RESTAURANT – IMPERIAL NO.9

Mondrian Soho has a new opening date of February 22. According to a press release, Sam Talbot’s Imperial No. 9 will open March 1. Here’s a description of the space from the release, if you can make sense of it.

At the highly anticipated Imperial No. 9, located just off the lobby, Chef Sam Talbot will introduce his sustainable seafood concept with a 150-seat restaurant. In keeping with Noriega's dream-like theme, an opulent cluster of crystal chandeliers hangs over a large, mirror-topped communal table and anchors the main dining room. White washed oak floors and sandy-beige walls accented with antique mirrors embellish the airy atmosphere. A long bar clad in white-washed oak and cream colored stone serves as a casual imbibing spot with a selection of handcrafted cocktails that Morgans Hotel Group's nightlife destinations are famous for. A play of sand colors and textures compliment subtle references to ocean motifs, giving the room a sense of refined elegance while maintaining the allure found throughout the hotel.

The garden building at Imperial No. 9 boasts a romantic setting complemented by an elegant crystal chandelier collection and accented with potted plants and natural ficus trees, all beneath the shelter of a dramatic glass roof. The centerpiece of the space is a delicate over-sized glass sculpture created by acclaimed artist Beth Lipman, and serving as a reference to Cocteau's story in which seduction takes the form of an elaborate feast, prepared nightly. A zinc-topped, potting shed -style bar features wood shelving with potted plants, complimenting the elegant garden atmosphere. A Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz signature double-sided cottage swing completes the casual playfulness of the room and references the whimsy of the designer's swing in the lobby of Mondrian Los Angeles.

http://kiwicollection.com

RESTAURANT - ABC

Paulette did an amazing job transforming the space into a stylish, warm dining room, using many recycled materials. Beautiful old beams from a barn and the whitewashed floor creates a farmhouse effect that matches the market-driven menu.

Local artists made the ceramic plates and the bread and dessert dishes and the silverware are antique. Placemats and menus come from 100% recycled paper and our coasters are squares of cardboard from shipping boxes.

Lois Freedman and James Liakakos have been doing a great job training the front-of-house staff to be as warm and inviting as the ambiance. We want this restaurant to reflect the farm-to-table experience with a casual and convivial atmosphere and the servers have made diners feel very much at home. We’ve even found some of the front-of-the-house staff uniforms at local thrift stores in the spirit of the recycling.

In this elegant, comfortable dining room, we serve market-driven dishes made with the freshest organic and local ingredients possible. Even the cocktails devised by Bernie Sun, my beverage director, are made with local, organic liquors and juices. I especially love the tarragon-infused Green Kitchen and sparkly Blood Orange Bellini. An extensive list of biodynamic wines and local beers accompany the mixed drinks.

http://jeangeorges.blogspot.com/2010/03/abc-kitchen-now-open.html

RESTAURANT

RESTAURANT – FLOUR + WATER

Flour + Water is a San Francisco Italian restaurant that focuses on seasonal ingredients sourced from the unparalleled and ever abundant California artisans and growers.
Their menu changes daily and is intentionally small and focused. The cuisine of flour + water has literally been done for hundreds of years in Italy—they are not re-inventing it rather trying to pay tribute to what we believe is the world’s purest style of cooking.

Opened last May in a restored Victorian building on a quiet corner a few blocks from the center of the Mission District, flour + water is the latest in a steady stream of high-caliber Italian restaurants to enter the neighborhood. The owners, David White and David Steele, are longtime Mission residents, with roots in the food trade.

“We make the kind of food that chefs like to eat,” Mr. McNaughton said of the restaurant’s cooking style. Given the restaurant’s name, it should come as no surprise that pizza and pastas are focuses. The kitchen has a wood-fired oven, and Jon Darsky, the pizzaiolo, is a skilled operator; even before you take a bite, the aromas that waft through the restaurant make that abundantly clear. A tangy margherita with fior di latte, a fresh-milk cheese, is delicate yet substantial.

The pastas, all housemade, included a maltagliati with a dark and earthy braised giblet ragù ; and a roasted corn and crescenza cappelletti with bitter honey, which gave the dish a pleasantly sharp finish.

For dessert, the restaurant offers an understated chocolate budino with sea salt flakes and espresso-caramel cream ; and a honey-pistachio semifreddo, topped with a little mound of green frost — a granita of herbs and simple syrup.

Flour + Water, 2401 Harrison Street; (415) 826-7000; www.flourandwater.com. Open daily, 5:30 p.m. to midnight.


http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/travel/27bites.html?ref=travel

VENUE

NEWTON BAR

This über chic bar named for Berlin’s famed fashion photographer, Helmut Newton, is a modern and hip version of a gentleman’s lounge. The bar features Newton’s larger than life black and white shots of nudes in stilettos paired with traditional elements such as red club chairs, oak tables, Cuban cigars, whiskey and their famous martinis. Located on a beautiful corner in Berlin’s historic Mitte district, the view is stunning both inside and out.

http://newton-bar.de

RESTAURANT

MOSIMANN'S - THE ROYAL CHOICE

Set in a stunning former Scottish Presbyterian Church, Mosimann's is a dining club located in London's uber posh Belgravia. Members may choose to dine in the lovingly restored main dining area whilst non-members are invited to experience one of eight private dining rooms, each with its own unique character which reflects the brand identity of its sponsors.

Mosimann's has played host to an array of VIPs including British Royalty and International Celebrities. This past summer, Mosimann's hosted dignitaries for the Summer Olympic Games in China.

The food is of pure Swiss perfection with the divine cooking of Swiss born Anton Mosimann, who brought the first Michelin star to a UK Hotel, and purveyor of "Cuisine Naturelle." Mosimann does not rely heavily on cream, butter, salt & alcohol for the savory flavour of his food. His signature dish Risotto ai Funghi is simply to die for.... need we say more?

http://www.mosimann.com