, it brings the homey atmosphere of the old Veselka into the current day. Continue reading
As much as we street style photographers lament the all-black look, it doesn’t have to be boring. A sleek silhouette, interesting textures and the white shirt make this look – which is Helmut Lang from head to toe – more interesting than your cookie-cutter all black outfit.
True confession: I’ve almost given up on buying anything other than shoes and coats for winter. For five months of the year, it’s nearly all anyone sees of one’s outfit in cold New York, so you might as well have a statement-making coat. Michelle Harper wore a bold mustard yellow trench with a huge, sculptural lapel and matching shoes to the Viktor & Rolf show in Paris. It’s a great example of how one piece of clothing can make an outsized impact.
Leaf Greener of Elle China wore green and expertly mixed patterns to the Rochas show in Paris. Detail shot after the jump.
Though we try to get to new NYC restaurants as soon as possible, sometimes it pays to wait. The Beagle, another gastro pub in the vintage British vein, got a lot of press when it opened in the East Village earlier this year, including a review from the Times in which the restaurant was praised for offering some inventive food and cocktail pairings but reprimanded for withholding the wine and beer menu from diners who wanted to make their own choices.
Fast forward to now, when our server immediately pointed out that the wine list was on the table, where she left it for the entirety of the evening. The innovative appetizer and cocktail pairings are still on the menu, but now diners can opt for wine, beer, or a number of food options without any pairings at all. Continue reading
One of the best things about dining in New York is following the diaspora of kitchen talent from one key restaurant to its contemporaries. April Bloomfield (herself a grad of London’s River Cafe, like Jamie Oliver) has launched several chefs from the seminal gastropub the Spotted Pig, including Nate Smith, formerly of Dean Street and now the proprietor of Allswell in Williamsburg.
Allswell isn’t direct copy, so don’t come here looking for the Spotted Pig II. There are similarities, like the quirky British decor – cutesy mismatched wallpaper (surprisingly feminine for a male-owned pub), exposed wood beams, inexplicable bric a brac, those famously uncomfortable stools, but a bar you could really settle into. The space is populated with patrons who’ve mastered a particular brand of studied cool, like the Spotted Pig before it hit hundreds of guide books. But the menu and the setting feel personal and distinct. Continue reading
Chances are the fashionista in your life has expensive tastes. But just because you’re not going to spring for those Alaia shoes on her list doesn’t mean you have to rummage through the bargain bin. Here are 12 gifts under $100 that will appeal to the fashion-forward woman without seriously denting your wallet. Continue reading
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bellastraniera
a.k.a. Marcy Swingle - obsessed with food and fashion.
