manhattan digest

Review: GiGi New York Embossed Python Leather Crossbody & Wallet

The brand best known for its luxurious python leather products, GiGi New York, offers the finest combination of classic and edgy style that one will find in bags and their accompanying accessories. The visible pattern and texture if the python skin with the durability of the highest quality leather are only the most obvious attributes of their products that one sees at a first glance. Actually use their products, and a whole different world of distinction and beauty is opened up to you.

The day my GiGi New York items came in the mail, it was easily the most exciting snail mail I’ve gotten in 2015. Packaged in a durable black box with their logo stamped in gold foil, were my new go-to items. First, I opened the embossed python leather crossbody bag, and then the embossed python leather phone wallet to match. Each item was individually packaged in protective plastic bagging, with leather cleaning towels, complete with the GiGi logo, enclosed.

From the first finger I laid on the python leather, I knew I was touching one the best quality items one could own. GiGi New York sources their leathers from all parts of the world, utilizing every region’s specialties, including the worldwide leaders in fashion tanning, Italy and France. Most of the products are made in the United States, guaranteeing the greatest attention to detail in the creation of every item.

Excited to use my new bag and wallet, I quickly began a top to
bottom inspection of the products. The bag is 10 inches wide and 8 inches tall with a detachable adjustable strap, offering up to a 27 inch drop from shoulder to bag. It has a zip top closure, and a front pocket that zips closed, as well. On the front of the bag there is a simple logo plate attached at the top, in the center of where the widest section of the python leather runs. Inside the bag is a soft material, stamped with the GiGi logo, giving a delicate look to the durable interior of the bag.

The bag is both chic and practical, with a slick appearance yet reasonable size for day to day use. It has proven to perfect for day trips when you don’t want to bring much with you, as well as for regular use like work and family visits. With spring in the works and summer around the corner, the crossbody is ideal for festivals and outings in the nice weather. Because of its size, it will hold what you need for the day without weighing down your arm during the time you’re trying to enjoy yourself.

The phone wallet is 7 inches wide and 4 inches tall, fitting perfectly inside the crossbody bag. The wallet also features the logo plate in the widest section of the leather, creating a flawlessly balanced look between the embossed leather and the metal add-ons. There are two spaces for cash, a zip closure back pocket for change, six credit card slots, and a slot to hold a variety of phone types- Apple and Android alike.

The wallet is easily the most versatile item I’ve owned. It fits great in any regular size bag, it tucks away just right in the crossbody, and it’s even excellent just on its own. The slot for the phone is what has me cheering the most. I didn’t want to get tangled in bag straps while maneuvering groceries, so I opted for a wallet only excursion with my phone securely tucked away inside of it. Not to mention, the wallet zip on the top and only one side, so when I opened it to pay, my belongings were not out in the open.

After being introduced to GiGi New York and experiencing their products first hand, there isn’t another brand I’d go to for this type of unmatched quality. Well, except for their parent company, Graphic Image.

All GiGi products come with the option for personalization of up to three letters, which can add the finishing touch to a gift for yourself or a loved one. So, head over to their site now to check out their variety of top quality items, and be sure to sign up for their e-mail list to receive 10% off your next purchase!

Theater Review: AIRLINE HIGHWAY

by Ryan Leeds

A close friend of mine once told me that the idea of eulogies eluded him since it made more sense to share kind words with the living rather than about them once they’ve gone. He shares the same sentiment with Miss Ruby (Judith Roberts), the dying matriarchal figure in Lisa D’Amour’s heartfelt drama Airline Highway.

Direct from Chicago’s Steppenwolf, Airline Highway takes us to the parking lot of the Hummingbird motel, an unsavory dilapidated refuge for the downtrodden of New Orleans. Miss Ruby, once the beautiful grand dame of the Hummingbird and caretaker of her “little duckies”, is nearing her death and wants to go out in style. With the help of motel manager Wayne (Scott Jaeck), Tanya (Julie White) , a worn out, but but beautifully broken prostitute, Sissy Na Na (K. Todd Freeman) , a flamboyant drag artist, Francis (Ken Marks), a half-baked bohemian who lives life with carefree aplomb, and Krista (Caroline Neff), a returning visitor to the Hummingbird, each pull together to recall fond memories and bury some secrets from their past.

Bait Boy (Joe Tippett) returns for the day’s festivity as well, along with his significant other’s daughter, Zoe (Carolyn Braver). Bait Boy was once an inhabitant of the Hummingbird, but escaped to Atlanta for a better life. Zoe has joined him on the pilgrimage to write a school paper on sub-cultures. She has come to the right place, for there are fewer colorful spots and characters along this stretch. Her pie-eyed view of the world is shattered, however, when her subjects defiantly object to the fact that Zoe wants to encapsulate their life into one article in one afternoon. How are lives stuffed with dashed dreams, endless struggle, regret and poverty summarized in one paper?

D’Amour delivers a genuine cast of vagabonds filled with grace and dignity, bringing to mind David Newman, Ira Gasman, and Cy Coleman’s heartwarming musical about Times Square hookers in 1997’s musical The Life. Though they lead unconventional lives, each soul offers searing personal stories of where they’ve been and what they could-or won’t-ever be.

It is not simply good luck that explains why Tony Voters gave Airline Highway four nominations. Under Joe Mantello’s masterful hand, the show reminds us of our own good fortunes, evokes empathy for those who don’t have them, and instills an unbreakable appreciation and zest for life.

Airline Highway is now playing on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater, 261 West 47th street between Broadway and 8th. Tickets available at http://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/season-tickets/ or by visiting the box office.

D. Woods on “Blackbird”, music, acting… and more!

by Ryan Shea

It is rare in this day and age, to find someone talented enough to be considered to be a triple threat. D. Woods is someone who is a strong contender to be that particular kind of entertainer. Already known for her musical prowess and dancing ability, the talented Massachusetts native is keeping her buzz loud and strong by starring in the new feature film “Blackbird”. Alongside Academy Award winning actress Mo’Nique, D. Woods shines in a breakthrough role about acceptance in yourself and others that will no doubt put her on the forefront of who is next in the acting community.

Beautiful, humble and sweet, D. Woods sat down with me recently to discuss her involvement in “Blackbird”, as well as her beginnings in the theater, influences that she has gotten to know and worked with, and what her future plans are outside of all the fab things she is doing right now. Take a look.

A lot of people know you from music obviously, but you are now dabbling in acting. Do you have a particular preference?

Well, I grew up in the theater actually. It was dancing first, then musical theater came after that, and finally it was the music industry. I have never really separated the art forms, especially with musical theater you do all at the same time and that is how I was trained to do it all- dancing forms, singing, acting, delivery, musicality etc. It all comes together for me, I am just now able to do projects that are more visible and show my acting talents but I’ve been on the stage doing acting throughout my life. Now I’m on screen so you are being introduced to a whole other side of me!

It is safe to say that your background in music that we have come to know is R&B based. A lot of people feel as if that particular genre has been dead for quite some time, what is your take on it?

I think because of the way records are selling or not selling, and everyone is trying to appeal to as many people as possible and want the largest demographic, that is where a lot of artist get into this EDM/Euro or Pop N’ B type feel to wherever they think is going to sell. I do believe that there are a lot of artists that are true to R&B, I just don’t put myself in a box however. I do whatever the music tells me to do, so it might be rock influenced or feel more cinematic, you know what I mean? It might be trap or ratchet, but then I might do R&B harmonies and vocals, its whatever I want to play with. I think there are a lot of audiences out there that want a true musical experience whether they are going to an R&B show and they are getting a little gospel thrown at them, or maybe some rock as well in the way that the band switches up the track that people know and love from their recording into the live show. I think the live performance is the best and a lot of R&B singers are the ones that can give you a true live performance as opposed to some overdubbed, autotuned track where they just hit play and walk out.

Growing up, you had to have influences that got you into the entertainment field that you are in today. Do you have any in particular that standout?

Yes, of course! I’ve met a lot of people that I didn’t expect to meet, or that I watched and know so much about their work and having a conversation with them is weird because I don’t want to have a fan moment or weird them out. I got to work with actress Lynn Whitfield on a musical called “Rebirth” and being in rehearsal with her everyday made me think of “The Josephine Baker Story”, which would just freak me out. I thought she was Josephine Baker when I was little! She comes from a generation that had that triple threat feel to it, so that was definitely a great experience working with her.

Working with Mo’Nique was big, because we saw her evolution from a comedienne to a comedic actress to working her way up to winning an Oscar and now she is an executive producer on top of all of that. So working with her was just fantastic. I watched a lot of fantasy movies growing up, so whenever they redo “The Wiz” I definitely want to partake in that on some sort of level. I met Quincy Jones a while back and pretty much told him, “I LOVE the soundtrack to The Wiz”. I mean, this guy has worked with everyone from Duke Ellington & Michael Jackson, the soundtrack to “The Color Purple” and so much more… but that is what I saw when I met him. The Wiz.

Blackbird, D. Woods, Ryan Shea, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: Youtube

So the movie “Blackbird” just got released to stellar reviews. What is your involvement in it?

“Blackbird” is a coming of age story, centered around a character named Randy Rousseau who is played by Julian Walker. He is our breakout star. He is straight up novice, like Julian is still in college right now. I remember he was doing homework while on set! When I read this script, I found out the character finding himself and coming to terms with his sexuality but at the same time trying to live up to the expectations of his family, community and church. I play one of his friends in high school named Leslie Crandall whom he also feels like he has to live up to in his group of people around him. I feel with “Blackbird” at the base of it, it is all about acceptance and love. Loving yourself, accepting yourself, hopefully the people around you love you and accept your choices and are supportive but its trusting that voice inside in being who you want to be.

Following up on that, what would you say if someone was reading this article and having a hard time coming out to their loved ones or had something they want to share with people around them but fear backlash?

I would say, just be who you are. You will be so much happier at the end of the day. If the people around you don’t accept you, there is a pool of people that you can find who can become your family, circle of friends and ultimately your support system. I have a non-profit mentorship program called “Foolish Dreamers” and one of the main things that I tell the high school students is “You have to get the squares out your circle”. I can’t take credit for that, it was Future, but I thought it was so real because the people around you have to support your dream and choices so that you can be the best person that you are. If you are trying to be somebody that you are not, you are not being true to yourself, fair to yourself, and ultimately what you can bring to the world.

I recently saw you on an episode of Bravo’s hit show “The Real Housewives Of Atlanta” where you and her went to back to your old high school. A lot of people know you from the reality world already, so would you consider going back to it?

I’ve been asked many, many times but it has to be under the right circumstances. I’m still trying to get that dark cloud from over me as it is hard to make a first impression for the second time. If you are introduced the wrong way to the general public you have to re-educate them so that gives them the opportunity to throw away the perception they may had of you and what you had presented at that point. At the end of the day- the networks and everyone else has their own agenda, question is- can I get mine? I haven’t felt comfortable with doing it yet so as of now no.

Besides “Blackbird”, what other fabulous projects doing you have coming up in the future?

I’ve partnered up with Patrick Ian-Polt & Tall Skinny Black Boy Productions and my independent label to produce the soundtrack to “Blackbird”. The first single came out Tuesday, shortly after the movie’s release, called “Find Your Way”. It is written by myself and produced by Simon Illa, another long time collaborator of mine. It was a song inspired by the film, and then we have the songs in the film that will all be on the soundtrack.

Anything else you want to add Miss Woods?

You can follow me on social media at YaGirlDWoods on everything! My main site is missdwoods.com and I have a single out right now called “Ur Tattoo” featuring Paul Wall. Paul is seriously president of Texas after all this time. We performed at SXSW and couldn’t even walk down the street, it was crazy.

Thanks so much for sitting down with me!

You are very welcome!

Check out D. Woods on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!

Share Delicious Food With Loved Ones at Pounds & Ounces NYC Pub

by Ryan Shea

As someone who frequents the Chelsea area of New York City quite often, I am thoroughly impressed as time goes by with the new restaurants that open up in the area. Most notably the ones between 14th and 23rd, on 8th avenue. I was lucky enough to review the fabulous Pounds & Ounces NYC Pub two years ago, when they were test driving their “Late Night” menu for the masses to enjoy. Now two years later, the restaurant is thriving and busier than ever, with a trendy crowd, spacious room and delicious treats for you to enjoy.

Recently, a friend and I went and experienced their fantastic dinner menu and all that it encompassed. What is great about Pounds & Ounces NYC Pub is that this particular menu encourages you and your friends to try dishes together in an effort to build the community within the restaurant itself. I find this to be a fantastic concept as it gets people to put away their annoying iPhones and just appreciate the people they are with, on top of the delicious food they are about to devour. All the plates are sharable and plentiful enough to be enjoyed by at least two people, and with how great everything tastes, the options are limitless in what you can devour.

Pounds & Ounces, Manhattan Digest, Ryan Shea — Credit to: Pounds & Ounces

Some of the highlights from the dinner menu read as follows. I for one am a huge fan of meatballs. I rarely have had a meatball that I would deem not good enough for my taste, buds, and their Moroccan Meatballs are to die for. The meatballs are ground beef based with onions, garlic and basil and cooked in a tomato-harissa sauce with parmesan on top. Absolutely delicious and hearty. As someone who is still new to Octopus, I was delighted that one of the top notch dishes that they had are their Lemon Oregano Grilled Octopus with toasted sourdough bread. Octopus can tend to be rubbery if not cooked properly, and this couldn’t be further from the case.

Two others that me and my friend really enjoyed were the Oyster Deviled Eggs and Waffle Battered Chicken Pops. I for one never associated a seafood type of dish being paired with a deviled egg, however the two of them combined beautiful into one satisfying bite (or two). Also, it has candied bacon on top. Bacon. I know the bacon trend can be annoying to certain people, but I don’t care. It really added something unique to the dish and made it one of the standouts. The chicken pops as well were tasty as can be, as the chicken itself was soaked in maple syrup and served with a guava BBQ sauce on the side. Might be a bit sweet for other people’s palettes, but I really enjoyed all of the flavors put together.

You can’t have a dinner like this and not finish off with something decadent and sweet for dessert. My recommendations would be the Triple Chocolate Pretzel Parfait, Lavender Sandwiches and Meyer Lemon Guava Cheesecake. All outstanding ways to finish the meal, in particular the tart and sweet cheesecake that we were served. The best part about this meal is that we didn’t leave feeling over-stuffed, regardless of all the dishes we were served. Most of the meals were a couple of bites per serving, so it left us feeling satisfied and not feeling like we needed assistance to get us back to Penn Station. Overall, a 10 out of 10 in my book!

For more information on Pounds & Ounces NYC Pub, including all their menus, check out their official site here. Happy eating everyone!

A Candid Conversation With Taking Back Sunday’s Mark O’Connell

by Ryan Shea

I have had the utmost pleasure of knowing Mark O’Connell from the legendary Long Island band Taking Back Sunday for almost four years now. Actually, he was my first big interview when I was starting my blogging career many years ago when him and the band were the headliners at the annual Vans Warped Tour and they stopped at Nassau Coliseum out on Long Island. As big of a star as he is, I was instantly impressed by how humble and sweet the guy was (and is), and he made me feel very at ease seeing as I had no idea really what the fuck I was doing yet. It was all brand new to me.

Over the years, Mark and I have kept in touch through social networking and texting. I have seen the evolution of TBS get bigger and bigger as time has gone by, and him and his wife gave birth to a beautiful son who will be turning 3 years old this coming December. The band recently performed at the epic Paramount Theater in Huntington Village on Long Island to a sold out crowd. He was nice enough to get me backstage and chat with him about the band, life and other stuff. What I got was quite possibly the funniest interview that I have ever done. Good stuff. Take a look. (By the way, Mark lost a good amount of weight so that explains the first part of this interview).

So how does it feel to be back in your hood of Long Island?

So pumped. I actually still live here in Long Beach.

See the fat kid in me loves Long Beach because of Marvel (great Ice Cream spot).

Mark- Marvel is not my problem. Gino’s is my problem. Chipotle is your issue I know, so what Chipotle is to you is what Gino’s is to me. They have a Grandma Pie there that is just to die for, and that is my fat boy problem. Once I get one pie… its done. This is going to turn into an interview about my eating issues isn’t it?

Not at all, just love chatting about food.

Ok, cuz I got fat guy problems, and that’s my problem. Being a fat guy and Gino’s and their grandma pie aids in that.

(Complete sidenote, Mark’s uber cool tour manager Andy Sprags joined in on this interview as well. )

Andy- I’m from the Chicago area actually, and Chicago pizza is pretty good too. Not as good as here though. You can’t compare one to another, its different. They are different worlds. Like cake and pie for instance.

Mark- Can Andy be included in the interview as well?

Me- Sure! Actually the best Pizza in New York City is right in Penn Station at Rosa’s (Andy/Mark nod in agreement). Great to go to when you are shitfaced at 2 in the morning.

Mark- Rosa’s is the shit!

I plan on being your antagonizer to losing this weight by the way. So anyways, this is the 16th year that Taking Back Sunday has been together. How crazy is that to you?

It’s insane. I am one of the original members and joined this whole thing when I was just 18 years old. I’m happy tonight is sold out as well, not only because of the fact that we are performing in our hometown per se, but also because there is still a huge generation of young fans out there that really appreciate this kind of music.

That actually leads me to my next question which I believe I asked you years back. Why do you think the alternative and rock scene has had such a hard time remaining relevant in the music scene?

There is so much rock, but maybe its just not mainstream. There is rock bands that are selling out Madison Square Garden and such, its just not on the radio. I don’t know, its just not that popular anymore. The ones that are mainstream and considered being rock are just not that genre. I like Lorde for instance, but she’s not rock. She’s super talented but she’s more on the alternative pop tip than what true Rock N Roll is. You could even see it on her face when she won Best Rock Video for “Royals” at the VMA’s. So to answer your question, there is still a plethora of rock out there, it is just not at the forefront of millions of people like it was when I was starting out.

Your most recent TBS effort came out about a year ago, the first one in three years. Are you happy with how it came out?

Sure. People don’t buy physical records anymore, however I love when these kids come to the shows and they are singing the latest music as well as our classic stuff. At the end of the day, that is really what matters.

When it comes to social networking, do you really think it matters that much for an artist anymore? Back in the day that didn’t exist yet big artists would sell 10 million copies easily. Now artists like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and more have 40 plus million followers online and can barely go double platinum, if not platinum. Why do you think that is?

It is simple. Because music today… is free. A good friend of mine put it this way. If you are out at a bar, and the bartender goes “Alright, here is your drink. You could pay 5 dollars or whatever it is, or you don’t have to”. What are you going to do? It’s not going to change, its done.

Back to that Long Island tip, is everyone in the current line up still living here like you are?

Well, we are all from here yet most of the members live elsewhere. John and Adam are in North Carolina, Eddie moved to Ohio. That poor guy! He’s kind of stuck there forever.

Seeing as we are both from here, besides Gino’s do you have particularly a great place that you like to go to?

I got the kid now, so I’m not really doing anything cool anymore. I hang out on the playground at Magnolia! I drive my old hod rod, and I think that is pretty awesome. It turns heads.

Do you get noticed in public still?

Sometimes. The people in my building are catching on a bit. There was this one time where I was working out and there was this “Tony Soprano” type guy, and he said “What do you do?” I replied “Well, I’m a drummer”. He says back, “Yeah, there is a guy in this building who is a drummer too. He’s a drummer for this band Taking Back Sunday and he’s real successful.” I said, ‘Yeah that’s me”. As he’s lifting his 8000 pounds of weights he’s like, “No, it’s a different fucking guy! He’s a real fucking drummer!” He got really embarrassed after I had to tell him for the 10th time that I was that guy.

I actually had this girl the other day in New York City, who came up to me while I was with my cousin. His friend was drunk, and said “He’s in the band”. The girl starts following me around, taunting me with “You’re not in the band, you’re not in the band”. I never told the girl I was in the band, yet she just kept following me around making that same statement. She would take a bunch of selfies with me in it, intoxicated, then erase them when she once again thought I wasn’t in the band. The thing was, after a while I was like “Leave me the fuck alone!” and it just kept going on for 15 minutes. I’m not really a band guy though. I don’t have a cool haircut or anything, so maybe that’s why she was like that. Still fucking annoying though.

Sounds wonderful. So what are your plans now going forward with TBS?

Well, we just wrapped up touring and are going to take a long break for a while to regroup and enjoy our lives. I will, however continue to enjoy girls not knowing I am in the band and guido dbags yelling at me in my gym.

The end

TBS Official Site

Fashion Review: Yosi Samra Foldable Flats

by Danielle Flocco

My YS Samantha Cap Toe foldable flats in "smoke black" — My YS Samantha Cap Toe foldable flats in “smoke black”.

After a long search for a new pair of flats for the spring, I came across the brand Yosi Samra. The name caught my attention, as did their claim of “fashionable yet comfortable”, as well as incredibly convenient, flats. Yosi Samra is a second generation footwear designer, bringing fashion, comfort, and convenience into his product lines like no other brand has before. His site has a wide range of styles and colors for foldable flats, along with a variety of other shoes for both women and kids. Roughly two hours after finding the website, and after looking at every shoe at least three times over, I purchased a pair of Samantha Cap Toe foldable flats in “smoke black”.

Flats, and the small shoe box. — Flats, the small shoe box.

First of all, shipping was incredibly fast. I selected basic ground shipping, and they were at my front door the very next day. Granted, I do relatively close to Manhattan, where they ship from, though next day delivery was far from expected. The packaging is likely the smallest shoe box one will ever receive since the flats come folded up.

Though the price of the shoes, $77 for the ones I chose, reflected a better quality than the average flats, I was not expecting the high level of quality they really are. Not only do they fold without ruining the material or foot bed of the shoe, but the sole is similar to that of a sneaker. It’s the comfort of a pair of Keds with the style of designer flats- what more could a girl ask for?!

YS logo on the heels.

The snake skin-like pattern is beautifully detailed, with different shades of grays and blacks throughout, quilted with stitching. The leather upper cap toe is very durable, despite the sides of the shoe being rather flexible and soft. Inside is a soft foot bed, complemented by sneaker like soles. Also, one of my favorite details, the top edge of the flat is lined with an elastic material, guaranteeing a comfortable fit that will not slide off your foot. And, on the back of the heels are metal YS logos, adding a small and chic designer detail to the shoes.

The shoes come packaged in their tiny box inside a dust bag. The dust bag is great for storage, as well as for when toting the shoes with you. Yes, they absolutely make great everyday flats. My feet happily survived a week straight in my Yosi Samra flats, including a day of heavy walking in the city. But, they are also perfect for “back up shoes” on nights you’ll be wearing heels. Undesirable situations, like going barefoot at a wedding or limping during an event, can be avoided with a practical pair of flats to come to the rescue when your feet need it most.

With a ready to shop website, and over 100 boutiques across the United States, there is absolutely no excuse to not do your feet the favor of picking up a pair.

The shoes only come in whole sizes, and Samra is right when he advises half sizes to order the next size up. For reference, I am usually a loose 7.5 and I ordered a size 8. They fit perfectly with a little room, but nothing to worry thanks to the elastic edging.

And please, as per the care instructions, take care of your YS shoes by keeping them out of the rain and away from oils, greases, and lotions.

City Winery Boasts Great Music, Food, Wine… Need I Say More?

by Ryan Shea

What happens when you put together the best of the best in music, wine and food in the heart of New York City? You get City Winery. City Winery has four locations across the United States (Chicago, Napa, Nashville) yet if you are a Manhattanite you can take the 1 train down to Houston, turn right and it is footsteps away on Varick Street. According to their site, City Winery bills itself as “striving to deliver the highest-end combined culinary and cultural experience to our customers who are passionate in sharing wine, music, and culinary arts. We are a unique facility, combining a fully functioning winery with intimate concerts, food & wine classes, private events in a variety of configurations, and fine dining. We have created a compelling mix for our sophisticated clientele of foodies, and active cultural patrons—bringing the wine country experience to the middle of a large city.”

City Winery, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: City Winery

If you are looking for a relaxing environment to take a date or a couple of friends, City Winery is the place to go. City Winery is the brainchild of Michael Dorf, who created the well known and loved Knitting Factory as his vision was to combine the elements of Knitting Factory (music) with his love for wine under one great establishment. Based off of my experience on Friday night, I would say that Michael did a pretty great job of accomplishing his vision as the place was jam packed in both the restaurant part of City Winery and the part where live music was being played for everyone’s enjoyment.

City Winery is really a complex place as you can go there for multiple uses. One- it has a delicious menu for you to have a relaxing meal at with your choices of some of the best wines in the world. Something really unique at City Winery is that they actually have wine… on tap. Now normally that is a foreign concept as it is usually beer on tap, and when places to wine on tap it is essentially just pulled from the bottle. According to head winemaker, David Lecomte, City Winery more than likely sells the most volume of tap wine out of all and wine bars on the East Coast. Benefits for drinking wine on tap include lower stress levels (in that case, I need it by the gallon), Minimal SO2, and keeping their wines to a truer nature. Wines on the tap include Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Riesling just to name a few. For a full list of their incredibly impressive line of wines, both on tap and many others, check out their official list here.

Regarding their winemaking, it goes way beyond the simple pop of a cork and into the glass kind of a location. Per Michael Dorf– We take great pride in sourcing our grapes from some of the finest vineyards in the world – Cabernet Sauvignon from Bettinelli in Napa, California to Pinot Noir from Hyland Vineyards in Willamette Valley, Oregon or even Malbec from the esteemed Catena Vineyards in Agrelo, Mendoza Argentina. We are proud to focus on terroir–the French expression of certain varietals growing better in specific climates and soils. Being a winery in the middle of the city allows us the luxury to seek the most expressive and world-class fruit for our customers.

But we are not just winery behind closed doors—our aim is to give fans of wine, food, and culture the chance to touch and feel all the aspects of the winemaking process—the crush, the fermenting, the blend and ultimately, the opportunity to create your own private barrel, or on a smaller scale to bottle a few cases of our wine with your custom designed label.

Our facility is designed to integrate the winemaking process with consumption and enjoyment of wine. Wander from the winery into our Barrel Room tasting bar and restaurant, where you can try our house wines served fresh on tap, straight from the cellar. Our cuisine pairs the wines with flavorful dishes prepared to complement your glass. Tasting flights are offered to sample our many wines made in house, along with an award-winning wine list featuring over 400 wines from many of the top producers from all over the world. Whether for a concert, wine class, tasting dinner, or private party, you are never out of view of either the stainless steel tanks or French Oak barrels.

When it comes to the dining menus at City Winery, it runs a plenty for each of the rooms inside the location. According to Michael Dorf- “Where we pair the culinary experience with the cultural experience. We have created a setting to share your passion for wine, music and great food. Our company mantra is “Indulge Your Senses”- that the sounds, smells, tastes and views should combine to create a unique and special experience when you’re in our home.” They have a completely separate menu for when you come for their concerts (see here), but they also have ones right in the barrel room for brunch, lunch, dinner and a tasting one as well. We were treated to their delectable dinner menu, which consists of some really tasty treats on top of some wonderful wines to pair with whatever you are eating. Should you be there for dinner, I would recommend trying the following items with whatever wine suits you.

For the “Openers”, or appetizers, I would recommend their Duck Tacos, Butcher’s Table Meatballs and Crispy Mozzarella Arancini with Roasted Tomato Sauce. Small in size for all, yet very filling with each option. The Meatballs are usually my favorite no matter where I go and this was no exception. Paired with the delicious sauce, they were cooked perfectly and tasted delicious. For their Main Acts, you really can’t go wrong with a Steak Sandwich, and in this case it was sooooooooooooo right. Paired with Asiago cheese, tomato, lettuce, caramelized onions and smoked aioli, the sandwiches flavors were elevated ten fold and came with tasty French Frites. Overall a really delicious main course. Other great options include their Lobster Spaghetti, Pan Fried Chicken and Sweet Chili Tofu if you would like to go the non-meat route. To finish, their Salted Chocolate Cookies and Passion Fruit Creme Brulee were simply divine and a great way to finish off what already was a great meal.

For the concert and event arena of City Winery, they host a ton of events ranging from music, wine, comedy and more- all held inside a fun and great environment for you and your friends to enjoy. Even though April is almost over, there are still a ton of great events going on this month. Check out the site to see what piques your interest. Other amenities that City Winery provides is private events for you to have for your next outing and an outstanding wine shop. So even if wine isn’t your thing per se, you will find something at City Winery that will really spark your interest and keep you coming back.

For more information about City Winery, check out their official site. Happy Eating/Drinking/Dancing/Singing everyone!

Krave & Kulture- The Next Great Gay Brand for Men’s Clothing

by Ryan Shea

In recent years, gay men’s fashion has been primarily designated to one or two different companies who keep coming out with the same tired formats for the same tired types of guys. Luckily, there is a new west coast brand that in a short matter of time will be making quite the buzz on both coasts and internationally as well. This is called Krave & Kulture, which is based in San Diego, California.

Krave & Kulture, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: Krave & Kulture

Krave & Kulture was recently started by business partners David Quintanilla and Bryan Miller, who took clever print designs and is turning them into something that will become red hot in the ever popular world of T-Shirts and accessories. The bold and unique concepts are perfect now that the weather is finally becoming warmer in the east coast, and will be a topic of conversation at many upcoming gay events such as Bear Week in Provincetown and all the circuit parties here on Fire Island. What is even better is that Krave & Kulture doesn’t discriminate when it comes to body size, something that other brands tend to do (yet they never admit it). Their sizes run from Small to XXL and are designed to fit each and every type of guy. Smart advertising if I may say so myself.

I sat down with David & Bryan to discuss Krave & Kulture as a whole, the concepts behind all of it and its hopeful future in 2015 and beyond. Take a look.

So tell me how the concept of Krave & Kulture started for both of you?

David- I’m a photographer and a graphic designer by trade. I wanted to come up with another way to put my designs on something other than a canvas or gallery wall so I started coming up with a concept of making clothing with my images. Bryan and I had been friends for quite a while, and when I was sitting down with him and picking his brain about the business, he had a lot of really good information to offer. He had just left a corporate job from a major corporation and slowly we started developing a business plan which organically turned into a partnership.

When you start any type of a brand there are usually people or companies that inspire you to do this line of work. Who were your inspirations?

David- That is something that makes us a little bit different is that the inspiration for Krave & Kulture isn’t really other designers or brands. We get inspired by art, and being in the gay culture we are inspired by masculinity, testosterone and being around men. Also, we started off with the idea of the west coast culture and kind of lifestyle here which is why we decided to do ready to wear as opposed to going down other avenues.

How did you guys come up with the name “Krave & Kulture”?

David- Krave & Kulture was basically was one of several names that was trying to embody what we are trying to do. The idea of doing something fresh, bold yet casual and easy for guys. We developed this around a subculture of men who wanted casual clothing that was really cool but easy. Not to endlessly figure out what goes with what, but just throw on a top and go to the beach, bar, coffee shop or a nightclub with it on for instance. So the idea of craving that kind of culture is where that came from and we decided to spell it with K to add a little flare.

Sometimes gay brands tend to skew towards a skinnier and much more lean demographic, yet I noticed that your sizes run from small to XXL. Did you have a strategy from the get go to include all different sizes for the gay community?

Yep, absolutely. That was the whole goal from the beginning is that if we were going to do this that we would create designs for guys who felt comfortable in it. There is a big bear community not only in San Diego but in the entire country and we wanted to identify that. The clothes shouldn’t be just designed for the Abercrombie & Fitch type model, there are regular guys who wanted to be seen in those cool types of shirts.

An average gay brand would carry extra smalls, smalls and mediums whereas we decided to start with small and work our way up to XXL, just because for the bigger guys it is more about comfort and is designed to fit them perfectly. I am a bigger guy myself so I like my shirt to be tight on the arms, tight on the chest but a little bit of room in the stomach area. I designed them selfishly I guess because I wanted to feel as comfortable in them as the rest of the guys who were trying them on. This also carries to our accessory line as well, because there is a lot of times where guys have bigger wrists. We have two sizes available- standard and thick, so we want to have guys who have thicker wrists feel welcomed as well to try them on.

How do you guys go into designing the shirts and accessories?

David- The designs on the shirts for this Spring and Summer collection are four collections. One of them is nautical, we wanted to design around the sea and the ocean. If you look at some of the stuff, we reference old school tattoos such as anchors amongst others. Another collection is Popart, so like a balloon dog with a Ken Doll on it. Like a fun conversation piece with a bold graphic on it. The other two collections are phrases, whether they are funny or conversation starters. The other side of it is that we offer full print photo shirts. So I take my photography and manipulate it and make some pretty cool graphic on the shirts.

You are based in San Diego, do you have a storefront there or are you based remotely?

David- Our business plan is to sell wholesale to retailers. As of right now, we don’t have any plans to become a storefront, however we just want to make this available for the general population of the United States and internationally, so we started with the online store.

What are your hopeful goals for Krave & Kulture going into the rest of 2015 and beyond?

Bryan- We’ve got a plan in place that is going to help us not only create a presence on the west coast but hopefully everywhere. We started speaking out to different retailers, some that have picked us up, and our goal really is to expand it as far as we humanly can. When that business picks up we want to expand our line and do more than T-shirts and accessories. We don’t just want to be known for just those things, we want to be known as a lifestyle store and work with those guys in the demographics that we discussed to be able to have some really cool and edgy items to wear in their everyday lives.

If you happen to be in the San Diego area today, Krave & Kulture are having their first launch party at Urban Mo’s located at 308 University Avenue.

For more information about Krave & Kulture, check out their official site as well as their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Hotel Providence- Your Best Bet In Travel To Rhode Island

by Ryan Shea

Now that the warm weather is finally upon us here in the New York City area, many of us NYC’ers are looking to travel outside of the gritty streets of Manhattan and see where life takes us for the Spring and Summer seasons. With New England being a particularly beautiful area during the warmer seasons, I find that a great stop along your route up the east coast is in Providence, Rhode Island. I am very familiar with Providence due to my five year stay there when I attended and eventually graduated from Johnson & Wales University.

I was there last weekend to teach at my alma matter regarding Manhattan Digest and other publications that I worked for, and chose to stay at Hotel Providence, which is right in the heart of downtown on Mathewson Street. I am very aware of this hotel due to it being so close to a lot of the academic halls that studied in, as well as several friends and parents I knew staying there when they were visiting the great city of Providence. I always heard great feedback about this particular hotel, so I was excited upon my arrival to see what all the fuss was about.

The Hotel Providence, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: The Hotel Providence

I will say this simply- if there is one hotel you are going to stay in when you visit Providence, or even other fabulous parts of the state, you should stay here. Hotel Providence really sticks with the rustic theme of the area in terms of its outdoor presence and switches that inside with a much more modern take on what a hotel really should be. Even before my entrance to the actual hotel, I was made aware of the beautiful park like setting that was to the left of it, where guests can go and mingle, share a coffee and enjoy their time outside of the room they are staying in. The entryway was beautifully adorned and spacious, with clocks representing several different major cities from left to right. The service itself was quite incredible, with amicable staff who was helpful for me during my time there. Parking in Providence can be a bit of a hassle, yet they have great rates for overnight’s in case you need to leave your car there or if you have friend’s coming down. Just from my first couple of minutes there is that they are there to make you feel welcome. That is something I don’t get from major hotel chains or even some that I have stayed at in Manhattan.

Hotel Providence, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: Hotel Providence

The room that I stayed in was quite beautiful and tailored to my liking. The windows open to a breathtaking view of Providence and the room itself was comfortable and spacious enough for one if not more people. I really enjoyed the classic touches that it had in it with the warm colors adorned throughout. What is even better about this particular hotel is that it is literally steps away from some of the best bars, clubs and hot spots in Providence such as PPAC (Providence Performing Arts Center) as well as minutes away from great eateries on popular streets and locations like Thayer Street and Federal Hill. If you don’t feel like traveling for your food, they have a wonderful restaurant attached to the hotel called Aspire, which is opened for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a tasty and delicious brunch that I was treated to over the weekend. For menu, hours and more details about Aspire check out their official site.

During my stay at Hotel Providence, I sat down with the fantastic and kind General Manager David Benton, who told me a bit about the history of this location. He also chatted with me about going above and beyond the call for each individual guest and his hopeful future for the hotel.

So tell me about the history of Hotel Providence.

The hotel, interestingly enough, was built in the 1890’s and went through five different transitions of names and hotels. It eventually became a department store, and when that closed it became silent for many years until it turned into dorms for Johnson & Wales University students. A local developer renovated it, bought the building next door and combined the two buildings together to make a 80 room boutique hotel back in 2005. The present owners bought it from that developer from 2009, and now it is Hotel Providence. Matter of fact, the other building that was bought to combine with the original has also been around since the late 1890’s, so this has a history to it for over a hundred years now.

What amenities does Hotel Providence provide that you think would ultimately want the consumer to choose you over the chain type of hotels?

I think we have a different approach because we try to tailor-make the experience. I’ll give you an example that happened yesterday. There was a couple in who we knew were vegetarians and it was interesting that the chef went to meet the and say “I heard you are vegetarians and I know you are dining with us tonight. We would like to make you something you would like versus something you wouldn’t like”. They were kind of surprised that someone would go out of their way and reach out to them, and they had dinner with the chef preparing a very special salad course, entree and a passion fruit dessert. That doesn’t typically happen when you go to a branded hotel that you would get that kind of treatment and individual kind of service.

We have a family program here as well. So as soon as the family arrives you will see a flyer wagon with toys in it. We encourage the kids to go over and choose the toy. Often the child is tired from the journey here and less well behaved, and when they see the variety of toys it becomes an instant mood changer for the better which then makes the parent happy as well. We also have three kinds of children’s robes, from very small for babies and ones that would fit a child of 10-12 years of age. Parents really get a kick out of that. If the mother has forgotten some common products for her children we have an emergency kit for them to use just in case.

For animals accompanying you on your trip, we have a pet stand in the lobby and give them a little room with a great doggie pack full of treats and a dog bed for them to rest on. Matter of fact, when you get your pre-stay letter online, it gives you the option to list if you are bringing children and/or pets with you with their age and what kind of pet that they are so we can be more prepared upon your arrival. Also on the pre-stay it asks if you have any special preferences, which we seem to get twice a day upon completion of the form. I find this sort of thing nice because you get to know a little bit more about the guest before they check in and its essentially all there for them.

For our international guests, we have special key cards made for them- 54 in total. So they are made that if you are coming from a particular country it will include their flag on the card itself. On top of the key card, we also write welcome letters from every language in the world. It really is about the individualization of the service so with that we empower the staff. Instead of them going to the manager and asking if they can do a sort of thing, they simply just go ahead and do it for the customer to enjoy their stay even further.

The great thing about Rhode Island is that you have so many incredible colleges here from Brown, RISD, Johnson & Wales and so on. Do you cater anything in particular to the college students?

What often happens is firstly we have this college package when they are coming to look, which is available on the website. On top of that, we host an enormous amount of organizations like Brown Alumni a couple of weeks ago for a variety of events that each particular association is having at that particular moment. Often, when the parents are coming here they are referencing things like “Where is Ikea, where is the local Supermarkets, etc”… and we are very helpful in helping them navigate the city of Providence in order to make them feel more comfortable not only for themselves but for their children as well. When we go above and beyond to sit down with each individual parent or set of parents it then reflects on them coming back and staying with us multiple times throughout the duration of their children being at the particular university as they really get familiarized with this city.

Now that your ranking seems to be going on the up and up on TripAdvisor, what are you hopeful for in regards to Hotel Providence in 2015 and beyond?

Well the hope always is to increase business and get a ton of repeat business. It is really a great aspect to our hotel when we get repeat clients coming in because it means we have done something right in order to retain their business.

Outside of your run of the mill hotel stay, Hotel Providence can host any sort of big arrangement that you have coming up in the future from weddings, conventions and so on and so forth. They have a beautiful terrace located in the hotel that serves multiple types of purposes, and as mentioned before the park like atmosphere right outside the hotel can also be a big part of your big day whether it is walking down the aisle or catching up with friends at an alumni party that you haven’t seen in a while. Overall, this place is your one stop shop in Providence for travel, engagements and just to have a nice, relaxing time. Don’t take my word for it! Check out their official site for more details.

Safe Travels everyone!

Need A Good Lunch Spot in Rockefeller Center? Try Limani

by Ryan Shea

As someone who works only a couple of blocks away from Rockerfeller Center, I regrettably tend to stick with the same ol tired delis and chains on my block when I am hungry for lunch. It’s not that I don’t want quality, its just this winter season has lasted longer than it should and I don’t feel like braving the weather for something better than what I keep getting. Now that the warmer weather is here, I don’t have that excuse and now have a reason to travel from my block for some really tasty food. First stop? Limani right in the heart of Rockefeller Center on 51st between 5th and 6th.

Manhattan Digest, Limani — Credit to: Limani

With two locations, one in Rockefeller Center and one out on Roslyn in Long Island, Limani guarantees the best Mediterranean cuisine in New York City. The location is prime for any person living or visiting New York City as it parallels other big spots like Times Square for instance and is walking distance from Radio City Music Hall. Limani’s overall look is bright, fresh and innovative as well as spacious in its design. The shades of blue throughout are visually stunning and set the stage for the spring type weather that we are experiencing right now.

Limani, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: Limani

I took a friend there yesterday to experience Limani for lunchtime as they have an absolutely wonderful Price-fix menu going on right now. Here is what we recommend you trying if you are craving a nosh or two and want to spruce up your appetite for lunch… or later on in the day. For their appetizers, we highly recommend their Grilled Octopus Salad and their Fresh Scallops with Citrus Salad. Tasted very fresh, and the latter was my friends personal favorite as the scallops and citrus really went well with each other. Also their Mediterranean Meze plate ~ Taramosalata, Tzatziki, Hummus, Ktipiti, Tiropita, Dolmades are a great way to start the meal off and share with friends as the servings they give for each are plentiful.

Onto the main courses, we recommend the Lobster Pasta– 1 ¼ lobster over linguini with tomato sauce. Delicious pieces of Lobster with linguini and tomato sauce make the dish overall quite the standout. If you are craving more meat than seafood, another good recommendation is the Lamb Chops served with Fries & Steamed Vegetables. The Lamb Chop was cooked perfectly and really blended well with the tasty fries and veggies. To finish the meal off with a yummy dessert, we recommend the Strawberry sorbet for people who want a fresh and light finish to your meal or the Karidopita with Honey Lavender Ice Cream for something a little heavier yet ends with your palate on a high note. What’s even better? The Price-Fix menu is $24.95 per person plus tax, gratuity and beverages. Some food options carry a higher price tag, however for the quality of food we were served and for that steal of a price, it is completely worth it.

Be sure to check out Limani the next time you are in the neighborhood and take a look at their official site for more details.

manhattan digest

Footer