Jet Set Lara: travel, decadence and the pursuit of pleasure

Barcelona and Hotel Omm

Ok, I admit it. I am generally biased in favor of small properties with a tasteful, contemporary design.

So on a recent visit to Barcelona, a city that's quickly becoming a personal favorite, I decided to skip the 500 room, Ritz-Carlton owned, Hotel Arts. Or the brand new, 5-star Hesperia Tower where I attended a business lunch. Hesperia has an impressive lobby but is located next to what looks like a bunch of low income housing projects, is not within walking distance to anything of interest and has dull views despite its 107 meter height. And why on earth did they decide to install those ridiculous touch-screen software widgets controlling the elevators? (apparently walking to just any elevator is not good enough) Oh well, at least they are not running Windows, and you don't need to accept any end user license agreements before using the elevator.

I decided to explore the much smaller, and a lot more hip, Hotel Omm. My room was spacious and bright, with beautiful lighting and free wifi. Sure there were design and service glitches. Like the fact the bathroom sink & tub were on opposite sides of the room from the toilet and bidet. And the simple pasta dish I requested never made it to my room (someone must have been hungrier than me). But I forgive them. Mostly because the restaurant Moo downstairs was exceptionally decadent the following night, even without the chef's culinary recreation of perfumes (my lover and I had a desert inspired by Christian Dior's Poison.)

I was also impressed by some other details and decor at Moo. For example, every table had a unique modernist sculpture. We happened to be rather appropriately seated on a table with a sculpture of a naked female form ;)  And every dish in our five course meal came on a different, brilliantly designed plate, with art deco-like interpretations of the restaurant's logo. Supposedly there are about 40 unique designs and they are all from different artists.

The rooftop area seems like it would be a happening place during the summer, and features a beautiful bar and a tiny pool facing the lunar landscape of Gaudi's Casa Milà roof. I am sure to go back. Probably during Sonar in June.

I attached on my travel album some pictures I took of Gaudi's Casa Batlló, a couple of blocks from the hotel.

Feel free to share your favorite Barcelona spots by leaving a comment below.

Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)

Hotel Omm
Rossello 265
08008 Barcelona
Tel: +34 (934) 454-000
Fax: +34 (934) 454-004

A Bite Out in the Big Apple

The following entry on NYC fine dining is by Jet Set Blog contributor BofP. Enjoy! Lara.

Zagat.  Michelin.  The New York Times.  New York Magazine.  Each of these august publications has anointed the same restaurant as their ne plus ultra of New York Dining.  The best restaurant in the best restaurant town in the world.  With this unanimous and effusive praise, then, Manhattan’s Le Bernardin should have an obvious claim on the title of “Best Restaurant in the World”. 

Except that it isn’t the best restaurant in the world.  The first problem is the room, a giant rectangle on the ground floor of a midtown office tower dressed up with a wood coffered ceiling, giant sprays of flowers and a mishmash of oil paintings from an unidentifiable period.  It looks exactly like the lobby of a standard issue Four Seasons Hotel – need I say more?  The bar is inadequate, particularly during the holidays when the private rooms in the back are humming with corporate events and the early arrivals are shunted into the constrained area like kids waiting for Space Mountain at Disneyworld.  At least at Disney, they give you updates on how much longer you are likely to spend in steerage.

Once you are at your table, and ignoring the soulless surroundings, things do get a bit better.  Service is fully professional and solicitous.  No waiting 20 minutes to get a menu here.  The concept at Le Bernardin is fish – the subtle yin to Peter Luger’s yang.  Like Luger, Le Bernardin is expert within its focused domain.  Chef Eric Ripert has access to the best specimens from every port in the world and he cooks them with absolute precision, letting the flavor of the pristine fish flesh take center stage.  Herein lays the second problem: a meal at Le Bernardin is a subtle and ascetic pleasure, rather than a hedonistic indulgence.  This “less is more” approach may appeal to the critic and satisfy the timid palate, but after 20 years, it is not even touching the sides of the envelope, much less pushing it forward.

Le Bernardin’s cuisine is culinary chamber music – small, precise and pleasant, but lacking passion and creativity.  Perversely, these shortcomings may be the very reasons the restaurant fares so well in the populist Zagat Guide and with opinionated critics – there is a long history of innovation in the arts, culinary or otherwise, getting the short shrift in favor of bland and non-confrontational alternatives.  With that off of my chest, let me list ten restaurants that offer both passion AND professionalism (in nice rooms to boot).

1. Jean-Georges – Easily the most creative toque in town, Jean-Georges Vongerichten delivers thought and palate provoking food without ignoring the absolute requirement that it taste delicious.
2. Per Se – A hair behind Jean-Georges only because it is a bit dependant on dishes that were debuted at Thomas Keller’s other restaurant, The French Laundry in Napa Valley.  Dinner here is transcendent with the best service in New York.
3. Craft – Tom Colicchio has deconstructed the modern menu with vegetables and side dishes all ordered separately.  The veggies are a particular revelation, making this the best restaurant in NYC for non-meat eaters – there is a benefit from a location steps from Manhattan’s largest and best farmers market.
4. Babbo – No one ever accused Mario Batali of lacking passion or creativity – this is a place to try something new.  In a city with a cookie cutter Italian place on every corner, Babbo stands out.
5. Daniel – Poor Daniel Boulud – just two stars from Michelin, then a slap in the face from New York Magazine.  I like the exuberant, slightly over the top Daniel just fine for its hedonistic pleasures.  BTW I also like the more grounded cooking at Daniel’s more casual Café Boulud.
6. The Modern – The best new restaurant in the city of the past couple of years, The Modern has the advantage of its MoMA sculpture garden vista.  Fortunately, the food lives up to the setting.
7. Cru – With the best wine list in the city, and a “more is more” parade of amuse buches, intermezzos and petit fours, Cru feels like an indulgence from start to finish.   Oh, the cooking is extraordinary as well.
8. Town – Gorgeous room, fantastic location, beautiful people and delicious food.  Very cerebral cooking that also delivers sensual pleasure.
9. Kurumazushi – Amazing that New York Magazine left the best sushi in NYC off of its 101 Best Restaurants list.  Sushi Master Oezu is the first chef allowed into the Hunt’s Point fish market every night – it shows in the stunning end product.  For sushi hounds, Sushi Yasuda and Sushi of Gari are also recommended.
10. Perry Street – Jean-Georges’ newest restaurant feels more like California than Manhattan, but that’s a good thing.  A relaxed West Village vibe with a view of the new park along the Hudson river is matched to sophisticated, yet homey, Asian influenced fare.  Since the chef lives right upstairs, he is actually here fairly often.

Contributed by BofP

Happy New Year!

I came back to the States a couple of days ago after a wonderful and particularly decadent NYE in Paris. The NYE details shall remain secret for now, but I woke up early in the afternoon on New Year's day and headed with my lover to Cafe de Flore for some of their amazing hot chocolate, freshly squeezed orange juice and a Croque Madame... We walked along La Seine on what was a cool and cloudy day before heading back to London. We finished the night with a romantic dinner at the OXO Tower Restaurant on the South Bank while savoring the view of St Paul's Cathedral through a glass of champagne...

Trully a wonderful way to start the New Year! Even the rain stopped :) I uploaded some additional pictures on my Travel album.

Cafe de Flore
172 Bld St Germain
Paris

Tel: +33 1 45 48 55 26

OXO Tower Wharf
Barge House St
South Bank
London

Tel:  +44 20 7803 3888

Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)

A new favorite?

I admit I am not a cocktail person. I prefer champagne, wine or Cognac. But Salvatore, London's greatest barman who used to manage the Library Bar at the Lanesborough, changed all that with Spicy Fifty, a delicious blend of vanilla vodka, elderflower cordial, fresh lime juice, honey and red chili.

Now if I could only get him to come to New York!

Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)

Salvatore @ Fifty
50 St James’s Street
London
SW1A 1JT

Tel: +44 (0) 8704 15 50 50

Discovering a trendy Dim Sum restaurant in London

It sounds like a contradiction. A hip dim sum dinner? In the Cantonese tradition dim sum is supposed to be breakfast and lunch snacks often brought to your table on a cart by a waiter who doesn't speak a word of english. You can imagine my surprise when I went to Ping Pong, a hip restaurant in London's Soho serving dim sum for dinner in a contemporary setting. As far as the menu goes, I suggest you stick with the steamed dumplings.

Those who wish a more traditional (but somewhat expensive) dim sum experience may want to try Yank Sing in San Francisco. At Yank Sing, you may even be tempted to venture to more exotic dishes... like chicken feet... Yes, I've had those. I'll try anything once!

Feel free to share your favorite dim sum restaurant anywhere in the world by leaving a comment below.

Ping Pong Restaurant

45 Great Marlborough St
London W1F7JL

Tel: +44 (0) 207 851 6969

Yank Sing

One Rincon Center,
101 Spear St. (at Mission)
San Francisco, CA 94105

Tel: +1 (415) 957-9300

Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)

Love and Sushi

I recently joked about moving to Asia in search of an ideal lover calligrapher. Turns out I’ve had several Asian lovers in my life (and that's not even counting female lovers). I am not sure if this indicates a secret attraction to Asians on my part or if Asian men are simply more persistent in pursuing me. Hmmm, maybe I'll be able to finally make sense of this – or further confuse the situation – on my next trip to Tokyo this fall. I may even attempt a brief visit to Hong Kong, Shanghai and/or Seoul. Stay tuned!

Anyway, I recently dined at Matsuri in Chelsea, on the basement of the Maritime hotel, and very much enjoyed the sushi there. Hiro's, the Japanese themed club, is right across the door if you have a taste for overpriced sake. The "other" room at Hiro's can be quite fun on certain nights btw (but definitely not on the weekends). Lovers of sake would also appreciate the selection at San Francisco's Ozumo.

At Matsuri, the space has a cavernous feel and is decorated with Japanese calligraphy-painted lanterns suspended from the ceiling. I also enjoyed the artistic presentation of the plates (the picture doesn’t do justice because of the low light conditions)

Matsuri

369 W. 16th Street (in the Maritime Hotel), New York
Tel: (212) 243-6400
Open Sunday-Wednesday, 6 PM to midnight; Thursday-Saturday, 6 PM to 1 AM

Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)

Spicing up a conference call at 60 Thompson…

Emily, my Scandinavian friend who I see about once a month, came to NYC the other day for a photo shoot. I picked her up from JFK and we joined my former lover, a young British playboy, for lunch at Café des Artistes while enjoying the Howard Chandler Christy murals of playful naked nymphs.

Emily and I stayed at 60 Thompson, a trendy Soho hotel that is somewhat overrated but has a happening rooftop lounge (as long as you remember to avoid the Saturday night bridge and tunnel crowd)

I managed to take a couple of pictures for the blog.

Surprisingly, we were well behaved this time around. There was no iPod scandal and no flirting with men from the hotel staff ;)  Let me scratch that, we were well behaved until a morning conference call I completely forgot about. I ended spicing things up by using the mute function every now and then while focusing my attention on Emily... It gives the word "multitasking" a whole new meaning. And makes conference calls a lot more fun!

Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)

Café des Artistes

1 West 67th St (near Central Park West)

(212) 877-3500

Hotel Vitale: a new San Francisco favorite

I’ve mentioned in the past that I find San Francisco hotels extremely disappointing. So you can imagine my excitement when I stayed at the newly opened (March 2005) Hotel Vitale overlooking the San Francisco bay.

Sure, the hotel’s exterior was a bit generic, but it’s not particularly noticeable from the waterfront anyway (maybe because it is so unremarkable!)

I made reservations for a friend and checked-in early for a room inspection. First thing I noticed was the young, sexy and friendly staff at the front desk (I hope the guy is not gay, maybe I should ask him out on a date sometime.) The lobby was spacious, in contrast to the beautiful but somewhat claustrophobic lobby at the Palomar, and the bar was buzzing with young professionals on a Friday afternoon.

After pressing a Gattaca-style elevator button, I headed upstairs. The corridors in front of the elevators were about 2-3 times the size of your average hotel corridor. The décor had a general “leaf” theme. Not sure it works with the hotel’s sterile exterior, but maybe it’s meant to establish some sort of balance.

I entered the room and was immediately seduced by the view. I took the picture on the left. Turns out my partner and I put quite a show the next morning right at that window, in plain sight of the pedestrians and the farmer’s market below. I remember getting out of the large, rainfall-style shower before putting on the velvety soft Hotel Vitale bath robe. If only there were side jets or dual shower heads it would have been perfect! I walked to join my partner who was enjoying the view by the window and next thing I knew we were both standing naked… Within a few minutes people on the street started to notice. I am not an exhibitionist but I'll readily admit I sometimes enjoy to tease. Nevertheless, I was a bit nervous because this hotel has only 8 floors. Imagine how scared I got when someone knocked on our door! It turned out to be someone from the hotel staff asking if we had anything from the mini-bar. He was polite, but I found it a bit annoying.

The hotel had a SONY dream machine and a decent selection of trendy CD's. The TV control for the flat panel TV was not working. Not sure why. I didn't care much for the bath products. Some of them, including the soap, had a lemon scent. Maybe it's just me, but lemon scented soap reminds me of dishwasher liquid! The conditioner was a bit too light for anyone that has to deal with long hair. But who cares? I carry my own conditioner anyway. The bathroom was spacious and beautiful.

Later in the day, my partner and I went to the Farmer’s market across the street, the best by far in San Francisco. Make sure to go if you ever find yourself in San Francisco on a Saturday morning, particularly in the summer. The fruits they have are simply amazing, the merchants are friendly and most of them will let you sample everything from delicious nectarines to juicy tomatoes… We then walked around the renovated Ferry building and had some great Kumamoto oysters at the Hog Island Oyster Company

BTW, a great place to go for lunch or dinner to enjoy some Vietnamese fusion cuisine is the Slanted Door restaurant right at the Ferry building.

Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)

Causing trouble in New York...

What happens when a 5'9" brunette (Jet Set Lara) and a 5'10" blonde (Fiona) have a girls' night out in NYC?

It was supposed to be a quiet night. We were going to meet for a drink. Or two. An evening to talk, relax and get to know each other. Fiona is a NYC-based companion and although we had talked on the phone extensively, we had never met in person. We are both very private individuals and didn't really know what to expect...

Wow! We were quite a team together... Although we are kind of shy we had this influence on each other that encouraged our wild side.

The "quiet" night started with drinks and appetizers at the Spice Market in the Meatpacking district (403 W 13th St), where we enjoyed the Southeast Asian treats of Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Gray Kunz.

After a few drinks we started hitting all the trendy lounges without having to wait in line or pay for entrance. Drinks and champagne were sent to us from tables on the other side of room...

A phone call from a friend made us head over to Aer Lounge (409 W 13th St) for the Harvard-Yale Polo Cup afterparty. The crowd was clearly several drinks ahead of us due to the (earlier) Charity event in Greenwich, Connecticut.

We then headed to Cain (544 W 27th St), the South Africa inspired nightclub of Jamie Mulholland. I enjoyed the decor and took a couple of pictures for the blog, including the zebra skin under the bar and the stuffed antelope head above the DJ.

The scary thing is we were not even especially wild, and didn't really plan anything in advance, so you have to wonder what a well-planned sequel will look like...

On the other hand, maybe we'll opt for a Chelsea art gallery tour next time :) Or end-up afterhours in the steam room on the basement of the Trump ;)

Lara

Geeky New York moments

The other day I was enjoying a glass of wine and a lobster salad at Bin 71, a new wine bar on the Upper West Side. I was meeting with fellow blogger Amy of NewYorkology.com, my favorite NYC blog...

At some point I realized there were four Treos on our side of the counter: Amy's 600, my Sprint 650 (I was an early adopter otherwise I would have gone for the GSM version), and two additional Treos from the gentlemen who happened to take a seat next to us.

Within minutes the conversation turned to Treos and the gentlemen started to swap applications. They offered to send us some apps as well, but we didn't want our Treos making out with strangers via the infrared port :)

I took a couple of pictures, including one of the lobster and avodado salad I particularly enjoyed. I will likely come back. Amy's review of Bin 71 can be found here.

Lara

On sushi and tea

My friends know that I have a weakness for sushi (and it's not just because of my Asian fetish...) There is something decadent yet simple about it and its light nature makes it an ideal prelude to a long night out. I just make a point to carry some mints with me for the later part of the evening:)

I haven't had yet the chance to eat (or should I say feast?) at Hiroyuki Urasawa's restaurant in Beverly Hills that has a reputation of almost mythical proportions. One of the (numerous) reasons is that it serves fugu (blowfish), and only licensed and highly trained chefs can prepare it since parts of the fish contain a deadly toxin. I am not sure which kind of fugu is served at Urasawa; I have heard that tora fugu is the best. The place is intimate (10 guests, reservation only) and the ambience in the evenings is supposed to be great. Hiro used to be the sous-chef for Masa Takayama.

And since we got started on the whole Asian theme and LA, one of my favorite spots for tea and pastries is Jin Patisserie in Venice that blends European and Asian influences. You can enjoy your tea in a peaceful (when it's not crowded!) and elegantly designed garden while lounging in a large cushion... And with a delicious chocolate desert on your plate what else could you ask for?

I would love to see some suggestions from readers on exceptional sushi restaurants in the US and Asia!

Lara

Urasawa:

$250 per person
218 N Rodeo Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
between Wilshire Boulevard and Via
(310) 247-8939

Jin Patisserie:

1202 Abbot Kinnet Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 399-8802

West coast dining - San Francisco

George Morrone is perhaps the most famous San Francisco chef with an impressive background including Campton Place, Bel Air, Aqua, the Fifth Floor and a large, "theater" like restaurant in Sydney called Wild Fire in 2003.

His newest venture, Tartare, is an intimate and relaxed restaurant in San Francisco's financial district. My favorite dish there is Ostrich Tartare. George is a very friendly guy and chances are he'll come out and greet you towards the end of your dinner.

George is no longer involved with another favorite of mine, the Fifth Floor. I am typically not a fan of hotel restaurants, but this is an exception. It is located on the fifth floor of hotel Palomar and has a beautiful contemporary decor. One thing to keep in mind at the Fifth Floor: it can be hard to choose plates and/or wine that complement each other because the dishes tend to be somewhat complex. I suggest you go for the "tasting menu", relax and let yourself explore...

Sometimes it's nice to let yourself go, especially for those of us who can be control freaks:)

Lara

Tartare
550 Washington St, San Francisco
(415) 434-3100

Fifth Floor
12 Fourth St, San Francisco
(415) 348-1555

Imported comments from my old livejournal blog:

From: (Anonymous) Date: November 13th, 2004 - 09:28 am
Excellent taste, Ms. Set

Tartare is excellent, and Morrone is a superb maestro of the kitchen. I wasn't a huge fan of Fifth Floor as I thought the rich food in tiny, tiny portions always left me wanting more. Not in the good way.

If I might presume to make a suggestion, have you tried The Dining Room at the Ritz since Ron Siegal (Masa, precluded by French Laundry)? I happened to be there as a guest of a hotel sales exec on the same night as Siegal's mentor, Thomas Keller, was dining, so you know the kitchen was on point. I felt his efforts at Masa were overpowering. Quite the opposite, portion-wise, as my single Fifth Floor experience. I could barely finish what ended up to be the 10th course in a 7 course tasting menu. He reigns in his courses and portions at The Dining Room to balance the meal and make you want more. In the good way. A la Keller at any of his restaurants, no matter the course load.

Anywho, I'm rambling. I just stumbled on to your site and as a City dweller thought I'd comment with both my experience and a sincere suggestion.

Adieu,

Greg

From: (Anonymous) Date: November 14th, 2004 - 08:34 pm
Ron Siegel

We haven't gotten to check out the Ritz since Ron Siegel has taken it over, but it's certainly on our list -- it's such a treat to discover a chef like him early enough in his career that you can track (and enjoy!) his evolution. We certainly noticed a lot more subtlety (although just as much creativity) in his work at Masa's as compared to Charles Nob Hill; from Greg's comment, he may well have taken things to another level at the Ritz ...

Of course, I suspect for sentimental reasons, our favorite Ron Siegel meal will always be the first one we had -- where he recreated his winning Iron Chef "lobster confront" menu. This was back when Iron Chef was only shown on the Asian-language station in SF -- with subtitles, no less -- and it was enough of a splurge that it was also our anniversary present to ourselves. So perhaps I'm not completely objective here ...

flouncy

Fear as a marketing tool?

As we have all noticed during this election campaign, perception of security can serve as an effective marketing tool. I recently learned that Hotel Bel Air in LA, a location routinely hosting VIPs, installed a network of more than 100 cameras on the 12-acre property's periphery to guard against "intruders and paparazzi". I'm ok with it as long as they don't end up installing a camera in my bedroom:)

I am willing to bet the most likely and frequent intrusion is through (surprise!) the front door. Pure social engineering by elegantly dressed ladies and gentlemen hoping to enjoy the beautiful pool with its fresh fruit buffet and celebrity eye candy, rather than criminals practicing acrobatics to climb over the fence!

By the way, if you get the chance to visit the hotel, try to attend one of the signature winemaker's dinners with cuisine by Executive Chef Douglas Dodd. The following is the calendar of events courtesy of Mariani's newsletter:

Nov. 8: Tenute Sette Ponti with Dr. Antonio Moretti;
Nov. 11: Sterling Winery Wine and Cheese Dinner with Ron Lilly, Cellar Master;
Nov. 18: Cain Vineyards, with Chris Howell;
Dec. 2: Dom Perignon

Make sure to call in advance (310) 909-1602 for reservations ($125 per person)

Dining and the art of seduction

In one of my previous posts I mentioned Per Se, the NYC restaurant by Thomas Keller of French Laundry. Last week, there was an article on the San Francisco Chronicle about the two restaurants (in New York and Yountville, CA) and Laura Cunningham, the woman who oversees their operations.

Northern California gems

One of the advantages of living in the Bay Area is the proximity to several locations of great natural beauty. Lake Tahoe, the pacific coastline along Highway 1, Big Sur, etc

There are also some real treats when it comes to hospitality. Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley is probably number one on that list. This private, romantic and serene boutique hotel is also widely recognized as one of the best restaurants in California.

Speaking of restaurants, some excellent choices in San Francisco include La Folie and House of NanKing. I've also heard very good things about Gary Danko, although I haven't been there yet. The chef, Gary Danko, started attracting national attention in the mid 90s while at the Ritz Carlton dining room in San Francisco.

Another convenient escape from the Bay Area is the Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay, although it's a bit too massive and does not really fit the understated elegance of Northern California beauty.

Anyway, I could go on and on, but can always add places on a later post. Feel free to post your own suggestions too!

Lara

Reader comments on "Northern California gems"

Compiled comments from readers (the original comments were on my "old" livejournal blog):

From: (Anonymous) Date: April 12th, 2004 - 05:56 pm Northern California Some other stops come to mind. Resturants: Taking in the beauty on King's Mountain Bella Vista, Woodside. Breakfast at Alice's Resturant Sunday Morning on Skyline in Woodside. Accomondations: Old Thyme Inn in Half Moon Bay davemc

			Comment by Anonymous

	From: (Anonymous) Date: May 6th, 2004 - 05:47 pm Restaurants with a view Don't forget Napenthe' in Big Sur, The Crows Nest in Santa Cruz, (both better in the off season) Mission Ranch in Carmel (for you meat eaters), Hollins House in Santa Cruz (great for brunch) photographer

			Comment by sigmundfuller

	From: sigmundfuller Date: July 22nd, 2004 - 08:52 am Auberge doesn't like me, and I don't like Auberge I am a persona non grata at Auberge du Soleil. I went once and found it tepid. I went a second time with a bunch of friends, made too much trouble, and got asked to leave. Oops.

			Comment by Anonymous

From: (Anonymous) Date: November 13th, 2004 - 10:14 am Gary Danko is a must Period. The most inventive and attractive menu structure I've ever seen. The food is scintillating and the service excellent. The room (there are two) is small but the artwork seems to expand the space. But the food is the real draw.  Best in SF in my opinion. I met a protege of his who started a similar restaurant in Saigon with great success. He obviously incorporated Vietnamese flavors and sensibilities, but kept the essence. And now he's filming cooking shows in London and is making quite a stir in S.E. Asia. Last post for tonight, Greg