The oh-so-glamorous Hotel Gansevoort's pool warning sign. Now, we don't swim in a lot of city pools, mostly because we think people shouldn't be shirtless in front of each other unless they have Tobey McGuire abs, but apparently this sign is now a Dept. of Health requirement? First, what are we, stupid animals? Second, I'm pretty sure Soho House isn't flying this same disgusting little item by their pool. Really, truly gross.
This afternoon, the Conde Nast cafeteria bravely goes where no Vogue editor has gone before — the land of hot dish. According to our Special Correspondent for Publishing Empire Cafeterias, "The Conde Nast cafeteria 'international table' today features the exotic cuisine of 'Mid West' — a strange place where the natives apparently eat meatballs, green beans, potatoes and pickled vegetables." Can't wait to see what that looks like yacked up in the fourteenth floor bathrooms.
In this week's restaurant review roundup, NYT food critic Frank Bruni takes it like a man and goes for the big meat at Peter Luger and Wolfgang's. In fact, there's a totally turgid undertone to the whole Dining & Wine section today. For the retarded yet horny in the house, there's a massive NYT explication on the building of ice cream sundaes, which ends "An ice cream sundae is summer's Cinderella. Enjoy her, if possible, before midnight." (Here's a helpfully edited version.)
The diners of New York been afraid to say it until now, but it looks like NYT restaurant critic Frank Bruni has the big lemony balls. From his three star review of Bouley today:
We don't imagine that it's that hard to get coke in the Hamptons — probably harder to get good coke, though, and who wants to pay rich girl prices? Kill the Bird has a follow-up on yesterday's NYP item on Hamptons nose-candy hangouts:
The nearly inscrutable She Loves NY is back from vacation. Their current RESY index:
In a rare moment of service journalism, we'll point out that Soho House is advertising cheap rates this weekend — evidently someone cancelled her wedding at the last minute and released a block of rooms. Oh, yes, we would like to know whose wedding that was. But, apart from that — should you have snotty out-of-towners incoming, why not? At least it's as easy to find drugs upstairs as at any of the Schrager hotels.
Soho House NY [SHNY]
Celebuchef Jean-Georges Vongerichten stoops to slam Vanity Fair over the recent trouncing of his restaurant 66:
NYC Eats has the restaurant reviews of the week. Today's highlights: Babbo gets its three stars re-affirmed, and we are reminded that only five restaurants in New York have four stars. None of those five restaurants are Italian or Japanese. This begs the question: why does the NYT hate the dagos? Poor Babbo.
Review Roundup [NYC Eats]
For the late-sleepers in the house, our in-house Astronomy and Astrology in Manhattan Specialist files his account of the astounding astronomical sight you missed this morning. Yes! A tiny black dot, supposedly something called "Venus," was spotted passing in front of the sun, for the first time since 1882. Whirrr.
Yesterday, Al Qaeda essentially put out a hit on U.S. and Western flights — but don't let that keep you from European socialclimbing. Charles, our Official Correspondent for Seriously Iffy Airlines, rounds up flights to Europe on airlines we might presume are unattractive to terrorists:
· Singapore Airlines from Newark to Amsterdam or JFK to Frankfurt.
· Air India flies between New York and Paris, London and Frankfurt. They can also take you from Chicago to London. (Great food, too.)
· Not that you'll ever need it, but Pakistan International Airways can take you from New York to Manchester, UK.
Al Qaeda to Attack US/Western Airlines [Reuters]
We've heard rumors that an East Village bar is planning a party to celebrate the death of former President Ronald Reagan. Now, that's just in bad taste, people! How could you? And why haven't we gotten an invite yet? Please inform.
More Hamptons reports from in and about Calvin Klein's house:
More from another satisfied neighbor of the Maritime hotel on Ninth Avenue:
It was lovely at Ninth Avenue and 17th Street, back when it was just projects and a big weird building where professional Christians liked to touch young boys. Now the neighborhood has fully gone to hell with the Maritime Hotel.
It's official: I've been officially asked to not renew my Soho House membership for their second year. To their credit, they were super nice about it (to my face, at least): They gave me a choice between not covering Soho House on Gawker and remaining a member. I chose my dignity. Kidding! I mean, I chose trashy gossip.
After months of torment (ours certainly, but surely also hers), the NYT's interim restaurant critic Amanda Hesser has filed her last review. And just when you were prepared to say 'Farewell, sweet Amanda,' she smacks you in goodbye:
