CULTURE & LEISURE • Friday Routine
CALLIE STANTON • svp, brand • Auberge Resorts Collection
Neighborhood you work in: Meatpacking District
Neighborhood you live in: West Village
It’s Friday afternoon, how are you rolling into the weekend?
I usually spend Friday afternoons working with my team at our office in the Meatpacking District. I’m the head of brand for Auberge Resorts Collection, an ultra-luxury portfolio of 30 one-of-a-kind hotels around the world. I oversee communications, social media, partnerships, the AUBERGE print journal, and our creative services team, while also collaborating closely with our development team.
Since my weekdays are filled with travel and calls, I try to reserve Fridays for creative work. My afternoons are typically spent strategizing and developing exciting partnerships, experiences, and collaborations for our hotels and the Auberge brand. Lately, much of that time has been focused on our newest hotels, The Woodward in Geneva, Switzerland and Collegio alla Querce, our extraordinary new hotel in Florence, which just opened on March 2.
Where are you drinking or dining this weekend?
L’Artusi is our favorite restaurant in the city — we're there almost every Friday night. Lately, we’ve been stopping by Bar Pisellino or Commerce Inn for a pre-dinner drink. I love Bar Pisellino’s white Negroni and Aperol spritz, and Commerce Inn makes an excellent old fashioned. I also just joined San Vicente Bungalows, which is right around the corner from us, so I’m looking forward to adding that into the rotation when it opens.
At L’Artusi, our go-to order includes the ricotta, wagyu carpaccio, roasted mushrooms, spaghetti, and either the chicken or hanger steak. Their olive oil cake is one of the best desserts in the city. If you go to L’Artusi and don’t order the olive oil cake, you didn’t really go to L’Artusi.
On Saturday nights, we usually try a new spot, or rotate through some of our other favorites, like Raf’s (best bread basket in NYC, and the caramelized white chocolate budino is to die for), Polo Bar, Waverly Inn, and Raoul’s (steak frites, profiteroles, and a martini — always). We also love Forge (best chicken in the city), Torrisi (I dream about their tortellini pomodoro), Carbone, and Barbuto. In terms of new spots, I’m absolutely loving Le Veau d’Or and Borgo right now. My dinner at Le Veau d’Or was the best meal I had in 2024.
How about a little leisure or culture?
Cafe Carlyle, which feels like you’ve stepped back into the golden age of New York. It’s one of the most quintessential New York experiences and the talent is always outstanding. We love to go for a drink at Bemelmans before the show — they make the best martinis in New York City.
Any weekend getaways?
Nantucket is our happy place. We’re there almost every weekend in the summer and try to visit as much as possible in the fall and spring. It’s also magical and incredibly peaceful in the winter. For a small island, Nantucket has an exceptional dining scene, and its beaches are some of the best on the East Coast. If you only have a long weekend, my perfect three-day itinerary would include:
Dinner: Straight Wharf (order the clam bake, scallops, ribeye, and galette), Nautilus (for the blue crab fried rice and duck), and The Pearl (book the dining room and get the off menu steak and eggs appetizer).
Lunch: Cru, Galley Beach, and Millie’s. Or grab sandwiches from Something Natural to bring to the beach.
Drinks: Club Car, Ventuno back bar, and Cru back bar are always a fun scene for drinks. Gaslight and The Chicken Box also have great live music.
Sweets: Juice Bar makes the best homemade ice cream in the world and you must try Wicked Island Bakery’s famous morning bun.
Shopping: Some of my favorite boutiques include Dawn, Erica Wilson, Nantucket Looms, Olivela, and Gypsy.
What was your last great vacation?
Greece last summer. We started in Athens and then spent five days on Paros, which we absolutely loved. We’ve recommended Paros to several friends since, and everyone came home raving about the island. We ended the trip with four magical days at Auberge’s Grace Hotel on Santorini. It’s located in Imerovigli, one of the most serene parts of the island, known for its views of the Caldera.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
I tend to prioritize experiences over things, so most of our big-ticket purchases are travel-related. That said, I also love bags and jewelry. I just bought myself the new Bottega Bang Bang bag in chocolate. I love how it pairs with almost everything. It’s the perfect day-to-night bag.
What store or service do you always recommend?
I love Zitomer Pharmacy on the Upper East Side. It’s a true NYC gem, a one-stop shop for everything from beauty essentials and unique gifts to high-end skincare and wellness products.