The Enlightened Traveler: Beyond Manhattan And Into the Void

Nowadays, if you want a nice dinner in New York, you might head for Reynard in the hip Wythe Hotel.

You could start with veal carpaccio with sea urchin, brown butter, hazelnuts, and meyer lemon, followed by oyster stew with scallops, clams, potato, sunchoke, and watercress, and conclude with a piece of toasted brown sugar apple cake for dessert.

As for wine, how does a chilled bottle of Jacques Selosse Initiale Grand Cru Côte des Blancs Brut champagne sound? It will set you back $295.

Reynard in the Wythe Hotel, Williamsburg

So, just where is the Wythe? Downtown, Uptown, Mid-town?

Actually, it is out of town, so to speak, in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, home to 45,000 Hasidic Jews (and where Chaim Potok's novel The Chosen takes place).

A generation ago young, affluent professionals abandoned Manhattan for Brooklyn, seeking more and cheaper space to raise their families.

They did not, however, want to give up the blandishments they were used to in the Big City. And so, gentrification quickly followed in areas like Cobble Hill, Park Slope, and later in Williamsburg.

 Manhattan? No. Marlowe & Sons in Brooklyn

Unsassuming corner markets and workaday diners were replaced by organic grocers and purposefully funky but nonetheless pricey restaurants.

In the early part of the last decade, the once derided borough ceased being just a desirable place to live. Suddenly it was a dining destination for city dwellers hoping to find the next big thing.

By that they did not mean the neighborhood Greek restaurants of Astoria or the Russian ones in Brighton Beach that knowledgeable New Yorkers had long enjoyed.

Also Read: The Truth About Brooklyn's Overhyped Restaurant Scene

The food that the yupoisie demanded was the same as what they could get all over Manhattan. Except now they were willing to schlep to Brooklyn to get it.

But I digress.

The Luxurist is not always a contrarian. He does not believe in fighting the tape. He indeed has sampled some of Brooklyn's supposed charms.

He leaves it to you, beloved reader, to decide if venturing forth from Manhattan is worth the trip.

For those so inclined, click here for a recent Financial Times report on the hip dining scene in getting-trendier-by-the-minute Williamsburg.

Bon appetit. And do not forget your Metro Card.

Dinner Is Served: Pasta Explained

The Luxurist wants to disabuse everyone of the notion that the Chinese invented pasta.

It was documented in Italy before Marco Polo headed east. That doesn't mean the Italians had it first. The earliest reference to noodles appeared in the Jerusalem Talmud of the fifth century A.D.

Pasta is still made by hand at the family run Martelli factory in Tuscany. (Photo: gessato.com)

More important than where it came from is knowing what makes pasta made in Italy better than pasta that isn't, when to use fresh pasta rather than dried (and vice-verse), and what Italians know about cooking pasta that Americans don't.

Food authority Corby Kummer has been writing informed, highly useful essays principally in The Atlantic for some 30 years now on topics ranging from rice pudding to red sauce to eggs.

The secret to flavorful eggs isn't freshness, it's what the chicken ate, says Kummer.

Not the same old, same old: Egg yolk spaghetti at two-Michelin starred Ristorante Cracco in Milan

The Luxurist recalls an essay Kummer wrote many years ago on how to make risotto. He reported that one of his Italian friends threw the rice and broth into the pot all at once, rather than slowly adding small amounts of hot liquid to the rice over a period of 20-30 minutes.

The darn thing turned out the same either way. Or maybe not. The Luxurist read this article a long, long time ago and cannot be sure, because the essay cannot be found on the web.

But I digress.

What you can read on the Internet is Kummer's memorable 1986 piece on the origins, manufacture,  and correct uses of pasta.

Pasta with Peccorino cheese and black pepper, served in a crisp
Parmigiano shell at Roma Sparita in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome

Still pertinent and valuable today, it's a classic that combines careful research on production methods with lots of practical advice on finding the best Italian brands and preparing them properly.

When Kummer wrote his article 25 years ago, Americans believed al dente pasta wasn't sufficiently cooked and all sauce came from a jar.

Women also wore very wide shoulder pads back then. (And not just on Dynasty.) But, again, I digress.

We know a lot more today about how to cook and consume pasta in the Italian manner.

That the Chinese didn't invent it, well, that is another matter.

Read Kummer's pasta essay here.
To read more articles by Kummer, mostly on food, click here.
To learn more about the Martelli pasta factory, click here.

The Enlightened Traveler: A Paris Institution Returns

Ladurée, the historic Parisian patisserie and tea room, suffered a disastrous fire in 2011 that caused the landmark to close for a year. It has just reopened, it's 19th-Century opulence fully restored and good as new, according to press reports.

Some years ago, The Luxurist and his Lovely Luxurista arrived in Paris on Christmas Eve, two weary pilgrims without a dinner reservation.

Summoning up his flawless French, he called several of his preferred restaurants only to learn that they were fully booked.

(Yes, The Luxurist speaks French impeccably. Doesn't everyone?)

Normally in a situation like this, The Luxurist would follow his own advice:  keep talking politely but firmly until the voice on the other side of the aparatus gives in. It turns out that French restaurateurs can be an uncompassionate lot on Christmas Eve, a day when you think even the French would be a bit more accommodating.

But I digress.

And so The Luxurist and his LL decided to head out on foot in search of a meal. They were soon on the Champs Elysées in front of Ladurée.

It was far past afternoon teatime. The Luxurist and his LL stepped inside anyway to find many well dressed and very contented Parisians sitting down to, not petit fours and chocolat chaud, but, in fact, dinner.

Mr. L and Mrs. LL were seated next to a handsome French couple. The husband told them that he was executive chef for Air France first class and that he and his wife came to Ladurée every Christmas Eve.

Thus they began a memorable night of good food and pleasant conversation.

Also read: Why You Should Spend the Holidays in Paris

While Ladurée's premises have been refreshed, not so its unfortunate reputation as a tourist destination during the day.

I use the term "tourist destination"  to be kind.  You, dear reader, can divine the true meaning of the term.

But, again, I digress.

At night, it's a different story.  If you find yourself in Paris with no dinner plans and no concierge at your service,  you might give Ladurée a try.

Little Luxuries: Thanksgiving Leftovers

The Luxurist likes a hearty Thanksgiving meal as much as the next sybarite.

What to do with the leftovers the day after is the challenge. Turkey hash? Turkey and cranberry sandwiches? Well, yes.

Something different and interesting would be welcome, as well.

Marc Murphy, chef and owner of the Landmarc restaurant in New York's Time Warner Center, rises to the occasion with these creative suggestions that first appeared in a recent Wall St. Journal article:

• Turn gravy, mashed potatoes and turkey into a shepherd's pie. Top it with shaved gruyere for an "extra kick."

• Combine mashed potatoes with any kind of cheese. Form croquettes and roll them in panko crumbs before frying. Serve with turkey gravy "jazzed up" with dijon mustard.

• Fill tartlet shells with leftover cranberry sauce topped with Italian merinque.

Chef Murphy cautions that leftovers must be stored correctly. Do not put sealed-up warm food into the refrigerator because of the risk of bacteria build up.

Leave it out until it cools before wrapping and putting it into the fridge. Or place it uncovered in the fridge and cover it after it has cooled.

The Luxurist bids epicureans across the land a joyful holiday.

Best London Restaurants That Won't Break The Bank

Tom Parker Bowles – yup, the son of that Parker Bowles – has earned a reputation as one of Britain's leading food authorities.

He writes a food column for The Mail on Sunday, is the food editor of Esquire's UK edition, and has written several cookbooks.

Bowles also serves as food curator at Heckfield Place, a manor house that is undergoing refurbishment and will open as a conference center in 2013.

The Luxurist wonders, "Exactly what kind of job is that?"

But I digress.

His credentials as a culinary maven notwithstanding, it is clear that young Bowles is not what could be called a "man of the people."

Corned (or salt) beef is one of the best dishes in Britain! (Photo: Ewan Monro)

That is why The Luxurist was stunned to read a recent Departures magazine article in which the stepson of the future King of England offers advice on where to find good corned beef in London.

Not just corned beef, mind you, but also lox, American barbecue, jerk chicken, Punjabi meat curries, and deviled kidneys.

And all this time The Luxurist was led to believe that the action on the British food scene revolved around refined, updated interpretations or inspired, unorthodox reworkings of traditional dishes, using locally produced, artisinal, or foraged ingredients – and only those in season, of course.

In the article Bowles declares that "for me, London’s joy is tramping the back alleys and byways in search of real food and serious eating."

Kerbisher & Malt calls itself a "modern British fish and chip shop." (Photo: Rebecca Reid)

By this he means joints "where you’re lucky to get a paper napkin, let alone a linen one, places where menus are chalked on boards rather than embossed on stiff cards."

He concludes with, "I want flavors, bold and pungent, with no concession made to timid tongues and wary palates." 

The Luxurist can relate. He may not be an average Joe, but he sure can appreciate a moderately priced tasty curry as much as the next guy.

The Luxurist also enjoys dining at upscale reasonably priced restaurants. So does Bowles. He  includes several in his article on London eateries that go easy on the wallet.

To see where you should take dinner when you cannot get into Heston Blumenthal's place, review all of Bowles's recommendation right here.

The Artful Traveler: Matisse's Inspired Chapel

Though produced by a very old man who was mortally ill,
they seem to come from the springtime of the world.
        – John Russell, on Matisse's paper cut outs 

In 1947, around the time he published Jazz, his famous book of paper cutouts,  Henri Matisse began work on what was to become his other great late-in-life masterpiece, the Chapelle du Sainte Marie du Rosaire in Vence, in the south of France.

Matisse lived in Vence from 1943-1949 and designed the chapel, along with all of its decor, liturgical objects, and priestly vestments, at the request of Sister Jacques-Marie, who had been his nurse when he was ill in 1943 and later became a Dominican nun.

The chapel opened in 1951 to not uniformly approving reviews.

Matisse laid out the space as a simple rectangle. Though he was a master colorist, the artist specified white walls for both the exterior and interior.

Inside, the only color comes from the chapel's signature feature, a series of 15 arched floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows in hues of blue, yellow, and green. They line two walls and fill the simple, sacred space with glorious yet soothing light.

The effect creates a sense of serenity, clarity, and peace of mind. If this doesn't calm you down instantly, then nothing will.

Matisse said that he chose yellow a as symbol of the sun and heavenly light; green of plant life and the earth; and blue of the sky, the sea and the Madonna – perhaps the very same expression of springtime as the one Russell observed.

A vivid blue tile roof provides the sole splash of color outside. Look for it if you are driving to the chapel.

Try to time your visit for late afternoon, when the tourist coaches have departed and the chapel is blissfully devoid of the hordes of gawkers that can turn even the most sacred site into a sideshow of shorts, sandals and snotty striplings.

If you have ever been to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, you will know what The Luxurist means.

But I digress.

Vence's historic center

The Rosaire Chapel is perched on a hillside a few minutes from the center of Vence, a small, unremarkable village inland from the sea and situated about midway between Cannes and Nice.

There's not much else to do in Vence.  If you have the time, you can spend a pleasant hour strolling through the town's medieval center. The main reason to visit is to see the Rosaire Chapel.

If you go, The Luxurist advises you, beloved Artful Traveler, not to confuse Vence with the more famous, nearby St. Paul de Vence, a charming medieval hilltop fortress village with a great deal more to recommend it.

And that is the topic of a forthcoming article.

This Just In: Tesla Model S. "The car is dope."

The all-electric high-performance Tesla Model S is finally here, and The Luxurist cannot wait to own one.

But bide his time he must, as production delays have put deliveries four-to-five weeks behind schedule.

There is also the matter of the nearly $100,000 price tag. But I digress.

Why is The Luxurist so enthused about this grand new conveyance? He has read the advance reviews. They have been rapturous.

Automotive writers are saying that the sedan surpasses expectations in handling, engineering, acceleration, styling, and just about any other criterion imaginable.

"The is one amazing car. I mean, hardcore amazing" wrote the Wall St. Journal's great Dan Neil. "The car is dope." So much for understatement.

Neil compared the Tesla's acceleration to that of a Lamborghini – minus the potent snarl of the Lambo's legendary V12 engine. (Sadley, electric cars don't purr, they whine.)



The Model S comes with three battery options:  40kWh (with a 160 mile range), 60kWh (230 miles), and 85 kWh (a record-setting 300 miles).

Acceleration varies with the price, which starts at an affordable $49,900 and  rises to $97,700 for the Signature Performance model. This is more or less what you would have paid for a decent two-bedroom condo in Palm Springs last year before the real estate market started to rebound.  But, once again, I digress.

The premium SP model is powered by a rear-mounted 416-horsepower AC synchronous electric motor producing 443 pound-feet of torque between zero and 5,100 rpm. If that means nothing to you, this will: the car goes from zero to 60mph in 4.4 seconds. Fast, if not exactly furious.

Want to know how the car handles? Apparently very well, despite, or  because of, a very low center of gravity caused by the under-the-floor placement of its heavy batteries. "The Tesla corners like it's tethered with magic," writes Neil.

Worried about the time it takes to recharge? The SP package is equipped with a high-capacity drive inverter and twin 10-kilowatt-hour charging inverters. This allows for rapid charging in about four hours. (Not that you will want to stay away from your Model S for that long)

Looks-wise, the Model S is a stunner. Sleek and low to the ground, it will turn heads.

"What is that magnificent car?" people will want to know. "And where do I get one?"

You, dear reader, can buy yours right here. Or maybe at Nordstrom?