This is 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.
Faena New York
Argentinean hotelier Alan Faena brought his maximalist hospitality vision to New York last fall with the opening of Faena New York (at top) inside a Bjarke Ingels new build in West Chelsea. Awash in his signature red, gold and leopard print motifs with a Big Apple-Gatsby spin, it’s another bona fide pleasure dome. Argentinean asado grill master chef Francis Mallmann is along for the ride with La Boca and this iteration of Living Room proved to be as fun as ever on a recent Saturday night.
Current rates from about $1,150. Full review coming soon.
In the meantime, check out my review of Faena Miami Beach, an all-time favorite.
Fouquet’s New York
Meanwhile, further downtown Fouquet’s New York is a luxurious Tribeca confection by way of Paris with gorgeous rooms, a sexy speakeasy and languidly indulgent spa. The 97-room boutique hotel with interiors by Martin Brudnizki is the first U.S. outpost from century-old, French, family-owned hospitality group, Barrière.
Current rates from about $1,100. Read full review.
And guess what? Barrière recently announced plans for a second U.S. location in Miami’s Design District—a hotel and residences by acclaimed architect David Chipperfield, slated for 2030—so get excited!
Next F to conquer?
The Upper East Side’s Fasano Fifth Avenue from Brazil. I’m already a big fan of midtown’s Fasano Restaurant New York with its accompanying bar and jazz club. Not to mention the group’s hotels in Rio de Janeiro and Angra dos Reis.
West Chelsea Gallery Crawl
I was drawn to West Chelsea on a rainy Saturday afternoon for Helen Frankenthaler’s new show, ‘The Moment and the Distance’ (through July 2), at Gagosian. Surveying four decades of her work from 1960-1992, I was astounded by just how enormous these canvases are. And it was a pure pleasure to see her work in a big, airy gallery setting.
I popped into Gagosian’s other West Chelsea space to see Giuseppe Penone’s ‘The Reflection of Bronze’ (through July 2), a mind-bending series of installations playing with texture and form.
More large scale installations awaited at Paula Cooper Gallery’s trio of spaces on W. 21st, including Mark di Suvero’ssteel sculptures in ‘Avanti!’ (through July 17), Meg Webster’s immersive ‘Thicket’ (through July 24) and Robert Wilson’s ongoing ‘Einstein Chairs.’
Over at Hauser & Wirth, ‘Life with P.’ (through July 10) explores Philip Guston’s paintings and drawings, from 1964-1979, including a delightful collection of “poem pictures,” in collaboration with his wife, poet Musa McKim.
Dining & Nightlife
Lucinda’s
Y’all, as someone who listened to Lucinda Williams’ album ‘Car Wheels on a Gravel Road’ on repeat, driving around the Atlanta metropolitan area my senior year of college to get over my first heartbreak, I was floored to discover she opened a honky tonk in the East Village. In a precinct swarming with drunk 20-year-olds, I visited on a recent Saturday night and had a ton of fun dancing to a great band whose set was heavy on feel-good Beatles covers.
And while Lucinda canceled a recent concert at the Beacon, she’s playing with my #1 Bob Dylan at Forest Hills Stadium on July 21, but alas I shall be in Menorca.
Cosme
Sophisticated Mexican in Flatiron from CDMX’s favorite son Enrique Olvera. On my last visit, scallop tacos were the highlight.
