Corn dish of the summer
Caterers, Cynthia, Lion's Nook, Springs Tavern, Naomi’s Magic Matzah, Large Chopper, MORE
ASK FOUND
First, regarding a reader’s call for caterers for a casual summer party in Manhattan:
The Raging Skillet. One of the best in the city. Fun, creative, excellent food. Rossi, the owner, is a NY personality. They’ve won awards, but still, great prices.
I just went to a luncheon and had the best food — simple, healthy, delish. It was from Quality Greens Kitchen. Can’t recommend them highly enough.
Our spot Cleo would be perfect to cater a summer party. We do offsites all over Manhattan and Brooklyn. –Halley Chambers
Long-time subscriber here. I look after Chef Daniel Boulud’s catering business, Cuisine Boulud, and would be glad to connect with your reader seeking a local catering partner. I’m glad to be a resource for anyone in the FOUND community in need of catering or event production support. –Will Joseph
Hey there! Long-time listener, first-time caller. An absolutely fantastic caterer for a summer party would be chef Audrey Falk. We went through a couple of iterations of the proposal for an engagement party, and landed on a yummy table of hors d’oeuvres with savory passed bites and a cocktail station. (Good taste runs in the family — her twin sister Leah Shamiri is the proprietor of Park Slope’s most chic boutique, Shahmiri.)
Two more PROMPTS, for which we seek your intelligence:
I need a new band for a relatively high-end watch. What’s the best in-person option in the city?
I’m thinking of getting back into squash this fall. What are my best NYC options for court time and/or lessons?
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WORK • Tuesday Routine
Springs eternal
ALEX ROSSI • CEO • Parioli Hospitality Group
Neighborhood you work in: East Hampton
Neighborhood you live in: Springs
It’s Tuesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
As the owner and operator of two restaurants in the Hamptons, Lion’s Nook and Springs Tavern & Grill, my days are quite jam-packed, and that’s before heading to evening service by 5 or 6p. I usually start with a workout at my local gym, Truth Training, or a game of pick-up soccer, depending on the day of the week. After that, it’s regular check-ins separately with my GM, executive chef, and CFO to see what new issues need to be dealt with for the day. It’s amazing how many fires need to be put out daily!
As it’s Tuesday, it is also a busy day for my “day job” as Partner at LIV Capital, a Mexico-based private equity firm I co-founded 25 years ago. I have a weekly two-hour Zoom board call for one of our portfolio companies on Tuesdays. After that, it’s emails, paperwork (the business side of restaurants is never-ending), more phone calls and (if I’m lucky) a beach walk with my wife Cyn, and the three dogs: Coco, Lola and Olivia. Then I usually take a quick dip in the pool and off to evening service.
What’s on the agenda for today?
We’re in the process of opening a café next door to Lion’s Nook, so today, I have an afternoon meeting with the contractor working on the job to see the latest build-out updates and decide on equipment placement. We spent about two months building out Lion’s Nook, doing a full renovation. Now I’m trying to get Lion’s Café open in the next couple of weeks so we can catch the tail end of the season. As both our restaurants (and the café) are open year-round, we don’t just take a seasonal approach to our business strategy. I’m thinking ahead to what guests will want from us in the shoulder and winter seasons (frankly, the best time out here!).
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
On nights when I don’t go to either of our restaurants, I have to admit: I’ve become too lazy to cook. So usually, my wife and I will try to hit one of our local spots for a date-night dinner. We love the high-tops at Nick & Toni’s, the bar at East Hampton Grill, a table in the back at Il Buco al Mare, or, if we’re ready to venture a bit farther, happy hour at Lule Kitchen & Bar in Sag Harbor.
How about a little leisure or culture this week?
The World Cup wasn’t only thrilling to watch, but also a big boon for business. Springs Tavern was packed for every match. With a 21-year-old son who’s a professional soccer player and a 23-year-old daughter in sports broadcasting, this summer has been nirvana for our family! Now that we’ve hit a lull in the sports world for a bit, my wife and I are hoping to take advantage of the great summer programming at Guild Hall.
What NYC store or service do you love to recommend?
As we spend most of our time out east now, when we go back to New York City, it’s a good time to hit some of the stores we miss the most. I have to say that Bloomingdale’s continues to be a stalwart for finding almost anything you need that you don’t order online. I usually pop into Butterfield Market for one of their tasty sandwiches. A slice at Joe’s of course. And if it’s Sunday evening, and the gang is all together, family dinner at Mr. Chow is a must.
Where are you donating your time or money?
Last year, we hosted the annual Chowder Chowdown at Springs Tavern and helped raise a lot of money that goes straight to Springs Food Pantry to help feed local residents who can’t afford to provide enough food for their families. A few weeks ago at Lion’s Nook, during our first week of opening, we hosted a Bobbi Brown-sponsored fundraiser for Hamptons Community Outreach, a local organization whose mission is to lift people out of poverty, by meeting their most basic and critical needs.
WORK LINKS: Biglaw comp update: The wait for Cravath continues • Snapchat takes 199K SF at Penn 2 • Why CEOs are taking a hike • Trending: Private equity arm candy and Palantir merch.
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GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Object
Sharp touch
I live in an apartment with a very well-stocked kitchen: Mauviel copper pots, multiple clay Japanese rice cookers, and even a carbonation rig tucked into the corner of my bedroom alongside two liquid nitrogen tanks. As for knives? We have just about everything: rare, hand-forged daggers, mostly from Japan, in every shape, size, and steel imaginable. (My husband is a chef.) So we certainly don’t need another knife. And yet, the new Large Chopper ($304 per) from Barcelona-based Florentine Kitchen Knives, with its chic ivory-and-black striped handle, has quickly become one of my favorites.
Florentine’s take on a Japanese nakiri vegetable knife looks like a baby cleaver, and it’s great for chopping. But I’ve also used it for finer tasks, like separating mango flesh from its peel. In addition to being beautiful, it just feels good in your hand. It’s heavy (but not too heavy), and the handle — made from a fabric and resin composite called Micarta — has a soft, smooth feel. The blade: hand-ground and stone-sharpened.
Founded by industrial designer Tomer Botner, the Barcelona workshop handcrafts all of its knives. And the brand is especially known for steak knives –– you may have seen them at restaurants like Cote in New York and Lazy Bear in San Francisco. In a home where new kitchen gear arrives on the regular, this Large Chopper has earned a permanent spot in our knife rotation. –Kat Odell
→ Shop: Large Chopper (Florentine Kitchen Knives) • $304.
GOODS & SERVICES LINKS: One of NYC’s best bottle shops, Penn Cellars, is hiding in Penn Station • Asian-inspired ice cream shop Lucky Creamery opens in Greenpoint • On 5th Ave, luxury brands are making statements with scaffolding • Hold on to summer for as long as you can • The rise of air-conditioned clothing • Do Italians do beauty better?
GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Larder
Flat out delicious
Crisp, caramelly, blanketed in dark chocolate: Naomi’s Magic Matzah is the Hamptons’ most addictive new dessert. Founded by makeup artist Noelle DiTroia, the riff on the classic Passover matzah bark begins with an organic whole spelt base that she layers with a coconut sugar toffee, 65% dark chocolate sweetened with dates, and a sprinkle of crunchy Maldon sea salt.
DiTroia first developed the recipe for a family Passover seder, where it quickly became the dessert friends and relatives requested every year. As of this month, Naomi’s is available with free local delivery throughout the Hamptons, plus plans to expand across Long Island, New York City, and Westchester by the High Holidays. The lineup includes bark topped simply with flaky salt, a mix of toasted pecans (my personal favorite), and shredded coconut with chewy dried cranberries. –Kat Odell
→ Shop: Naomi’s Magic Matzah • $20-$25 per 5.2 oz. bag.
NYC RESTAURANT LINKS: Beloved Thai spot Ugly Baby’s new Williamsburg home sets 08/27 comeback date • Forthcoming Crane Club-adjacent Bar CC lures Overstory’s Harrison Ginsberg • In Tribeca, longtime chef Ronny Emborg departing Atera • NYC Cambodian pioneer Bayon shutters • How an obscure gin from Menorca became an NYC cocktail go-to • Things that bother me about today’s restaurants • How to win in NYC’s cutthroat reservation economy.
RESTAURANTS • First Word
West Village freshness
The Skinny: Former Per Se and Olmsted chef Sherry Cardoso has struck out on her own with Cynthia, a sleek 28-seat tasting-menu spot in the West Village.