A friend of a friend recently asked…
My friend and her wife are staying in Coconut Grove for a postponed honeymoon. Any special restaurant recommendations?
I was just in Coconut Grove and had a lovely dinner out at Ariete. It’s helmed by local chef Michael Beltran, has a Michelin star and specializes in Cuban heritage cuisine prepared with French technique. So creative and original! I have not been, but people also love Los Félix (also has a Michelin star) and sister restaurant Krüs Kitchen, which is upstairs. There are also some great hotel restaurants, like Mayfair Grill by local chef Giorgio Rapicavoli at the Mayfair House and Bellini at Mr. C, a Cipriani joint. Coconut Grove is adorable and so walkable; they’ll get the lay of the land in no time. I’d also recommend El Bagel for breakfast.
A PR friend recently posed the following question…
Where should I send VIPs in the Keys? They are fashion people who will be traveling by seaplane for the day. They’re looking for a chic place to have lunch and swim.
With this brief, the only option is Little Palm Island, a private island resort in the Lower Keys accessible only by ferry (or seaplane). A Relais & Châteaux property and recent recipient of 3 Michelin Keys (for what it’s worth), the resort underwent a near complete overhaul in the wake of Hurricane Irma in 2017. It’s always had a reputation as the most exclusive and luxurious destination in the Keys. The experience is like being castaway on the most fabulous deserted island.
It’s home to an excellent indoor-outdoor restaurant with mesmerizing views and probably the only in the Keys that could confidently be described as “chic.” There’s a fantastic spa with treatments grounded in ancient practices that often revolve around bathing rituals. There’s also a private beach, but the best swimming is offshore, so I’d arrange a private charter with the concierge for sandbar hopping, swimming and snorkeling at nearby Looe Key.
A writer friend recently asked…
We’re headed to Art Miami and read your story on the Shelborne. Would you recommend staying there?
Yes! I love what they’ve done with the newly revamped Shelborne (at top). Fantastic hospitality, design, food and beverage, pool, beach, etc. One caveat: rooms, while beautifully designed are kind of tight. It’s the perfect South Beach location to access the best of Art Week and Art Basel.
However, Art Miami is downtown, so if that’s your main focus, you might want to consider a hotel on the mainland. In downtown, my favorite option is the newish Gale Miami Hotel & Residences. If you go a little further into Brickell (although, I wouldn’t for Art Week), East is fantastic. And in the Design District, The Hotel at The Moore is an ultra-boutique, high-design hotel crowning the top floor of a private club with some of Miami’s most beautiful residential-style hotel rooms. It will also soon be home to the 2.0 version of Massimo Bottura’s Torno Subito in Miami.
And now for Best of New York, a monthly recap of the city’s very best restaurants, bars, arts, culture, shopping, etc. etc. It’s not necessarily the latest, greatest, newest, hottest (but those spots find their way in, too); it’s simply the places that made the city sing every month that I think you might like, too.
UWS Charactas
Town Shop – A relic of a bygone era (1888 to be exact), Town Shop is like having the lingerie section of an old timey department store just around the corner on Broadway. I love that it’s still standing. I swung by recently for my semi-annual re-up of Wolford tights, but I’ve also snagged everything from socks to sweet Vitamin A bikinis (on sale!). They carry all the brands I shop: Natori, Hanky Panky, etc.
Janie’s Life-Changing Baked Goods – a homebaked-feeling operation specializing in piecrust cookies; a very Seinfeldian proposition
Coupla Bars
Walker’s – classic Tribeca watering hole
Gem Saloon – If I was in my 20s and lived in Murray Hill, I would def work this into my drinking and flirting rotation.
On Broadway
Ragtime – it’s my best friend’s favorite musical
