Rose Lips: January 2010

31 January 2010

Ajna Bar

Champagne and Pomegranate Saketinis streamed in an endless flow at Ajna Bar last night. The Meatpacking District club, formerly Buddha Bar, hosted a private party for a hedge fund. I extended the invite to my friend Melissa, and we stepped into our little black dresses-- emerging from the arctic chill that January threatened at Manhattan.

Trays of tuna tartar, Asian meatballs, curried chicken, tenderloin and sushi laced the spaces between dancing couples and whispers in ears. The neon highlighted interior is quite stunning- complete with illuminated jelly fish tanks behind the bar keeps. Girls in feathered lingerie decorated platforms to the corner, as they danced, to perhaps the worst 80's mix of all time (DJ fill out his collection at a discount record shop?)

And somewhere in this hot mess, I offered this tweet: Champagne bathing. NYC is a small town. I know too many in this Jewish wine.

Making Cocaine

Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps

One gold money clip with no money in it...

Because the filming has been taking over my neighborhood: anticipating Wall Street 2. Did I mention that Michael Douglass is on my Hot Man Wall at work?

30 January 2010

B Flat

A deep red glow behind glass doors and tiny sign that red 'B Flat' encouraged us through the doors of this once semi-secretive lounge. Slightly warmer inside that the lingering Siberian chill outside, we took a few low seats towards the back corner. A few saucy blonds sunk themselves lazily, a friend gingerly massaged a man's shoulder to wake him, in another corner. The cocktails are stealthily lethal in this lounge.

We commenced with the Groovy (shisho infused vodka, yuzu and shisho leaf) and Giant Steps (wasabi infused vodka and zuicho "junmai daiginjo" sake garnished w/ cucumber). Both were mellow and easy down, the Giant Steps a bit more pronounced with alcohol highlights.

For round two, we selected: French 75 (beefeater, lemon j, sugar and champagne) and Matador (herradura silver, honey, lime j and pineapple j). It should be noted that B Flat sexily abbreviates juice with a simple 'j' on the their menu. The gin made its presence dominate, a detail that I rather enjoyed in a lounge leaning towards speakeasy status. The Matador stole the show- was it the warmth found in the tequila? For round three, we both swung the red flag.

At three drinks, (mind you, I had a few at Haru happy hour earlier in the evening) I was cashed out. Cab home and snuggled up on the couch next to a glass of cava that went untouched...

Images: Timeout New York, Chowhound

29 January 2010

100 Abandoned Houses

Detroit continues to engage with a cultural landscape defined by abandonment and decay. The 100 Abandoned Houses project began about ten years ago as a creative outlet. You may also be interested in Yves Marchard and Romain Meffre's Ruins of Detroit.

Jesper Ulvelius Photography

Clean and a bit washed, I'm digging Jesper Ulvelius Photography. Born in Stockholm, his impressive set of publications includes Vogue Asia, Esquire Russia, Neon and Adbusters.

28 January 2010

"I could go for some Intimate Surprises."

I've always loved grab bags. You take a chance. Intimate Surprise s is the sexy concept, designed by John & Jennifer of Massachusetts. If you're looking to warm up with your partner, have a special occasion or simply want to treat yourself, Intimate Surprises will cater. I'm hot on the Hotel Surprises...and with St.Valentines Day approaching, there is a seasonal package specifically dedicated to the red and pink evening. View more tips and tickles at their blog.

Image {via}

Rest in Peace, J.D. Salinger

“I hope to hell that when I do die somebody has the sense to just dump me in the river or something. Anything except sticking me in a goddam cemetary. People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap. Who wants flowers when you’re dead? Nobody.”
- The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger

VEASYBLE

Four Italian ladies came together to create VEASYBLE. The contrast of movement and stagnant have me engaged. View more here.

27 January 2010

Soy Bird

Brilliant petite ombré Lily Bird Soy Sauce container by Alessi at Velocity!

Rush Hour London

Rush Hour London from Chris Searson on Vimeo.

Masa: it's love.

Sitting down to sushi from Chef Masa Takamaya is something that is deeply enjoyable- a pleasure I found myself in for the second time, last week. The Time Warner building setting would lend thoughts of kitschy American dining, but tucked within is a gold mine- between Landmarc, Masa and Bouchon Bakery.

We sipped on Fiji still water and mulled over the wine list. My dining partner selected a dry white Italian wine- to follow suit with our chefs choice of selections. The service proved impeccable, if not overbearing- and the fish gorgeously presented. New York Magazine highlights the seasonal menus, as well the magazine's food writer Adam Platt has rung bells of praise for the experience.

Bin No. 220

Slipping down the cobblestone path of the South Street Seaport, we found ourselves taking a few seats along the bar at Bin No. 220. Warm red lights and bottles line the walls, low chattering patrons scattered in nooks. The menu is simple and lovely: cured meats, olive and truffle oil flights with bread- The bar keep gingerly apologized for asking me a question while I was Shazaming a song.

The menus come in paper bags, a humbling detail, n'est-ce pas? I sipped on the Blanc de Sers 2005. The glass was crisp with sweet hints of peach and herb. Small cards are provided to mark the wine you drink, including spaces for the vintage and notes. This detail communicates: come in, enjoy and take the experience with you.

26 January 2010

Black Paper Objects (from Daniel Sean Murphy)

Meet New York City artist Daniel Sean Murphy. He creates paper sculptures in his Long Island City studio. I'm particularly drawn to the Black Paper, but his Greek Myth and Butterfly collections are dually incredible.

Heart Ring

Simple and delicate, I'm sweet on this heart ring. I'd love to expand my gold jewelry collection- simple is best with gold, n'est-ce pas? Find more lovely things at catbird.

Smyth Hotel Bar

I continued to feed my curiosity for hotel bars last night: Smyth is a stone's throw from my apartment, in Tribeca- lending the spot to tempt my patronage. Upon entering, I felt a bit discouraged: slightly sterile, much too open with the grossly exposed bar-

I decided to forgive for the exchange of a seat in one of the side nooks. As well, the tiled detail in the vaulted and curved ceiling is quite sleek and modern. I regret not sampling their signature cocktail list, but the prosecco was ideal for the evening's agenda. The bar keep maintained excellent service- ensuring that the glasses before the patrons were never empty.

Image: J'adore Magazine

a lunch at Mapo Tofu

Lunch in Midtown is always a toss-up. Granted, I have a rotating set of favorites, it's always a treat to sit down in an unfamiliar venue. I met up with former clients to catch up on what's good at the Chanin building. With tight schedules preventing us from venturing too far, we decided to enjoy their Murray Hill favorite: Mapo Tofu.

The interior is nothing to write home about- drab tables and red walls and a light buzz of staff. We took a round table in the back. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what I ordered. I do know that it was chicken with scallions, delightfully spicy and served with choice of rice and soup. I selected the Wonton and brown rice. Hot tea calmed our lunch-time rush, the conversation was good. As we closed our meal (far too much food for me to finish), service tapered off a bit. The gentlemen mentioned that they're usually dropping the check prematurely- this was not the case this afternoon. We were practically begging as we headed towards the door to our respective meetings.

image: yelp

Tokyo Sky Drive

The stunning video takes you through the city of Tokyo, using a parallel image trick to create the effect.

View more at SNOW.

RJ Shaughnessy Photography

The portrayal of average youthful raucous is well exhibited in RJ Shaughnessy's photos. His talent extends to advertising/fashion photography including Urban Outfitters, Adidas and the edgy notevenonce(dot)com. Although his talent extends to color photography, I draw a stronger connection to his black and white shots. He has two photo books published: Your Golden Opportunity is Coming Very Soon and These Photographs will Heal Your Soul.