Category Archives: Food And Drink

GITANO GARDEN OF LOVE

GITANO Revives the Ultimate NYC Summer Destination

For a third consecutive year, Tulum’s staple GITANO is opening its makeshift gypsy disco in New York City. Just in time as the city emerges from a global pandemic and complete hospitality shutdown, the “Garden of Love,” located at the corner of 76 Varick Street, is bound to become summer’s hottest (and safest) destination. With international travel still at a hush, Garden of Love is the sweet in-between that allows one to jump straight into the jungle without having to leave the city. The tropics do, after-all, have a healing power that somehow gives you the impression of endless summer and that better days are coming soon.

 

Leading up to the rapid spread of COVID-19 earlier this year, James Gardner, founder of Grupo Gitano, had just opened two new Tulum locations: MEZE, an Aegean cuisine restaurant, and Gitano Beach. He had also jumped head-first into upholding and upgrading a sustainable and organic functioning at all GRUPO GITANO locations. During the three month hiatus, Gardner only added to his already busy plate with extra health provisions and company ethos. Thus was born the Gitano Manifesto, a brand deck that outlines the values that feature current social and health standards. Gardner describes it as the brand’s gospel that “visually shares our core values and creative, innovative changes we are making,” he says. “We have always been diverse and inclusive, but feel there is, even more, we can do in support of our Black Trans Community in particular and will be announcing initiatives to raise awareness and money for organizations like G.L.I.T.S. and Destination Tomorrow.

 

GITANO GARDEN OF LOVE

 

With that in mind, GITANO Garden of Love kicks off July as a peace-offering to the tumultuous city. We’ve chatted with Gardner to get a peek inside the backroom workings and talk about the “new” kind of hospitality–

 

Essential Homme: This isn’t the first time that Grupo GITANO has had to adapt. First, from Tulum to NYC, then to Miami, and eventually even a beach club and Aegean restaurant, Gitano has certainly had to adapt to location and social climates. What are some ways in which GITANO will address the post-COVID-19 concerns within its TriBeCa location?

 

James Gardner:  We are Gypsies, traveling, changing, adapting comes naturally somehow. The journey from Tulum to NYC in 2018 was the most intense, but everything has been a little easier since then somehow. Until now that is.

 

While this is a very challenging time we believe it’s an incredibly important time in the world. We have spent the last 3 months with our businesses closed, thinking, strategizing, planning, and have created our GITANO MANIFESTO to share visually our core values and creative, innovative changes we are making. We have created an entirely new system of automation to reduce contact, guests will order and pay on their phones, no servers. I’m excited by this change as I think not only does it reduce contact and thereby increases safety but it will also drive efficiency, faster service, and better guest experience. We are already taking rigorous Health & Safety standard’s to the next level: we have lots of space for outdoor dining and social distancing, we have appointed “Sanitizing Agents” using hospital-grade cleaning solutions, we have built a new outdoor hand-washing station – Tulum style – so guests don’t need to go inside. The team has a new look including face masks and rainbow visors and they will complete daily health screenings.

Gitano NYC
Gitano NYC

 

EH: How do the new edits to the service still follow the general GITANO atmosphere that patrons have been used to? Gitano is also known for its tropical lounge parties. Do you think there is a chance that its reopening will revive the downtown party scene? Is there another direction that you are trying to take instead?

 

JG: The Garden of Love is designed as a 450 seat restaurant.  We have reconfigured the floor plan to accommodate around 200 diners with lots of space between tables and guests – we are calling it Tropical Distancing! We believe the changes that we have implemented will make GITANO NYC feel more elevated and intimate in some ways but it will definitely be just as fun. We think of GITANO as the place to see, be seen, and connect…. which will still be the case just from 6 feet apart!  We will be strictly following and enforcing guidelines and requirements. Keeping our team and guests safe is our top priority.

 

EH: Could you tell me a bit about where your other locations are at with reopening?

 

JG: GITANO Tulum reopened first on Friday (that’s our famous “Gypsy Disco” night) June 19th serving dinner but no party and closing earlier to start off. MEZE had a fantastic reopening dinner last week for “MEZE Miercoles” and is busy again already, the food is just so amazing!  Miami reopens this Thursday. We are waiting to see when we should reopen GITANO Beach depending on how busy Tulum gets this summer, we may wait to reopen in high season.

 

GITANO GARDEN OF LOVE

 

EH: In light of new hospitality changes that require extra sanitary conditions and meticulous care and caution for F&B venues, do you think these address an issue that already existed in the industry before quarantine? In other words, did the pandemic just provoke change in the industry that might have been essential but was, perhaps, previously overlooked.

 

JG: Health and Safety standards are already very high in NYC in particular, the DOH is an important organization strictly enforcing the codes. It’s interesting that “Back of House” is not changing so much while many changes are occurring  “Front of House,” with guest interaction. I personally love change and disruption of established business models and view this as a great opportunity to do things differently and more efficiently. I think old school hospitality will change forever, we are removing the friction just like Uber did to Car Service: giving servers orders that are then manually entered into a POS system and waiting for a check to be delivered are things of the past!

 

Gitano NYC

 

EH: A large part of the hospitality business is ultimately customer service and a personal approach, how will you prioritize this with social distancing in effect?

 

JG: Put the tools and power in the hands of the guest to directly manage and control their own experience, remove the friction. This is controversial as some people think that human interaction is the hospitality. I disagree. I think what makes for great service and a great experience is getting exactly what you want quickly and easily, whilst safe and comfortable, in a beautiful setting, with delicious food, cocktails, and fabulous music. Personally, I prefer not having to talk to someone unless I want to or they are sitting at my table!

 

harmony cocktail

It’s Been A Long Week: Harmony

As true believers of the work hard, play hard mantra, we present you with It’s Been a Long Week, a weekly column aimed at awarding some liquid appreciation to you for just being yourself, dammit. Make yourself a glass or two, on us — you deserve it.

We all need a little bit of harmony these days: both in booze and spiritual form. This week’s cocktail helms from Midtown bar Valerie where a name means everything we crave so much and a harmonious balance of Listoke gin’s juniper and citrus notes, as well as tonic and fruity tincture. And while the world is on a temporary hold, your bar cart isn’t. Test your home bartender skills with this week’s featured cocktail–

Created by Marshall Minaya, Beverage Director, for Valerie, NYC

Ingredients: 

  • 1 ½ oz Listoke 1777 Irish Gin
  • 2 dash Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters
  • 4 drops Blood Orange Tincture
  • Fever Tree Aromatic Tonic

harmony cocktail

 

Method: 

  • Add gin tincture and bitters to a goblet filled with ice.
  • Pour tonic over cocktail and serve. 

 Bottoms Up! 

 

support restaurants

Dining Bonds Let You Support Your Favorite Restaurants Remotely

New York’s restaurants have closed as an order from Mayor Bill de Blasio in an effort to limit social interaction and the spread of coronavirus. (Restaurants are only open for delivery and takeout at this time.) While an effective — and necessary — measure, these closures leave thousands without an income, in particular, those on part-time positions (which happens to be most of the industry). To help support service workers, SupportRestaurans.org’s Dining Bond lets customers to invest in the future of the industry by buying $75 ‘bonds’ they can later use for $100 value once restaurants re-open. However, the money is nonrefundable in the event that a restaurant permanently closes. The initiative has been joined by more than three dozen dining venues including Mister FrenchMercado Little Spain at Hudson Yards, Scampi, and 232 Bleecker among others. The effort will support smaller businesses in particular, as they are at higher risk of shutting their doors permanently due to the pandemic. Supporting these businesses remotely is one of the things we can do to ensure their continued success once the health crisis subsides.

 

Each bond is available on the site of the participating restaurant. A list of participating restaurants may be found here.

Bergamo's

Bergamo’s is Midtown’s Unexpected Sultry Lair

Bergamo’s, located at the base of a 29-story office tower, is an unassuming cocktail lounge in the heart of Midtown. The first venture by Company You Keep Hospitality, the unlikely oasis takes a contemporary spin on old New  York glamour with its modern, charming decor and tasty fare.

 

Designed by SHoP Architects, the 8,530 square-foot space is a behemoth of a bar divided into separate lounge spaces including a library section with high tables, a 63-foot bar, and quieter corners to hide away from the crowd. A striking vaulted ceiling with custom made tiles — a nod to historic Grand Central Station next door — hangs overhead.

 

Bergamo's

 

But Bergamo’s isn’t just a visual spectacle. A lineup of cocktails curated by Anthony Merlino (previously at the Baccarat Hotel, Vaucluse, and others) keeps everyone hanging around way past nightcaps. Merlino updated classic cocktails with his own twist. Starting off with the gin “Second Wedding” and moving on to any from the craft options, we advise one end with an Espresso Milkshake (truly one of the best in town).

 

Bergamo's

 

The cocktail menu is also supported by an array of savory bites ranging from traditional charcuterie to mini-melt sandwiches. With bars like Lot 15 and now Bergamo’s showing up in the least likely areas and converting the popular and classic into the trendy, there’s a small but clear revolution of the Midtown scene.

 

Bergamo’s is located on 26 Vanderbilt Ave.

punch bowl

It’s Been a Long Week: Dickens Punch

As true believers of the work hard, play hard mantra, we present you with It’s Been a Long Week, a weekly column aimed at awarding some liquid appreciation to you for just being yourself, dammit. Make yourself a glass or two, on us — you deserve it.

 

This week it might be better to stay in and unwind at home instead of heading out to your nearest bar. But if you get cabin fever, it’s definitely worth considering a trip to the old-school-style bar Lot 15. If you can’t make it out, don’t worry — we got their punch bowl recipe with an extensive list of ingredients to keep you covered and assure that you’ve got plenty of booze to get through the next few weeks.

 

Ingredients: 

Courtesy of Cameron Shaw, Bar Specialist

  • 8 oz. Old Grand-Dad Bonded Bourbon
  • 8 oz. Courvoisier Cognac VS
  • 5 oz. Diamond Reserve 151° Overproof Rum
  • 5 oz. Smith & Cross Jamaica Rum
  • 40 oz. Iced English Breakfast Tea
  • 8 oz. Lemon Juice
  • 6 oz. Demerara Sugar
  • 3 Lemon Peels
  • 2 Orange Peels
  • 2 Cinnamon Sticks
  • 2 Star Anise
  • 3 Cardamom Pods

 

bunch bowl

Method: 

  • In a tempered punch bowl add all peels, spices, sugar, and liquor.
  • Simmer for 3 minutes.
  • Add iced tea and stir to dissolve sugar.
  • Once sugar is dissolved add lemon juice.
  • Stir and add ice.

 

Enjoy! 

Mokyo

It’s Been a Long Week: Mary Lychee

As true believers of the work hard, play hard mantra, we present you with It’s Been a Long Week, a weekly column aimed at awarding some liquid appreciation to you for just being yourself, dammit. Make yourself a glass or two, on us — you deserve it.

Saint Mark’s Place welcomes Mokyo, a Korean tapas bar and restaurant. By the team behind Thursday Kitchen, the new venue is an upscale introduction to Korean cuisine and the dimly-lit interior, knowledgeable staff, and tasty fare make it the perfect date-night outing. Whether starting the night over dinner or just planning an intimate evening at the bar, Mokyo will easily join the ranks of its sister-location. Be sure to try the corn dumplings and beef tartare by chef Kyungmin “Kay” Hyun. If you can’t make it, no worries — find out how to make one of the bar’s signature soju cocktails below.

 

Ingredients: 

  • 2.5 oz of lychee infused soju
  • 1 oz vermouth
  • 1 lime squeeze
  • muddled rosemary

Mokyo

 

  • Method:
  • Muddle rosemary with vermouth and lime.
  • Add soju. Stir with ice.
  • Strain and serve in a rocks glass with 1 large ice cube.
  • Garnish with rosemary sprig. 
  • *To make the lychee infused soju: steep 12 fresh lychees (peeled) for every liter of soju. Shake daily for 8 days.
Nicky paris cocktail

It’s Been a Long Week: Nicky Paris

As true believers of the work hard, play hard mantra, we present you with It’s Been a Long Week, a weekly column aimed at awarding some liquid appreciation to you for just being yourself, dammit. Make yourself a glass or two, on us — you deserve it.

 

We’re always on the hunt for a good bar with chic, but laid-back vibes, and exceptional liquor. And it really comes to that fine line that is so incredibly difficult to execute without skewing one way or another. Pretty Ricky’s, part of Paradise Hospitality owner of Mister Paradise, truly manages to deliver in a way that the Lower East Side has never seen. For one, you’re sure to get an exceptional cocktail from William Wyatt, but the bar also delivers scrumptious bites and beers. In fact, one is a special kind of beer made through a champagne process called “Deus,” Brut des Flanders. This one’s a hefty $90 for the bottle, but entirely worth the splurge. Just as a sneak peek, we’ve borrowed a cocktail to show what you’re in for…

 

Ingredients: 

  • 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
  • 1/2 oz Linie Aquavit
  • 3/4 oz Pandan Syrup
  • 3/4 oz Lime Juice
  • 1 1/2 oz Plantation Original Dark

Nicky paris cocktail

 

Method: 

  • Add all ingredients to tin and whip shake on 2 KD cubes
  • Single strain into Belgian glass filled with pebble ice
  • Create pebble ice dome and garnish with a lime wheel with a single pineapple frond (or lime wheel) behind it 

Bottoms Up!

Germain-Robin

Germain-Robin Brandy Revamps Its Style & Limited Production

The California-based brandy Germain-Robin is relaunching its two expressions Germain-Robin and Germain-Robin XO in limited quantities with an entirely new bottle design. Just in time for the launch, Hubert Germain-Robin has returned as the prodigal co-founder to work alongside Master Distiller David Warter to uphold the brand’s exquisite standard. Germain-Robin has long been renowned for using handcrafted cognac stills and complex, aromatic California grapes in its spirits. Imposing centuries of family history with brandy, Hubert refused to cut corners in the new releases — as a result, each release contains only 2,300 6-pack cases of the spirit. Each expression celebrates the signature fruitiness of the spirit balanced with the French oak. Both expressions are distilled exclusively in Pruhlo Charentais Pot Stills and aged in air-dried Limousin Oak Barrels.

 

Germain-Robin and Germain-Robin XO will be available in March.

Tequila Cazadores

Cazadores Tequila Claims that Añejo is the New Blanco

Mexicans love their mariachi and their tequila. Cazadores Tequila brought both these party essentials to its launch event for  Añejo Cristalino, the latest 100% weber blue agave tequila from the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. For the true tequila connoisseurs out there, “Blanco” (or white) is generally fermented longer and thus is shelved higher than its younger, añejo, tequila counterparts… until now.

 

After distillation, Añejo Cristalino ages in small oak barrels for over two years, allowing the liquid to have more contact with the wood and achieve a consistently smooth, complex vanilla flavor. The liquid is then filtered through activated charcoal and stripped of all caramel coloring while still maintaining the brand’s signature sweet taste. The result is a transparent añejo tequila with notes of walnuts, apples, and toasted wood.

 

Tequila Cazadores

 

“We’ve taken the time to perfect Añejo Cristalino—our most elegant tequila—and we’re confident that after one sip, those who consistently choose light, clear tequilas will also come to appreciate a full-bodied añejo palate,” says Jesus Susunaga Acosta, Tequila Cazadores Master Blender.

 

Añejo Cristalino made its official debut in New York City with a “Colorless” dinner co-hosted by Chef Aarón Sánchez, soundtracked by a local mariachi band. The monochrome meal, which consisted entirely of authentic Mexican dishes stripped of all color but still rich and complex in flavor, underscored that appearances can sometimes be deceiving.

 

Tequila Cazadores

 

Cazadores Tequila’s Añejo Cristalino is now available at select spirits retailers nationwide and can be purchased online via Drizly.

ROSE PETALS

It’s Been a Long Week: Rose Petals

As true believers of the work hard, play hard mantra, we present you with It’s Been a Long Week, a weekly column aimed at awarding some liquid appreciation to you for just being yourself, dammit. Make yourself a glass or two, on us — you deserve it.

 

In Manhattan’s world of mixology, Mace is a true ringleader. With French bartender Nico de Soto at the helm of the bar, Mace serves innovative and daring cocktails. In fact, it’s one of those places where we’d recommend to fully trust the menu. Organized by spice, the menu is its own medicine table with rare spices like pandan and familiar ones, like rose. Despite that, it’s a true tasting menu of cocktails. And while you’re at it, don’t miss the legendary milk punches — it’s like a desert in a cocktail glass. We’ve borrowed a recipe from Nico for the Rose Petals, one of the easier ones, but surely the trek to ABC-town is worth it instead.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz Rose Pisco
  • ¾ Orgeat
  • ¾ Rectified Pomegranate Juice
  • ¾ Egg Whites

Rose Pisco: Dry rose petal into Pisco

Rectified Pomegranate Juice: Take organic Pomegranate juice, add ¾ lactic acid and ¼ citric until PH is 2.2

ROSE PETALS

Method: 

  • Dry-shaken all ingredients(no ice)
  • Shake with ice
  • Double strain in a coupette
  • Garnish: Poppy Seeds and Toasted Cucumber Seeds

Cheers!

Vybes CBD

It’s Been a Long Week: VYBES Relax

As true believers of the work hard, play hard mantra, we present you with It’s Been a Long Week, a weekly column aimed at awarding some liquid appreciation to you for just being yourself, dammit. Make yourself a glass or two, on us — you deserve it.

We’re still on the fence about mixing CBD and alcohol and so we’ve settled on a non-alcoholic CBD mocktail for this week’s column. Wittily dubbed “relax” the 10mg of CBD will surely do its job. VYBES offers premium vegan powder that amasses the non-psychoactive compound in the hemp plant. Already making rounds in Los Angeles (while available nationationwide) amongst  A-listers and artists, VYBES is changing things up and it only helps to be caipirinha style.

 

Ingredients: 

  • 10 mg VYBES CBD powder
  • 6 raspberries
  • 3 cucumber wheels
  • 1.5 oz lime (or 12 pieces muddled)
  • 0.75 oz simple syrup

Vybes CBD

 

Method:

  • Caipirinha style: Muddle, no strain. Serve in a rocks glass.
  • Maid style: strain into a rocks glass with ice.
  • Garnish: cucumber wheels. 

 

Woodford Reserve

Woodford Reserve Releases Its Annual Limited-Edition Bourbon

Straight out of Versailles, Kentucky, Woodford Reserve has released its annual limited-edition high-proof expression at a stunning 123.6 proof. (For reference, Woodford Reserve normally averages 90.4 proof.) Blended by Master Distiller Chris Morris, the bourbon takes the flavor range of sweet vanilla and toasted oak to a whole new level as it offers it in its purest form. The limited-edition bottle, however, is batched straight from the blending barrels leaving it exactly how the spirit gods wanted it to be. While it uses the exact same grain bill and process as Woodford Reserve straight bourbon, the difference is uncanny in the intensity and depth of flavor. The expression is noted with ha rich chestnut color and at note is gives off hints of dried cranberry and raisin fruit spiced with sandalwood, clove, aged leather, and spearmint. At taste, the potion is rich in raisin and brown sugar balanced with spicy leather, oak, almond, and cedarwood notes. Last year’s edition was ranked #5 on the Top 20 Whiskies of 2019 list, with the 2020 edition poised to peak even higher.

 

This limited-edition collection is available in select US stores and global markets now.