Monte's Bday and Tubway

This past weekend, I hosted a birthday party at mr. Black for my friend Monte Albers de Leon, with DJ Lina on tables! It was a super fun event, and I stayed on afterwards to host Tubway with the usual suspects!


(Photo courtesy of DJ Gant Johnson-l to r- back: One Half Nelson, Nicky Balistrieri, myself, and Milan. front: Lady Fag, Nita Aviance, and Roze Black)

Socialista Sundays

With so much happening on Sundays this fall, it can be overwhelming to decide what to do! Our fave alternative to the scene is Socialista! It's chill, you can have actual conversations, there isn't any attitude, and it's very mixed, so all are welcome!

SO, we invite you to join us for cocktails on Sundays at Socialista. You'll have no problems at the door, you can get a drink, and because it's from 8pm-12pm, you can still make it out, have a good time, and get home in time to not feel like hell come Monday morning! Hosted by Errickson and Russ Beats by Lina See you Sunday at Socialista!


PS, there will be surprise cocktail specials!

Wednesday October 08, 2008: Apotheke, etc.

After a martini at one of my fave spots, Gusto, the dapper Nicholas Fahey and I headed to Chinatown to check out Apotheke, a relatively new apothecary inspired artisanal cocktail lounge hidden on Doyers Street, in an old opium den. The decor reminds me of something you might have seen in Shanghai in the 30's, or a villainous Victorian laboratory, with tons of apothecary bottles gracing the back of the bar, as well as assorted intriguing paraphernalia.

3 mixologists, in the truest sense of the word are turning out some of the finest cocktails that I have ever tasted! The techniques they were using were absolutely fascinating, and we were lucky it wasn't super crowded so we were able to watch each one being made. Glasses set aflame, caramelized rims with habanero infusions, the list goes on and on. Jack, who mans what appeared to be most of the dark spirits, even convinced me to try a Mint Julep, his way. I am no fan of dark spirits, but as apprehensive as I was, he didn't fail to deliver! I actually wanted to have another because it was so delicious, but with so many options to experience, how could I not try something new.

Before we tried a new round, we ducked out for a minute to Joe's Shanghai on Pell Street for the most amazing soup dumplings I had ever tasted in my life! Fried dumplings were delicious as well! We became the mayors of our communal table, as Nicholas introduced himself, and us, to each new diner that sat down! Truly a sight! Definitely the best Chinese in New York, in my opinion!



Now back to Apotheke! After I had a little snack (a little? lol!) my palate was recharged, and ready for my next cocktail. I chose James Bond Melon Ball. I have no clue what all was in it, but I did taste some elderflower, cantaloupe, and watermelon. It was a vodka base, but I know it was something more special than just those notes. I'm now officially hooked, and will be back again and again!

I left Apotheke, and headed to meet a friend who apparently fell asleep and was no fun, so I went to meet DJ Lina and Gentleman's League designer/founder, Adam Razak at Kingswood. Cocktail after cocktail, we entertained a rotating roster of guests at our table, as the restaurant died down, the bar scene picked up, and we eventually shut it down with the staff! We all headed to my west side favorite, Employee's Only, to see the best abs in town, Igor, and the effervescent Rachel, who were overjoyed to see us! Well, that lasted for 1 drink, and we were pressured by friends of friends to meet up at the Box. Rather than have 1 more Amalia at EO, we hopped in cabs, and down we went, only to be met at the door by our friend who announced that it was closing and we were too late! Good times=no concept of time apparently!

So, another night in NYC, an amazing time, so chill, so many new places to try, so many old faves needing our attention, and so many people to see. Fall is upon us, and the event season is picking up, so I imagine it will always be hard to do it all, but somehow, the Boulevardier can always make it work!

Fall has arrived...

It's that time of year when the leaves start to fall, people stop hitting the beaches, and start hitting the apple orchards. Off with the Havaianas, and on with the shearlings. People start nesting, hunkering down for the winter. Well, it isn't completely lie that in New York City. We have a couple more months before the nesting process. Holiday season approaches, and we are in the midst of a horrible economic crunch, and even with this bull shit bail out, it's not going to be pretty for many people in the city when it comes to gifting. Stay tuned for The Boulevardier Gift Guide, for those in need of some economical ways to show those they love that luxury can be had at any price!

But before we even get to the gift guide, let's talk about Halloween! SO many ideas run through my head. Perhaps something post-apocalyptic, because that's basically what my bank account feels like these days! Below are some costumes from past Halloweens....

"freeze muthuhfuckuh, you have the right to remain sexy..."
Fashion Police Halloween 2005

Roze and I at Satyricon, Halloween 2007
It was based on the Fellini film..Roman themed, obvi!

Women in Western Art

While researching images of famous portraits for an upcoming project, I stumbled across this video. It spans 500 years of female portraiture, and the editing is pretty amazing! Check it out!