CONTRIBUTORS

1 I FARZANA BADUEL
Farzana Baduel is our Editor-at-Large and Founder and Managing Director of Curzon PR, an
internationally focused agency with a diverse portfolio of clients from the worlds of Art, Beauty,
Public Affairs, and Design. They have recently represented a 2012 Oscar winner.
2 I ELAINE DEED
Our Fashion Editor is a top fashion and celebrity stylist with a wealth of experience creating
iconic photoshoots for numerous glossy magazines. She has styled many runway shows that have
made a real splash and, in this issue, she continues that theme with a fabulous 1920s shoot.
3 I MARGARET KEMP .
Margaret Kemp is a freelance photojournalist based on the foodie frontline of France where
she's known as 'the GPA' Grande Plume Anglaise. She has kept Epicurean Life readers amused
with stories of amuse bouche and more for many years!
4 I ANNABEL WILSON
Epicurean Life's Contributing Editor grew up in Asia, Europe and the US and feels at home
anywhere- as long as she is surrounded by life's essentials; excellent service, beautiful surroundings
and family & friends. She is an avid consumer and supplier, in fields across travel, luxury goods,
fine jewellery, and high fashion.
5 I NORAH LAWLOR
Norah is based in New York City and contributes to several publications including Social Life
and GlobalVision magazines. As former Society columnist for Avenue Magazine, Norah brings
her expert knowledge of New York and Hamptons society, luxury lifestyle, travel and the jet-set
scene.
61 AKCELINA CVIJETIC
Akcelina is a Harley Street Ultimate Wellbeing Specialist who uses a multi-disciplinary approach
to treat mind, body and spirit. She is sought after by leading business lights, celebrities and is also
a health columnist for the luxury lifestyle magazine Hi Living.
6 WWW.EPICUREANLIFE.CO.UK
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ELIZA BURNETT
DEPUTY EDITOR
JULI ET VICTORIA POVEY
EDITOR AT LARGE
FARZANA BADUEL
FASHION EDITOR
ELAINE DEED
TRAVEL EDITOR
ALEXANDER JACOBS
ARTS EDITOR
MARYANA GREENBERG
INTERIORS EDITOR
SAMYRA RASHID
FRENCH EDITOR
MARGARET KEMP
U.S. EDITOR
NORAH LAWLOR
LIFESTYLE EDITOR
ANNABEL WILSON
HEALTH & BEAUTY EDITOR
JACQUELINE SHAFFER
SOCIAL EDITORS
ALEX GALBRAITH I TARA HEWITI
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
RADOSTINA DOBREVA
PUBLISHER
AZZY ASGHAR
EPICUREAN LIFE MAGAZINE
121a Munster Road,
Ful ham, London SW6 6DH
info@epicureanlife.co.uk
www.epicureanlife.co. uk
A very grateful thanks to all who contributed
to t he production of this issue that are too
numerous to name and especially Alexander,
Jacob, Farzana and l nayat.
Copyright 2012 Munster Media Ltd. All
rights reserved. Nothing in this magaz1ne may
be reproduced in whole or in part without the
written ,,,.. , _.,, .,i .. : of the publishers. Matenal
submitted for publication is sent at the owner's
own risk and, while every care is taken, neither
Epicurean Life nor Munster Media Ltd accept
any liabi lity for loss or damage. Although
Epicurean Life has endeavoured to ensure that
all information withi n this issue is correct, pnces
" " ' details are subject to change.
786
NYC RESTAURANTS
POWER BREAKFAST
LOEWS REGENCY HOTEL
The dining room at the Loews Regency on
Park Avenue is the birthplace of the "Power
Breakfast," where New Yorkers of affluence
and influence have long convened weekday
mornings between 7:00 and 10:00 to see and
be seen. Expect to see the black limos lined
up in front of the hotel, and to spot the likes
of Matt Lauer, Ivanka Trump, and former
governors David Patterson and Haley
Barbour. Hotel owners Steve and Jonathan
Tisch are also part owners of the New York
Giants, and are still celebrating their
Superbowl win.
A: 540 P ark Avenue, NY, NY
T: 212 339 4050
www.loewshotels.com/Regency-Hotel
6 OF THE BEST FOR DINNER
ACME
You no longer have to fly to Copenhagen to
the world's hottest restaurant,
Noma. Instead, Executive Chef Mads
Refslund has landed in New York and
collaborated with Bob Pollack and Jean-Marc
Houmard from the populat Indochine and
K.ittichai team to create this hip new
downtown brasserie, Actne. The tnenu is
:unique and the best of New Nordic cuisine,
featUring dishes like the chicken and eggs
served in a clay pot With- roasted tpashed
potatoes. Among recent c::elebritr sightings i&
Zachary Quinto aka Mt. Spock from the Stir
Trek remakes.
A: 9 Great Jones Street, NY, NY
T:212 203 2121
www.acmenyc.com
32 WWW.EPICUREANLIFE.CO.UK.
BEST SUPPER CLUB
THE DARBY
Nightclub kings Richie Akiva, Scott Sartiano,
and Ronnie Madra knew what they were
looking for when making New York's most
popular supper club. To set the tone for the
ultimate dining experience, Executive Chef
Alexandra Guaranaschelli brings a twist to the
original American cuisine at The Darby.
Honoring the tradition of musical
performlces characteristic of the location's
CATCH
Catcll is not your typical seafood restaurant.
The EMM team of Mark
l:lirnbalim and Eugene Remm tapped 't!JP
Chef Wuuier Hung Huygh to create perfect
seatood dishes that leave the palette craving
more. This three srorv seafood house is a
haven to celebrities artdlndustty folk including
Russell SinunoJ:liS, Nas, Sofia Vergara, and
Melly: Sims.. Catch h:rixlgs to life a delicious
blend of old and With historical
architecture and newly renovated
interior design. The menu offers both
fot sharing and ttaditioqal eJ::ittees,
including elaborate eats worthy of Top Chef
like crab spaghetti served in an
actual crab shell.
A: 21 9th Avenue, NY, NY
T: 212 392 5978
www.catchnewyorkcity.com
former identity, Nell's, The Darby combines
culinary ingenuity with live music and
interactive performances. The restaurant's
striking decor and design aim to restore a
glamorous and energetic ambience of bygone
days. Celebrity followers include John Mayer,
Gerard Butler, Britney Spears, and Kanye
West.
A: 244 West 14th Street, NY, NY
T: 212 242 4411
www. thedarbynyc.com
CROWN
Owner and Executive Chef Jolm DeLucie has
done it again! Following his success with
Graydon Carter at The Waverly Inn and on
his own at the Lion, DeLude's current venue,
is now an Upper East Side fixture.
The room is larger than DeLucie's hyst;erically
loud; tightly packed: operations dowmown,
but like them it looks like a Broadway set
designer$ idea of what a gplnd New York
restaurant ought t() bt:. From the elegant
gliiss-covefed Atelier room in the back of the
surprisingly large townhouse space to the
walls of the main dicing room clad in wood
molding and stained soft shades of gray, the
setting is. a splendid complement to the
contemporary French and American fare.
Before its opening, Ci:owrt hosted the Met
Gala after..:party l:l.st summer, which included
everyone ftom Blake BtVeiy and Madonna to
Beyanee and Paul McCartney.
A: 24 East 81st Street, NY, NY
T: 646 559 4880
www.crown81.com
COLICCHIO AND SONS
Building on hi$ succes1> with his Craft
restaurants, Craftbar, and other venues
nationwide, Executive Chef and Owtter Tom
Colicchio has once again created something
refreshing about settling into your table.
Colicchio and Sons Thp Room is a restaurant
BEST BLIND DATE
DANS LENOIR
Probably the most atypical meal you'll ever
have will be at Paris import Dans le Noir,
which serves every meal in sightlessness.
Executive Chef Jean Carlos Briganti presents
this unique dining experience in totally dark
rooms with communal tables served by blind
wait staff. It is suggested guests not wear
expensive clothes or accessories, as the
restaurant accepts no liability for injuries or
lost or damaged items (guests must sign a
release waiver). Also, diners are not permitted
for grownups complete with a head sommelier
(Ryan Mills-Knapp). With a floor-to--ceiling
wine rack as a partition, the restaurant is
divided into two spaces: the more formal
dining room, and the Tap Room. The decor is
casual and classy, the serVice friendly but
totally professional, the music fun but not
screaming loud, and the menu filled with
interesting, fully-realized meals. Meanwhile,
keep an eye out for Colicchio's new Hamptons'
eatery and inn, the Topping Rose House, set
to open this summer in Bridgehampton.
A: 85 Tenth Avenue, NY, NY
T: 212 400 6699
www.craftrestaurantsinc.com/ colicchio-
and-sons
BRASSERIE PUSHKIN
Occupying several floors of carved wood and
plasterwork in voluptuous 18th-century style,
and sporting gilded sconces and a hq.ge
chandelier, this New York version of Russian
decadence suggests Versailles rather than the
Kremlin. Nevertheless, the caviar, :vodka, and
other trappings of a Russian dining experience
are all available. Owner And.rey Dellos teamed
up with Executive Chef Andrey Makhov to
create the perfect traditional Russian meal
with a hint of French accent. Brasserie
Pushkin is a recreation of a 19th-Century
Russian aristocratic home, and is said to be
the "power lunch spot of choke" for Russian
oligarchs, politicians, and clientele dressed
to move from their seats without assistance.
The menu is a surprise, and the experience a
singularly unusual one, but diners do have
recourse to panic buttons. In the first ten
minutes you might be tempted to press it, but
give yourself a little time and your other
senses fill in. What may sound frightening up
front proves to be uniquely exciting.
A: 24 East 21st Street, NY, NY
T: 212 5751671
www.newyork.danslenoir.com
head to toe in Chane! with Berkin Bags in tow.
Don't be surprised if you spot Vladimir Putin
across the room.
A: 41 West 57th Street, NY, NY
T: 212 465 2400
www.brasseriepushkin.com
NORTH END GRILL
North End Grill is billed as "an update of the
American bar and grill" located in the
Goldman Sachs building. The bustling
restaurant features a scotch and wine bat, an
open-dining counter at the grill, and a vibrant
dining room. Owner Danny Meyer and
Executive Chef I?loyd Cardoz present a
perfect pairing menu featuring an alluring mii
of fresh takes on classic grill items and
mouth-watering seafood dishes. The grill is
NYC RESTAURANTS
BEST BRUNCH PARTY
LAVO
"Do you mind moving the eggs benedict? I'd
like to dance on the table now" is nothing
unusual to hear while brunching at LAVO
any given Saturday afternoon. With a simple
nod, the waiter will whisk away your finished
meal, drop off another bottle of bubbly, and
even help you up onto the table at this upscale
Italian restaurant with a Saint-Tropez vibe,
which is exactly what owners Jason Strauss
and Noah Teppenberg and promoter Jayma
Cardosa were going for. From your new
vantage point, you'll be at eye level with half
the packed room, and likely to see other well-
heeled patrons also perched on their chairs,
tables, and banquettes, including the
Kardashians and Katie Holmes.
A: 39 58th Street, NY, NY
T: 212 750 5286
www.lavony.com
complemented by an drink list and
a special additional bat food menu for the
complete bar d.iniDg experience with a
gourmet twist.
A: 104 North End Avenue,
Goldman Sachs Building, NY, NY
T: 646 747 1600
www.northendgrillnyc.com
WWVV.EPJCUREANLIFE.CO.UK 33
NYC RESTAURANTS
TWO COMING SOON
THE BUTTERFLY
Famed for his Italian cuisine, Executive
Chef Michael White plans to return to his
Midwestern roots with The Butterfly, "a
mid-century Style cocktail bar with a supper
club feel." The Trlbeca venue will open this
summer and serve traditional American
classics - great steaks, burgers,
chicken, etc. - with an array of cocktails
appropriate to the '50s and
fresh mixological innovanons provtded by
top-tier bartender Eben ?te
seating and the menu are srud to be limited,
but White's Wisconsin-inspired comfort
food and nostalgic aunosphere are sure to
be worth a tty, If his acclaimed Italian
cooking is any indication; The Butterfly
will be a culinary win.
A; 225 West Broadway, NY, NY
HAKKASAN
London-based Hakkasan has opened in
New York's Hell's Kitchen. The London
flagship regularly welcomes the likes _of
Lady Gaga, Princess Eugenie, and the King
of Jordan. They opened US
location at the Fontainebleau :Mianu Beach,
and have plans to open in LA. an? other
cities later this year. Hakkasan 1s likely to
quickly become one of New York's new
hot spots for a decadent dim sum dinner
thanks to Chef Ho Chee Boon's delectable
Cantonese cuisine.
A: 311 West 43rd Street NY, NY
T: 212 776 1818
www.hakkasan.com/ newyork
34 WWVV.EPICUREANLIFE.CO.UK
BEST-KEPT SECRET
LEBARON
New York's best-kept secret hot spot! Swedish
Graffiti Artist Andre Saraiva built a townhouse-
style club with three floors, but since each is
rather small the place has more of a cozy lounge
feel with cool bordello-style decor inspired by
1970s Vietnam with a suitable dose of French
style. The bartenders are very and the DJs
outstanding. Le Baron has a ught do_or, but
while difficulty getting in is the
upside is a good mix of partyg?ers mcluding
cool celebrities, designers, and arttsts.
A: 32 Mulberry Street, NY, NY
HOT LOUNGE
THE DOUBLE SEVEN
New York's Meatpacking District enjoys a ne:v
level of sophistication thanks to owners Davtd
Rabin, Jeffrey Jah, and Mark Baker. The black-
lacquered bar, maximum of 120 per
night, and European socialites and A-list actors
make The Double Seven the place to be any
night of the week, that is. if you can get in;
There is a master guest list of the owners
friends and desirables. Otherwise, to increase
your chances of swanning . the velvet
serpent, strike a sartorial and attltudinal balance
between entitlement and humility. Prur your
Louboutins with a meekly bowed head. Stay
sharp, though- Pierre Casiraghi (the Prince of
Monaco and grandson of Grace Kell_y) and
Paris Hilton's ex-boyfriend Stavros N1archos
both received a few blows in a brawl here in
February.
A: 63 Gansevoort Street, NY, NY
T: 646 490 8925
www.thedoubleseven.com
3 FOR EXCLUSIVE PARTIES
THE STANDARD HOTEL i
BOOM BOOM ROOM
Owners Andre Balaz and Kamil
Parchomienko know how to throw a party.
The Boom Boom Room at The Standard
Hotel is split into two modern-retro
but you're going to want to start by setung
up camp in the main area, filled Wlth wavy
cream-colored leather banquettes, golden
fireplaces, and starburst chandeliers.
other more intimate room is decked m
black' tiles and includes a mischievous,
triangular hot tub right smack in the middle
of the room. Don't be surprised if you see
fellow guests like Jason Sudekis, Olivia
Wilde, Alan Cumming, and Sting.
A: 848 Washington St, NY, NY
T: 877 550 4646
THE ELECTRI C ROOM
Owner Nur Khan created this Britannia-
bedecked lounge beneath the Dream
Downtown hotel. Its entrance, separate
from the hotel, is actually an unassuming
loading dock, but it's one of the harder
doors in town (on top of its excluslvtty, the
capacity is limited to 100). that do?r
and past blue velvet curtains lies a
rock play pad with mirrored tables, graffiu
walls and a small central dance floor you'll
have to share with a few
famous faces including Rose McGowen,
Lindsay Lohan, and Jessica Hart. The
scene doesn't really heat up until the wee
hours of the night, but when it does expect
the crowd to regularly be one of the
hottest.
A: 355 West 16th Street, NY, NY
T: 212 229 2559
SOHO HOUSE
Given the attention lavished upon it, you'd
think Ron Burkle's members-only British
import was shrouded with the secrecy of a
fight club or skull-and-bones_ s?cieq' While
membership acceptance polic1es still carry
some intrigue, plebeians can plunk down_ a
chunk of change for a temporary entree
into high society. Visitors can reserve one
of the Meatpacking District club's 24 guest
rooms, each featuring exposed beams and
brick and equipped with plasma screens.
Reservations can be tricky, as members are
given preferential treatment when booking.
Those who do manage to score a room
receive access to all areas of the club
including the bar, restaurant, game room,
and famed rooftop pool. On the list of
celebrity members are the Olsen Twins and
Tom Hanks. Other locations in the US
include Miami and Los Angeles.
A: 29-35 Ninth Avenue, NY, NY
T: 212 627 9800
www.sohohouseny.com