Graphic artist James Victore at Spoonbill & Sugartown
Just when all those subway ads from the Freelancers Union seemed to have completely disappeared from even the least-maintained subway cars, there comes along an event that spotlights the embodiment of one of our city’s ultimate self-starters: He’s an artist — graphic design, of course — making up the rules as the game plays on and daring to chant “We don’t want clients — we want comrades.”
Clearly, self-taught designer James Victore has a little more to rely on than freelancing now. He is a professor at the School of Visual Arts, has won his share of design awards, is an international exhibitor of design, and with Victore, or Who Died and Made You Boss? (with Michael Bierut) is now an author. In his first book, the dissident of design gives fans a Greatest Hits collection of work and diagrams his aggressive take on the practice, business, and teaching of graphic design today.
Known for making vivid, memorable, and often controversial work, Victore has sought and found his collaborators— co-conspirators, actually — who have spurred him to blow away the design school of yesteryear, forcing viewers to rethink issues of the day. This collection is no different, with Victore’s teaming up with Bierut, perhaps the sharpest man in design, who has contributed a Foreward to collection.
Here, Victore doesn’t let his work speak for itself. He tells the stories behind his inspirations and creative process(es) and shares the lessons he has learned along the way. (“The best leaders are great storytellers. Leaders create meaning. He who has the best story wins. What’s your story?”) The takeaway is a strikingly funny and honest book that showcases a body of work that has defined the streets of New York.
Victore will visit Williamsburg’s Spoonbill & Sugartown Books next Wednesday, only one of his very few NYC appearances, according to the bookstore’s website. Refreshments will be served with an added bonus: “He will also do something very special in the bookstore which will have to be seen to be appreciated.”
Call me a sucker, but…
James Victore appears at Spoonbill & Sugartown Booksellers (218 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn) on Wednesday. December 8 at 8:00 p.m.
Tags:
Freelancers Union,
graphic design,
James Victore,
non-fiction,
Spoonbill & Sugartown Booksellers
Cafe 202 – Chelsea Market
Lara is also founder and editor of Grits in the City
When Cafe 202 popped up on BlackBoard eats, I’d never heard of it. The more I looked online to read more about it and after I went to the restaurant, I understood why. It’s located on the North side of the Chelsea Market, but has no clearly marked sign. With our 30% off code though, I was game for trying it, only previously having been to the Chelsea Market to hit some of the food stores or for the Food2 launch event. We finally walked in and asked the hostess if we were in the right place before we could tell yes, in fact we were.
The Titanic – Cafe 202
The restaurant is located on the right side of the store for Nicole Farhi, not even behind a defined partition to separate where the store ends and the restaurant begins. If you feel so inclined after the stores hours have expired, you can even peruse the racks of jackets and dresses on your way back to the restrooms. Perhaps after some of their cocktails (highly recommend the lilac-infused Titanic specialty, which includes a elderflower sorbet mini-iceberg floater), you’ll feel more inclined to buy. The outdoor space was particularly nice, overlooking the start of the bustling Meat Packing District as well as those coming and going from the popular Chelsea Market. When the warm temps return, I would say this is a wonderful spot for a light bite and early evening drinks.
Fried Green Tomatoes – Cafe 202
I was excited enough about the idea of their fried green tomatoes that I momentarily overlooked the $8 pricetag (though um ow – my wallet did hurt a little at the thought) and just ordered them. And the order only included three to boot. I was pleasantly surprised to find underneath the crisp batter that they’d included a thin layer of melted mozzarella cheese. Can’t say I’ve seen them prepared that way before, but it was excellent. Though Clinton Street Baking Company still serves up my favorite more tradition rendition, I give Cafe 202 the honors for king of the variation.
Lamb Burger – Cafe 202
For my main course, I went with the lamb burger, which was topped with goat cheese and served with chickpea fries. I’ll confess I was probably more intrigued by the fries (fresh, light, unique) than the burger (too thick, too juicy, borderline bloody). I went with their recommended temperature of “medium”, which really came out more “medium rare”, something I didn’t catch until I’d made it more towards the middle and had juice all over my lap. I was very thankful I wasn’t on a date… whew. My friend went with the fish tacos, which she said were amazing. I could smell them as they came out. Just a bit spicy, they were not the more tame offering most places have. Kudos. All of the negative reviews I read on them online made me confirm what my usual thought is – it’s not bad until I’ve tried it and think it’s bad. Period.
Profiteroles – Cafe 202
For dessert, we opted to split the profiteroles. I’ve had them before and sometimes they come served in a portion which would not be sufficient to split between two people. Not the case here. Each one was large enough for us to try. They were prepared with three different ice creams – espresso, chocolate and dulce de leche. So good and nice choice in variety.
Overall, I did find this on the pricier side for what you get. I’d definitely come back, sit outside (obviously after the cold has passed), order some fried green tomatoes and a Titanic. If I went with a main course, it would be the fish tacos. The lamb burger? It was a one-timer.
Cafe 202 – 75 Ninth Ave. (at W 16th Street) – 646.638.1173
Reservations Recommended
Tags:
Cafe 202,
Chelsea Market,
Grits in the City,
lara ruth,
MPD,
Nicole Farhi
Happy Thanksgiving to you, your friends and your family from the neighborbee family.
Tags:
thanksgiving
Lara is also founder and editor of Grits in the City
White Chocolate (“Blondie”) Spread – Le Pain Quotdien
My family arrived into town for the week on Saturday for Thanksgiving just in time for brunch.We have a whole line-up of brunch spots (naturally) but I thought it might be nice on their first day here to instead go somewhere a tad more low-key where we didn’t have to have a reservation in advance. I immediately thought of Le Pain Quotdien. Even though I’ve only eaten there once while visiting friends in DC, I’ve noticed the one to the North of Union Square seems to usually be busy and thought it would be a good option.
We were able to be seated immediately, a plus for any restaurant that doesn’t accept reservations. While there are a few smaller individual tables, the bulk of the seating at this particular location is a long communal table in the center of the restaurant, at which we were seated on the end. We started off with the Organic Baker’s Basket – a plentiful variety of sliced breads paired with jams (four fruit and apricot) and spreads (hazelnut praline and white chocolate, or as they dub them, Brownie and Blondie, respectively). I’d had this before sharing with one person, so obviously it didn’t go quite as far (this time was a party of five), but it’s still not a bad deal for $8.
Prosciutto & Mozzarella di Bufala Tartine – Le Pain Quotdien
My mom and I split the Prosciutto & Mozzarella di Bufala Tartine, which was an open faced sandwich (tartine) topped with with sundried tomatoes and basil pesto. This was a nice size, even for sharing, and was exactly what you would expect. The mozzarella was in perfect proportion to the proscuitto, and the combination of the sundried tomatoes and the basil pesto added just the right amount of flavor to balance the subtleness of the mozzarella. It was served alongside two slices of fresh canteloupe (a perfect addition – just the right degree of ripeness). We also ordered the Goat Cheese & Arugula Salad, which was served with Parmesan, toasted pine nuts, organic olive oil, and lemon. I was not as impressed with the salad. The arugula was extremely bitter (even extremely so for arugula as it does tend to be bitter). The $13 pricetag seemed excessive for the rather simplistic salad.
Cappuccino – Le Pain Quotdien
By the time drinks were added in (most of the coffee and tea drinks came in the $3-$5 price range), our total came to $85, a bit more excessive for what I was anticipating, though every little bit adds up. Perhaps more value than you realize in the $15-$20 brunch special offerings – at least you know what to expect!
Pros: Love their spreads (also available to purchase in the entry at their bakery/to-go counter), the cappuccino was quite good (the large turned out to be a bit too big, which was a pleasant surprise), and the tartines.
Cons: The salads are on the pricey side for what they are and if you’re wanting a private table, they might be hard to come by.
Tip: Looking for a quieter cafe? Try their location tucked just off the back of ABC Carpet, directly next door.
Le Pain Quotdien – 38 East 19th St (between Broadway & Park Ave) – 212.673.7900
Reservations Not Accepted
Locations throughout NYC as well as other areas in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast
Tags:
brunch,
Communal Dining,
downtown,
Espresso,
Le Pain Quotdien,
To Go,
Union Square
This post is courtesy of our guest blogger, Daniel Dolicer. Daniel is a Holiday Gift Specialist at CUTCO Cutlery . Feel free to email him at DGDo...@Gmail.com.
According to the ageless adage, as old as the republic itself, impressed by countless fathers upon malleable sons, white guys can’t dance. My own dance floor prowess–a demonstration of which is preceded by at least seven shots of tequila–make no progress in debunking this widely held view.
Many characterize our African-American friends as among the few with an unwavering distaste for mayonnaise.
The average Jewish man, well, he has a gargantuan shnoz.
These, of course, are all stereotypes. They may or may not be true (as a Jew with an unremarkable nose, I have doubts about this–and all the other–aforementioned assertions). Yet, occasionally, there are generalizations that ring true–not least among young (under 30), urban or suburban, secular Jews.
Indeed, we (yes, indeed I typify the young Jewish adult–dubbed YJA–standard) share a host of traditions, habits, likes and dislikes. Each characteristic adds to each of our individual character quilts, and constitutes a living, breathing, quintessential YJA.
An ingenious blogger recently compiled a list of shared miscellany that provides for a common Jewish denominator: http://stuffjewishyoungadultslike.wordpress.com/complete-list/.
A few examples I can verify with particular gusto:
(#21) Jewish Geography: The practical effect of informing one friend about a recent happening is no different than posting it on Facebook for your 808 friends to see on their news-feeds. If I woo an attractive broad at a local watering hole, and tell a friend about it, everyone will know the next day.
(#32) Excessive Reunioning: I am, by nature, a nostalgic person. Some may call me a chichiman, but my Jewish friends can certainly relate. I’m the kid who mopes around for three weeks after leaving camp, and sheds tears for ten minutes longer than everyone else at college graduation. And, hence, I relish nothing more than a reunion of old-timers.
(#45) Bagel Sandwiches: Need I say more? Is the title not overtly self-explanatory? If you are unaware that Jews the world over share an affection for bagels–cinnamon raisin bagels, in particular–well, you just need to get out a bit more.
Tags:
Jewish Man,
Manhattan,
Stuff Jewish Young Adults Like,
Young Jewish Adults
Lara also is founder and editor of Grits in the City
Mimosas at Sip
Sip is a very small restaurant located in the Upper West Side, just a bit further south from Columbia University. It’s mostly comprised of two tops and enough space to maybe accommodate at most two larger parties of six, of which we were one on Saturday. They have something I haven’t seen a lot of in the city – a three course prix fixe brunch special, including drinks, all for $25 (or $12 with all you can drink coffee, tea, and juice). For drinks, you can have your choice of mimosas or bloody marys. Though it might mean the mimosa flow is a tad slower, I really like that they use fresh hand squeezed orange juice. See the pulp along this empty glass? Fantastic. I did notice however in my second visit the drink glasses were smaller (things places think they can sneak by with, but never really can).
Fruit Plate – Sip
For your first course, you can choose from a pastry (several options – plain croissant, pan de chocolate, etc – varies from day-to-day), fruit plate, or toast. I always go with the fruit plate, which is really a bowl full of assorted seasonal fruits. This time, it was grapes, raspberries, blackberries, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon. Kiwi, I missed you. It’s a plentiful serving and is always very ripe and fresh. Nice way to start off the meal.
Eggplant Sandwich – Sip
For the main course, you have a choice of the omelet of the day (past Saturday, this was chicken liver), French Toast, eggplant sandwich, or mac ‘n cheese. I really loved the eggplant sandwich the first time, so I couldn’t bring myself to change it up. The eggplant is slathered onto the bread in a more pureed form, topped with red peppers and melted mozzarella cheese. The bread is a tad hard for me, but works to hold up against the eggplant. I’ll take hard bread over soggy bread any day. It was served alongside the vegetable of the day, which was curried corn. The last time the vegetable was sauteed asparagus. Impressive choice over the usual default of mesclun greens
French Toast – Sip
Even though it was simply summarized as French Toast, the dish itself was anything but plain. The bread was actually raisin bread. In between each half, comprised of two bread halves, was a thick block of cream cheese – close to 1/2? thick. Instead of being topped with syrup, the toast was topped with a white vanilla bean sauce. It was definitely unique and on par with some of the more involved and innovative takes on French Toast. It’s presentation on the menu lead me though to recommend asking more, especially if you have any food allergies or are particular about how something is prepared.
One friend finally tried the dish we were all curious about yet not quite inclined to order – their macaroni and cheese. It was prepared with sharp white cheddar and had been baked to a very light golden brown, smothered in a heaping helping of bread crumbs. The verdict was positive. The cheese was flavorful, and paired well with her chosen third course (really more of a side) – chorizo.
Billionaire’s Bacon – Sip
Other third courses included their billionaire’s bacon (brown sugar coated bacon – my current bacon fave in the city), home fries, and broccoli au gratin. The bacon is so good, one of my friends ordered an extra serving (oh yes, it’s worthy). Their homefries are more like roasted potatoes, chunky and round, simply seasoned and coated mainly in olive oil.
Sip is a fabulous place for a low-key brunch with food that doesn’t come close to settling for mediocre. The music is great, yet not overwhelming, and the service is very attentive. I’ll be back, and mac, I’m coming for you…
Sip – 998 Amsterdam Ave (between 109th & 110th St) – 212.316.2747
Reservations Not Accepted
Tags:
Bacon,
brunch,
Dish Buzz,
lara ruth,
prix fixe,
Sip,
specials,
upper west
Housing Works is pleased to announce Fashion for Action 2010, chaired by Thom Browne
What: Four day charitable fashion event, silent auction and sample sale that raises
funds for Housing Works’ lifesaving services for homeless and low income
New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS.
When: Benefit November 18, 2010
7 PM –10 PM
Press call time 6:30 PM
Where: Rubin Museum of Art
150 West 17th St
Scheduled to attend:
Thom Browne, Patricia Clarkson (Oscar?nominated Actress), Jim Shi
(Journalist), Mickey Boardman (Journalist), Mark Badgley & James Mischka
(Designers), Carmen Marc Valvo (Designer), Richie Rich (Heatherette), Jenny
Shimizu (super model), Kelly Cutron (Kell on Earth), Robert Verdi (TV
Personality), Hal Rubinstein (Fashion Director InStyle Magazine, Alex
McCord (Real Housewives of NYC), , Derek Warburton (Stylist),), Jeffrey
Costello & Robert Tagliapietra (Designer), John Bartlett (Designer), Loris
Diran (Designer), Marisol Deluna (Designer), Simon van Kempen (Real
Housewives of NYC), Rod Keenan (Designer), David Hart (Designer), Kristine
Elezaj (singer), Mark Ruiz (Top Model), Ben Chimura (Project Runway)
Tags:
AIDS benefit,
charity event,
Fashion,
fundraiser,
HIV benefit,
silent auction
“An Island Now Peopled” is the third exhibition in a three-part free art series, beginning on November 18 at +aRt , a new condominium development in West Chelsea.
AN ISLAND NOW PEOPLED
An Island Now Peopled is a collaborative exhibit between artists Abby Goodman and Cindy Stockton Moore, who have worked together for the last 12 years. The focal point of their new exhibit is a large-scale wooden sculpture. The structure will be built entirely from reused, donated and found materials that visitors will climb onto and inside. The artists’ shared interest in the danger and lure of the natural environment inspired their individual and collaborative bodies of work featured in the exhibit.
EXHIBIT DETAILS:
Exhibition Dates: November 18 – December 11, 2010
Operating Hours: Tuesday – Saturday: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Location: +aRt – 540 West 28th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues
EVENT:
November 18: Opening Night Reception
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
RSVP: Alli...@mediashoppr.com
212-867-8778 ext. 223
For more information please visit:
www.realtoughgirl.com
www.cindystockmoore.com
http://www.540w28.com/
Tags:
Art,
art exhibit,
West Chelsea
Horse Trade Theater Group presents
a GiGi La Femme & Doc Wasabassco Production:
REVEALED BURLESQUE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17 @ 10PM
UNDER ST. MARKS $20
REVEALED is a burlesque show unlike any other. It’s a seduction, a tease, an epiphany, a dare, a conspiracy of pleasure. Hosted by devilishly charming master of ceremonies Bastard Keith, each show stars pin-up queen GiGi La Femme and a rotating ensemble of the most beloved burlesque performers in New York. Fresh editions of Revealed feature new performer debuts, surprise guests from around the world and innovative performances representing the state of the art in risqué entertainment. Come out and experience an evening of salacious striptease and skin, where the climax of each number leaves everything…Revealed.
Wednesday, November 17 will feature scintillating striptease by The Girl Dreams are Made Of GiGi La Femme, The Shining Jewel of Burlesque Sapphire Jones, The Girl With The Curves AND The Angles Jezebel Express, The Borg Queen of Burlesque Kobayashi Maru, Delinquent Darling Peekaboo Pointe, and in her Revealed debut, Victoria Privates! Hosted as always by the charmingly inebriated Bastard Keith and his Sensational Stage Kitten Sidekick, The Girl Who Fell to Earth, Madame Rosebud!
Revealed Burlesque is on the third Wednesday of every month at 10pm at UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1st Ave and Ave A). Tickets ($20) are available by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444 or online at www.horseTRADE.info.
Tags:
burlesque,
dance,
performers,
Theater,
Theater Group
Downtown Manhattan Skyline
Drudging through the grind of our daily lives we often take for granted just how much this city has to offer. It’s hard to believe in the 20 years of living in New York I had never done what I did a few days ago.
On a slightly cool, sunny day I volunteered to participated in a new walking tour of Ground Zero and the Statue of Liberty that New York City Vacation Packages Company is offering.
I made it to the 53rd St. Deli a little earlier than the 7:45 meeting time and didn’t recognize anyone that might be participating. I scored some breakfast of a well-stuffed B.L.T. and some coffee and then headed to the tables and chairs in front of the deli where a few people had gathered. I set my bag down near the group and was greeted by tour guide, Georgienne Millen. “That’s tours with a T!,” might have been a mantra for this former actress possessing Liza Minelli qualities complete with mildly raspy voice, an irreverent sense of humor and a unique fashion sense.
West 53rd St. Deli
Once the group had gathered, Millen began to tell us what was in store for the day. She handed out Metro Cards and suggested once we got to
Liberty Island she would be happy to tell us where to go. She also mentioned after the tour was over she would also “tell us where to go.” I liked her already!
Not being a tourist, my feelings as an outsider were promptly dashed when invited to join the table where a foursome of tour participants had eaten. Ann, Bob, Mike and Joanne from Fresno all said hello and didn’t mind a bit while I chowed down on my B.L.T. Once instructed on our agenda we made our way to the E train and headed downtown for the WTC stop. I wondered, if the tour started downtown why wouldn’t we just meet there. Apparently, according to Ann, most participants were staying in hotels in that area.
Back of Chapel
As many times as I’ve passed St. Paul’s Chapel I didn’t recognize it from the back. Amidst tour guide Millen’s story of the importance of the church to the 911 rescue effort hordes of commuters, every so often would pour out of the nearby stations like human lava oozing from subway craters.
St Peter's Church
Next we made our way to St. Peter’s, the first Roman Catholic Church in the nation. Alexander Hamilton worshipped there. A particularly sweet and endearing sight occurred on our way to the church. I noticed that each couple Bob and Ann, Mike and Joanne held hands as they walked the tour. They were mature couples so it was nice to see they still had spice in their seasoned relationships. Read more »
Tags:
9/11,
battery park,
ellis island,
ferry ride,
ground zero,
new york harbor,
sight seeing,
Statue of Liberty
