The next sushi great counter
Kobashi, downtown jewelry boutiques, Lawson Fenning, Ayat, Sohn Cube, MORE
ASK FOUND
This Friday, FOUND’s first-ever Oyster Week rolls into NYC. In advance of that, please hit us back with your responses to these two oyster-related queries ASAP:
What’s your go-to spot for oysters and seafood in the city?
What’s the coolest oyster experience you’ve ever had anywhere?
Hit reply or email found@foundny.com with more answers or questions.
WORK • Tuesday Routine
Big stage
JASON SAFT • founder & chief magic maker • Staged To Sell Home
Neighborhood you live in: Brooklyn Heights
It’s Tuesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I bike over to our warehouse in Industry City. It’s a nice 20-minute ride I’ll use to catch up on podcasts. (If you ever see me on the bike laughing, it usually means I’m listening to Middlebrow or Las Culturistas.) Our install is already onsite, so the vibe in the warehouse is fairly calm. We’re expecting a large furniture delivery for something very special coming up in a few weeks.
What’s on the agenda for this week?
My favorite thing about the warehouse is walking through and pulling inventory for upcoming projects. Today I’m mapping out design vignettes on the prep tables for a really special house in Cobble Hill. General Assembly did the interiors — they’re a favorite of mine, and I’ve never worked in a space they designed. At the same time, I’m putting the finishing touches on an older Brooklyn Heights three-bedroom home that happens to be about 200 feet from where I live.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I love going for a walk close to lunch and heading over to the food hall in Industry City. I get the same vegetable tofu stir fry from Bangkok Bar or I’ll walk over to Ayat and pick up my favorite stuffed grape leaves and a salad. This weekend, my boyfriend and I are once again going to attempt to get into Semma. He lives a few blocks away, and it’s one of the places we’ve been dying to get into.
How about a little leisure or culture this week?
Thursday, I’m taping a tour of one of my favorite homes. We recently remade the Pfizer Mansion in Clinton Hill, and Designer Home Tours is coming by to shoot an episode with us. Later that day, I’m finally going to check out the Lawson Fenning showroom in Noho. My friend Devin Wilde is an incredibly talented ceramicist and they carry his pieces there. I’ll also finally get to see Josh Greene’s work on the space and his furniture collection. If ever there was a night that reminds me of being in my 20s and living in NYC, it would be this night.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
I recently acquired a stunning oversized oil painting from auction. The irony is, it came out of a Cobble Hill home… and it will be going into the Cobble Hill project. The home is incredibly modern, and I love to mix eras and bring in elements that have a weathered patina to them to give the space a sense of depth.
What NYC store or service do you love to recommend?
One of my favorite local gems is Poppy’s Brooklyn. I used to bike over to Cobble Hill to get lunch and weekend breakfast from them. Thankfully, they opened a location in Brooklyn Heights. They don’t overcomplicate things, and somehow, everything is a crowd pleaser.
Where are you donating your time or money?
I love supporting Housing Works. We donate inventory to them. I also buy inventory from them. This year we also raised over $100,000 for Design On A Dime. I’ve been shopping and supporting them for decades now. They do necessary work by providing food, clothing and assistance to people in need and people suffering with HIV.
WORK LINKS: Judge dismisses Core Club’s fraud claims against developer Michael Shvo • Community board denies Warren Street Hotel’s upward expansion plans • Big empty lot on 2nd Ave btwn 2nd & 3rd for sale • 9th Ave in Hell’s Kitchen is getting a ‘super sidewalk’.
BARS & LOUNGES • The Nines
Nightlife, 42BELOW
Our partner Ariel Palitz, Founding Nightlife Mayor of New York City, shares some of her favorite places to spend a night out in 42BELOW, the rapidly evolving “It” District in Midtown South. [spon]
Bo Peep Cocktail and Highball Store, tucked beside Keens Steakhouse, channels old-school NYC with playful twist; equal parts cabaret and cocktail den
George Bang Bang, one of city’s coolest craft drinks spots, hidden away behind a counter-only noodle bar; painstakingly hand-chiseled ice cubes, science-experiment drinks, dance floor and DJ set
Maru Karaoke Lounge, a karaoke staple with private rooms, bottle service, and just enough liquid courage; it even got a pop-culture nod with a spot on Succession (Season 4, EP 2)
Refinery Rooftop, sweeping skyline views, seasonal cocktails, and lively crowd, plus retractable glass roof that keeps the party going year-round
Célon Bar & Lounge, anything BUT a standard hotel bar; polished nightlife experience within The Bryant Park Hotel, w/ plush seating, curated cocktails, and a dressed-to-impress crowd
The Riff Raff Club at Virgin Hotels, a stylish perch above the city with standout views, a wraparound terrace, and excellent cocktails; the cocktail program is led by Charles Joly, a renowned mixologist who’s crafted drinks for A-list clientele and events like the Academy Awards
Daintree, Australian-themed rooftop bar located atop the Hotel Hendricks; come for the kangaroo skewers and Aussi Spritz, stay for the 360 degree views of the Manhattan skyline
Apotheke (above), dramatic interiors for ‘prescription-style’ cocktail menu, drinks labeled by ‘remedy, and live entertainment seven nights a week
DRAMMA, buzzy new nightclub in the heart of Times Square; DJs, inventive cocktails, and dance floor packed into the early hours
RESTAURANTS • Kodawari
Catch 22
Welcome back to Kodawari, in which we profile sushi counters practicing that very art — the uncompromising, relentless pursuit of perfection.
The Skinny: Chef Gang Lin has spent the last five years as the right hand to Tadashi Yoshida at Yoshino, one of FOUND’s top-two sushi counters in the city. Now, he’s stepping out on his own with Kobashi, an eight-seat sushi counter, debuting next month on 7th Ave. in Chelsea, incorporating elements from his Chinese heritage. Before opening day, he’s previewing the restaurant with a pop-up at the six-seat cocktail bar inside Sushi Aozora in Union Square (the former 15 East space). The menu — both at the pop-up and eventually at Kobashi — is strikingly (relatively) affordable: