Phillip Frankland Lee and Neen Williams. Jake Ostrowski
Chef Phillip Frankland Lee moved from Los Angeles to Austin during the Covid-19 pandemic, but there was not a damn chance that he was abandoning California.
Lee, who grew up in Los Angeles, has continued to operate Sushi by Scratch Restaurants. The Montecito outpost earned a 2021 Michelin star, and Sushi by Scratch is also going strong at its locations in Encino and the SLS Beverly Hills. Lee keeps pushing harder at Encino’s Pasta | Bar, which has had a Michelin Star for five consecutive years and was featured in Apple TV’s Knife Edge series last year. (In 2025, Lee and his brother, Lennon, made history by becoming the first siblings to earn a Michelin star at different U.S. restaurants in the same year.)
And now he’s back in L.A. to remind his hometown that he’s also an ace at creating casual food. On Friday, Feb. 27, Lee and pro skateboarder Neen Williams will open NADC Burger’s first Los Angeles location in Westwood, near the UCLA campus.
NADC, which is short for Not a Damn Chance, is a wagyu burger spot that Lee and Williams already operate in Austin, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Worth, Denver, Charlotte and Nashville. The menu is straightforward and habit-forming, with double wagyu cheeseburgers and beef tallow fries.
The menu is composed of double wagyu cheeseburgers and beef tallow fries. Jake Ostrowski
NADC has become a viral, celebrity-friendly sensation, with clientele including David Beckham and Zedd. Jelly Roll, who has declared that NADC’s burger is the best he’s ever had, loves it so much that he serves the burger at his Goodnight Nashville honky-tonk. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck recently popped by NADC in Austin and also headed next door to Lee’s new Shokunin sushi restaurant.
“I think what sets us apart at NADC is that I run it like I run the line at Pasta or Sushi,” Lee tells Observer. “I put as much attention into every spec when we’re building the burger.”
There’s American cheese, secret sauce (a ketchup and mayonnaise base enhanced with Tabasco and some “little secret notes to make it extra umami”), onions, a generous amount of pickles and “slightly tamed” jalapeños that are boiled before they’re pickled. The beef is American wagyu with Japanese genetics. And when each 3-ounce patty comes off the griddle, it goes onto a resting rack with a 90-second timer so that the juices settle and excess grease drips off. This is precision-focused cooking that grew out of Lee’s backyard hangs with Williams.
Lee applied the same principles from his other restaurants to making the burgers at NADC. Jake Ostrowski
Like Jelly Roll, Zedd and Joe Rogan (who collaborated with NADC on a limited-edition burger in Austin last year), Williams was a guest at the counter of Sushi by Scratch when he met Lee.
“I was already a fan of his because I grew up skateboarding,” Lee says. “He was solo, and I always talk to everybody. He’s like, ‘Yeah, I like to cook.’ I’m like, ‘OK, cute.’ And then he shows me a picture of his backyard where he has a 12-foot masonry hearth that he built himself. I’m like, ‘Oh, you really cook.’”
Lee and Williams started hanging out a lot, skateboarding together, getting their wives together and cooking together.
“We did whole pigs and a lot of steaks over the fire,” Lee says. “And one thing we were doing often was burgers.”
Lee had recently returned from Bangkok, where he had been working on a sushi restaurant and a burger spot that never opened due to the pandemic. So he was in the mood to make burgers, and he and Williams started giving away burgers at Austin skateparks and comedy shows. That led to a 2022 pop-up and then, in 2023, NADC’s first brick-and-mortar location.
Jelly Roll, a huge fan of the NADC burger, was a guest on Lee and Williams’ ‘Not A Damn Chance!’ podcast. YMH Studios
The success of NADC has spawned the Not A Damn Chance! podcast, with Lee and Williams talking to guests like Jelly Roll, Zedd, Bert Kreischer, Tom Segura, Mel Robbins, Aaron Franklin and poker pro Doug Polk. Lee is an avid poker player who’s done well in tournaments. And to use a gambling term, he’s been on some kind of rush, opening restaurant after restaurant.
Lee didn’t have any intention of moving to Austin when he went there in 2020 for a sushi pop-up. But after he saw that pop-up sell out with a 25,000-person waiting list, he kept it going month to month. After five months in Austin, Lee looked at his wife, pastry chef Margarita Kallas-Lee, and said, “I think we live in Austin now.”
Lee has built a new life in Texas, where he’s now working to create his most over-the-top project yet. He’s found four acres in Hill Country, about half an hour from Austin, where he plans to have a farm, inn and restaurant with aspirations at three-Michelin-star status and World’s 50 Best recognition.
“We will grow or harvest most of the menu and hunt the rest of the menu,” Lee says. “We’ll milk cows in the morning to get the cream to make butter. We’ll get dairy cows from a local farm and finish them on the grain of the local brewery and the mash of the local olive oil mill.”
Lee is nothing if not ambitious. In 2017, when he was 30 years old, he told me he wanted to have “100 world-class restaurants” by the time he was 50. The pandemic slowed him down a bit, but the L.A. location of NADC Burger puts him at 30 restaurants, and he still thinks he’ll hit his lofty goal.
“I’m the same age Thomas Keller was when he took over The French Laundry, and you could argue that was the beginning of his career,” Lee says. “I’m going to be 39 on March 9, so I’m still young. I think I’ll probably surpass 100 restaurants by the time I’m 50. But I don’t think I’m doing it for the same reasons that made me want to do it before.”
All the success he’s had has motivated him in a more meaningful way.
“I’ve now gotten the stars and the TV and the accolades and the personal freedom to feel like I’ve ‘done it,’” Lee says. “But I think I now get off on different things. It used to be more ego-driven. Now I look around and see someone who comes on as a prep cook, moves all the way into executive chef in our company, has a child and gets a fully paid paternity or maternity leave. They’re getting a 401(k). I have cooks and bartenders buying houses. The more I grow, the more we grow.”
NADC Burger, located at 1091 Broxton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024, will be open seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to midnight.
With the snowpocalypse safely in our rearview mirror, it now seems that any temperatures hovering above freezing feel positively balmy. And just as more of us are venturing outside without fear of cheek frostbite, so it seems New York’s restaurant scene is emerging from hibernation as well. While the first month of the year welcomed only a few new additions to the city’s dining scene, in February, we had quite the challenge of narrowing down contenders for the buzziest openings.
Some, like Ambassadors Clubhouse, we’ve been tracking for the better part of a year (and we expect the frenzy for reservations to reflect that we weren’t alone in the sentiment). Others, like Confidant, are proven concepts that are simply moving to better digs, albeit with intriguing and tasty additions to the menu. And finally, there are more casual concepts, like Piadi La Piadineria, a behemoth in its native Italy, which opens its first U.S. location this month.
As to which one is right for your next meal out? Well, that’s one decision we can’t make for you, but we can assure you all of the options are delicious. Read on for the 11 best new restaurants to check out this February in New York City.
Less than two months into 2026, the Los Angeles dining scene has already set an exemplary tone for the year ahead. At the end of January, highly anticipated Lapaba launched its soft opening in Koreatown, while Mexico City’s iconic churrería El Moro landed in Echo Park. The recently rebranded Cameo Beverly Hills debuted a new Peruvian-Japanese fusion restaurant, Zampo, and the 90210 welcomed a brand-new omakase experience called Miura.
As the city continues to ride its culinary high, amplified by Bad Bunny’s Villas Tacos feature at the Super Bowl, let’s take a look at what’s to come this February. Sushi Samba and Lucky’s DTLA, which were both set to open this month, have pushed back their launch dates, but locals still have plenty to look forward to.
Two luxury hotels are redefining their dining options: the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills is introducing Tuscan steakhouse Baldi, and the historic Hotel Figueroa is debuting Florence by the Water. Chef Marcus Jernmark is also revealing the fine-dining concept Lielle in Beverlywood, while iconic music venue, Hollywood Palladium, is getting a hi-fi-inspired lounge for hungry concert-goers. Keep reading for the most L.A.’s most exciting restaurant openings of February.
Although London’s romantic side is often overshadowed by its bistro- and brasserie-filled Parisian neighbor, the British city is full of ways to woo a significant other. A walk along the Thames. Following in Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts’ footsteps in Notting Hill. Recreating the opening of Love, Actually as you land at Heathrow. But the restaurant scene, in particular, is replete with enticing romantic opportunities of all price points and cuisines. Whether you’re looking to wow someone with a Michelin-starred meal or to cuddle up in the corner of a neighborhood spot, London has a culinary offering for every type of date night.
Classics like Clos Maggiore and Andrew Edmunds draw crowds of two for good reason, thanks in part to their amorously inclined atmospheres. New London restaurants, like Noisy Oyster and One Club Row, are more contemporary and hip, but no less suited to a night out with your partner. Some places are best for first or second dates, while others are ideal for long-time lovers. And it doesn’t have to be Valentine’s Day or an anniversary to make these meals worthwhile—many are perfect for any random evening you happen to have free. Wherever you go, be sure to make plans in advance, as Londoners tend to book early and frantically.
“It’s the exact same thing, and that was the intent from the beginning,” Remm tells Observer. “I want to bring the New York experience to Vegas. Yes, it’s double the seats, but the kitchen is three times the size. I’ve got three bars instead of a tiny little bar. Yes, it’ll do more volume, but I don’t have to fight with guests to go down these tiny little stairs in SoHo to get the dishwasher pit to work. So I do not have any doubt that, at 150 seats, we’ll be able to keep the integrity of the food quality, the martini quality and everything that we do.”
The menu will largely stay the same. The Corner Store
The Corner Store, Remm says, unapologetically focuses on “classic approachable American cuisine.” It’s familiar. It’s nostalgic. It’s playful. It’s definitely not fusion. There are nods to fast-casual and freezer-aisle food, but everything is made from scratch at The Corner Store.
“I think the Cosmo is the perfect epicenter for that type of cuisine,” Remm says. “I feel like that’s exactly where The Corner Store belongs.”
The Corner Store will take over the Cosmopolitan space currently inhabited by Blue Ribbon American Grill & Oyster Bar, which will close on February 16. The Corner Store is an expansion of the partnership between Remm and MGM Resorts, which has had Catch at Aria since 2018.
“It’s about trust and having people as partners that are going to be able to execute the vision that you create,” Remm says. “MGM has done a wonderful job in being the shepherd of the Catch brand. They want to be the best. They have a competitive nature that I like. They want to win.”
“I think everyone is embracing that lifestyle dining and creating experiences are the most important things in the culinary side of any casino,” Remm says. “You’ve got to create spaces that make people excited and also create spaces that are, in my opinion, from somewhere else and hard to get into. Everyone wants to touch what they see on social media. I think Las Vegas was built for that.”
Chin Up Bar is a new gin-focused cocktail spot on the Lower East Side. Photo Memory NYC
Specialization is hot in New York’s crowded bar scene. Want an Italian aperitivo? Or Japanese-style cocktails? You’ve got options in spades. Spirits themselves, too, prove rich enough to warrant entire bars dedicated to their varying expressions, especially whiskey and agave spirits like tequila and mezcal. There’s one spirit, however, that two bar industry veterans believe deserves another devoted destination, especially now: gin.
Brian Gummert and Blake Walker have joined forces to open the gin-focused Chin Up Bar at 171 Chrystie Street in New York City’s Lower East Side. The partnership makes sense: Gummert owns Lower East Side cocktail bar Subject; Walker bartended there, as well as at Nitecap and Amor y Amargo, the latter of which is one of New York’s prized specialty spots concentrating on amaro.
“Brian and I both love gin, and there’s been an explosion of exciting gins in the past 10 to 15 years,” Walker tells Observer. Classic London dry styles from well-established distilleries have long been popular in Europe and back bar staples in the United States. But more recently, American craft distilleries, like Tenmile Distillery in upstate New York, have been leaning more into the spirit. Gins are also popping up in regions not previously associated with the spirit, where endemic fruits and botanicals give it a fresh spin—South Africa’s Bayab Gin with local pineapple and palm sap, for example, or Vietnam’s Sông Cái Distillery with heirloom pomelo, jungle pepper, black cardamom and green turmeric.
The thrill of discovery fueled the proliferation of whiskey and agave bars over the last two decades, Walker adds. Craft whiskey options exploded in New York, followed by an increased availability of quality tequila and mezcal, and suddenly bar-goers had entire categories to explore at dedicated destinations. Now, he says, gin “is ripe for that.”
Gin’s own craft boom has resulted in myriad different flavor profiles for such exploration. Walker and Gummert curated a back bar just shy of 100 gin bottles ahead of the December 2025 opening, which Walker says could likely double in the next few months and continue to grow from there. In addition to heavy hitters in the London dry vein, Chin Up Bar’s shelves represent the aforementioned options from upstate New York, Vietnam and South Africa, as well as those from Japan, India, Kenya, Mexico, Australia and more.
Bolstered by this kind of selection, Chin Up Bar speaks to gin lovers above all else. But Walker and Gummert are willing to bet that even those who believe they don’t like gin just haven’t found the gin for them yet.
“A lot of people avoid gin due to unfortunate experiences early in their drinking careers,” Walker says. “They had bad gin, or they still have the perception it’s old-fashioned or stodgy. I think that’s diminishing and a lot of those attitudes have really sloughed off, but there’s still a little bit of persistence there.” For Walker and Gummert, the perception that gin is all pine tree and booze burn may be what has prevented the spirit from having its own dedicated menus in the past.
A Gibson. Photo Memory NYC
To showcase gin’s versatility and vast breadth of regional expressions, Walker and Gummert have shaped a menu balancing classic gin cocktails with more novel creations.
The classics help demonstrate the impact different gins can have on familiar, popular flavor profiles—Martin Miller’s Westbourne Strength gin is perfect in a martini with a refined balance of juniper, citrus, spice and clean smoothness. Roku Japanese gin has peppery spice and herbaceous green tea notes that sing in a dirty martini, and Neversink New York gin possesses a hint of sweetness that brings out the same in the Gibson’s leek vermouth and sherry vinegar while tempering the drink’s acidity and brine. Then, there are the more adventurous Chin Up Bar originals.
Rendezvous in Chennai. Photo Memory NYC
Floral, citrusy and spicy, Dorothy Parker New York gin pulls together the Rendezvous in Chennai. With Madras curry, coconut, apricot, ginger and lime, the slightly creamy, velvety cocktail explodes with bright, tropical flavors before the savory curry, with its subtle heat, blossoms and lingers in the drink’s finish. Elsewhere on the menu, the Australian Four Pillars yuzu gin plays with guava and sunflower seed orgeat, while the Mexican Condesa prickly pear gin anchors thyme, kiwi, honey and sparkling wine.
Walker and Gummert aren’t afraid to venture beyond traditional gin cocktails and inventions crafted specifically around gin. Aquavit, essentially a Scandinavian gin riff featuring caraway instead of juniper, punches up the traditionally more rounded, sweeter old-fashioned with spice, while apple brandy, Granny Smith apples, wasabi and red shiso broaden its flavor horizons with a bright crispness, earthiness and heat. Gin even found its way into a coquito Walker was pouring before Christmas. The rich, coconutty Puerto Rican holiday punch is made with rum, but Walker splits its base with gin. The result is a more complex coquito with punchier spices and subtle botanicals keeping the drink safely distant from cloying territory.
The aquavit old-fashioned. Photo Memory NYC
There’s plenty to learn about gin at Chin Up Bar, but it’s up to guests how much information they want served up with their drinks. Walker and Gummert prioritize staff education, so information on various gins comes across more naturally in dialogues with guests rather than requiring rehearsed spiels. They also plan to have classic gin botanicals on hand for people to smell on their own, and they allow guests to liberally sample with one-ounce pours of anything on the back bar.
“It’s important for us to leave the doors wide open to educational experiences and talk about things in a knowledgeable way without forcing it on anyone,” Walker explains. “They can just come in and have a delicious drink without that if they want.”
Chin Up Bar’s seafood-forward menu has been intentionally developed to pair well with gin. Even in the minuscule world of gin-focused bars, this level of detail is rare; gin isn’t framed in a pairing context the same way as wine, beer, or even whiskey.
The seafood-forward menu, with dishes like smoked mussels escabeche, was designed to pair well with gin. Photo Memory NYC
There’s the option to simply feast on shrimp cocktail with your martini, but you can also order dishes recommended based on your specific drink. For example, Walker suggested smoked mussels escabeche and a tuna dish with red shiso leaf and dehydrated beets to pair with the Rendezvous in Chennai and aquavit old-fashioned. The red shiso leaf in both the tuna and the old-fashioned matched well, and the mussels’ smoky character highlighted the Rendezvous’s savory curry note. (It’s worth mentioning that the satisfyingly toothsome, densely flavor-packed beets on that tuna dish deserve their own award.) A selection of oysters may not be as carefully curated to cocktails’ flavors, but similarly to the shrimp cocktail, they feel like a low-stakes, classic nosh for a cocktail bar.
It’s a unique space. Photo Memory NYC
All of this gin celebration takes place in a refreshingly singular space. You won’t find Art Deco “bathtub gin” nods here, nor the de rigueur martini bar plush red banquettes. The space itself feels sculptural, with cave-like white stucco walls inspired by the Gilder Center at the American Museum of Natural History. High vaulted ceilings with sky murals by Ori Carino wink at the ceilings of Grand Central Station, while touches of greenery pay homage to Sara D. Roosevelt Park near the bar. All together, the interior looks other-worldly—it’s giving a chicer, more restrained Mos Eisley Cantina—but every element weaves in some New York reference.
Envisioning Chin Up Bar’s space, Gummert recalls serving drinks elsewhere during the pandemic and thinking how excited people would be to be in a new space.
Every element of the interior weaves in a piece of New York. Photo Memory NYC
“People were stuck in nostalgia for a while, but now seem to be wanting something fresh,” he says. The bar is in a new building, so he and Walker got to design the layout from scratch. “Patterns emerged little by little, inspired by New York public spaces, cathedrals, subway stations…it was time to see something new and interesting in New York.”
Walker and Gummert would love Chin Up to become a destination cocktail bar, but Walker notes that “it’s locals, it’s regulars that keep you open and sustained for a long time. Our focus has been creating an experience to make people want to come back over and over.” Gin enthusiasts will already be locked in to a concept like this, but between the reliably well-made classics, interesting originals, and strong food menu, there’s more than enough for every other kind of imbiber to appreciate.
If 2025 proved anything for L.A.’s hospitality scene, it’s that a hip bar can always attract a crowd. Los Angeles nightlife has been struggling to regain its footing since the Covid-19 pandemic, and though traditional clubs might be a thing of Hollywood’s storied past, craft cocktail bars are still all the craze.
Although old-school dive bars certainly serve an important purpose in the local drinking culture, swanky speakeasies, elegant lounges and neighborhood wine bars seem to be the most successful in getting Angelenos out of their house. In 2025, we saw exciting bar openings all across the city, from Melrose Hill to Venice.
The Benjamin on Melrose opened a separate bar concept upstairs, emphasizing the art and intricacies of mixology. Max Reis of Mírate opened a margarita-focused joint in Sherman Oaks, and Bar Jubilee took over the former Rock and Reilly’s space on the Sunset Strip. Downtown L.A. also welcomed another scenic rooftop restaurant, while CDMX-inspired Café Tondo took Chinatown by storm.
Whether you’re looking to sip a refreshing spritz in an upscale speakeasy by chef Evan Funke or dance the night away during a vinyl night in Virgil Village, these are the best L.A. bar openings of 2025.
A candid look at modern bakery economics from one of NYC’s most watched shops. Alexander Stein
This Q&A is part of Observer’s Expert Insights series, where industry leaders, innovators and strategists distill years of experience into direct, practical takeaways and deliver clarity on the issues shaping their industries. In a New York food scene defined by relentless turnover and algorithm-fueled hype, Radio Bakery stands out for a different reason: it has built genuine staying power.
Led by chef and co-owner Kelly Mencin, Radio Bakery has become one of the city’s most consistently buzzy—and influential—bakery brands. With locations in Greenpoint and Prospect Heights, Radio is known for its seasonal pastries, savory-forward menu and lines that seem to materialize regardless of weather, press cycles or platform trends. The bakery has earned praise from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and daytime television alike, but its real achievement may be cultural rather than critical: Radio feels embedded in its neighborhoods rather than extracted from them.
At a moment when many food businesses chase virality, Mencin has built Radio around repetition, rigor and restraint. Menu innovation is constant, but never at the expense of execution. Scarcity exists, but as a function of space and process, not manufactured exclusivity. Social media plays a role in visibility, yet the brand’s identity is grounded in what happens on the floor: the rhythm of service, the confidence of the team and the reliability of a loaf of bread that tastes the same every day.
In this conversation, Mencin unpacks the business of running a modern bakery at scale—what it takes to sustain demand in a trend-saturated market, how systems and leadership protect creative integrity and why community collaboration remains central to Radio’s growth strategy. From managing hype and seasonality to navigating post-pandemic shifts in consumer taste, Mencin offers a pragmatic look at how durable brand equity is built in hospitality, one batch, one service and one neighborhood at a time.
Chef and co-owner Kelly Mencin oversees Radio Bakery’s culinary direction, with a focus on systems, seasonality and long-term sustainability. Courtesy Radio Bakery
Radio Bakery has become one of those rare New York spots that consistently draws a line around the block. Beyond great pastries, what are the key ingredients that create that kind of sustained enthusiasm and loyalty?
Consistency and passion. One of our neighbors down the street at our Greenpoint location comes in every single day for a loaf of our seeded bread. Every day. He has come to expect that the bread will be the same, if not better, every day, and if it’s not, he will let us know! I say passion, but what I am really trying to convey is energy. When you walk into Radio, the energy from the bakers, sandwich cooks and servers is palpable. You can feel the heat from the ovens, smell the croissants, watch the cookies being scooped. The music is on, the staff is chattering. It just feels good to be in the space. People want to be around what makes them feel good.
Radio is known for its seasonal “drops” that feel both curated and consistent. How do you balance creativity with consistency, especially when developing new or seasonal items that customers now expect to sell out?
We have a few factors we look at. The two biggest ones are scalability and execution. Anyone can make something perfect once. The biggest test is making 60 to 180 of that same item, perfectly, every single time—and not letting it wreck service. Then, that perfect execution needs to be taught to our bakers. Can they all pipe perfectly? Maybe not. Can we teach them to? We’ll try our hardest. If it can’t be executed at a high level, we won’t run the item.
New York’s food scene moves fast, and trends turn over even faster. What’s your strategy for staying relevant without chasing every new flavor or format that pops up?
Simple, delicious food will always be relevant. We focus on seasonality more than anything else and let the ingredients speak for themselves.
From your vantage point, how has the business of bakeries evolved post-pandemic? Are there lasting shifts in consumer behavior, operations or expectations that you’ve had to adapt to?
I am still in awe of how many bakeries keep opening up every season since the pandemic! New York City has no shortage of sweet tooths. The biggest shift, in my opinion, is in people’s taste. More and more, I am seeing bakeries put savory pastries on the menu or sandwiches. We have been lucky enough that our model has worked for us extremely well. From the start, we were making savory croissant-based pastries and different focaccias and sandwiches. People want to come in and get a savory item and a sweet item, more often than not.
Social media has played a role in Radio’s visibility. What’s your philosophy around online storytelling? How do you translate something as sensory as a pastry into digital moments that resonate?
I knew from the start that I wanted our Instagram to be a platform for inspiration, not only for industry vets but for food lovers in general. I think our page resonates with so many people because it isn’t too manicured. There’s a good range of professional photos, behind-the-scenes videos of our processes and staff faces.
You’ve built a model that embraces scarcity without leaning on exclusivity. How do you think about managing hype, especially around holiday drops or social-media-driven surges in demand?
To be honest, the “hype” aspect of radio bakery is still a hard pill for me to swallow. We didn’t create Radio Bakery as a “hype” or “viral” bakery. Radio’s intention has always been to create simple, craveable food. The scarcity aspect only comes from the fact that our baking spaces are so small—there is a limit to how much production (or people) we can fit in each space. When it comes to managing the hype, we try to remind guests that most items take three days to make, we are making as much as we can and that if they miss out on one drop, there will always be another. We will never sacrifice quality for quantity.
Radio Bakery has become a cultural touchpoint as much as a culinary one. How intentional has that been, and what role does community play in your brand strategy?
Community has always played a huge role in how radio functions. Radio started as a pop-up. We reached out to industry friends who ran our favorite businesses (Mel the Baker, Bonnie’s, Claud) and literally popped up in their spaces selling what we were testing. It created an amazing community pocket in each area of the city. Once we opened Radio, we decided to make it a point to continue to do pop-ups and collabs with other like-minded people. It allows us to connect in a meaningful way with other people and businesses we’re excited about, keeps us learning and it keeps our guests engaged.
Many hospitality founders talk about the challenge of scaling without losing soul. As you’ve expanded from Greenpoint to Prospect Heights, what have you learned about growth and maintaining a distinct brand identity?
Radio wouldn’t be able to grow as successfully as we have if we didn’t have a strong management foundation. Each bakery relies on a “Bakery Chef”—think of it as a Chef de Cuisine—that runs the back-of-house operations at each location. They each bring their own management style, ideas and culture to each bakery. We learned early on that I, personally, cannot help radio grow and thrive if I am deep in the day-to-day operations. Instead, I’ve taken on the role of culinary director, essentially working with the bakery chefs side by side, creating new menu items, dialing in the current menu and looking ahead. Nina, our general manager, also goes back and forth between both bakeries, helping to oversee the FOH operations and the overall growth of the bakeries. It’s true what they say—teamwork really does make the dream work!
nside Radio Bakery’, where compact production spaces, open kitchens and steady rhythm shape both the guest experience and daily operations. Alexander Stein
Consistency is a constant challenge in high-volume bakeries. What systems or team philosophies help you maintain Radio’s quality and creative integrity at scale?
The biggest lesson we learned this year was creating SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for everything! From how we build our sandwiches to how we create a weekend special. Even then, we look at all of our recipes and SOPs as “living documents.” Some of our recipes have three to five different versions of them all saved in our library.
Having updated recipes is only the first part of the consistency challenge. Proper communication between managers and staff is the other part of it. We’re all learning and teaching in real time.
The holiday season also puts a spotlight on leadership, especially in a high-pressure, high-visibility business. What practices help you lead your team through those peak periods effectively?
It’s going to sound simple stupid, but I am so big on getting enough sleep, eating healthy meals throughout the day (instead of just snacking on sugar) and making time for myself to either run or go for a walk. I am lucky that I am able to carve out time for myself during the workday to step outside, get some sunshine and go for a run. It gives me a reset during a busy day and lets me keep showing up positive for my team.
It’s been a learning curve, but I have also come to realize that leaders “bring the weather” with them. I try to hit the ground running when I come into work, exude high energy and positivity and give out a LOT of affirmations.
From menu innovation to brand identity, what’s your process for deciding when to iterate and when to hold onto a core classic?
We are constantly iterating, refining and tasting our menu, from the core classics to our seasonal items. Radio’s menu was designed with several aspects in mind: flavor (a cinnamon item, a citrus item, a vegetarian savory, a fruit item), texture (chewy, crunchy, soft, sticky), and shape (pinwheel, claw, round, square). So, whenever we choose to change an item, it has to fit into its specific category. As far as seasonal items, we retest and taste and tinker with whatever we ran the previous year before deciding that we will run with that again. If we want to try something new, it has to be better and more craveable than what we have previously run.
Looking ahead to 2026, what does thoughtful growth look like for Radio Bakery? Are there ways you’re thinking about expanding the brand—or protecting its essence—as demand continues to build?
Right now, I am trying to focus on two big-ticket items: one, mentoring and growing our team and two, developing systems that make everyone’s job more streamlined. As unsexy as that sounds, the team and our systems are a big reason for Radio’s success. Having a team that loves to teach and mentor translates into bakers and servers who are knowledgeable and confident. Having the right systems in place allows us to scale up production while still making crazy delicious product. Tangible growth-wise, I am so excited that we are expanding our production space at our original Greenpoint location with the hope that we can have more diverse offerings throughout the day.
A classic croissant from Radio Bakery, where laminated dough is treated as both a technical discipline and a foundation for seasonal variation. Alexander Stein
Once a niche order at specialty cafes, matcha is now firmly in the mainstream—and demand for the drink is showing no signs of slowing down. Along with permanent storefronts, pop-up cafes with extensive matcha menus have been opening up all across the U.S., from Georgia to New York. These pop-ups offer a different experience compared to a typical coffee shop, with small matcha businesses collaborating with brick-and-mortar brands to host temporary storefronts, everywhere from Solidcore studios to new clothing boutiques.
These pop-ups craft inventive matcha drinks, experimenting with different bases such as lemonade or tonic water, with menu items ranging from an orange tonic matcha to a baklava latte, all made with premium matcha. They’re able to move from place to place to reach new people, and the most dedicated fans of certain matcha brands are willing to go out of their way to visit each new location in their city. Some of these small businesses, such as New York-based Matcha Snobs, even sell their consistently sold-out Toasty Yame Matcha online, for those who want to make matcha at home—and are confident they can craft it properly.
The origins of matcha, a finely ground powder of green tea that is mixed into a drink, can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty in China, in the 7th to 10th centuries. It was eventually introduced to Japan in the 12th century by a Japanese Buddhist monk, and the practice of making matcha gained popularity abroad.
Fast-forward to the present day, and matcha really started to gain traction in the Western world in the 2010s. In the U.S., it skyrocketed into the mainstream sphere with the rise of the era’s wellness movement. Social media personalities and influencers gushed over its health benefits (some proven, some not) and shared photos of the most Instagrammable matcha drinks and the most aesthetic cafes. Matcha pop-ups took flight with aspiring entrepreneurs—some of whom emerged as success stories; others, not so much—who wanted to get in on the matcha craze and start their own cafes without the extra costs of owning a storefront. These pop-ups appealed not only to matcha purists but also to those looking for innovative latte flavors and Instagram-worthy presentations. This trend has continued, with even more pop-ups showing up around the country.
These pop-ups aren’t gimmicks—at least, not all of them. We’ve done the hard work and found the ones that emphasize quality, along with unique strategies—and yes, that includes some good marketing. We’ve rounded up five of the best matcha pop-ups for all the matcha lovers based on their attention to making every drink visually pleasing, and still keeping the quality while making it. For example, Enso Matcha, based in Texas, sources its matcha exclusively from Japan’s renowned matcha-growing regions, known for their centuries-old cultivation expertise. Rather than marketing their matcha with unregulated labels like “ceremonial,” these five pop-ups stand out for their attention to detail—from sourcing premium matcha, using organic ingredients in every cup, all while keeping your drink photogenic enough for your Instagram feed. Small businesses, including Sml Wrld Matcha, also pay attention to added ingredients, using only organic non-dairy alternatives to milk. Whether you’re looking for the highest quality matcha or a fun social event to go with your matcha latte, these matcha pop-ups are worth seeking out if you’re in the mood for a road trip. Below, check out five matcha pop-ups worth the trip.
Gin is a versatile spirit characterized by its botanical nature. Unlike agave spirits or whiskey, gin starts off as a blank canvas, offering little to no natural flavor. Instead, it is the introduction of herbs and florals that gives gin its distinct complexity, the most important of which is juniper. Though juniper berries are a required ingredient for the creation of gin, other botanicals can be used to mask its piney flavor, such as coriander seeds, citrus peels, orris root and cassia. From light and refreshing gimlets to bitter Negronis, gin is the base for some of mixology’s most popular cocktail recipes.
Whether you’re treating a martini-obsessed friend during the holidays or celebrating your favorite James Bond fanatic, a special bottle of gin goes great on any bar cart. This staple spirit is far more diverse than many realize, extending far beyond the bounds of a standard London dry gin.
Purveyors like Cambridge Distillery have mastered the market with one-of-a-kind releases, some priced at more than $4,000 per bottle. Actors like Woody Harrelson, Emma Watson and Ryan Reynolds have gotten involved in the industry, focusing on pure distillation and premium botanicals. From Mexican and Japanese gins to limited-edition bottles that can be sipped neat, these are the most unique gins to gift this holiday season.
New York’s grande dame, The Pierre, knows how to throw a soirée. Last night, the elegant Taj Hotel celebrated 95 years as a beacon of Upper East Side glamour with a ‘Red Diamond’ gala that brought together residents, diplomats, stars and influencers for an unforgettable evening of vintage Manhattan magic.
Nearly 500 guests, from silver-haired luminaries to fresh-faced Gen Z tastemakers, donned black tie finery to toast The Pierre’s storied history in its famous ballroom. Sipping champagne beneath glittering chandeliers, partygoers were transported to a more gracious era, when the hotel played host to everyone from Elizabeth Taylor and Aristotle Onassis to Audrey Hepburn.
The entertainment was a love letter to old New York: A Marilyn Monroe impersonator cooed while Deanna First sketched partygoers and professional ballroom dancers swirled across the stage in a swish of satin and sequins. Historic treasures, like archival photos and a $195,000 0.6-carat pink diamond, were displayed without fanfare (or security).
Getty Images Deanna First.
But while the gala paid homage to The Pierre’s glamorous past, the crowd reflected its vibrant present. Among those spotted in the sea of tuxedos and gowns: hotel residents, foreign dignitaries, reality TV stars, Instagram celebrities and even the odd baby or two nestled in couture-clad arms. The evening proved that after nearly a century, The Pierre can still create indelible Manhattan moments.
Courtesy of Lola Tash Lola Tash and Jessica Wang.
“I was transported back to the galas of the Gilded Age,” Lola Tash told Observer. The Canadian actress and brains behind the satirical, relatable meme account My Therapist Says was “reminded once more why New York is magical.”
Getty Images Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe.
“The Pierre is my American Home away from home,” Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe told Observer. His godmother lived in The Pierre, the prince said, noting “the happiest of my memories are right here” and calling the historic property “the hotel love of my life.”
Courtesy of Grace Aki Grace Aki.
Experiencing the hotel’s cinematic history firsthand was a highlight for Grace Aki. The gallery of treasures glowing behind glass displays made the night “all the more special,” Aki told Observer.
“Like stepping into history,” was how Viola Manuela Ceccarini described the event. “The elegance, the legacy and the energy in the room—witnessing generations of excellence converge under that red diamond, a symbol of timeless prestige and the enduring spirit of New York.”
Courtesy of Lori Altermann The star of the show poses with Lori Altermann.
“Everywhere I turn, I see New York’s elite—beautiful celebrities and even Marilyn Monroe!” quipped Lori Altermann. “The fashion, the food, the hotel—everything is fabulous!” Altermann told Observer. “It’s a celebration of luxury,” said Namani Shqipe.
When The Pierre Hotel opened its doors in 1930, it instantly became a playground for Manhattan’s elite. Over the past 95 years, this iconic hotel has witnessed everything from the repeal of Prohibition to jewel heists and Hollywood scandals, all while maintaining its reputation as one of New York’s most glamorous destinations. From its $15 million debut to hosting Hollywood royalty and surviving the Great Depression, The Pierre has remained a beacon of glamour in the heart of New York City since 1930.
A Complete History of The Pierre Hotel
Image by Nextrecord Archives / G
The Early Days: A Playground for Manhattan’s Elite
When The Pierre Hotel opened on October 1, 1930, casting its 714-room shadow over Central Park, it instantly became the playground for Manhattan’s elite. Merely four months later, E.B. White’s Ballad of the Hotel Pierre was published in the New Yorker, describing it as home to “The little band that nothing daunts/this year’s most popular debutantes.” This was true. Prospective debutantes had started booking the ballroom for their November entrances in June, months before the luxury hotel opened.
Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel posing in her suite at The Pierre during her first visit to New York City, on March 10, 1931.
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Within a year, the film and stage star Ina Claire was sinking into a club chair at the hotel as she discussed with journalists whether she would be divorcing John Gilbert. (She claimed she would not. She would.) In 1932, Coco Chanel called The Pierre home during her first visit to New York. And that same year, the famed “Tobacco King” Arthur Mower refused to leave his Pierre bed for his stepdaughter’s early morning wedding .
Little wonder no one wanted to leave. Every inch of the 41-story hotel offered an almost otherworldly spectacle. The 60-by-100-foot ballroom where those debutantes waltzed was paneled in mirrors flanked by rose marble columns imported from French quarries. The chandeliers above sparkled with traces of ruby crystals from the room that would become known for the “swankest presentation balls” given for the city’s “spoiled darlings.” Attendees might make their way to the Grill Room, which was decorated to resemble an “undersea garden.” Wall panels and ceiling murals replicated ocean foliage, and the carpet was woven with images of seashells and sea urchins. In the upstairs dining room, paneled in hand-carved French walnut, interspersed with gold brocade hangings, Auguste Escoffier, the father of French cooking, prepared the hotel’s first meal.
Bettmann Archive Miss Elizabeth R. G. Duval, a prominent member of New York society, and Sidney Wood, a well-known tennis star, sit on the steps inside The Pierre in 1933.
From Waiter to Hotelier: The Story of Charles Pierre
But The Pierre didn’t begin in those gilded rooms. It began in a kitchen, with a Corsican waiter named Charles Pierre Casalasco, who learned the trade from his father. When Louis Sherry dined at the Savoy Hotel in London in 1903, the American restaurateur noted a young waiter watching him with eager attention. Casalasco was “awed by this former waiter who had become proprietor of a smart dining room in New York.” Sherry was so impressed with the waiter’s desire to learn more about the hospitality business that, when he returned to New York, he made Casalasco his assistant. There, the waiter quickly dropped his surname in favor of being known simply as Charles Pierre. At that time, it was almost a forgone conclusion that New York’s debutantes were introduced at Sherry’s ballroom. Charles Pierre, tasked with organizing these splendid events, became “the favorite of the younger set, married matrons and the dowagers.”
Smart set, Mrs. Robert Goddard and Mrs. Roland Hazzard, in front of The Pierre.
Bettmann Archive
When Charles Pierre opened his own Park Avenue restaurant in 1920, his devoted group followed him. In 1930, their social set husbands, like Walter Chrysler, Edward Hutton, and C.K.G. Billings, helped finance his dream, The Pierre Hotel, which reputedly cost a staggering $15 million to build. In retrospect, too much may have been spent on those underwater-themed murals. By 1932, during the Great Depression, a petition of bankruptcy was filed—but Charles Pierre was kept on as managing director to run the hotel.
Disciplined and knowledgeable with a European flair, Charles Pierre ran the hotel with aplomb.
Penske Media via Getty Images
The Return of the ‘High-Class Hotel’
When the repeal of Prohibition came in 1933, he rejoiced. No hotel man was more excited by the prospect of liquor coming back on the menu again. He declared that Prohibition had destroyed American appreciation for wine—and really any liquor that did not come from a bathtub. Now, a “new generation will have to learn all over again how to drink.” He intended to outfit The Pierre with a wonderful cellar to teach them. He planned gala celebrations. People could now gather for cocktails at his newly opened supper club, the Corinthian Room. He promised, “The next few years will see the rejuvenation of the high-class hotel.”
A young woman enjoys the luxuries of room service at The Pierre in 1943.
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He was correct. But sadly, Charles Pierre would never see the heights to which his hotel would climb. He passed away in 1934 at the age of 55 from appendicitis. He was too weak from an abdominal infection to be saved by medicine flown in from Florida in what was described as a “13-hour airplane race against death.”
But his legacy lived on in The Pierre Hotel.
Bettmann Archive Joan Crawford at The Pierre on January 22, 1959.
Celebrities like Joan Crawford and Claudette Colbert would flock there, as well as younger disciples. By 1938, following her father’s death, the 13-year-old heiress Lucetta Cotton Thomas was spending $1,416 a month (approximately $32,000 today) to live at the hotel. Eloise at The Plaza had nothing on her. By that time, the hotel belonged to oilman John Paul Getty, who quipped that it was his “only above-ground asset.”
In 1944, the hotel—and the room prices—were the subject of scandal. It was found that munitions manufacturer Murray Garsson had housed and paid the hotel bills for key personnel in the army’s Chemical Warfare Service in what was known as “Operation Pierre.” In 1942, the decorator Samuel Marx had redone the hotel’s dining room in red, white and blue, and commissioned murals of early American life for the Grill Room, so it was certainly a patriotic wartime pick. However, officers knew that, when traveling to New York City, they had a $6 daily stipend. As even young Lucetta Cotton Thomas could have told them, rooms at the Pierre cost somewhat more. Garsson may have received $78 million in government contracts, but was imprisoned for bribery in 1949. Still, no one at the trials said that they did not like staying at The Pierre.
Bettmann Archive Ginger Rogers gets her Daiquiri-toned French lace dress fitted by its designer, Richard Meril, in preparation for the “Prestige Award from France” fashion show at The Pierre Pierre.
1950s Glamour and The Birdcage Bar
By the 1950s, the hotel had reached new heights of glamour. Chief among the novelties was The Birdcage, a plexiglass bar suspended above the rotunda. It was splashily advertised as “a rendezvous for cocktails.” Charles Pierre, who once prophesied that people would flock to his hotel for drinks, would have been pleased.
In the coming years, the hotel would not only be home to the city’s toniest citizens, but Hollywood royalty. Joan Blondell noted that, when her dog “gave birth to seven puppies, the manager of the Pierre hotel assisted the vet in delivery.” Audrey Hepburn stayed there throughout the filming of that quintessential New York movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. During those years, she was feted at the hotel with a gala hosted by Countess Alexandra Tolstoy. The meeting would inspire one of her future roles in War and Peace.
Audrey Hepburn, who won Hollywood’s Academy Award for her performance in the film “Roman Holiday,” is ecstatic after finally receiving her Oscar at a special ceremony in at The Pierre. Sharing her enthusiasm is fellow winner William Holden
Bettmann Archive via Getty Images
The fact that in 1958 the hotel became a co-op, where guests could buy apartments, only added to its appeal. Especially as those apartment owners included Aristotle Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor, the thought of visiting New York from Middle America may have been exciting on its own. The thought of running into Elizabeth Taylor in the lobby of the hotel you were staying at was almost overwhelming.
Penske Media via Getty Images Bill Buckley and Nan Kempner at an annual gala held at The Pierre.
Jewel Heists and Fashion Royalty
By 1967, the hotel underwent a transformation also fit for royalty. The new owner, Peter Dowling, commissioned Edward Melcarth to paint the rotunda’s iconic trompe l’oeil mural. Inspired by 17th-century palaces, Melcarth claimed that he wanted to “make people feel very special and important when they walk into this room. The figures are heroic in scale because I want to rehumanize man as an individual. We’re not digits on a computer card.” The people in the mural, accordingly, were not confined to the past. The painting features columns and Greek gods in recline, alongside “a hippie boy and mini-skirted girl” meant to depict a modern Adam and Eve. Rather to her surprise, Melcarth’s mural also boasted a depiction of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. (Kennedy asked to be removed from the picture. Melcarth accommodated by partially disguising her, but a discerning visitor can still spot her image.)
Pat Nixon leaving The Pierre to go shopping.
Penske Media via Getty Images
Visitors would get a less agreeable thrill when burglars broke into the hotel on January 2, 1972. On that day, four reportedly well-dressed gunmen pulled up to the hotel in a limousine. They handcuffed a variety of employees and guests. After, they proceeded to clean out 47 safe deposit boxes containing approximately $3 million in jewels, before departing, again, in a limousine. The men were arrested within a week, and the jewels recovered, though police recalled it as being one of “the biggest and slickest hotel robberies ever.”
Penske Media via Getty Images Karl Lagerfeld at The Pierre in the 1970s.
The flurry of reportage around the jewel theft only increased the hotel’s allure to the fashionable set. In 1970, the designer Karl Lagerfeld, a habitué of the hotel, would say, “I discovered New York from The Pierre . . . Distances in the city were measured only by how far they were from The Pierre.” He did not have to go far to see his friends. Givency, Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino were all regulars—Valentino even bought St. Laurent’s Pierre apartment in 2007.
Getty Images Andy Warhol outside of The Pierre in 1985.
Pat Nixon, not to be outdone by Jackie, had designers bring their creations to her while staying in a suite at the hotel. In 1975, Betty Ford went to see the first Chanel Fashion show in the country, held, predictably, at the hotel Coco herself had loved. By 1976, Jackie Kennedy was on the premises once more, this time with Valentino for his show benefiting the Special Olympics. Television Dynasty star Joan Collins showcased her hats at the hotel in 1985, with Andy Warhol in attendance. The hats were lovely, but did prompt a reporter to wonder, “When, besides for lunch at the Pierre, would someone wear a large straw hat?” This seemed as much an inducement for many to lunch at The Pierre as it was for them to do away with hats.
Getty Images Richard Nixon at The Pierre in January 1969.
The Pierre on the Silver Screen
By the 1990s, the hotel again found itself connected to Hollywood, although this time in front of the scenes. Al Pacino twirled in The Pierre ballroom for the famed tango scene in 1995’s Scent of a Woman. The penthouse served as the Anthony Hopkins character’s home in 1998’s Meet Joe Black. And, following the $100 million renovation The Pierre underwent in 2013, it was featured in the heist movie Ocean’s 8. Considering its legacy, there could certainly be no more fitting hotel for a film about a group of well-dressed female jewel thieves.
Jacqueline Kennedy with American diplomat/businessman Sol Linowitz outside of The Pierre.
Penske Media via Getty Images
Ron Galella Collection via Getty Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach at The Pierre.
Today, the hotel is celebrating 95 years, an admirable accomplishment in a city where new establishments seem to pop up nightly. Perhaps part of its success has to do with the respect its owners have shown towards its storied legacy. Right now, the restaurant offers a tribute to Auguste Escoffier, and the mural, lovingly repainted in 2016, ensures that the rotunda is considered one of the most romantic rooms in New York. The details and owners may have changed, but The Pierre remains as glamorous and beloved as it was by those long-ago debutantes and Charles Pierre Casalasco himself.
Getty Images A view from Central Park of the Pierre (left) and Sherry Netherland hotels on Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City. Both buildings were designed by Schultze and Weaver.
One of the best ways to get to know a city is to find all the cool coffee shops. These spots are often where local artists and tastemakers hang out, after all—especially freelancers who don’t have standard nine-to-five desk jobs. As a cold-weather destination, Chicago has always been home to an array of cozy bars, cafes and lounges. But in recent years, Chicago has welcomed a new crop of indie-owned cafes to the coffee scene that infuse their owners’ backgrounds and personal history into the food and drinks.
Whether you’re hunting for a coffee spot to plop down with a book and a solid latte, looking for a place to get some remote work done (wifi required) and stay caffeinated, or perhaps just seeking somewhere to meet up with friends, Chicago is home to several coffee shops that not only offer unique interiors and fun design, but are entirely homegrown. You’re likely to see the owner slinging shots at the espresso machine or moving their wrists with poise to craft Instagrammable latte art with the milk pour. These Chicago-based coffee shops are also neighborhood-driven, tucked into areas outside of The Loop, and truly cater to locals. And remember, it doesn’t have to be a blustery Windy City winter day to hunker down in a coffee shop—iced-drink renditions hit the spot for a chilled buzz.
Below, we’ve curated a list of nine indie, local coffee shops in Chicago that are worth a visit. Each one is a unique concept with Windy City roots, and two of these cafes even sell books on-site, just in case you crave a new read and want to dive into its pages right away.
Gymkhana, the only Indian restaurant in London with two Michelin stars, understands the assignment when it comes to opening in Las Vegas. The goal, of course, is to bring the best of London’s Gymkhana to the Vegas Strip while adding new dishes and new dazzle for festive only-in-Vegas nights.
On December 3, Gymkhana will make its United States debut with a 170-seat outpost at the Ariacasino-resort. (Reservations are now live.) Gymkhana, known for dishes like tandoori lamb chops, venison keema naan and pork cheek curry, will serve beef for the first time when it opens in Las Vegas. New dishes will include a short rib pepper fry and wagyu keema naan, alongside an exclusive-to-Vegas goan lobster curry. Cocktail service will include Gymkhana’s first punch bowls.
Gymkhana, as always, will upend the idea of fine dining and what guests might expect at a two-Michelin-star restaurant.
“Maybe their perception is it’s going to be stuffy,” Pavan Pardasani, who recently joined Gymkhana parent company JKS Restaurants as global CEO, tells Observer. “It’s going to be formal. I’m going to have to dress a certain way. And that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Gymkhana is here to introduce Indian food to a wider audience. This is a restaurant that celebrates family-style dining and wants guests to rip and dip bread into curries. Gymkhana is where you’re totally fine grabbing a lamb chop with your hands. You can build a meal around vegetarian dishes or you can savor biryani and tandoori kebabs made with wild game. As always, the best nights in Las Vegas are about choosing your own adventure.
Tandoori masala lamb chops. Courtesy JKS Restaurants
“The truth of the matter is, you don’t need to love Indian food to love Gymkhana,” Pardasani says. “What you need to cherish and love and seek out is a really great night out, a really great culinary experience that’s about how we present, execute and deliver that food.”
In London, Gymkhana is a tightly packed 100-seat bi-level restaurant inside a Mayfair townhouse. In Las Vegas, there will be 170 seats, but Pardasani and JKS founders Jyotin, Karam and Sunaina Sethi are focused on preserving the warmth, coziness and conviviality of London’s Gymkhana. The new restaurant at Aria will weave together the jade-like green (what JKS calls Gymkhana green) and the kind of dark wood, metallic elements and plush seating that makes the London location feel like an elite private club.
“You have to understand that this opening was a big part of what sparked my brain and my heart and my passion to join JKS,” says Pardasani, who is the son of Indian immigrants and grew up in New York City. “Because otherwise, you would define me as your traditional coastal elite. I’ve spent 43-and-a-half of the 46 years of my life living in L.A. and New York, except for two-and-a-half years when I lived in Las Vegas.”
That time spent in Las Vegas, when Pardasani had a leadership role at Hakkasan, gave him clarity.
“Las Vegas truly reflects and represents America,” he says. “Living there and immersing myself in the community there and meeting people that come from different parts of the country with very different ideas, thoughts and worldviews taught me that Las Vegas is really the gateway to America.”
And at a moment when high-end Indian food is popping off in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, bringing it to Las Vegas is a no-brainer for Gymkhana. This isn’t just about opening a top-tier restaurant. This is about changing the culture.
“I see the strengthening of Indian concepts and I see that operators are thinking outside of just New York,” Pardasani says. “I hope that people experience us in Las Vegas and they take their love and their passion and their joy for our food back to where they live. Maybe it will inspire them to tell their local community that they need an Indian restaurant. Maybe it will inspire people to pursue what we’re doing. Let’s break down the myths and the barriers people might have about our food and make it part of the great cuisines that are available all over America.”
Even among top hospitality groups around the world, JKS stands out for its range and deep belief in the diversity of great food. JKS, which also has buzzing London restaurants that serve Sri Lankan, Thai, Spanish, British pub and modern European food, started with the Sethi siblings wanting to celebrate their heritage in London. Now it’s time to do the same thing in America.
Pardasani is excited to show guests in Las Vegas that bar snacks like samosas and pappadam are very much a part of the experience at Gymkhana.
“Typically in Indian culture, you don’t drink without eating,” he says.
Pardasani is also looking forward to serving guests who want vegetarian options like flavor-packed daal, chana masala and tandoori broccoli.
Amristari shrimp and scallops. Courtesy of JKS Restaurants
“It’s very common in Indian families to have a day or days of the week where you’re vegetarian,” Pardasani says. “The representation of vegetarian food within India is some of the best. You don’t have to give up on taste.”
But perhaps most of all, Gymkhana is ready to showcase the wonders of family-style dining.
“I grew up in an Indian household where we ate Indian food every day,” says Pardasani, who has visited India 20 times and fondly remembers dishes his late mother and grandmother made. “And what that entailed, always, was sharing. It was never, ‘This is my food. That is your food.’ And I think Gymkhana presents this opportunity where you don’t want to just eat one dish. The way to achieve that is to share.”
Gymkhana wants you to understand that Indian cuisine is food for everyone. And you’re very much encouraged to put multiple dishes onto your plate and just let everything blend.
From small bakeries to global brands, New York’s bagel makers are shaping a cultural and culinary economy rooted in tradition and reinvention. Courtesy Utopia Bagels
There are few foods more synonymous with New York City than the bagel—a simple ring of boiled and baked dough that somehow embodies the spirit of the city itself. Equal parts humble and iconic, the bagel has risen from its immigrant origins on the Lower East Side to become a global culinary symbol. Today, bagels are fueling a thriving cultural and economic ecosystem that stretches from Brooklyn bakeries to international markets, generating billions in annual revenue while preserving the heritage of craftsmanship that first defined the New York bagel.
From immigrant bread to city symbol
The story of the bagel is the story of New York. Brought to the United States in the late 19th century by Eastern European Jewish immigrants, the beygel found a new home in the tenements and bakeries of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Early bagel bakers, organized under the Bagel Bakers’ Local 338 union, were fiercely protective of their craft, hand-rolling, boiling and baking every piece with care. By the early 1900s, New York had nearly 70 bagel bakeries, and the bread had become a staple of working-class life. By the mid-20th century, the bagel had evolved into an American breakfast essential. Industrial innovations like the rotary oven and the Lender brothers’ mass-produced frozen bagels made it a national phenomenon. Today’s artisan revival—driven by hand-rolled, malt-boiled, crusty bagels—reclaims the authenticity that first made the New York bagel famous.
“Bagels are a New York staple,” says Jesse Spellman, co-owner of Utopia Bagels in Whitestone, Queens. “They always will be. Keeping our recipes and traditions consistent for over 40 years gives people a taste of the New York culture of the past.” Spellman’s family has been hand-rolling, kettle-boiling and baking bagels in a 1947 carousel oven since 1981, and their commitment to heritage has made Utopia one of the city’s most celebrated institutions
Mascots Len and Phyl nod to the brands that industrialized and popularized bagels nationwide, transforming a regional staple into a household breakfast. Courtesy of BagelUp
The bagel economy
New York remains the undisputed bagel capital of the world, home to hundreds of specialty bagel shops across the five boroughs. Iconic institutions like Ess-a-Bagel and H&H Bagels have evolved from family-owned shops to major producers and franchised brands. Ess-a-Bagel recently opened a 7,500-square-foot manufacturing facility in Harlem, while H&H plans 70 new franchise locations across the country.
“The economics of the bagel business is the same as the rest of the restaurant industry,” says Craig Hutchinson, chef and owner of Olmo Bagels in New Haven, Connecticut. “But the difference is how willing you are to be transparent with your guests and your team. We stress the importance of making guests feel seen and special. That free kindness helps our guests justify the rising costs of living in 2025 and beyond.” For Hutchinson, community and hospitality are part of the recipe. “We embraced the community and used the bagel as our hospitality vehicle. We all fell in love with the fast-paced bagel industry and never looked back.”
That sentiment is echoed by Jimmy Stathakis, founder and CEO of Bagel Market, who has reimagined the traditional shop through modern design and digital innovation. “The bagel is a cornerstone of New York life: fast, familiar and full of character. It reflects the city’s diversity and resilience. At Bagel Market, we see ourselves as part of that cultural fabric, offering a space where heritage meets contemporary taste.” He adds, “Margins remain challenging in the food service industry, particularly in New York City, but strong brand positioning and operational discipline create room for growth. We focus on scalable systems, efficient supply chains and consistent quality.”
In Maine, Jeremy and Marina Kratzer, owners of Dutchman’s Wood Fired Bagels, bring a small-town perspective to the same story. “Being as smart as you can on labor, and really managing the food costs, are keys to success in today’s ever-changing industry,” Jeremy explains. “Building relationships with your purveyors is a great way to ensure that you have someone to trust and look out for you when you need things.”
Across the Pacific, Talia and Kelly Bongolan-Schwartz, owners of Tali’s Bagels & Schmear in Hawaii, share a similar struggle, but their story is a testament to dedication. “Hand-rolling bagels is very labor-intensive,” says Tali. “It’s always difficult to balance that with pricing, payroll and profit—especially living in Hawaii, where all ingredients are imported and rent is at a premium.” Despite these challenges, they’ve built a loyal following: “About 90 percent of our customers are regulars.”
Adding to the evolving economics, Orly Gottesman of Modern Bread & Bagel underscores how growth comes from multiple lanes: “Margins in retail food are generally tight… Growth potential exists if you find ways to diversify revenue. We supplement our retail business with direct-to-consumer shipping, retail mixes and catering.”
The modern bagel economy blends tradition and trend: hand-rolled classics served alongside inventive flavors designed for a global palate. Courtesy Utopia Bagels
From the Pacific Northwest, Brittany Erwin of B’s Bagels & Butters points to where revenue concentrates: “In Washington there is definitely growth potential, but not in the form of a traditional bagel shop… any growth is in the form of sandwiches or catering.” Erwin adds, “In Washington there has been a bagel explosion in the last 3 years, and the majority of shops are leaning away from NY style. Most of them are leaning towards the sourdough bread craze and serving airy, hard crusty bagels.”
Nationally, the U.S. bakery sector worth over $60 billion with bagels maintaining rapid growth. The global bagel market reached $5.58 billion in 2024 and is projected to hit $7.35 billion by 2030, growing at nearly 5 percent annually. Europe and Asia have embraced the bagel as both a fashionable food and a cultural export.
In Denmark, Emily Bridges, founder of Bagel Belly in Copenhagen, is part of that international wave. “For Americans living in Copenhagen, bagels are an everyday food; they’ll grab one on the way to work or stock up for the week.For Danes, it’s more of a special and unique treat, and something fun to enjoy on weekends or share with friends” she says. “For many of my customers, my bagel is the first bagel they’ve ever tried, which is always exciting and a big responsibility!”
The bagel as cultural currency
More than just a breakfast, the bagel carries deep symbolic weight: of identity, comfort and connection. Declared New York’s official state bread in 2008, it remains a culinary shorthand for the city’s diversity and drive. “NY bagels are iconic because of their long-standing history in a busy, busy world,” says Hutchinson. “We realized that the real secret wasn’t just the bagel itself, it was dedication to community, to early hours and to always baking fresh. Those are the shops that become staples.”
Stathakis adds, “New York bagels have a texture, flavor and history that are unmatched. The secret lies not only in the city’s water but more importantly in its culture: the precision, the pace and the pride of generations who perfected this craft.”
For Yero Rudzinskas, owner of Baltik’s Bagel in Richmond, Virginia, the story has gone national: “The bagel has outgrown the five boroughs and occupies a special place in the imagination of Americans broadly. Of course, the bagel is one of the most recognizable New York culinary exports, but at this point, everyone has the right to expect a freshly baked bagel close enough to enjoy every day of the week.”
From Copenhagen to Honolulu, the New York bagel’s DNA travels well, even as it adapts. “People are hungry for bagels all over the world,” says Bridges. “A bagel transforms any time it’s made in a new location: ingredients, taste, even the malt syrup, but the soul stays the same. The soul of a New York bagel is rooted in tradition but never stops evolving.”
Modern Bread & Bagel’s Gottesman frames that tradition through inclusion. “Bagels are one of NYC’s most culture-centric foods… contributing to that identity meant making our version open to everyone, those avoiding gluten and those who just want a delicious, authentic bagel, so people don’t feel like they’re giving anything up.”
And in Washington State, Erwin sees the culture expanding via social buzz and community ritual. “The bagel boom has spread to TikTok which means bagels are trendy for all ages,” she says, noting that what began as a treat has become a daily staple for many regulars.
At BagelFest, veteran bakers showcase the enduring art of New York bagel-making—boiled, baked and served with a side of nostalgia. Courtesy of BagelFest
The new wave: festivals, global influence and social impact
The modern bagel is no longer confined to the five boroughs. It’s a global connector. The rise of BagelFest, founded by Sam Silverman in 2019, has elevated the humble bagel into a worldwide cultural event. Hosted annually at Citi Field, with this year’s event on November 16, the festival attracts thousands of attendees and dozens of competing bakeries, each vying for the title of “Best Bagel.”
Silverman’s mission extends beyond the event itself. Through BagelUp, he and his team are teaching bagel-making to new audiences and using food as a bridge between cultures in New York, one of the most diverse cities in the world. BagelUp offers immersive hands-on classes where locals and international tourists alike can learn the art of crafting authentic New York bagels. These classes draw aspiring bakers from around the world eager to experience the city’s culinary traditions firsthand.
BagelFest partners are spreading that same spirit of connection globally. Among the most inspiring collaborations is between BagelUp exhibitor Olmo Bagels, which has partnered with Oído, a nonprofit culinary school in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula led by Chef Gabe Erales, the winner of season 18 of Top Chef. Together, they’re building cross-cultural culinary programs that celebrate craftsmanship and community, from New York kitchens to Mexico’s rural classrooms.
“Many of these kids have never had the means to travel outside their community,” Erales explains, “but through food they can connect to the world. When they see the cultural tie between bagels and New York, it’s like a window into another culture. Earlier this year, we took a group of students to Oaxaca to visit a friend’s cooking school. It was their first time on a plane, and for them, it was like going to Disneyland.”
At BagelFest, bakers and enthusiasts gather to taste, rank, and celebrate New York’s most iconic food that has grown into a $7 billion global market. Courtesy of BagelFest
The taste of tomorrow
As New York continues to evolve, so does its most famous food. The next generation of bakers is blending tradition with innovation: experimenting with sourdough starters, regional grains and globally inspired toppings while honoring the heritage that made the bagel a symbol of community.
Gottesman sees the future in “continued diversification: more dietary-inclusive options, more direct-to-consumer retail products and technology integration for ordering and fulfillment,” alongside neighborhood shops that “combine excellent product with smart operations.” Erwin is blunt about the operational direction: “More sandwiches… in this economy we need to be building bigger check averages,” she says, while hoping quality won’t slip as the category scales.
“I think the bagel business is heading in a strong direction,” says Spellman. “It’s one of the few foods that everyone, across ages and backgrounds, continues to love. It’s hard on the outside, soft on the inside—like a true New Yorker”.
From the bustling counters of Queens to the teaching kitchens of Quintana Roo, the bagel continues to unite people across borders. Whether in New York, New Haven or Mexico, it remains more than bread. It is a bridge between cultures, a testament to resilience and a rising symbol of how simple food can inspire extraordinary connection.
Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing. Mark Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
Formula 1 is back in Austin, the “Home of Horsepower.” Instead of riding bucking broncos, the world’s fastest drivers are revving 1000 horsepower V6 engines around one of the year’s trickiest tracks.
During race weekend (October 17-19) in Austin, the city is plastered with F1 imagery, from posters of Lando Norris’ face alongside 6th Street to the full range of Pirelli tires that adorn the lobby of the Thompson Hotel.
It’s the one weekend in Austin where lines around the block aren’t solely reserved for BBQ restaurants. Instead, Formula 1 fanatics queue for fans zones set up around the city like, the Atlassian Williams Racing Fan Zone where they can drive esports simulators, Lewis Hamilton’s Plus 44 store pop-up and former F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo’s Enchanté pop-up.
Matthew McConaughey participates in the grid tour before the start of the United States Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. AFP via Getty Images
Digital luxury lifestyle concierge service Velocity Black is the official luxury lifestyle partner of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 team, and members get access to some of the weekend’s most exclusive offerings, including the team’s hospitality suite in The Paddock Club, a hot lap, garage tours, pit lane walks and a lunch at the Aston Martin House, where drivers casually walk by as you munch on brisket croquettes and local tostadas.
“Whether it be VIP hospitality, garage tours and hot lap access at F1 races, fine dining experiences or exclusive entertainment, we are committed to unlocking truly unforgettable moments across the globe,” says Sylvain Langrand, CEO of Velocity Black.
Malin Akerman and Brittany Snow attend the Uber One Rodeo. Getty Images for Uber
Off the track, there was a private dinner at the iconic Franklin Barbecue with an intimate live performance by Grammy Award-winner Gary Clark Jr. And should members want to beat the Austin traffic, Velocity Black arranges helicopter transports to and from the circuit.
“F1 and Austin have acclimated to each other,” legendary BBQ pitmaster Aaron Franklin told Observer at a private dinner for Velocity Black members. “Now, people come here specifically for F1, and are more interested in the local scene and local culture. We had the McLaren team here last night, and they’re all just a bunch of really cool nerds. I love meeting people during race weekend that I wouldn’t normally have the chance to meet.”
Roller coasters dot The Circuit Of The Americas (COTA) and it seems like the mandatory dress code is cowboy hats and boots. When cars aren’t rounding the circuit, musical performances throughout the weekend include Kygo and Garth Brooks, Turnpike Troubadours, as well as local Austin talent.
This year, Austin was a sprint weekend, meaning there was an extra mini-race with more points on the line for the championship battle. Track temperatures weren’t the only scorching hot thing on Saturday, as the sprint race was off to a spicy start. The crowd gasped as both McLarens made contact, forcing them out of the sprint race and any chance at points. Overall, a bad day for Oscar Piastri, currently leading the driver’s championship, as he only placed P6 in qualifying, while his teammate and championship rival, Lando Norris, came in at P2.
Glen Powell on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of United States at Circuit of The Americas. Formula 1 via Getty Images
And on race day, COTA was hot as H-E double toothpicks, but celebrities still lined the track, including Matthew McConaughey, Glen Powell, Malin Akerman and Adele. Max Verstappen dominated, winning the race with Lando Norris coming in second and Charles LeClerc third. There were plenty of overtakes and on-track action, but no red flags. Although the race wasn’t as exciting as the sprint, it was consequential for the driver’s championship, with Lando narrowing the gap to Oscar Piastri by 14 points.
And as the sun set on Austin, the city was electric with bars packed with F1 fans, and private events and parties, like the Esses Magazine one-year anniversary party with two special guests, as the Visa Cash App RB drivers Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson made an appearance. At the One Party by Uber, a musical performance by the Zac Brown Band opened with a traditional Texas rodeo.
While partaking in a BBQ dinner, another Texas tradition, Jak Crawford, an F2 driver and Texas native told Observer, “My favorite thing about race weekend in Austin is the food. The brisket, it’s so good here.” While he hasn’t raced here yet he says, “I can’t wait to drive here, it can be a really tricky circuit.”
Matcha is booming globally, but Western commercialization is blurring cultural lines, raising questions about authenticity and sustainability. Unsplash+
Walk into any New York City or Los Angeles cafe, and you’re bound to see matcha lattes on nearly every menu. Today, matcha is a multi-billion-dollar category, valued at roughly $3.8 billion and projected to surpass between $6 and $7 billion by 2030. The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reported that the 2024 tencha output, the leaf used to produce matcha, was more than 2.5 times greater than it was ten years prior. Yet despite its popularity, much of the Western market has strayed from the Japanese tea culture it claims to celebrate, leaning instead into commercialization, pastel aesthetics and trend-driven marketing that obscure the drink’s origins. This pivot away from cultural roots raises bigger questions about authenticity, consumer trust and the sustainability of global supply chains, forcing brands across the beverage and wellness industries to confront where cultural appreciation ends and cultural appropriation begins.
The problem with “ceremonial” vs. culinary
The majority of the Western matcha branding is built on surface-level and shallow narratives—phrases like “Zen rituals” or “ancient traditions” that often gloss over the history and cultural meaning. Even common labels that consumers might think hold weight—like “ceremonial grade” and “culinary grade”—are actually marketing inventions. In Japan, there is only one form of matcha, traditionally used in tea ceremonies, such as chadō. The ceremony is meant to be a meditative ritual emphasizing harmony, respect and mindfulness. As the tea ages, it is repurposed for cooking, not because of a quality hierarchy but as part of a cultural practice rooted in stewardship. Western labeling systems create the illusion of quality tiers when, in reality, they reflect a lack of authenticity.
Demand, supply chains and distortion
Beyond surface-level marketing, the surging global demand for matcha has reshaped supply chains—with both benefits and drawbacks. Demand has nearly tripled since 2010, with Japanese production rising from about 1,400 tons to more than 4,000 tons in 2023. On one hand, international attention has given Japanese tea farmers access to new opportunities for differentiated revenue streams. On the other hand, supply shortages and inflationary pressures mean that local consumers are paying higher prices for a product that’s deeply tied to their daily rituals and cultural heritage. Today, ceremonial-grade matcha can now sell for $30 to $100 per ounce as demand far outpaces supply.
Compounding the issue, other countries—most notably China and Vietnam—have entered the market with low-cost green tea powders labeled as matcha. These substitutes dilute the category’s integrity and confuse consumers, while Western brands sourcing from bulk suppliers risk misleading their customers and undermining small family-run farms in Japan that continue to uphold centuries-old practices and traditions. Without long-term brand partnerships and reinvestment, these farms, which are already challenged by an aging workforce, face the risk of disappearing altogether.
Authenticity as a business imperative
This isn’t just a cultural issue—it’s a business issue. Today’s consumers are more discerning than ever. They demand transparency not only in ingredients and efficacy, but also in sourcing and values-based purchasing. Driven by surging demand, Japan’s green tea exports, including matcha, rose 25 percent to $252 million in 2024, while the volume of exports grew by 16 percent, according to Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Market research firm NIQ reported that U.S. retail sales of matcha alone jumped 86 percent from three years ago—evidence of just how rapidly the category is scaling. Yet growth will not guarantee endurance. Brands that reduce tradition to an accessory or buzzy positioning may enjoy temporary popularity, but they risk losing long-term credibility in a market that increasingly rewards authenticity. This desire for transparency and respect for heritage is what led me to create wellness brand Apothékary.
The line between appropriation and appreciation
Too many brands have been blurring the line between appreciation and appropriation. But the difference is clear: appropriation extracts while appreciation amplifies. True appreciation requires a commitment to education, investment and reciprocity, whether that means sourcing directly from Japanese farmers, reinvesting in their communities or accurately contextualizing traditions rather than bending them for Western convenience. As the wellness industry matures, authenticity and cultural respect will evolve into powerful competitive advantages. Brands that prioritize building trust through respect for craft, culture and supply chain integrity will endure. Those that don’t could very likely end up on the wrong side of consumers’ scrutiny down the line.
Matcha’s rising global popularity could ultimately serve as a powerful bridge between cultures, connecting traditions across continents. Authenticity is not just about heritage. It’s the key to the market’s future. Unless brands begin treating matcha as more than a trendy green powder for lattes and stunt marketing campaigns, the category could end up collapsing under the weight of its own hype.
Larry Jayasekara opened his first restaurant, The Cocochine, with Hamiltons owner Tim Jefferies. Justin De Souza
Every aspect of The Cocochine is about quiet indulgence. Caviar augments several dishes, the tables are luxuriously far apart and the walls are decorated with a rotating selection of art from Hamiltons Gallery. The Mayfair restaurant, which opened last fall in a former townhouse on Bruton Place, is a joint venture between chef Larry Jayasekara and Hamiltons owner Tim Jefferies, and it embraces Jayasekara’s thoughtful approach to hospitality.
“It’s about looking after the guests, cooking with love and heart and respecting the ingredients,” Jayasekara tells Observer, speaking from the restaurant’s impressive top-floor private dining room, which boasts three Warhol paintings. “Hospitality means opening your home to friends and family. You cook for days, and then the first thing you offer [when they arrive] is water. I don’t want to have a champagne trolley in the restaurant, because that should not be the first thing offered. I want to offer guests a glass of water and let them come in, get comfortable and relax.”
Jayasekara met Jefferies while he was working as the head chef at Gordon Ramsay’s Petrus in Belgravia. Jefferies repeatedly returned to the restaurant, trying to convince Jayasekara to helm a few private dinners, to which the chef eventually agreed. After, Jefferies asked Jayasekara what he wanted to do going forward in his career. Jayasekara said that he wanted to open his own restaurant.
“He didn’t say anything,” Jayasekara recalls. “Time went along. Then he said, ‘I know a lot of people, and I could put together a group of people to help, and I could put in the art, and we could create something really special together.’ That’s how easily it started.”
The interior details were essential to Jayasekara. Justin De Souza
Designing and building The Cocochine was less straightforward. The team started the refurbishment of the four-story townhouse in 2020, quickly realizing they would need to completely redo the foundation and the structure of the building. There was a lot to consider, including how much power the restaurant needed and how to construct the custom kitchen, which is accompanied by a chef’s counter, on the second floor. Then, Covid-19 hit, and it was difficult to get construction workers and materials.
Ultimately, it took over three years for the restaurant to come together. The small details, like leather-wrapped banisters on the staircases and a carved marble drinks station, were essential to Jayasekara, who was also able to create a custom chef’s kitchen. On the lower level, guests can experience a state-of-the-art wine cellar stocked with more than 1,500 bottles, and there’s a snug sitting area for pre-dinner drinks. When you order a steak, a server brings a box of custom knives with differently colored handles to pick from.
The chef’s counter. Justin De Souza
“We always wanted to make it a place where it’s about the level of art and the quality of the ingredients together, so it’s not just a plate of food,” Jayasekara says. “It is a whole experience. Everything here is custom-made to fit. Everything is like a jigsaw. Everything has to be matched. Everything has to be exactly how we wanted it: the flowers, the water, the steak knives, the plates, the tiles, the curtains.”
The food, too, is immaculate. Most of the ingredients come from the Rowler Farm Estate in Northamptonshire, to which the restaurant has exclusive access. The salad, for example, is composed of more than a dozen vegetables and herbs from the farm, and several of the proteins, including the pork, travel 60 miles from the estate to The Cocochine. Other ingredients, like the fish, are carefully sourced from Scotland.
Rack of venison, sourced from Rowler Farm. Lateef Photography
Jayasekara spends one day a week on the farm, which he feels is essential to his process as a chef who focuses on seasonality and quality. He also draws on ingredients and flavors from his travels, as well as his upbringing in Sri Lanka. Each dish emphasizes decadence in an understated, elegant way, exemplified by an indulgent starter of Japanese otoro, roasted foie gras and golden Oscietra caviar.
“We’re not doing anything you’re not familiar with already,” Jayasekara explains. “I want the menu, when you open it, to have [things like] scallops, crab, lobster, mushroom, caviar. I always dreamed about having a menu in a restaurant where you can’t choose one dish. If you want every single dish, you’re in the right place. Hopefully, we’re doing that, and we’re making it focused on two or three ingredients rather than 15 [in each dish].”
Japanese otoro and roasted foie gras. Lateef Photography
Jayasekara’s obsession with quality is best understood via the menu’s standout dessert: Tahiti vanilla ice cream, served with jaggery caramel. It might be the most memorable ice cream you’ll ever taste, because Jayasekara insisted that the level of vanilla bean be significantly turned up.
First, the chef added 15 vanilla pods for every liter of crème anglaise, a significant amount of vanilla bean. “That was okay,” he says. “But I wanted the vanilla seeds to be popping in the palate. It’s not vanilla essence or vanilla powder or whatever. So I said, ‘Let’s put 20.’ And now we doing half a kilo of fresh Tahitian vanilla for one liter of crème anglaise. That is 50 percent vanilla. And believe it or not, since we opened, the best-selling dessert is the vanilla ice cream.”
The famous Tahiti vanilla ice cream. Lateef Okunnu
Growing up in Sri Lanka, Jayasekara never imagined having his own restaurant in Mayfair, where he could test the limits of vanilla bean ice cream. He had never seen a cauliflower, caviar or a scallop before he moved to London two decades ago. His life back home was simple: surfing, barbecuing fish and eating rotis. He acknowledges that his life now is “very privileged,” but it’s taken Jayasekara years of hard work and sacrifice to get to this place in his career. He started out in London by cleaning bins, then moved on to chopping vegetables in a Thai restaurant, eventually going to culinary school.
“Learning to cook was simply about having a job, first of all,” Jayasekara says. “I didn’t know how to cook. I had never cooked before. It gave me a different passport. It changed me from a young boy surfing to starting to be anal about the size of a scallop or how the herb tastes. It’s a crazy journey. I used to wake up in the morning 20 years ago and think about how many waves were coming in.”
The Cocochine occupies a former townhouse in Mayfair. Justin De Souza
Jayasekara worked his way up in acclaimed restaurants like the Waterside Inn, Michel Bras and Le Manoir aux Quat’Saison, before eventually becoming head chef at Petrus, which focuses on high-end French cuisine. Despite Ramsay’s reputation, Jayasekara says the famous chef never yelled at him in the kitchen.
“It was very good experience,” he says. “He trusted me to run Petrus, and I have a huge respect for Gordon. He knows exactly what the market needs and how the menu should be. Having trust from someone like him to run one of his flagship restaurants; it was a privilege. I learned a huge amount about running a restaurant, rather than just cooking.”
Most importantly, Jayasekara learned the essentials of being the person in charge. According to Jayasekara, you need three things in order to succeed as you move up the ladder: preparation, communication and organization. “If those three things come together, you have a full experience,” he says. “As one man, you can’t achieve anything. You don’t win the Champions League just being Cristiano Ronaldo, right?”
That, to Jayasekara, defines success as a chef—not Michelin stars or rave reviews. It’s about having a loyal team as much as it is having a restaurant with packed tables and returning guests, all presumably coming back again and again for the aforementioned vanilla ice cream.
“Any accolades that are presented to any restaurant are a reward of how you work, the standard at which you’re working, the hospitality of the restaurant and how good the team is,” he says. “It’s always a great compliment to the team and to the business. Those accolades are appreciated in our work. But the real success is a guest who comes back. Signature dishes are created by the guests, not the chef. You eat something and tell five of your friends, and suddenly something becomes the chef’s signature dish. That, as I see it, is success in a restaurant.”
The Alchemist cocktail at Little Dipper, inspired by Scorpio. Nick Johnson
We’ve all seen the infographics on social media—your zodiac sign as a snack, a sandwich, a cocktail. But while no one (yet) has designed a full restaurant around celestial matches, zodiac-themed cocktails are increasingly popular. From cameos on regular cocktail menus to being at the center concept of a bar, everyone’s suddenly interested in creating and sipping drinks fashioned around the sensibilities of Aries, Libra and Virgo.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know astrology has been a massive pop culture trend in recent years, encompassing everything from podcasts to dating. Sharing your Co-Star astrology profile is as common as exchanging phone numbers.
It was only a matter of time until cocktails got in the mix. “This trend is trending, in my opinion, as a response to global upheaval and uncertainty,” says astrologer Danielle Mainas, the co-creator of the food-driven tarot deck Cacio e Pepe Tarot. “People turn to astrology for personalized guidance and self-understanding in confusing times. Similarly, in times of dysregulation, many people turn to alcohol and food as coping mechanisms for comfort and relief. Why not give the people a blended option?”
Little Dipper, a self-described “immersive, astrology-themed bar,” opened in New York City in April 2024. Inside, under a digital display of a starry sky, patrons can order drinks categorized within the four elements: water, fire, air and earth, with each cocktail paraphrasing a zodiac sign. The Grounded cocktail, which refers to the sign of Taurus, features shiitake-infused mezcal and mushroom broth, symbolizing Taurus’ rooted, earthy, stable energy. Each cocktail on the menu is accompanied by a small blurb explaining the logic behind its creation.
From the starry skies to the zodiac-inspired menu, Little Dipper is all about astrology. Nick Johnson
“Our team loves astrology and have a good understanding of it,” Little Dipper co-owner Bobby Papachryssanthou tells Observer. The staff asks guests for their signs, andalso share theirs, recommending drinks accordingly. For the first round, patrons are encouraged to try their “own” cocktail—that is, the drink associated with their sun sign, and for a second drink, a tipple that refers to their moon sign; the position of the moon in the zodiac at the time of a person’s birth.
The cocktails were created with the help of Alyssa Sartor, a hospitality expert with a passion for astrology. Sartor helped connect the dots, consulting on the drinks’ ingredients and profiles based on her knowledge of mixology and astrology. The team also sought advice from astrologer friends and astrology books.
“We felt that a concept like this would be a great way to give our guests something personal that they can relate to,” says Papachryssanthou. “The time and effort that went into finding the right ingredients to each specific zodiac sign makes it an engaging experience, adding that level of personalization and immersive aspect.” Imagine, for example, a Pisces customer being offered the sturdy tequila and habanero-infused Magic cocktail not because they like tequila, but because they’re supposedly “strong and devoted,” Papachryssanthou points out. Needless to say, only the flattering, positive traits of each sign are amplified and played up in the ingredients list.
The Water Bearer, for Aquarius: Chamomile tea vodka, Ume plum liqueur, Yuzu, lemon, butterfly pea syrup. Nick Johnson
Other bars across the U.S. have also been flirting with the zodiac concept. Service Bar in Washington, D.C.—one of the best bars in the country according to the World’s 50 Best—recently ran a limited-edition zodiac-themed offering. Even resorts want a piece of the trend—Under Canvas, dedicated to higher-end camping and glamping, recently launched a program pairing celestially-themed cocktails with stargazing
The Alchemists’ Garden, a bar in Paso Robles, CA, recently added a monthly zodiac-themed drink to its already other-worldly menu, based on the astrological sign corresponding to each month, for which the team dug deep into the essence of astrology: our craving for meaning and a sense of direction. “One of the oldest methods of navigation was based upon the stars and their astrological positioning,” Tony Bennett, Alchemists’ Garden’s bar manager and owner, tells Observer.
To plan the monthly cocktail, Bennett refers to a chart he made featuring each sign’s characteristics, likes and dislikes. For Libra, a cocktail that ran from during the tail end of September and most of October, Bennet tapped into the fact that Libra coincides with the fall equinox, which meant paying homage to the last harvests of the summer as we move into the cooler months. The result contains vodka infused with dill seeds, herbal liquor and agave nectar.
The garnish, molecular air made of fresh rose petals and Italicus Bergamot, is a nod to Libra being an air sign. “The drink, like Libra’s symbol—the scale—is surprisingly balanced despite the complex nature of flavors contained within,” he says.
The Gemini cocktail at Tiger and Peacock. Tiger and Peacock
Tiger and Peacock, located at The Memphian hotel in Memphis, TN, has had a detailed Signs of the Zodiac cocktail menu since opening in 2021. Food and beverage director Evan Potts also pulls inspiration from the signs’ key features. Sagittarius, for example, is known to be adventurous and curious; the bar’s way to embody these traits was to base a cocktail on Angostura bitters. “Most cocktails see a few drops of Angostura to accent a cocktail, while we choose to unleash the full flavor and incorporate an ounce into our drink. After rounding out with the Chinola and orgeat you have a bold and interesting cocktail, with flavors that develop and change as you explore,” Potts says.
“Astrology and good energy from the stars is something we are all in need of, with the stresses of life and relationships,” says Papachryssanthou. “Tying great drinks to something that we believe is important to everyday life adds another level to the experience.”
But are these drinks just a gimmick? Like astrology itself, it’s all a matter of perspective. “I absolutely see the potential for zodiac-inspired cocktails to offer more than just a gimmick-y drinking experience,” says Mainas. “Astrology reflects the human experience, and when bars incorporate zodiac themes, they invite guests into a moment of ceremony and presence.” Cocktails that go beyond the visual do best, with ingredients that reflect the signs’ characteristics and general vibe—painting the dependable bartender inquiry, “What are you in the mood for?” in a completely new light.
As New York City gears up to instate mandatory curbside composting, some of the boroughs’ celebrated restaurants are preparing for the first-ever “Make Food, Not Waste” Restaurant Week. Beginning Oct. 6th, all residents in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, will be required by law to compost, separating all food scraps and soiled-paper from other trash. Compost will be picked up curbside by the Department of Sanitation on the same day as recycling.
The inaugural “Make Food, Not Waste” event is centered around chefs’ commitment to composting and cooking waste-free for one week, and kicks off today, Mon., Sept. 30. The 12 restaurants, many of which have earned impressive accolades, were challenged to create an innovative new dish that encapsulates the zero-waste principle of this restaurant week.
“We’re always thinking of creative ways to repurpose ingredients that typically get discarded. For instance, with the sushi rice we make fresh every day, any leftover rice can’t be used for Temaki the next day due to texture changes. But instead of wasting it, we blend the rice and fry it to create crispy, delicious rice chips. Turning it into a completely new and exciting dish is a perfect way to give that leftover rice a second life,” said chef Jihan Lee of Nami Nori, the sleek, airy Japanese restaurant with locations in the West Village and Williamsburg.
Other chefs prioritize repurposing not only in inventive dishes, but also with helpful tips that are simple for New Yorkers to do in their own kitchens—many of which will become increasingly helpful as residents are required to separate all food waste and food-soiled paper products from their trash and recycling. Lee advises home cooks to meal plan as a basic way to reduce over-purchasing and make the most of each ingredient. Jeremiah Stone of Bar Contra, the hip Lower East Side cocktail bar, is a big fan of saving cheese rinds.
“There’s a ton of flavor and they can be steeped into a soup with vegetables for more umami and flavor. One example would be to make a vegetable stock with the end-cuttings of vegetables and a Parmigiano Reggiano rind. Cook that for 40 minutes, and you have a lot more interesting flavor development,” Stone told Observer.
James Beard Award-winning chef Dan Kluger advises one-pot meals as an easy way to control how many ingredients are used and to have a plan for leftovers, if there are any. Fidel Caballero of Corima, a new North Mexican fine dining eatery in Chinatown, always saves vegetable trimmings and meat bones to make broths and stocks. He also loves pickling vegetables that are beginning to turn, rather than chucking them.
“Composting will help keep organic waste out of the garbage and landfills. Instead, it gets turned into compost that improves soil health and supports local gardens,” Kluger, who supports New York City’s curbside compost mandate, told Observer. “It’s a practical step to hopefully keeping rats out of the trash, and towards a cleaner city and a more sustainable environment.”
The weeklong celebration of reduced carbon footprints is sponsored by Mill, a food recycling system that breaks down food waste into dry, usable soil. Each participating restaurant has received a Mill compost bin to further their waste-free commitment; the brand will also donate $10,000 to the Lower East Side Ecology Center, which organizes community-based sustainability initiatives and helps New Yorkers with electronic waste and composting.
For all the New Yorkers looking to reduce composting by dining out (it’s certainly one way reduce food waste, as long as you lick your plate clean), here is the full list of restaurants and bars participating in “Make Food, Not Waste” Restaurant Week and the exciting zero-waste dishes that they’ll debut in honor of the event:
