After the quake
Edy's Grocer, Upstate compounds, Middle Eastern food crawl, best olive oils, Brasserie Fouquet’s, Laser Wolf, MORE
CULTURE & LEISURE • Friday Routine
Weekend at Bernie’s
EDY MASSIH • chef and owner, Edy's Grocer • author, Keep It Zesty
Neighborhood you live in: Greenpoint
It’s Friday afternoon, how are you rolling into the weekend?
As a business owner and caterer, I mean, what’s a weekend after all? With my cookbook coming out on May 21, I feel like I’m catching up on work during the weekend and working on everything cookbook-related on weekdays. When Friday arrives, I’m ready for a martini from my favorite spot, Bernie’s in Greenpoint, or some spicy comfort food from MáLà Project or Kings Co Imperial. After a few drinks and dinner, it's time to head over to The Exley for another few drinks and some Rupaul's Drag Race. Depending on my schedule the next day, I might grab one more drink on my way home at Lise & Vito.
Where are you dining this weekend?
This weekend I have quite a few food plans, and most actually revolve around Middle Eastern food. I’m heading over to Huda in East Williamsburg for a Ramadan dinner hosted by Zaynab Issa, then celebrating Beyoncé's album release in the city — probably with drinks at Pieces Bar in the West Village and a bite to eat at Pastis. On Saturday, I'm going to the Nicki Minaj concert and having dinner at Coqodaq beforehand (I’m so ready to dive into that chicken bucket!). Last but not least, I'll be in the Bronx on Sunday at a friend's house for Easter, then catching up with Lebanese friends over dinner at Eyval. I truly can't wait to eat their lamb dish again; the meat just falls right off the bone.
How about a little leisure or culture?
I'm a big movie guy and I love to go to different theaters around the city. I’m also a huge Broadway fan. My partner and I decided to start going to one show a month. We recently fell off, but there are so many fun shows playing right now, we need to get back on it. My recent favorite has to be SIX, because I’m a sucker for pop music. It was such a fun show. Also, it's spring, and I love to go to the Botanical Gardens to see all the flowers and cherry blossoms. I just have to brace myself for crazy allergies before I go.
Any weekend getaways?
I recently purchased a farmhouse upstate in the Kerhonkson area and have been taking weekend trips there. There are lots of fun new restaurants and markets in the area, like Harana Market, Mill & Main, Morning Sunshine, and Accord Market. I love to go up there, buy a lot of produce from Barthel's Farm, and cook my heart out. I also love to take long hiking trips, and of course, go antiquing. I’m also part of this fun club called Love, Velma, which is an underground jazz club. For some relaxing time, I go over to Inness, Wildflower, or Hemlock Neversink.
What was your last great vacation?
My last great vacation was technically a work trip. I went to Hong Kong for a dinner popup series and absolutely fell in love with the city, skyline, food, and culture. I ate such amazing food, and would highly recommend Grand Majestic for delicious Sichuan food, Hotal Colombo for Sri Lankan food like I've never had it before, and The Old Man Bar for a crazy cocktail menu. It might be a far trip, but, wow, Hong Kong is something else. This may make me sound dumb, but I had no idea it was an island, and let me tell you: There were way more trees and nature than you’ll ever see in New York.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
My Fredericks & Mae green and white cutting board. It's in my cookbook, and I felt like I had to purchase one of the props. I love it so much!
REFOUND: Tuesday’s issue (best cobblers! the seafood bar NYC has been waiting for!) is here. And, for your weekend dining walk-ins, last week’s Q1 restaurant report is here.
REAL ESTATE • FOUNDLISTING
BRING THE FAM: Here’s a light and modern four-bedroom stunner, including a redesigned primary suite with a walk-in dressing room and soaking tub, and a fourth bedroom that doubles as a media room, with steel and glass sliding doors and blackout shades. The white-glove Tower at Gramercy Square features a 75’ saltwater lap pool and full suite of amenities — fitness center, sauna/steam rooms, yoga studio, golf simulator, children’s playroom, screening room, resident’s lounge, resident club room, bike room, private storage, and the potential to purchase private parking.
→ 215 East 19th Street, 12C (Gramercy), 4BR/4.5BA, 2539 SF condo, $6.495M • Clocktower, Chrysler Building, and Empire State Building views • Common charges: $3871; Monthly taxes: $3777 • Listing broker: Jeremy Stein, Sotheby’s • partner.
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NYC REAL ESTATE LINKS: Skinny, 88-story residential tower 520 Fifth in Midtown launches condo sales • The crown is coming together at Snøhetta’s 50 West 66th on Upper West Side • In Nomad, 56-story supertall residential 252 Fifth Ave tops out.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Playoff Push
Islanders vs Rangers • Madison Square Garden (Midtown South) • Sat @ 1230p • section 107, $406 per
Bulls vs Knicks • Madison Square Garden (Midtown South) • Sun @ 1p • section 107, $612 per
John Oliver & Seth Meyers • Beacon Theatre, Sun @ 8p, orchestra, $223 per
CULTURE LINKS: There’s a bright spot in New York theater. It’s not where you think • A new art weekend touches down in New Jersey • Beleaguered NFT website Digital Basel shuts down after tumultuous year • Christie’s launches buy now, pay later scheme for art up to $1M • Why is everything in New York City an ‘experience’?
GETAWAYS • Upstate & Litchfield
Make mine a double
Is there anything more tantalizing in real estate than an adjoining property for sale? On a recent real estate jaunt north of the city, our attention fell upon two such twofers that recently came to market.
The Boulders, a venerable hotel-turned-private estate on Lake Waramaug in Litchfield County, CT, is for sale — along with its accompanying carriage house — for $9.2M. The property, which operated as an Inn for 50 years until it sold to private owners in 2012, was one of the last Waramaug estates to give up the lodging game to make way for family compounds. (Of course, the 42-acre parcel was originally developed as a family compound in the 1890s. What goes around comes around.)
The main house and carriage house are also available separately — $5.95 million and $3.25 million, respectively. “The main house at $5.95M seems like a very good price,” a local real estate tracker tells us. “But who would want the risk of a random buyer taking the guest house literally right on the same property?”
→ 387 Lake Rd (Warren, CT, above) • 8BR/6.1BA, 8387 SF • former Boulders Lodge on Lake Waramaug, built 1895 • Listed: 3/2/24 for $5.95M • Listing agent: Peter Klemm, Klemm Real Estate.
→ 385 Lake Rd (Warren, CT) • 7BR/7.1BA, 4482 SF • former Boulders Lodge carriage house on 3.23 acres • Listed: 3/2/24 for $3.25M • Listing agent: Peter Klemm, Klemm Real Estate.
Fifty miles northwest, a similar set of circumstances is unfolding on the Hudson River, where two named properties, the Stone River Lodge and The River Villa, are available as a $9M pair, or in two separate pieces. The twin properties here seem to be less big brother-little brother than at the Boulders, and also, come with a $700k discount on the package deal.
→ 214 Route 385 (Catskill, NY) • 11BR/6BA, 5820 SF • 1930s stone lodge on 33 acres • Listed: 3/15/24 for $4.75M • Listing agent: Lisa Bouchard Hoe, Kinderhook Group.
→ 216 Route 385 (Catskill, NY) • 11BR/6.1BA, 7022 SF • Italian villa vibes on 51 acres • Listed: 3/15/24 for $4.95M • Listing agent: Lisa Bouchard Hoe, Kinderhook Group.
GETAWAYS LINKS: In Hudson Valley, Malibu’s The Ranch prepares its East Coast debut by end of April • Six Senses first Caribbean hotel, on Grenada’s South Coast, has opened • Can a fancy hotel room have a Murphy bed?
LOST & FOUND • Behind the Paywall
Dispatches from the frontline, from FOUND subscribers for FOUND subscribers:
→ Below, our list of the nine best olive oils to order for delivery. But first, FOUND subscribers respond to last Friday’s hotel restaurants Nines, including a face-off on Williamsburg rooftop fave Laser Wolf: