cityfile

Happy Birthday

cityfile · 09/17/09 06:36AM

Director Baz Luhrmann turns 47 today. Gossip Girl's Matthew Settle is turning 40. Joe Bastianich, the restaurateur and partner of Mario Batali, is 41. Russian supermodel Eugenia Volodina is 25. Supreme Court Justice David Souter turns 70. American Idol contestant-turned-Broadway star Constantine Maroulis is turning 34. One of the Miller sisters, Princess Marie-Chantal, is 41. Rapper Doug E. Fresh is turning 43. Lakers head coach Phil Jackson is 64. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley turns 76. And Paula Jones is 43, although she probably shouldn't expect a birthday card from Bill Clinton.

LiLo Freaks Out; Mischa Continues to Stumble

cityfile · 09/17/09 06:06AM

• Does Lindsay Lohan have a beef with Taylor Momsen? At the G-Star show on Tuesday night, LiLo (with sister Ali in tow) refused to pose for pics and then started casting aside seating cards for celebs like Juliette Lewis, Christian Siriano, and Gossip Girl emo teen Taylor Momsen. When event staff intervened, Lindsay got all aggro and dropped an F-bomb, naturally. But give the girl a break. She was apparently just trying to position herself near her crush, True Blood’s Ryan Kwanten. [P6, NYDN]
• At the G-Star after-party at the Bowery Hotel later that night, Mischa Barton was a little unsteady on her feet and was slurring her words. She then hit the DJ booth, where she "danced in her own world" for an hour. [P6]
• While other celebs were at Fashion Week, Chris Brown rocked a neon orange vest over, quite appropriately, a wife-beater, back home in Richmond, Virginia. He started his year-long community service for assaulting Rihanna by picking up trash and cleaning police horse stables. Next up, graffiti removal and washing cars! [Us, NYDN]

Fashion Week Recap

cityfile · 09/16/09 06:57PM

You'll find a recap of the last 24 hours or so of Fashion Week after the jump.

Eating & Drinking: Wednesday Edition

cityfile · 09/16/09 04:01PM

• This week's reviews: Pete Wells of the Times slaps Michael Psilakis' Gus & Gabriel Gastropub with a zero-star review today ("The problem is that it fails to achieve even its low aims"); The New Yorker's Leo Carey comes to an entirely different conclusion; Bloomberg's Ryan Sutton hits Williamsburg to pay a visit to Brooklyn Bowl (with food by Blue Ribbon) and the Brooklyn Star; TONY's Jay Cheshes gives a "generic" Civetta two stars out of five; and NY's Adam Platt finds that "most things deliver" on Dan Silverman's menu at the Standard Grill.
• The Post's Steve Cuozzo is sick and tired of "menu sprawl," the practice of giving diners 478 things to choose from. Steve likes to keep it simple. [NYP]
• A Q&A with Andrew Carmellini, chef and co-owner of Locanda Verde. [RG]
• NYC International Pickle Day is October 4th! Mark your calendar. [GS]
• Renee Zellweger and Jon Bon Jovi co-own a Mexican restaurant (East Hampton's Blue Parrot). With Jen Aniston now saying she would like to open a Mexican spot in Manhattan, that makes three, so it's officially a trend. [Eater]

And Now For a Few Words of Advice From Citigroup

cityfile · 09/16/09 03:06PM

Do you remember Citigroup's "Live Richly" ad campaign from a few years ago? The bank spent more than $100 million plastering American cities with various cheeky sayings from 2001 to 2005. When the campaign was first introduced, it was during the mini-recession of 2001, and since Citi's existence wasn't threatened during that particular downturn, the bank managed to find some humor in the fact many Americans had lost their jobs or weren't earning as much as they had in the past. If you look back at them now, though, you'll see that they contain lots of useful advice for the 53,000 people who have been laid off by the bank over the past year ("Make ends meet. Bend down and touch your toes"), as well as the Citi employees who have managed to hang on, but who won't be collecting fat bonuses now that the federal government owns a third of the bank ("Go on a spending diet, but don't forget to sneak a little dessert"). Click here to experience the irony in all its embarrassing glory.

Leno's Fall, Bloomberg's Bid, Dan Brown's Big Day

cityfile · 09/16/09 01:36PM

• As expected, ratings for Jay Leno's new show are falling fast. [THR]
• Bloomberg LP appears to now be in the lead to buy BusinessWeek. [NYP]
• Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol sold 1 million copies its first day. [NYT]
• Don't try to talk to Vogue publisher Tom Florio about what changes are in store for the mag now that those McKinsey consultants have finished their review. (He's not talking about it.) Meantime, McKinsey's final report will be handed over to Condé Nast's management next week. [NYO, WWD]
• Fox News boss Roger Ailes collected $24 million in compensation last year, which is $2 million more than his boss, Rupert Murdoch, took home. [BW]
Jay-Z has his 11th No. 1 album. That puts him ahead of Elvis Presley as the solo artist with the most chart-toppers. But he's still behind the Beatles. [LAT]

Good News For Size Queens

cityfile · 09/16/09 12:54PM

Everyone lies when they fill out profiles on dating sites. But if you're willing to take a leap of faith—and you're a size-obsessed gay man—you'll no doubt be pleased to see the results from a survey compiled by the gay hookup site Manhunt.net. It assembled a list "of the states that are packing and the ones that are lacking," and New York comes out at No. 2 on the list. If you're skeptical about just how accurate the data is, consider it further proof that America's capital is home to more liars than any other place in the country. [Manhunt.net (NSFW!) via Buzzfeed]

The Smoking Ban Won't Be Much of a Ban

cityfile · 09/16/09 12:29PM

If you were worried about the Health Department's proposed ban on smoking in city parks and beaches, you can breathe a sigh of relief (or carbon monoxide, if you wish): While Mayor Bloomberg says he totally supports the idea, he also says the city doesn't actually plan to enforce it. "Our Police Department has enough to do. They can't be going around giving tickets," Bloomberg said. Now that's a slippery slope, isn't it? The next thing you know someone will come along and propose that the NYPD stop handing out parking tickets, enforcing open container laws, or arresting people for possessing drugs intended for personal use. [NYP]

Tavern on the Green: Worse Than You Could Have Imagined

cityfile · 09/16/09 11:45AM

Tavern on the Green has been a giant tourist trap for years, of course. But perhaps it's no wonder the city decided to hand over the lease to a new operator recently. Service had really gone downhill lately. Per Mimi Sheraton, the Times' former restaurant critic: "They had some idiots working for them... like one waiter who, as he cleared the plates, would eat from them." [NYT]

Spotted

cityfile · 09/16/09 11:02AM

Nicky Hilton talking on her cell in Midtown ... Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen watching the US Open ... Matthew Broderick walking on East 61st Street ... Taylor Swift posing for photographers outside her hotel ... Mickey Rourke walking his dog in SoHo ... Keri Russell going to Starbucks with a friend ... Ne-Yo walking outside his hotel ... Kate Gosselin getting out of a limo ... Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale watching the US Open ... Bar Refaeli walking in the meatpacking district ... Mary-Kate Olsen leaving her townhouse with a friend ... Blake Lively walking in Midtown ... Cynthia Nixon walking on the Sex and the City set ... LaToya Jackson arriving at the Trump International Hotel ... Ed Westwick leaving his trailer on the Gossip Girl set, and going to dinner at Avenue with Jessica Szohr ... Courtney Love leaving the Mercer Hotel ... Oliver Stone standing on the set of Wall Street 2 on Park Avenue ... and Amber Rose shopping at Barneys on Madison Avenue.

Dick Parsons Is Ready For a New Challenge, Clearly

cityfile · 09/16/09 10:08AM

Citigroup chairman Dick Parsons hasn't been all that successful in fixing the ailing bank. Although Citi indicated yesterday that plans to reduce the government's stake in the bank—and return part of the $45 billion of taxpayer money it's received—it remains the most troubled major financial institution in America. (And it continues to be led by Vikram Pandit, who is probably the worst CEO of a major financial institution that still has a full-time job.) But don't let that stop you from pursuing a little freelance work, Dick.

Ashley Dupre Does Fashion Week, Switches Sides

cityfile · 09/16/09 08:56AM

At Fashion Week back in February, Ashley Dupre sat in the front row at Yigal Azrouel's show. He didn't want her back this time around. But she made other arrangements to make sure she gets noticed this Fashion Week. She's now modeling, apparently. Dupre walked the runway for designer Bahar Shahpar's "eco-friendly" line yesterday afternoon. And whatever self-image issues she has (and she has many), set the girl down in the dysfunctional world of fashion and she manages to come off as healthy: "It was nice to see a model with a slightly more normal, a.k.a. curvy, body type." [Ecouterre via Gawker]

Be Neighbors With Rupert Murdoch For $33 Million

cityfile · 09/16/09 08:10AM

• Broadway producer Hal Prince and his wife Judy have put their 13th-floor apartment at 834 Fifth Avenue on the market. The 4,750-square-foot duplex, which is up for sale for $33 million, comes with two bedrooms, two terraces, and neighbors like Rupert Murdoch and John Gutfreund. [NYO, FRG]
Richard Gere and Carey Lowell are expected to close on the sale of their Water Mill home this week. The 1.2-acre property, which they first put on the market in February, had been listed for $7.2 million when it went into contract last month. [Newsday, Stribling]

The Democratic Primary Will Go On

cityfile · 09/16/09 07:07AM

Did you vote in the Democratic primary yesterday? If you didn't, you'll get another chance to make good in the next couple of weeks. A runoff election will be required to select Democratic candidates for both comptroller and public advocate since none of the candidates pulled in at least 40 percent of the vote yesterday. In the race for comptroller, the top two finishers, City Councilmen John Liu and David Yassky, will now go head to head; and Bill de Blasio and Mark Green will square off for the public advocate nomination when the special election is held on September 29.

Happy Birthday

cityfile · 09/16/09 06:30AM

Funny woman Amy Poehler turns 38 today. Mr. Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, is turning 41. Mickey Rourke is 53. Lauren Bacall is celebrating her 85th. Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates turns 59. Magician David Copperfield is 53. Alexis Bledel of Gilmore Girls fame is turning 28. Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers is turning 17. Artist Christopher Wool is 54. Andy Serwer, Fortune's managing editor, is turning 50. Blues legend B.B. King is 84. And the man responsible for such '80s classics as "Endless Summer Nights" and "Right Here Waiting," Richard Marx, is 46 today.

Jude's Baby Mama Drama; Michelle Williams Opens Up

cityfile · 09/16/09 06:05AM

• Just as Jude Law is getting ready to play Hamlet on Broadway next month, his most recent baby mama, model Samantha Burke, has her lawyers offering up an exclusive interview and pics of their soon-to-be-born love child. Ah, there's nothing like milking a little publicity. [P6]
• Madonna bailed on Marc Jacobs' after-party at Hiro on Monday eve despite attending his show. Not to worry: Lindsay Lohan, Mischa Barton, and Rachel Zoe were all there, so there were plenty of people to stir up trouble. [NYDN]
• It looks like LiLo has made her 15-year-old sister, Ali, her new partner-in-crime when she goes out to party at night. We have a feeling this isn't going to end well. [MSNBC]
Michelle Williams opens up about Heath Ledger's death in Vogue's October issue: "After the first year, the pain is less intense; it's less immediate... But every time I really miss him and wonder where he's gone, I just look at [Matilda]," she tells the magazine. [Vogue]

Fashion Week Recap

cityfile · 09/15/09 07:02PM

You'll find a recap of the last 24 hours or so of Fashion Week after the jump.

Eating & Drinking: Tuesday Edition

cityfile · 09/15/09 04:32PM

• Openings: Tony and Marisa May's San Domenico reopened today with a new name (SD26), and in a sprawling new location (on East 26th Street); the new Oceana officially made its debut today, too; and opening on Thursday is Ed's Chowder House, Jeffrey Chodorow and chef Ed Brown's seafood venue in the Empire Hotel space that used to house Chodorow's Center Cut steak place.
John McDonald and Josh Picard are partnering with nightlife king Serge Becker and dividing Chinatown Brasserie into two new venues. [TFB, Eater]
• A list of restaurants "where models, editors, designers and all things fashionable converge" during Fashion Week, according to the Times. [NYT]
• Rumor has it SushiSamba may take over the old Merkato 55 space. [GS]
• Minetta Tavern plans to start serving brunch on the weekends soon. [Eater]
• Marion's on the Bowery is going Mexican by way of Dumbo. [VV]
• A Frank Sinatra-branded line of wine is now available. Yes, one of the vintages really is called "Come Fly Away With Me." [Luxist]
• Once Tavern on the Green changes hands, its two public restrooms will no longer be open to the public. Try the nearby bushes instead. [NYT]

Dani Stahl Will Take the Stairs, Thank You

cityfile · 09/15/09 03:31PM

Stacey Bendet showed off her Alice + Olivia collection for Spring 2010 on Saturday evening in a raw gallery space in the meatpacking district. (How raw? So raw that wooden boards had to be placed over the metal grates on the floors so that a socialite or celeb in 7-inch heels wouldn't be maimed at the show.) The all-female French rock band Plastiscines performed; the crowd included the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Jared Leto, Nicky Hilton, Mena Suvari, Shenae Grimes, Kristin Cavallari, AnnaLynne McCord, and Tinsley Mortimer. Party-hopping reporter Douglas Marshall struck up a conversation with Nylon style director and girl-about-town Dani Stahl, Nylon publisher Jaclynn Jarrett, and Eleanor Ylvisaker, a co-founder of Earnest Sewn and the denim brand's former PR queen.