Athleisure Mag OCT ISSUE #94

ISSUE #94

PHOTO CREDIT | HAEWON OH

@AthleisureMag

TM

PUBLISHER

Paul Farkas

EDITORIAL

Kimmie Smith

Co-Founder, Creative + Style Director

Paul Farkas

Co-Founder, Artistic Director + Tech Director

PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTIONS

PHOTOGRAPHERS | Matt Armendariz | Paul Dixon |

| Paul Farkas |Anne Menke | Food Network New York City Wine

Food Festival Presented by Capital One/Getty Images |

| Kimmie Smith | Michael Tulipan |

ADVERTISING

info@athleisuremag.com

@ATHLEISUREMAG

CONNECT + VISIT

E-mail: info@athleisuremag.com

Website: www.athleisuremag.com

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Athleisure Mag , a Division of Athleisure Media LLC.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Paul Farkas | Kimmie Smith

HOST

Kimmie Smith

MIXING

Athleisure Studio Team

ATHLEISURE STUDIO

PODCAST NETWORK SHOWS

#TRIBEGOALS | ATHLEISURE KITCHEN |

BUNGALOW SK | THE 9LIST |

@ATHLEISURESTUDIO

CONNECT + VISIT

E-mail: info@athleisuremag.com

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table of contents

issue #94

oct 2023

157

STYLE FEATURES

THE PICK ME UP

166

78

IN OUR BAG

173 ROCK THIS POST STUDIO

STYLE THIS FALL WHEN

OUT + ABOUT

BEAUTY FEATURES

ALMOND BEAUTY

Forces of Nature

Laird Hamilton + Gabby Reece

This month’s cover is power duo, Beach Volleyball great Gabby Reece and Legendary

Waterman and Big Wave Surfer Pioneer, Laird Hamilton. We talk with them

about being cofounders of Laird Superfood, their products, and more!

16

177

ATHLEISURE BEAUTY

Journey of Flavors

Hortus NYC

We had an epic meal in Flatiron and enjoyed an array of dishes that were full of

flavor in every bite! From the appetizers, mains, sides, desserts, and cocktails, we’re

already thinking about our next visit.

46

158

LIFESTYLE FEATURES

ATHLEISURE LIST

PAROS TRIBECA

PREP FOR HOLIDAY

56

We chat with Gaby Dalkin to get some

tips on prepping for the upcoming holiday

season.

THE 9LIST

®

70

Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from EDM DJ/

Producer Honeyluv. She shares her must

haves in beauty, style, and fitness.

160

ATHLEISURE LIST

SEASONED VEGAN

AthleisureMag.com - 10 - Issue #94 | Oct 2023

9PLAYLIST

Miley Cyrus

TM

This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from Singer/Songwriter Miley Cyrus who shares with

us what she’s listening to at the moment for her #EndlessSummerPlaylist.

82

Art of the Snack

Sagaponack

This month, we’re taking a trip to the

Hamptons without even leaving Manhattan

by dining at Sagaponack.

86

Being Seen

Misty Copeland

94

We caught up with ABT’s Misty Copeland

to talk about her phenomenal career in

ballet and her film which showed at this

year’s Tribeca Film Festival!

New York City

102

Wine Food Festival

We had a time at this year’s Food Network

NYC Wine Food Festival! We had

great bites, sips and chef conversations

that you can find out about.

63MIX ROUTIN3S

Chuck Norris

TM

This month, legendary martial artist,

actor and entrepreneur, Chuck Norris

shares his must-haves for Morning,

Afternoon and Night.

162

Issue #94 | Oct 2023

- 11 - AthleisureMag.com

We're excited for this month's cover as we

have a powerhouse couple that is known

for dominanting the beach and the water!

We have Beach Volleyball great, Gabby

Reece. We always enjoyed seeing her on a

number of her Nike commercials, gracing

the covers of Elle, and being in a number

of shows appearing as herself. As someone

who modeled, performed during her

matches, is a TV personality, fitness/wellness

expert and continues that passion of

wellness with her podcasts, projects and

is the Co-Founder with her husband Laird

Hamilton with their brands that include

Laird Superfood, Laird Apparel, and XPT

(Extreme Performance Training).

Laird Hamilton is the ultimate waterman,

pioneer in action sports (he is known for

crossover board sports including being

the co-inventor of tow-in-surfing, stand-up

paddle boarding, and hydrofoil boarding)

and big wave surfing legend! He is an inventor,

author, stunt man (he performed the

stunts in James Bond's Die Another Day in

the opening sequence), model, producer,

TV host, fitness and nutrition expert, and

adrenaline junkie. His passion for wellness

and nutrition, led him to him Co-Founding

Laird Superfood.

Last fall, we talked with Gabby Reece and

we knew then that we'd love to have her

and Laird together to find out more about

them, their businesses, their assortment,

how they navigate their coupleship in business

and their partnership.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It is so great to be able

to chat with you guys! We had the pleasure

of chatting with Gabby last fall and

we were talking about power couples, so

it’s great to have you both! As she knows,

Athleisure Mag’s Co-Founders are also a

couple so it’s good vibes all around.

GABBY REECE: Hello!

LAIRD HAMILTON: Well yeah, you know,

mixing work and pleasure is always dangerous!

AM: It is always dangerous; it can definite-

ly be a tricky cocktail.

LH: It can be or it can be all natural!

AM: Well there are moments on each

side depending on the moments we're

caught in!

It’s exciting to be able to talk about Laird

Superfood and the businesses that you

both have together. I know that readers

will be so excited as well. The last time I

chatted with Gabby, we talked about her

background and career. So to catch our

readers up, when did you fall in love with

surfing and what do you love about being

an iconic waterman as you’re so talented?

LH: Well, I think that my relationship

with the ocean and water happened

very early. My mom had stories of me

crawling towards water before I could

walk. So I think that I was just drawn to

water and I think that that’s pretty natural

because we are water. So my kind of

relationship with water started before I

could remember and then my surfing, I

think that I had my own board – I mean

usually I had pieces of boards because

in those days, there were no boards

for kids. There were no boogie boards

or anything like that. Usually, you got a

piece of a broken board from an adult

and then you made that your board! So,

I always just thought in terms of swimming

and surfing, that was what you did

and that that was what everybody does.

So if someone said, “I don’t swim,”

when I was younger, I felt like saying

that you don’t swim was like saying that

you don’t walk.

AM: Right!

LH: Yeah, it’s like, “is there something

wrong?” But yeah, it’s in my foundation.

AM: That’s amazing and what was the

moment when you realized that you

both wanted to launch these businesses

together? How did it take place and how

did you decide on who would do what?

GR: Well, in the case of Laird Superfood,

well most of our businesses actually, were

almost accidents. Laird Superfood was

not on purpose. It was based on a drink

that Laird was making in our kitchen and

shared with his friends before they would

train and go out in the water.

One of these friends would ask what’s in

it and how much it was. One of our other

friends who is the other Co-Founder, is a

serial entrepreneur and he thought that if

Laird benefits from it and he was feeling

this, maybe we can create this for other

people and so Laird Superfood was created

in 2015 around the premise of Laird

originally sharing something that was

working for him.

LH: Yeah, and I think that our desire to

have businesses had stemmed before

that. I think that just being athletes and

then I would kind of say, supporting other

businesses as you evolve, I think that it

is only natural that you would want to go

into as I describe – being your own sponsor.

AM: Oh yeah!

LH: So once you build your brand to a certain

level, it was like, “ok, we’ll go into

business,” but like the businesses themselves

came organically like Gabby said.

It either came through a habit we had or

some other practice that we were doing

and that seemed the easiest given the authenticity.

So, it was real authentic and

it was not something that seemed like

we were making something that was a

departure from our philosophy and our

beliefs which I think is really important

because then everything becomes a lot

easier because you’re not trying to learn

how you’re going to support the business.

You’re already naturally doing it.

GR: Our roles were almost an extension

of how our everyday lives go. I think that

we naturally have different strengths and

things that we lean into and those showed

up as well in the business. So on the business

side, Laird is one of the gatekeepers

and he is the creative and always curious

and messing around with concoctions if

you will.

LH: It’s like we built a house together

and that can either get people to be in a

deeper relationship or not be in one after

depending on people’s roles. I think

that it’s similar in that the businesses

are similar to building a house. I’m all

about the structure of it, how strong

is it, where’s the drainage and Gabby’s

into the aesthetics like in the situation

of Laird Superfood, I’m about the function

of the products. Gabby is about the

flavor and the taste of it. She makes the

house look pretty and taste good, it’s

wonderful. I’m like, “ok, does it support

me, does it do the thing and how does it

all work?” Then there’s also some overlap,

but that’s kind of the basis of our

teamwork.

AM: Well I’m a huge fan of the Hydrate

+ Electrolyte Coconut Water packets and

the Prebiotic Daily Greens. Those are my

2 favorites. I’m not a coffee drinker. How

do you guys decide on the types of products

that will be in the Laird Superfood

assortment?

GR: Well, a lot of this was an extension.

First of all, it’s always a commitment to

the ingredients. So whatever it’s going

to be – it’s going to focus on can we

make this with a value, make it taste

great, and still follow our guidelines for

real ingredients. With something in the

case of the Hydrate On the Go, and the

greens they are good as there's a lot of

gaps in people’s nutrition. We are huge

advocates of being able to get everything

from your food, that’s what we

want from you. It’s pretty hard to do

with the quality of our soil and hence,

that’s the greens. Hydration is – a lot of

times, things that are on the market are

really loaded with sugars and things like

that. So we thought, “ok, people are really

looking for high quality hydration

without a ton of added sugar. That made

a lot of sense and that really stems from

Laird’s deep relationship with drinking

coconuts himself! He'd come in from

surfing and literally cut a coconut down in

Kawaii and hence, the freeze-dried coconut

at the source and adding some of the

minerals.

LH: And also the philosophy that the ratios

in nature are perfect. When you start trying

to play with those, I think that you run

into trouble, so like Gabby said, I think that

we implement the kind of values such as

adding in whole food ingredients or foodbased

ingredients. Your body is more

used to those things and so it’s not like,

“what’s this foreign object?” It doesn’t

have to pull away from and take away

from your own body’s health in order to

deal with it. I think that that’s one of the

places in looking at areas where people

are lacking in their diet. We’re looking at

the convenience of it, how easy is it – you

just put it in there and you drink it. We’re

looking for areas in people’s lives where

we can best benefit them so we look at

their daily rituals. That’s the philosophy of

the brand. It’s a daily ritual and you know

that you’re going to have to hydrate, you

know that you’re gonna at some point

need some snacks. We’re going to make

bars. I’m not a huge snacker myself, but

people are gonna snack, so can we supply

them with good things on a daily basis?

Again, one of the values is if you’re doing

something everyday, that you really wanna

try to make that a good habit.

AM: Right.

LH: Because it’s a culmination over time.

So a little bit of good over a long time is a

lot of good! A little bit of bad over a long

period of time is bad. I think that sometimes

we think that it’s a little bit of bad

so it’s not a problem because it’s a little

bit, but then you’re like, “well yeah, a little

bit all of the time can eventually accumulate.”

AM: It starts stacking.

LH: Yeah, there’s some stuff in there.

AM: As we’re in the fall and we’re looking

towards the holiday, are there any prod-

ucts that are new that are going to be

out?

GR: Well we have some incredible instant

products –

LH: Ooo yes. So we make chai – we

make Instant Chai, Instant Matcha –

GR: Pumpkin Spice –

LH: Pumpkin Spice will be the holiday –

GR: And then Peppermint Mocha.

LH: Peppermint Mocha, yes.

GR: We’ve got some grown men around

here who swoon for that stuff, so the

thing that I love about these products

is that they’re seasonal and we want

to honor that people really love these

flavors and these traditions. Like it reminds

them of the holidays, but we’re

able to do it in a way that the ingredients

are excellent and you don’t have

to sacrifice that experience. So we

have it in pumpkin, we have it in a lot

of things.

LH: Multiple!

GR: We have it in instant products, a

creamer, a bar, and our liquid creamer

as well.

LH: We’re going hard after the pumpkin

spice! I mean, it’s something that I

really enjoy and I think that I may have

eaten a few whole pumpkin pies during

Thanksgiving over the years haha!

AM: What are your favorite foods that

you like eating from your brand?

GR: Well for me personally, I’m not a

matcha or a chai person, but our people

who love matcha and chai – we

have a high quality matcha and really

great chai. But for me, I’m using obviously

the coffees and creamers. I personally,

go for the mocha, Laird is a

turmeric guy.

"Because it's a culmination

over time. So a little bit of

good over a long time is a lot

of good! A little bit of bad

over a long period of time is

bad. I think that sometimes

we think that it's a little bit

of bad so it's not a problem

because it's a little bit, but

then you're like, "well yeah,

a little bit all of the time can

eventually accumulate."

Laird Hamilton

LH: Believe me, hers is not a coffee, it’s a

hot chocolate that happens to have coffee

in it, but you wouldn’t know it’s coffee

in it.

GR: When we travel, we use our instant

products. So, the instant latte, what’s

great is that people who are now working

in the office, all you have to do is add hot

water. So, we have all of these incredible

flavors and let’s say you’re on an airplane

and you’re hungry, but you don’t want to

eat that airplane food. It really curbs you.

LH: Yeah, the convenience of the powders,

especially the instant products, makes it

simple. You just get a cup of hot water.

I’ll go into a lot of coffee shops where I

know that I won’t be able to get a cup of

really good coffee without just burying it

in a bunch of sweeteners to cut how bad

the coffee is. So, I’ll just get hot water and

add that product to it. But the bars, the

greens – Gabby is on the greens.

GR: I use the greens in the morning.

LH: All the time –

GR: I use the greens in the morning

first thing. So, most of us are dehydrated

in the morning because hopefully

we have been sleeping for 8 hours. So,

the way that I use the greens is that

I put it in water first so that I can get

that big glass of water which we need

to do anyway. But because there’s no

fillers in the greens and things like that

and Laird mentioned the ingredients,

your body does know what to do with

it. I always feel like I’m on an empty

stomach and I can just get everything

in there.

LH: I like to use mine in a meal.

GR: Yeah, so, we’re opposite.

LH: Yeah, I like mine in a meal, because

I’m already in digestive mode.

GR: Yeah.

LH: So, I’m going to digest and of

course, the hydration products are always

good after training, before training.

GR: That’s really important too for

people to go to bed hydrated, especially

women – hydrated. It’s hard on

our hearts, literally to be dehydrated.

The stress that it causes increases

even more when we’re sleeping. It’s

really important as a reminder in general

however people want to be able

to hydrate.

AM: Are there product categories that

you don’t have now, but you are looking

to add to the brand? Like if you had

a wish me list?

LH: Well we’ve had, yeah, a list that we

are considering like baked goods. It’s

stuff that we have dabbled in before.

So there are other areas that we are interested

in. The truth is that we have a

quite a few categories within what we

have already to continue to develop.

Because, you know, the greens, the

bars, the creamers, the instant fuel

products – there’s always another flavor

too!

GR: And our coffees are excellent and also

–

LH: Yeah!

GR: It’s been fortunate that that has been

expanded so that we can add adaptogens

and other nutrition into the coffee itself.

So again, finding these little ways to sneak

in the good stuff without compromising –

LH: We’re doing whole beans and ground.

We’re already working on some samples

for some instant coffees as well. We have

the instant lattes, but we were also looking

at the instant coffees as well just because

of the convenience and I think that

people really enjoy instant coffee because

you get a faster absorption.

GR: Yeah. And we learned one thing from

business for sure, which is to try to focus

a little bit and to do a good job there. So,

I would say that although we have all of

these things that we really love, we’re

also trying to offer and to educate our audience

and to do a good job with what we

have right now.

AM: We can imagine. Tell me about XPT.

We were looking at it in prep for this interview

and there are so many things that are

around that and you have an event coming

up – your retreat. Our readers would be interested

in hearing about this as well.

GR: So XPT is -

LH: Sort of another one of those –

GR: It’s an extension of what we were

naturally already doing with our friends

at our house. A very close friend of ours

that we work with said, “you know, we

have to figure out how to condense this

and you can share it with people over periods

of days.” So, XPT was born and the

pillars are Breathe, Move, and Recover.

We would also put in there “To Connect.”

That’s the thing, you can be perfect, and

move everyday all day, but if you’re

not connecting with other human beings,

it’s a real no go to your health and

sense of fulfillment. So XPT, we have

incredible people that we work with

and people come and see us for 2½

days. We do pool training, breathing,

all mobility, and all of those things.

LH: Heat and ice!

GR: Yes, heat and the ice.

But now, they’ll be opening up XPT

sort of recovery centers so that people

wherever they live, they’ve been

curious about seeing the heat and ice

and some mobility.

AM: That sounds fantastic! How do you

guys do all of this while being partners,

married, and having children?

LH: We still don’t know if we’re going

to survive! Right now, we’re just holding

on.

GR: Like yesterday, we had a bumpy

day yesterday –

LH: I had a bumpy day!

GR: You could just feel – I mean it’s we,

it’s collective. You can feel that you

have so much going on that maybe

in Laird’s case, he’d rather and not be

away from his family, but he’d rather

be surfing or out in nature and not be

running around on a freeway. For people

like Laird, that takes a real toll on

him. So it’s just – you know what it is

about any relationship? How does each

person get to satisfy their own sort of

mission and calling and then how do

you bring that together? But also how

do you go about putting your children

first and simultaneously still have that

conversation about what you need.

It’s just a dance.

Yeah. And we learned one

thing from business for

sure, which is to try to focus

a little bit and to do a good

job there. So, I would say

that although we have all

of these things that we really

love, we're also trying to

offer and to educate our audience

and to do a good job

with what we have right now.

Gabby Reece

LH: Well, I think that, listen, we both have

a certain work capacity so we have a certain

volume of work that we’re capable

of doing. When you take care of yourself,

you eat well, and you train hard and you

have good community and relationships

and get along, you expand your capacity.

So now, you can even handle more volume

and then if you’re cutting out a lot

of stuff that is unnecessary and you’re not

putting in a lot of time –

GR: We say no. We say no a lot.

LH: Then if it’s not important to you, then

you’re not concerning yourself with these

things that would take up the volume. I

think that that allows you to go in and to

be more productive.

GR: Yeah.

LH: And then a lot of it is the quality of the

the work too. I mean you could just take

any one of these situations and put all of

your focus in on it, but more isn’t always

better right?

AM: Absolutely.

LH: It’s like having that high quality impact

and then shifting to the next thing. I think

that both Gabby and I by the nature of our

careers have had to be very versatile

and do a plethora of different things

in order to survive. Then it almost becomes

how you are. You know, you’re

interests are such that you need that

stimuli to keep you going and so in

a way, for me, we wouldn’t be – we

couldn’t not be doing it like this. This

just seems natural and from the outside,

you might be saying, “how do

you do all of that stuff?” But you

know, again it has to do with the fact

that we have worked our way towards

this. Gabby will say about our children,

“that they’re such troopers and it’s

amazing!” I go, “yeah, but it’s like we

trooped them.” We took them and included

them in the way that we have

navigated our schedules and we’re the

same way. We’ve been doing all of this

stuff, flying around, we’ve been dealing

with all of these things.

GR: We used to step on each other’s

toes occasionally. And you’re always

learning.

LH: Always.

GR: There are phases and chapters.

So being adaptable and I also know

that this is cliché, but it's about the

best that you can in occasionally being

able to get that distance so that you

can appreciate either your life, or the

problems that you’re solving, but also

your partner and the fact that like on

the days that it’s crazy, you go, “and

everybody’s healthy!”

AM: Exactly!

GR: It’s just trying to constantly recalibrate

and everybody talks about

gratitude, but really to find ways to

feel that and to experience it - it really

makes everything easier!

LH: Yeah! And well getting sleep! Yeah

– you know just pull it back for a second.

AM: Yup!

LH: Let’s eat good, sleep, workout and I

mean get the foundation. Because that

can really allow you to endure some stuff.

AM: It’s such an honor to be able to talk

with both of you as we’ve been fans of

yours for years and to hear how as a power

couple you continue to inspire, fuel, and

push the boundaries it’s been a great time

hanging with you guys!

GR: Thank you so much!

LH: Absolutely and what do we say, Aloha!

@gabbyreece

@lairdhamilton

@lairdsuperfood

@xptlife

PHOTO CREDITS | FRONT COVER Philip

Dixon | PG 16 - 33 Courtesy Laird Hamilton

+ Gabby Reece | PG 34 + BACK COVER

Anne Menke |

We truly enjoyed catching up with new

and old friends while we covered the Food

Network's Wine Food Festival! What do

you do after being able to enjoy some of

the most amazing bites? You check out a

fantastic restaurant that has been on your

list for awhile to continue to enjoy the positive

vibes that a great meal can provide!

We found ourselves at Hortus NYC here

in NYC where we knew that we wanted

to try their amazing Tasting Menu as well

as cocktails that include one of our favorites,

soju! The laid back ambiance and cool

tones was a great way to decompress after

some hectic days. We wanted to find out

more about what we eat and the restaurant

itself. We took some time to chat with

Suhum Jang, Managing Partner of Hortus

to find out more.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into

Hortus NYC, tell us about when the restaurant

opened as well as a bit about the ambiance

in terms of the design aesthetic!

HORTUS NYC: Hortus NYC opened in 2018.

The name Hortus NYC, Latin for garden,

reflects the emphasis on freshness, and

the theme of the garden runs through

the interior. The restaurant is divided into

four distinct areas, the first floor is dedicated

to bar dining with an open kitchen

and a Chef’s Table. The second floor contains

an adjoining glass-enclosed hidden

garden oasis complete with lights hanging

above for a warm and intimate glow

in the evening as well as the main dining

room, which offers exquisite views of

the illuminated stained-glass windows at

the Marble Collegiate Church across the

street.

AM: Tell us about who the chef of Hortus

NYC and what is his culinary background ?

HN: Chef Geo Park initially served as the

opening sous chef at Hortus NYC in 2018

and moved on to work in the kitchen at

Michelin-starred Jua. He returned to Hortus

NYC in the spring of 2023 and is using

the techniques he has learned from his

other posts to add his own touches to the

menu at Hortus NYC.

AM: You received a Michelin plate in

2020 and the menu is an interesting

blend of cuisines that come together

beautifully, what can you tell us about

the countries that you draw from in the

menu?

HN: We have blended the cuisines of

many Southeast Asian countries, including

China, Thailand, and Korea, to

design a unique menu that combines

the flavors in unexpected ways, expressed

through out European techniques.

This is part of our mission to reinvent

how we approach modern Asian

cuisine.

AM: We had the pleasure of enjoying

the Tasting Menu - can you tell us more

about this?

HN: The Hortus Tasting Menu allows

guests to curate their own experience

and is not a set tasting menu. It begins

with The Hortus Royal Platter, which

includes chilled lobster tail, hamachi

crudo, and a shrimp cocktail, with an

option to add a dozen oysters, paired

with gochujang and a lightly sweet,

tart plum mignonette. It is followed by

a choice of an appetizer, main course,

and dessert from our dinner menu,

which allows diners to curate their own

tasting menu and enjoy various dishes

from our a la carte menu.

AM: Are diners able to pick menu items

a la carte?

HN: Yes in addition to offering the Hortus

Tasting Menu and Prix Fixe options,

diners can order dishes a la carte.

AM: That's great! We definitely love the

Tasting Menu and found that we added

a few items as well. What are 3 appetizers

that you suggest that the table can

share?

HN: Three appetizers I would recommend,

that are also great for sharing

are: the Hamachi Crudo in a yuzu kosho

sauce with cucumbers, pickled pepper,

and orange segment; Crispy Rice, topped

with spicy tuna, quinoa, and sriracha truffles;

and King Crab Noodle, fettuccini in

mala and cream sauce with shallots and

scallions, which is a house favorite.

AM: Tell us about your 3 favorite mains

that you suggest that we should try upon

our next visit for dinner?

HN: A few favorites from our dinner

menu are: Sea Urchin Donabe, a clay pot

filled with rice infused with nori puree,

topped with, ikura roe, a cured egg yolk,

sea urchin, and freshly shaved truffle; our

Cod, which has a gochujang crust and is

served over lobster risotto accompanied

by charred Spring onion; and the Truffle

Donabe, probably our most famous dish

composed of wild mushrooms, cured egg

yolk, black truffle, and an option to add

short rib, served over rice in a clay pot.

AM: You have 3 desserts on the menu - we

enjoyed the Yuzu Panna Cotta as well as

the Matcha Tiramisu! Can you tell us about

all 3 desserts?

HN: All of our desserts blend Asian flavors

with traditional European desserts. For instance,

the Matcha Tiramisu uses matcha

in place of espresso and cocoa; Our Panna

Cotta uses Yuzu, an Asian citrus fruit, to

add a new flavor profile to the classic dish;

and Mango Bread Pudding, which was inspired

by the classic bread putting, using

more exotic ingredients to add a twist.

AM: The cocktail menu had a number of

options that included soju and sake. What

are 3 drinks that you suggest that we

should enjoy for our next visit?

HN: I would suggest: the Pear Affair, made

with Hummy Seltzer, pear, and soju; and

Piña, jinro, lychee puree, and Lunar Seltzer;

for dinner. For brunch-goers, I would

suggest our Yuza Aperol Spritz, consisting

of Prosecco, Aperol, yuza, and orange.

AM: For those that are looking for wine,

beer, soju, or sake what are 3 beverages

that we can enjoy by the glass to enhance

our meal?

HN: Our wines by the glass rotate seasonally

and currently feature: Chardonnay,

Louis Moreau 1er Cru from Chablis,

France and Pinot Noir, Morgan, from

Santa Lucia Highlands, California.

For beer, I would also recommend a current

Hortus seasonal pick, the Rydeen

Pilsner from Japan. It is slowly fermented

in low temperatures, making

it easy to drink, with an emphasis on

aroma and a clean finish. The rich malt

flavor, refreshing bitterness and aroma

of hops expand gently in the mouth.

AM: For those coming in for lunch, can

you walk us through the menu?

HN: Our lunch specials are offered for

both take-out and delivery, as well as

dine-in, and included: Spicy Pork, pork

belly marinated in a spicy Korean-style

sauce; Miso Cod; and grilled Short Rib in

a Korean galbi sauce. Each lunch special

is served as a set with seasonal Ceviche,

a Nokdu-Stick, Fried Calamari, a side of

Rice, and Seasonal Vegetables.

AM: We're always excited for brunch.

Tell us about this as it seems like there

is a focus on sharing plates.

HN: The brunch menu is designed for

parties to share five plates, that includes

three appetizers for the table

and a choice of two entrées. The experience

is priced at $30 per person and

the team at Hortus NYC will adjust the

portion sizes to ensure each guest is

well fed.

The appetizers are: Mochi Pancake,

with Kimchi jam, buttercream, maple

syrup Yuzu, with an option to add Maple

Yuzu Bacon for an additional $3; Burrata

& Beet, marinated in a tomato vinaigrette,

served with a tomato medley

and basil; and Fruit Salad, cucumbers

and fruit medley in yogurt, finished

with chili oil.

Entrée choices include: Poached Egg

(Korean Style) served with house-made

hash browns and a seasonal mixed salad

dressed with rice vinegar soy sauce;

Prime Meat Ball Sandwich filled with

galbi marinaded beef meatballs, pickled

mushroom, and red onion with an option

for to add Truffle $10; and Yuzu Bacon

Rose Pasta, rigatoni in a rose cream

sauce with yuzu bacon.

AM: We're in the fall and eventually will

be focused on the holiday season, will

there be additional dishes added to the

menu that are seasonal in nature?

HN: New for the season is our justlaunched

Bar Menu, that is available at

our 10-seat bar, facing our open kitchen.

It adds a new dimension to our restaurant

by providing diners with the choice

to enjoy small bites paired with our low-

ABV soju and sake based cocktails as well

as our wines by the glass. The bar menu

includes: Steak and Shishito Pepper, with

house-made lemon soy and crispy garlic

chips; Fried Calamari and Nokdu Sticks,

with mung beans, kimchi, and house soy

sauce; Chicken Sausage and Cheese with

pickled mustard seed and green and red

aioli; and Korea-Galbi Chicken Wings.

AM: Will you have any events during the

holiday season that you would like to

share with us?

HN: Each year we offer Christmas Eve

and Christmas Day dining specials, and

host a New Year Eve Party complete

with a complimentary glass of Champagne

for a toast.

@hortusnyc

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Hortus NYC

We've been fans of Gaby Dalkin for a

number of years and always enjoy seeing

when she has new products that come out

with Williams Sonoma which takes our

tastebuds to the next level. A few years

ago during the pandemic, we caught up

with her to talk about her brand and products

that had recently launched, so when

we had the opportunity to touchbase with

her again ahead of the holiday season -

we had to catch up with her as she always

has something going on, dish on grilling,

getting her tips on how to navigate the

holiday season when you're hosting from

preparing, cooking, and of course cleaning

up! We also wanted to see how we can be

ready for all the planning of holiday gatherings

whether we know in advance or

an impromptu get together makes itself

known!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We have had the pleasure

of interviewing you a few years ago

as you had introduced various seasonings

that would take our brunch and breakfast

to the next level so clearly, we know you

have ideas when it comes to Thanksgiving

as well! Before we get into the upcoming

holiday, what have you been up to and tell

us about your new cookbook!

GABY DALKIN: The new cookbook is called

Grilling and it comes out next May! There

are recipes that are definitely Thanksgiving-adjacent

– we live in California so obviously

we grill all year round, but there are

a ton of grilled salads and root vegetables

that can easily translate to Thanksgiving.

AM: With its focus on grilling, tell us what

you enjoy about grilling?

GD: I have a California state of mind at all

times – I think it’s a really healthy way to

live and maximize time outside. I’m always

looking to get outside and grill because

the flavor that comes to your food from

grilling is extraordinary. It’s the same as

roasting, which we’ll be doing a lot of this

Thanksgiving. I also love that you can have

a lot of people around you when you’re

grilling and be entertaining while cooking

but I think what I’m most excited about is

to break into a very male-dominated

world of grilling as a female!

AM: In many ways, Thanksgiving has

many dishes that are staples for many of

us while also having the ability to have

various twists on it. Tell us a recipe that

we can include as we prepare for the holiday

season!

GD: I’m a stuffing girl through and

through and this recipe for the Ultimate

Cheesy Herb Sourdough Stuffing that

I did for Finish® is quite possibly the

best stuffing you’ll ever make. I’m obsessed

with it – it’s bubbly and cheesy

and bready and everything about it is

what you want on your Thanksgiving table.

And you don’t have to worry about

clean-up because if you’re stocked with

Finish® Ultimate dishwashing tabs like

I am, those tough to clean, burnt-on

stains from the stuffing will come right

off in the dishwasher.

AM: Thanksgiving has a lot of moving

parts and we have talked with a number

of culinary experts and chefs on what

that timeline looks like as it begins prior

to Turkey Day! What should be our timeline

that we incorporate when it comes

to purchasing items, prepping, etc to reduce

the stress that this holiday can create.

GD: Funny you should ask! Finish® and

I put together The Ultimate Thanksgiving

Timer, an epic timeline that has

everything you need for Thanksgiving

– from when you should start shipping,

when to start the table, when to start

various dishes, it’s got you covered. If

you go to UltimateThanksgivingExperience.com,

you can sign up and it’ll send

you reminders on what to do on certain

days and keep you on track. I’m sure

most hosts out there can relate, but I

love making lists and crossing things off,

so it’s a great tool to make things easier

on such a hectic day.

AM: When you're hosting Thanksgiving

at home, what are things that we should

have on hand and how should the actual

day be constructed so that we're getting

meals on the table that are hot and on

time, while also still being able to be with

friends and family!

GD: I have three parts to this answer – first

is to make sure your pantry and fridge are

stocked with every ingredient that you

need. Make your list and check it twice

and do as much of your grocery shopping

as you can ahead of time.

Next is to set the table a day or two before

Thanksgiving. You can pick out your glassware

and have different platters selected

that you’re serving on and save yourself a

step Thanksgiving morning.

The third part is to make sure your cabinets

are stocked with Finish Ultimate

– it works in the toughest conditions to

take care of burnt-on stains so that when

you’re done cooking and entertaining,

clean-up is a breeze and you’re not spending

hours cleaning your kitchen.

AM: The clean up is always that segment

that seems the most daunting as you want

to clean throughout, but it seems no matter

how you stay on top of that, you're still

left with a lot to do after the big feast, what

are some tips that you can share with us?

GD: I always say to clean as you go. For

me, loading my dishwasher and running

it in the morning after I’ve completed as

much prep as I can and then unloading it

and having it ready to go for people’s arrival

is a huge pro tip. Make sure you have

Finish Ultimate and Jet Dry loaded in your

dishwasher as well so everything comes

out sparkling and ready to be put away

or used in some fashion. This may also

be controversial, but I’m very particular

about how my dishwasher is loaded, so

I’ll allow my guests to move their dishes

to the counter and I’ll load it – it makes

my life easier because then I don't have to

worry about people's loading habits. So

choose your clean-up plan of attack wisely!

AM: Thanksgiving kicks off a myriad of

holiday events all the way into the New

Year! What are things that we should

have on hand in order to be ready for impromptu

gatherings that we may host or

to bring with us to thank those for having

us?

GD: I would say have a handful of

cheese and crackers is always helpful.

If you’re going to be serving drinks,

have a stocked drink fridge and cool ice

prepped and ready to go in your freezer.

I would always have some puff pastry in

your freezer and a wheel of brie in your

fridge so you can whip up a baked brie

in a moments notice - that’s never going

to upset anyone! And make sure you

have cocktail napkins, Finish® Ultimate

and plenty of paper towels.

If you're in the midst of planning your

Thanksgiving meal or other holiday gatherings,

we couldn't let Gaby go without

finding out about how to make her Ultimate

Cheesy Herb Sourdough Stuffing.

ULTIMATE CHEESY HERB SOURDOUGH

STUFFING

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf Sourdough bread with crust cut

into 1-inch cubes (roughly 8 cups)

• 10 tablespoons butter

• 2 shallots, finely sliced

• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped

• 2 bunches green onions, thinly sliced

• ¾ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

• 3 large garlic cloves, minced

• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 3 large eggs

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 6 ounces coarsely grated Parmesan

cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread the ripped

or cubed bread on large rimmed baking

sheet. Bake until bread is dry, about 15

minutes. Cool.

Melt 10 tablespoons butter in heavy

large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot

and celery and saute for 5-6 minutes.

Add green onions, all the herbs, garlic,

salt and pepper and sauté until celery is

tender, 6 to 8 minutes more.

Generously grease a large skillet or ceramic

baking dish. Place bread cubes in

very large bowl. Add warm vegetable

mixture; toss to combine.

Whisk eggs and ¾ cup broth in medium

bowl. Add egg mixture to stuffing and

toss to coat. Mix in Parmesan.

Add more broth (about ½ to ¾ cup) to

stuffing if dry. Transfer to skillet or ceramic

baking dish. Cover with buttered

foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake

until golden, about 30 minutes. Serve

in baking vessel or transfer to a serving

platter.

@whatsgabycookin

PHOTO CREDITS | Matt Armendariz

THE ART OF

THE SNACK:

SAGAPONACK

We enjoy going to the Hamptons during

the summer and IYKYK that the best time

to go is during the fall when it's a lot less

crowded! But if you can't get out of the

city, there are restaurants that still have

Hamptons vibes that you can enjoy without

the travel and getting sand in your

shoes along the way! This month's The Art

of the Snack takes us to Flatiron to Sagaponack

where we can get our coastal fix

year around. We took some time to sit

down with their managing partner, Kyung

il Lee, who shares more information about

this restaurant that reopened last fall, his

role, and of course what we need to think

about when we come in to dine.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you give us some

background on Sagaponack as we know

the brand reopened back in Oct 2022.

KYUNG IL LEE: Back in October 2020, I,

stepped in to run Sagaponack, a restaurant

that was on the brink of failure. Originally,

it was co-owned by Richard, my current

silent partner, and another operating

partner. They decided to part ways, and

Richard then bought out the remaining

shares, and instead of closing shop, he decided

to give it another shot. That's when

we crossed paths, and we decided to join

forces to revitalize the restaurant.

I got involved just three weeks before we

reopened. It was a bit chaotic, but somehow,

we managed to quickly put together

a team, come up with a concept, and

create a menu. I even met the executive

chef, who used to work with us, just three

weeks before we reopened. It might not

be the most glamorous start, but we

rolled up our sleeves and made it work.

Over time, we made gradual improvements

to our team, food, and overall

restaurant experience. Then in October

2022, Chef Phil took on the role of Executive

Chef, and together, we fine-tuned everything

step by step.

AM: Tell us about your background leading

up to coming to this restaurant.

KIL: I immigrated to the United States

at the age of 7. Witnessing my parents'

relentless hard work and their ongoing

struggles has been the driving force behind

my determination and resilience.

In the restaurant industry, resilience is

crucial, especially for owners. I have a decade-plus

of experience in this industry,

starting from the humble role of a packer,

where I would assemble fried chicken

into boxes. Over the years, I've worn

many hats - from busser and runner to

server, captain, and bartender. I've even

managed three different restaurants

before venturing into ownership.

During my time managing Turntable

5060 in East Village, we witnessed a remarkable

achievement as revenue doubled

within the first 3 months. Similarly,

when I took the reigns at Sagaponack under

its previous owner, we experienced

a significant revenue boost within the

same timeframe. Another notable milestone

was achieved when I managed

Jeju Noodle Bar, which became the first

noodle restaurant in the U.S. to earn a

Michelin star.

After parting ways with Jeju Noodle Bar

when we closed the restaurant during

the pandemic, I initially considered leaving

the industry altogether. Uncertain

about the future, I reached out to Richard,

who owns a catering company, with

the intention of taking on some occasional

catering gigs. However, our conversation

took a different turn when he

expressed the need for assistance in reopening

a restaurant. I initially hesitated

but eventually accepted the challenge.

What I initially viewed as a casual endeavor

has turned into an opportunity

for which I am profoundly grateful. It

has been a tremendous learning experience

for me.

AM: Prior to coming to Sagaponack, can

you tell us about where Executive Chef

Phil Choy went to school and kitchens

that he trained and came up through?

KIL: Executive Chef Phil Choy, who graduated

from the prestigious Johnson &

Wales College of Culinary Arts, where he

earned an internship at the Hyatt Regency

Newport. He then moved to New York

to begin his professional culinary career in

Dovetail’s Michelin-starred kitchen under

the guidance of Chef John Fraser, before

advancing as sous chef in Daniel Boulud’s

Lincoln Square hit, Boulud Sud.

AM: What can you tell us about the ambiance

of Sagaponack and what guests can

expect in terms of the decor of this restaurant

with its Mediterranean meets Eastern

Long Island meets Flatiron aesthetic?

KIL: The atmosphere exudes a retro

Hamptons vibe, characterized by vibrant

blue hues with subtle touches of gold.

The structure itself evokes the charm of

a Long Island restaurant. Given our status

as a small business, we didn't have the financial

means to hire a large design firm.

However, this limitation has allowed us to

maintain the intimate and personal feel of

a small, independently-owned establishment.

Our venue boasts an artful touch, featuring

the works of Kathryn Sheldon. She

skillfully incorporates gold leaf accents

into her black and white photographs,

adding a unique and elegant flair to our

decor.

AM: With an Asian and Mediterranean

inspired menu, what are the ingredients

and spices that one can expect when they

come into dine with friends and family.

KIL: The ingredients consist Asian ingredients

like yuzu, sesame, gochujang, trout

roe, Koji, and more. As for Mediterranean

ingredients or spices, you’ll see a mixture

of Aleppo, sumac, Calabrian chili, ‘Nduja,

Marcona Almonds, and more.

AM: Oysters are definitely a star to begin

your meal for dinner. You offer them

raw, dressed, or roasted. Tell us about the

Asian-inspired menu.

KIL: Our seafood menu, inspired by both

Asian and Mediterranean influences, offers

a unique culinary experience, even

in a diverse city like New York. Beyond

drawing inspiration from Asian ingredients,

our menu incorporates a rich tapestry

of Asian flavors as well.

Our chef is a fan of exploring different

restaurants, and he's particularly drawn

to Asian establishments. He loves Korean,

Thai, and Filipino food, and these

visits inspire him to put his own spin on

our dishes.

AM: For appetizers, what are 3 dishes

that you suggest that we should try

when sharing with friends and family?

KIL: The 3 dishes we recommend trying

are Fluke Tartare, Gambas Al Ajillo, and

Calamari.

AM: For our entrees, what are 3 dishes

that you suggest that we should have?

KIL: The Paella is phenomenal, as well as

the Shoyu Salmon, Ricotta Cavatelli, and

‘Nduja Mussels.

AM: When it comes to sides, what are 3

that we should enjoy for the table?

KIL: For sides, we recommend getting

Brussel Sprouts, Chicken Bites, and Parmesan

Fries.

AM: Dessert is always a must to end a

meal even if it’s only meant to be shared,

what are 3 desserts that you suggest?

KIL: Well… This is easy as we only have

3 desserts. The Thai Milk Cake, Carrot

Cake Trifle, and Earl Grey Crème Brûlée.

AM: Before we delve into drinks can you

tell us about Alex Parker who curated

your beverage selection?

KIL: Alex Parker's journey in the restaurant

industry began as a cook, and his

passion for it has been unwavering since

he was just 17. During our interview, I

felt his energy and decided to hire him as

a busser, even though he lacked front-ofhouse

experience. However, his determination

and passion quickly propelled him

through various roles, including busser,

runner, barback, server, and ultimately,

our lead bartender.

I believe crafting cocktails requires an understanding

of flavors and textures, as

well as the willingness to research. Despite

not having as many years of bartending

experience as some, Alex's dedication

and knowledge surpass that of many seasoned

bartenders.

AM: Tell us about 3 beers pairings.

KIL: Sloop Juice IPA: A refreshing choice

with a delightful juiciness that complements

our Calamari without overpowering

the palate.

Montauk Pilsner: Crisp and perfect for

those enjoying our Chicken Bites, creating

a delightful flavor combination.

Sunday Beer Lager: Light and refreshing,

it's an ideal match for our Gambas, enhancing

your dining experience with a

harmonious blend of flavors.

AM: What are 3 cocktails you suggest?

KIL: Three cocktails we highly recommend:

the Bateau Banane, Fiji Blue, and Seaside

Sunset. Keep in mind that Alex loves to

craft new cocktails with each season, so

don't hesitate to chat with our friendly

servers or bartenders. They can suggest

something special tailored to your taste!

AM: You also serve lunch. Can you suggest

3 dishes that are only on the lunch menu?

KIL: For a satisfying lunch, our standout

recommendations are our sandwiches.

The Chicken Sandwich and the Fish Filet

Sandwich are both incredibly juicy and delicious

options. If you're in the mood for

something special, don't miss our Lobster

Roll, prepared Connecticut style with

a warm twist and dressed in our house-

made Korean chili jam. It's a flavor sensation

you won't want to miss!

AM: Tell us about your Happy Hour and 3

items that you suggest.

KIL: Our happy hour is available Monday

to Saturday, and we are closed on Sundays.

It’s available for Lunch (11:30 AM to

3PM) and for dinner (5:00 PM until 6:30

PM).

Our Spicy Margarita is a beloved choice

among our patrons. We take pride in using

fresh ingredients and crafting our

own spicy-infused tequila to give it that

extra kick. Additionally, we offer a variety

of options, including beer, wine, and

a selection of cocktails that change with

the seasons to keep things exciting.

Don't miss out on our oyster happy hour,

where we feature the same high-quality

oysters from our regular menu, rotating

the selection daily. And if you're looking

for a delicious deal, our Parmesan Fries

and 'Nduja Mussels, available during

happy hour, are absolute steals that

have garnered rave reviews!

AM: Brunch is our favorite meal of the

week, what are 3 dishes you suggest?

KIL: We offer a limited brunch menu

but serve our full lunch menu during

brunch. Our chef is always innovating

and adding new brunch items. Brunch is

available only on Saturdays, so expect a

few exciting additions to our offerings.

AM: Do you have any fall or holiday

events that we should know about?

KIL: We are working on a few holiday

specials. We always do something special

during the holidays season as it

slows down around this area. Chef and

I are planning on something for Thanksgiving

week.

@sagavibes

PHOTOS COURTESY | Sagaponack

We're honored that we got a few moments

with American Ballet Theatre's Misty Copeland

who broke barriers in the industry

as the first African American woman to be

promoted to principal dancer in ABT's 75-

year history! As the Co-Founder of Greatness

Wins, she launched the brand's first

women's collection. This brand includes

founders, Chris Riccobono (founder of

UNTUCKit), NY Yankees Baseball Hall of

Famer Derek Jeter and Rangers Legend -

The Great One, Wayne Gretzky. The brand

creates pieces whose foundation is based

in performance, style, and comfort. We

wanted to know more about her passion

for this style of dance, the importance of

this achievement, her favorite ballet memories

and how she is using her platform to

create inclusivity in a field that she is so

passionate about!

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment

when you fell in love with ballet?

MISTY COPELAND: The first time I stepped

into a ballet studio. I saw myself in the

mirror, I felt seen and safe.

AM: You started in the corps de ballet in

2001, became an ABT soloist in 2007, and

in 2015, you became the first African American

woman to be promoted to principal

dancer in their 75 year history! What does

achieving that mean to you?

MC: The achievement to me is a platform

to recognize, acknowledge and celebrate

the contributions and successes of Black

dancers from the past present and future.

I’m a link in the chain.

AM: What are 3 of your favorite performances

or ballet memories?

MC: My first performance of Firebird at

the Metropolitan Opera House, Romeo

and Juliet with La Scala Ballet at Teatro

alla Scala, and my first show with Prince

at Madison Square Garden dancing to his

song, The Beautiful Ones.

AM: In addition to being a ballet dancer,

you have also been a public speaker,

spokesperson, been involved in documentaries,

was a featured dancer for Prince

and more! What does it mean to you that

you have brought your talent and athleticism

across so many platforms?

MC: This is what art should be - accessible,

available, equal in the level of importance

and recognition amongst sports

and Hollywood entertainment. It’s surreal

that we have reached this point to

be in these spaces, but it also means

growth and progress for ballet.

AM: At this year's Tribeca Film Festival,

you debuted Flower which you were in

and also produced! Tell us about the film

as well as what it means to you that you

were involved in this?

MC: Flower is a short art activism film

highlighting Oakland, California and

the social issues they’re experiencing,

specifically gentrification and homelessness.

We created a scripted story

told through movement where the only

spoken words are from actual houseless

community members. This film is a modern

ballet. It’s taking what I do onstage,

telling a story through movement with

a relevant story and something so many

communities can relate to. This is an extension

of everything I’ve worked for in

my career. Access, bringing people into

the arts, and this form of storytelling in

a way that makes them feel welcomed.

AM: What was it like to attend this year's

Chanel's Through Her Lens Luncheon for

women filmmakers at this year's festival?

MC: To be in a room full of creative women

who want to support one another

and do everything they can to move

the needle in the entertainment industry

was inspiring!

@mistyonpointe

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Misty Copeland/Greatness

Wins

We love this time of year as the fall is the

best of both worlds in terms of weather,

wearing fun layers, and enjoying the

change of the seasons before the madness

of the holidays! Here in NY, you also know

that the Food Network New York City Wine

Food Festival presented by Capital One,

takes place over 4 days where you get to

enjoy a series of events from signature

events, Walk Around Tastings, Intimate

Dinners, Demo & Dine, Master Classes,

Cocktail Parties, and more! Last month in

our SEP ISSUE #93, we shared the events

that we would be attending and let you

know that we would give you a recap of

those jam packed days! In addition, we

also had interviews with various chefs,

from those that have restaurants here in

NYC as well as some of your favorite chefs

that are food personalities on Food Network

as well as others.

We kicked off Day 1 of this festival at the

Sip + Savor: A Happy Hour Hosted by Chef

Antonia Lofaso (DAMA Fashion District,

Scopa Italian Roots, Black Market Liquor

Bar) and Chef Brooke Williamson (Playa

Provisions, Food Network's Bobby's Triple

Threat and Tournament of Champions Season

1 winner) at Harbor NYC Rooftop. We

were able to try a number of restaurants

as well as spirits and beer at this event.

We had our eye on a number of dishes and

restaurants, but before we got into it, we

sat down with them to find out about how

they enjoy being at this festival, the event

they're participating in and how they keep

their energy going between running their

restaurants and hosting/judging/competing

on a number of their shows!

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s so exciting to be

able to talk with both of you guys. Why are

you excited to be at this festival?

CHEF BROOKE WILLIAMSON: I mean,

what’s not to be excited about? There’s

food, there’s beverages, there’s people,

and there’s music! When you walk into a

room like this, you feel that energy and

it's like - you know that everyone is excited

to be here! People have been DMing

me for MONTHS that they have gotten

their tickets and that they’re so excited

to be here and that they will be able to

be part of the festival and so it’s one of

the most fun festivals that we’re able to

do.

CHEF ANTONIA LOFASO: It’s one of

those things where NY is so spread out.

So the festival kind of just brings everybody

together!

AM: Absolutely!

CHEF AL: Obviously there’s great food

so to be able to celebrate that with all of

the different people that are participating

is such a great thing. It’s great that

all of food is celebrated. I love seeing

the mom and pop chefs, and yes there

are big chefs with big names and that’s

the draw. But there’s also an opportunity

for young chefs and small brick and

mortars all over from Queens to Brooklyn

and all over to be able to showcase

themselves!

CHEF BW: I think it’s so cool that we get

to host an event and that we get to walk

around and get to showcase the people

that are local and they can enjoy our

Shrimp Po Boy dish that we created!

AM: Well, our readers love both of you

guys! They love seeing you on Bobby Triple

Threat, Chef Brooke, and they love

when they see you on Guy’s Grocery

Games, Chef Antonia, as well as a number

of other shows that you’re on!

How do you guys keep all of that energy

to be on those shows cooking, competing,

and judging people?

CHEF BW: We were actually just discussing

a show that we are currently shooting

and it really comes so naturally! We

have this sort of inherent competitive

spirit that brings it out of us! We both

took a Red Eye here last night from

shooting a show. We came in this morning,

but like, the moment that we hear

about some kind of news on what's going

on, I want to be part of it! We want

to know what we’re doing and how we’re

part of it!

CHEF AL: I think our energy comes from

an unnatural place!

CHEF BW: Oh yeah! For sure!

CHEF AL: I mean we’re talking with you

which is an athletic magazine right?

AM: Yes Athleisure Mag is all about the

intersectionality of athleticism, sports, fitness,

style, food, entertainment, music,

wellness, etc. We just have Chef Michael

Voltaggio as our cover a few issues back!

CHEF AL: That’s awesome! We are also

very big on taking care of ourselves and

eating correctly, exercising and working

out! Because honestly, to be able to

keep the schedules, it’s impossible to do. I

mean Brooke runs 50 miles a week.

CHEF BW: I do.

CHEF AL: Yeah, you do! I lift 400lbs.

AM: I mean …

CHEF AL: We’re on opposite ends of the

fitness pole, but we get it in.

CHEF BW: It’s definitely necessary to keep

our schedules on track by focusing on our

fitness.

AM: Well we know that you’re a huge Peloton

fan as we interviewed you a few years

back!

CHEF BW: I actually graduated from the

Bike and now am on their Treadmill. When

the Treadmill came out I was so excited

about that! I will say that it is the most motivating

equipment that I have ever used!

AM: Since both of you have restaurants,

what are 3 amazing dishes at your restaurants

that our readers should be checking

out for THE 9LIST 9CH3FS?

CHEF BW: Ha! Do you want to pick a dish

from each of your restaurants?

CHEF AL: Yeah that works! I would say

that if you’re going to Dama which is my

Latin inspired place downtown, there’s

the Seafood Tostada – it’s like octopus,

shrimp, calamari, pickled chilis, avocados,

and lime juice. For me, it’s refreshing,

I love the seafood and the creaminess

from the avocado. We have these

really beautiful heirloom tortillas. Scopa’s

got to be the Ricotta Crostini with

housemade ricotta, rosemary, chili, olive

oil, and ciabatta that’s the thing.

CHEF BW: Wait, you have to also add the

Arancini to that as well!

CHEF AL: Ooo yeah, definitely Arancini

is our giant rice ball, you can’t go wrong

with that.

AM: Mouth watering!

CHEF BW: I have a seafood restaurant,

but it also has a couple of different extensions

so we have an ice cream shop,

a whiskey bar, I mean, our menu is very

seasonal. We just changed 7 items on

the menu, but I would say that there are

items that don’t change. One of them

being the Fried Crab Claw Pop, it’s a big

crab cake wrapped around a snow crab

claw.

CHEF AL: And it’s fried!

CHEF BW: Yeah, it’s fried and it’s with

our house hot sauce. We have ice cream

flavors that change all of the time.

CHEF AL: Wait, you have the best Lobster

Roll though!

CHEF BW: You think so?

CHEF AL: I love it!

CHEF BW: People have been coming for

our Lobster Rolls since we’ve opened.

CHEF AL: Oh, I love it! I come for the

Lobster Roll and your Shellfish Tower! If

I’m going, I’m going to your restaurant,

I’m going for your Seafood Tower! I like it

and it’s the best!

CHEF BW: Well it does have those Peruvian

Scallops which are the best and probably

my favorite part of the tower!

@chefbrookew

@chefantonia

There were a number of intimate dinners

that took place throughout the NYCWFF!

One of the key events was a sit down dinner

hosted by Alain Ducasse & Friends:

Celebrating the 15th Anniversary of Benoit

New York as part of the Air France Dinner

Series. Chef Alain is known for having a

collective of 20 Michelin stars and was the

first chef ever to have 3 Michelin stars in

3 different cities at the same time. He invited

esteemed chefs to celebrate the 15th

anniversary of his his bistro, Benoit which

is modeled after ithe original in Paris.

He invited Emma Bengtsson (chef of Michelin

starred Scandinavian superstar restaurant,

Aquavit), Jean Francois Bruel the corporate

chef for Daniel Boulud), James Kent

(Michelin two starred, Saga), Eunji Lee (acclaimed

pastry boutique, Lysée), Pascaline

Lepeltier (Guest Master Sommelier), Alberto

Marcolongo (executive chef of Benoit),

and Stefano Secchi (the executive chef of

cutting-edge Michelin Italian eatery, Rezdora).

We wanted to talk with Chef Daniel Boulud

who was at the event to find out about

participating at a number of events this

year at NYCWFF as well as his 9M3NU at

Boulud Sud for THE 9LIST 9M3NU.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Why did you participate

in this year’s NCCWFF?

CHEF DANIEL BOULUD: It is important to

give back and it is always my pleasure to

be involved in NYCWFF. Lee Schrager and

his many years of support to God’s Love

We Deliver and bringing us all together is

what it’s all about!

AM: What event did you host/were involved

in and what dish did attendees

get the chance to try that you made?

CHEF DB: There were a number of

events that I was honored to be part

of! The brunch hosted by myself and extra

special guest Martha Stewart at the

Blue Box Café was such a treat! It was an

honor to be part of the 15 year celebration

of Benoit with a collaboration dinner

with Chef Alain Ducasse and other

amazing chefs! It was also great to host

at Boulud Sud with a Mediterranean

menu with bubbly pairings by Perrier-

Jouët. With so many dishes that were

created, I’ll share the Pithivier of quail,

squab, and duck that was at Benoit.

AM: Chef, we have had the pleasure of

eating at your restaurants and we’re

such a big fan of Boulud Sud as we love

Mediterranean cuisine. What are 3 dishes

that we should enjoy when we come

in to dine?

CHEF DB: Three must try dishes are the

Mediterranean Mezze, Snake River Farms

Wagyu Bavette, and our Gâteau an Miel.

@danielboulud

Down in the Meatpacking District, Partner

and Culinary Director of Fig & Olive,

Chef Alain Allegretti and Chef Akhtar

Nawab hosted another Air France Dinner

Series. We talked with Chef Alain about

being part of this year's NYCWFF and to

share what we should enjoy when we

come to visit Fig & Olive.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Why are you excited

to participate in this year's NYCWFF?

CHEF ALAIN ALLEGRETTI: This is always

an exciting time in New York City. NY-

CWFF always brings excitement to the

city's culinary landscape while highlighting

all the amazing and talented chefs

with delicious food the city has to offer

and I being a part of this is a great thing.

AM: Tell us about the event and dishes

that you created that attendees were able

to enjoy!

CHEF AA: For this year's event, I got to

share the kitchen with my good friend

and very talented Chef Akhtar Nawab.

Guests were treated to a culinary journey

that was Latin-inspired while embracing

the flavors of the South of France.

For the entree I created a Riviera Stuffed

Calamari with black ink rice, scallops &

rice chicharròn, mojo picot and the dessert

were French Macaron Ice Cream

Sandwiches in salted caramel, pistachio

and lemon saffron.

AM: As the the Partner/Culinary Director at

one of our favorites, Fig & Olive, for our

next visit, tell us 3 dishes that we should

try or share with friends and family.

CHEF AA: Three must try dishes are the

Amalfi Seafood Risotto, the classic Steak

Frites and the 2lb Whole Bronzino.

@alainallegretti

Day 1 was a great way to ease into the first

of 4 days. Day 2 took us to Southern Glazer's

Wine & Spirits Trade Day Hosted by

Wine Spectator - Grand Tasting at Pier 76.

It was a gorgeous day and we were there

for nearly 5 hours sipping sake, wine, beer,

spirits and a number of sweet and savory

options. We kicked off the day talking with

Chef Philippe Chow of Philippe by Philippe

Chow. His namesake restaurant is on the

UES and downtown in NYC as well as another

location in Washington DC. We took

a few moments to chat with him.

ATHLEISURE MAG: How excited are you to

be at this festival today?

CHEF PHILIP CHOW: It’s so exciting to be

here to see all of the people and for them

to try my food! It’s a beautiful day and it

makes me happy to see everyone’s smiling

face.

AM: What are you making today that everyone

will be trying?

CHEF PC: Today, people will enjoy our

Chicken Satay!

AM: We’re fans of your restaurant and

have had great meals there. For THE

9LIST, what are 3 dishes that you love

that is at your restaurant?

CHEF PC: Well I like the Chicken Satay, the

Peking Duck, and our Kung Pao Chicken.

@philippechownyc

It was an honor to talk to Chef Philippe

Chow, a noted culinary figure and we'vewhere

we've been to his restaurant a

number of times. We were very excited

to make our way to Archer & Goat's

booth as we have covered them previously

in our MAY ISSUE #89 of Athleisure

Mag in our beloved feature, The Art of

the Snack. As is the case when you're at

the festival, there tends to be one dish

that is served and thankfully, we were

treated to the A&G Hot Chicken Sliders

which is on their brunch menu in Harlem.

We can't say enough about the dance between

sweet and savory! There's something

about pickled strawberries, arugula,

and maple aioli. We paired it with

our soju cocktail from iichiko Shochu. Although

it was a substantial serving, you

need to check them out at their restaurant

for the full size! Clearly it was a favorite

as they served over 2,000! So we

had to find out a few things from Chef/

Owner Alex Guzman of Archer & Goat.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Why are you excited

to participate in this year's NYCWFF?

CHEF ALEX GUZMAN: NYCWFF is a great

event that helps highlight the great diverse

dining culture of NYC - we were

proud to take part in the cornerstone

event, the Grand Tasting, this year

alongside a host of other very talented

chefs. It gave us a great opportunity to

showcase our unique cuisine in front of

other food professionals, the media and

influencers.

AM: We enjoyed waiting in line to try the

dish you created! Tell our readers about

the event you were in and the epic dish

that you created that attendees were able

to enjoy.

CHEF AG: At this year’s NYCWFF event,

we served our hugely popular A&G Hot

Chicken Sliders with pickled strawberries,

maple aioli, and arugula on a potato slider

bun … Spicy, sweet, tart with a satisfying

crunch of the fried chicken, these sliders

are a mini version of our Hot Chicken Sandwich

that we serve for brunch.

AM: As you know, we enjoyed having you

in our feature, The Art of the Snack! If THE

9LIST 9B-L-D were to come over to your

house for breakfast, lunch, and dinner,

what would be 3 dishes that you would

make for us?

CHEF AG: I am not a big breakfast person,

but love to start the day with an

espresso or homemade chai with a freshly

baked cookie to dunk. Nothing like a sugar

caffeine buzz to kickstart the day! For

lunch, I love to make sandwiches. One of

my favorites is hanger steak marinated in

chimichurri, with great crusty bread slathered

with our panch phoran mayo. For dinner,

one of my favorite meals to prepare

is a whole roasted fish such as a red snapper

or branzino, with a spicy, herby and

lemony relish. A serving of buttery rice on

the side because as a Latino, nothing feels

more homey and soulful than a meal with

rice.

@archerandgoat_harlem

The Grand Tasting had so many great moments,

but one that stuck out was when

we went by Dos Hombres' booth which

was a cart where you could sample their

mezcal - which is one of our favorite spirits.

We happened to see Co-Founders, Bryan

Cranston (Breaking Bad, El Camino, Your

Honor), and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad,

Westworld, Black Mirror) who brought in

good vibes around! In addition, we loved

that Bryan handed us a cocktail which hit

the spot!

@doshombres

@bryancranston

@aaronpaul

Another dinner series that people enjoyed

attending was a dinner hosted by

Chef Franklin Becker of The Press Club

Grill and Chef Joey Campanaro of The

Little Owl sponsored by Ferguson as part

of the Air France Dinner Series. The dinner

took place at The Press Club Grill. We

have been long time fans of Chef Franklin

and wanted to talk about his participation

at the food festival and what

we would have if he made us Breakfast,

Lunch, and Dinner.

AM: ATHLEISURE MAG: Why did you participate

in this year’s NCCWFF?

CHEF FRANKLIN BECKER: When an event

such as the NYCWFF supports groups as

important as God’s Love We Deliver, it is

important that we as chefs participate.

AM: What event did you host/were involved

in and what dish did attendees

get the chance to try that you made?

CHEF FB: This year, I hosted a private

dinner at my restaurant, The Press Club

Grill. I partnered with my dear friend,

Joey Campanero. People went crazy for

my take on Crab Rangoon and my Buffalo

Carrots. They also loved our Prime NY

Strip Steak.

AM: If THE 9LIST 9B-L-D were to come to

your house, what dish would you make

us for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner?

CHEF FB: Completely depends on what

you would like to eat. As a chef, I am in

the service business and believe in making

what my guests want to eat. That

said, if it were solely up to me, I’d prepare

Bagels and Lox for breakfast, a delicious

salad for lunch and probably some

simple pan roasted scallops for dinner.

@chefbeckernyc

Day 2 was perfection with the perfect

blend of weather, food, spirits, and good

vibes! Day 3 had a bit of twist with quite a

bit of rain, but it didn't dampen our excitement

because we were very excited about

the events and people that we were going

to interview! We would find ourselves kicking

off the morning with one of the most

epic brunches at the Oyster Bash Presented

by Barnegat Oyster Collective and Go

Fish Co. Sponsored by Modelo and Hosted

by Tyler Florence at The Standard Biergarten

which is part of The Standard Hotel in

the Meatpacking District and the venue is

outdoors, but under the highline! No matter

how hard it rained, we were perfectly

dry!

We enjoyed trying raw oysters, oysters we

that were taken to the next level with caviar,

chimichurri and so many savory twists.

There were a number of cocktails and of

course Modelo to enjoy throughout the

event. We even got the chance to learn

how to shuck an oyster which we never

thought that we would do that!

We left this event to make our way back to

Pier 76 at the Grand Tasting as we were going

to chat with Chef Andrew Zimmern after

his cooking demo which was at the Hex

Clad tent. We have been fans of his shows

for years whether he's talking about eating

and cooking foods that we may not

have thought to eat or opening our world

up to how people in this country cook various

cusines that are indegenous to their regions.

Of course we wanted to talk about

his involvement in this festival which has

taken place for 16 years and that benefits

God's Love We Deliver which assists NYers

by cooking and delivering medically tailored

meals for people living with chronic/

serious illness since 1985.

ATHLEISURE MAG: I’m such a fan of yours

chef as I’m from the Midwest originally.

CHEF ANDREW ZIMMERN: Right on,

where?

AM: Indianapolis and there were 3 Minnesota

based chefs that we’ve always said

we especially love to interview Chef Justin

Sutherland as well as Chef Yia Vang and

now completing the trifecta with you is

awesome! I know you’re originally from

NY, but as you have made it your home

and have highlighted foods of that region,

we’re so honored to have you!

CHEF AZ: Right on!

AM: Why did you want to be part of this

festival that is happening right now?

CHEF AZ: I’ve been doing it since day 1,

since there was a festival here in NY, I

have been involved. So it’s kind of hard

not to raise money and awareness

through food for the most vulnerable

New Yorkers and as a New Yorker born

and raised here, I’ve always thought it

was important. Food people show up

wherever there is a need and I have

grown up in this business and have

been cooking since I was 14 professionally,

That’s when I did summers, after

school, and so I don't know any other

place to be.

AM: What do you feel is your focus when

you’re cooking. You’re known for being a

sustainable chef in using the entire item

that you’re cooking and really just enjoying

the food as a whole. It was great

watching your demo at the Hex Clad tent

and we’re going to have to make your

Ponzu recipe.

CHEF AZ: It was great to share the demo

with everyone and I’m glad you’re walking

away with great tips!

Well it starts out with a little bit of selfishness

and self-care. Food to me is yoga,

you know? I really believe very very very

importantly that there is a way to let go

of the day and to focus on nothing but

the food. In doing so, I’m not thinking

of my 15 problems or issues at work, or

what’s going on with a family member

– I can just focus on the food. So even if

I’m cooking all day at work, I can come

home at 7 o’clock after a 12 hour day of

cooking 8 dishes for a video series – I

cook because it’s my self-care and I get

to get rid of the day and get to have that

night time at home. So for me, food really

is a yoga for me. It’s a spiritual practice.

AM: I love that!

We have been talking to chefs all throughout

about their menus. What is a Breakfast,

Lunch, and Dinner item that you

would make if THE 9LIST 9B-L-D were coming

to your house?

CHEF AZ: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Well breakfast at my house would probably

be Dutch Baby, you know the risen

pancakes. The Germans call it Auflauf. It’s

sort of a fun thing to do. In terms of my

daily breakfast, it’s an Egg in the Hole. I

cut a hole in the toast and I hard fry an

egg in it because it’s one egg, one slice of

egg. It’s a little bit of avocado and a little

bit of fruits so it’s like a whole breakfast.

I’ll make you a Dutch Baby and I’ll eat my

single egg!

For lunch, I’m a big sandwich guy. I love

sandwiches and I happen to have recently

become a big fan of Curry Chicken Salad.

There’s so many great ones. I keep a lot

of meatballs and sauce and I have started

freezing them in little tiny quart bags flat

so that I can make meatball parm sandwiches

any time of the day! So it will either

be a Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich or

a Meatball Parm kind of situation.

Night time at my house, it’s probably my

grandmother’s Roast Chicken along with

a seasonal veg or whatever we have. This

time of year, I’m still throwing eggplants

on the grill and seasoning it with a good

ricotta, lemon zest, chili oil and mint. So

a nice piece of roasted or grilled chicken

and keeping that simple with a really robust

salad. We’re getting into citrus season

so it will probably be an endive salad

with citrus vinaigrette so it would be bitter

and sweet. With dessert, we’re in the

middle of apple season so you get Tart Tatin

which is my favorite dessert to make.

AM: You have successfully made us especially

hungry!

@chefaz

@godslovenyc

Chef Andrew Zimmern has such a passion

for what he does and giving back to people.

So it was an honor to be able to chat

with him as we attended Autism Speak's

Gala back in 2019 where he was the keynote

speaker. So to have some time with

him was a treat.

We had one more event for the day which

took us to ASPIRE at One World Observatory

for Steak & Whisky Presented by

Mohegan Sun Hosted by Robert Irvine.

We've had the pleasure in chatting with

him before, but we couldn't wait to taste

what he created as well as to catch up

with him again!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We’re so excited to

interview you again! We’re big fans of

yours. Why do you love being at this food

festival?

CHEF ROBERT IRVINE: Well, I think that

it’s the first food festical that allows

people to get close to you and they’re

the people that watch you on TV! The

more that you get to interact with them,

I think that this event sells out every year

in about 12 mins! I want to be amongst

the people so that they can tell me what

they feel and what they think, right? I

have a lot of fun. I work hard and I play

hard, but I play for them!

AM: Right!

CHEF RI: They are my people and that’s

why I love it!

AM: What dish are people trying that

you made for tonight’s event?

CHEF RI: We’re making a Smoked Espresso

Dry Rubbed Brisket. It’s a 16 hour slow

smoked brisket on a parsnip puree with

a charred scallion chimichurri sauce.

AM: THE 9LIST 9B-L-D has been delving

into chef's favorite menus whether it’s

at their restaurant or at their homes. So

what would be a Breakfast, Lunch, and

Dinner that you would create for us if we

were at your home?

CHEF RI: So for me, I’m not home very

often. I travel 345 days a year. So if you

get to my house, you get oatmeal in the

morning, then we work out and you get

eggs. Then you get some kind of soup and

salad. Then you get some kind of a protein

in the afternoon and then we get fish at

night. So, I mean, that’s how we go and

again, I travel so much that my wife does

most of the cooking.

Tomorrow (Oct 16th), I’ll be on the USS Eisenhower

to Israel.

AM: Your schedule never stops!

CHEF RI: Yeah, one of my things is taking

care of our military and our first responders.

We’re in a sad time right now and we

need to make sure that we bring the morale

of those troops up! That’s why I’m going.

AM: Without a doubt!

Are there any upcoming projects that you

would like to share that we can keep an

eye out for?

CHEF RI: I will tell you that Restaurant Impossible

is not dead!

AM: We were hoping to hear that Chef as

we love that show!

CHEF RI: We may have left Food Network,

but it is coming back in a bigger, better

form on another network!

@chefirvine

Without a doubt, this event was so much

fun from taking the elevator up and getting

a virtual aerial view of what's in Lower

Manhattan to being able to enjoy a

number of steaks, whisky, and more! At

one point Chef Robert became the life of

the party by literally getting the attendees

into the fun by doing push-ups, shots, and

dancing! It was also great to connect

with brands such as Old Parr and STK to

find out more about them.

The final day, Day 4 still had amazing

events that we were excited about attending!

We made our way to the French

Bistro Brunch presented by Grey Poupon

and Hosted by Geoffrey and Margaret Zakarian

back at The Standard Biergarten.

It was a lot of fun to enjoy classic brunch

bites from a number of restaurants as

well as to enjoy cocktails that paired perfectly

with it. It was nice to be in the area

on a sunny day so that we could really

take it in.

We were really excited about our final

event at The Intrepid, Bacardi Presents

JJ Johnson's The Cookout: Hip Hop's

50th Anniversary Celebration Featuring

DJ Cassidy, Rev Run, DJ Ruckus, Ice-T, DJ

Mick, Tamron Hall, & Angela Yee.

This event was truly about good vibes

only. Of course there were a number of

fantastic bites and sips, but the ongoing

dance party was major as we celebrated

coming together, food, and Hip Hop!

It was a full on 3 hour+ party where we

were all singing along, people busted out

with the Electric Slide and you really felt

how we were all there to be at an epic

cookout.

It was 4 days and yet, it felt like we took

a number of journeys. To be able to enjoy

the culinary artists, chat with our favorite

food personalities, to see a number of

those who we have covered to catch up

or to meet for the first time - it was an

amazing event and we're excited to go

again next year to do it all over again!

We enjoyed talking with these chefs and

immediately following this portion of the

feature you'll want to know a bit more as

you plan your next meals and visits!

@nycwff

@bacardi

@sgwinespirits

@wine_spectator

@barnegatoyster

@modelousa

@mohegansun

@greypoupon_us

@thestandard

@airfrance

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 104 = 109,

113 - 114, 126 -131 Getty Images/Food Network

New York City Wine Food Festival

| PG 110, 121 - 125, 132 - 141 Paul Farkas | PG

117 Courtesy Archer & Goat IG | PG 118

Kimmie Smith |

When you're covering a multi-day event,

you're already seeing the city in a different

light due to different locations, fun activities

and in this case, a lot of food! When we

knew we'd be attending an array of events

at Food Network New York City Wine Food

Festival presented by Capital One, we wanted

to add a staycation component to our

coverage and reached out to our friends at

Concorde Hotel as we like that this hotel is

focused on ensuring that you have a great

stay by focusing on wellness and have only

4 rooms on each floor which provides you

a suite experience as well as great views

over the city. Being able to wake up to as

well as to see the Chrysler Building out our

wrap around windows each night was a

lot of fun.

We also liked the ease of being able to head

out easily whether we were hopping in an

Uber or taking the subway since the stop

was right there. We wanted to find out

more about the hotel, amenities, and the

neighborhood so that we could share with

you what you need to know when you're

planning your next stay! We sat down with

Carlos Casanova, General Manager of the

Concorde Hotel to find out more.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did Concorde

Hotel New York open?

CARLOS CASANOVA: In 2018, the Concorde

Hotel became the newest boutique

hotel in Manhattan’s Midtown East.

AM: The Concorde is an oasis in Midtown.

Can you tell us about the design aesthetic

of the hotel, common areas where guests

can gather, who designed it, and the ambiance?

CC: Designed by Anthony M. Salvati, the

hotel is categorized as a ‘sliver style’

building due to its tall and slender design.

The design itself is 37 stories high with 4

rooms per floor. Our spacious rooms offer

city views and a real taste of contemporary

New York style.

AM: Tell us about Bonsai Tapas & Wine

Bar. How does it change from the day time

to night?

CC: Bonsaii Tapas & Wine Bar is a new

café in NYC located on the first floor of

the Concorde Hotel New York. In the

morning, you can find coffee and light

fare. In the evening, the cozy café transforms

into a chic NYC wine and tapas

bar.

AM: What are other amenities/offerings

that the hotel offers for guests in the

common areas?

CC: The lobby bar lounge and outdoor

terrace is a public area to all our hotel

guests providing our guests a relaxing

place to escape and enjoy a cup of morning

coffee before work or treat yourself

to an after-work drink with colleagues

or friends. Our newly modern innovative

state-of-the-art meeting room is located

on the 3rd floor and is available to

all corporate clients to rent during their

stay for private meetings, zoom conference

call or for social gatherings.

AM: Tell us about the gym.

CC: Our newly renovated gym is located

on the 4th floor. It is fully equipped with

Ellipticals, Spinning Bikes, Treadmills and

strength machines.

AM: Your hotel positions itself as a wellness

destination, tell us about the kinds

of rooms that guests can stay in when

staying with you?

CC: Surrounding the hotel are New York

City’s top restaurants. Each guest is able

to take advantage of this unique construction

with all rooms including both

a rainfall shower and a soaking tub.

AM: What amenities are offered in the

rooms?

CC: Guests can enjoy:

• Unlimited premium high-speed wireless

and hardwired internet access.

• 2 telephones, with two phone lines,

computer data ports and private voice

mail

• 50” Flat Screen TV with complimentary

HBO, CNN, ESPN, and Satellite programming.

• Four Fixture Bathrooms with rainfall

shower and separate soaking bathtub

feature individual Molton Brown personal

care amenities.

• I-Home clock radio with USB and Bluetooth

capability in guest rooms.

• Nespresso single cup coffee brewers including

complimentary coffee and teas.

• In-room laptop safes.

• Iron and Iron board

• Bathrobes and bed slippers

Radio City Music Hall, St. Patrick's Cathedral

and Fifth Avenue.

AM: How can guests customize their stay

whether enjoying an anniversary, engagement,

or girls night out?

CC: They can email us at guestservices@

concordehotelnewyork.com and our

staff will assist with any special request.

@concordehotelnyc

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Concorde

Hotel

AM: For the holiday season, what are

events or promotions that we should know

about to share with our readers?

CC: We have a few packages that your

readers can know about.

Stay Longer Save More

The longer you stay, the more you save.

Rest easier with NYC luxury at a great

price.

• Stay 4+ Nights, Save 20%




Breakfast Package

Whether you are traveling for business or

pleasure, treat yourself to our breakfast

package that energizes you for the start

of your day.

• Breakfast at Bonsaii Cafe Includes:

• 2 prefix breakfast vouchers

AM: Can you tell us about the neighborhood

your hotel is located in and things in

the area that guests can enjoy?

CC: Our hotel location is very spectacular

as we’re within walking distance of iconic

New York locations like Rockefeller Center,

Central Park, Grand Central Station,

A few years ago we were introduced to orange

wine and it has now been somethign

that we keep an eye out for! So when

we heard about Doreen Winkler, a leading

wine sommelier and consultant who has a

passion for orange wines, we had to reach

out to find out more about her wine store

as well as her wine event that takes place

on Nov 5th!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into

your event and store, we'd love to know

more about your background as a leading

wine sommelier and consultant. Where

did you train and what restaurants did you

work in as we know that you worked at

Aldea as well which we had Chef George

Mendes as a cover a few years ago!

DOREEN WINKLER: I completed a 3 year

hospitality apprenticeship in Germany

and then worked in Switzerland, where

I quickly became a floor sommelier and

then back to Germany where I started as

a server at the Atlantic Hotel. I was training

at the Wine Institute of Germany and

quickly replaced the hotel’s sommelier.

Then worked in the U.S., Sydney and Cyprus

before ending up in New York in several

wine director positions including the

2 Michelin starred Aska where I created an

all natural wine list in 2013. This was when

natural wine wasn't very common. I also

was a sommelier of Tocqueville, Prime

Meats and Aldea in New York City.

For the past 7 years, I’ve been managing

the wine programs in a consulting role for

several restaurants including Sel Rrose

Montauk, Sel Rrose NYC, Moby’s, Trappizzino.

AM: Wine is such an interesting category.

For those who are not familiar with natural

wines, what do we need to know about

this?

DW: All the orange wines that we sell are

natural. Natural wine is the romantic fantasy

of how we wish all wine was made. It

uses no chemical growing or plowing solutions,

only ripe grapes are handpicked,

there are very low to no added sulfites,

and only indigenous yeasts are used.

Natural wine has no additives of any

kind and isn’t filtered or refined. What

you get in the glass is as close to what’s

in the vineyard including all the notes of

the grapes and the conditions of that

year's vintage.

AM: Years ago at a press trip in Vermont,

we had the pleasure of enjoying a chef's

table and the somm poured our first orange

wine from Donkey & Goat! We were

fans from that first sip!

What are orange wines and how are they

made?

DW: Orange wine is also called skin contact

and amber wine.

Orange wine was made in the Republic

of Georgia thousands of years ago and

brought to the rest of the world by two

Italian winemakers Josko Gravner and

Stanko Radikon who wanted to explore

this winemaking style about 40 years

ago. Today, there are around 3,000 wine

producers or wineries that make orange

wine along with other styles. Orange

wine is made from white grapes that

macerate on their skins which can take

anywhere from a couple of hours up to

one year.

AM: Why do you love orange wines?

DW: I love the wide range of styles of

orange wine that you can find, both

sparkling and still. The wines are so versatile

and pair well with a wide range of

cuisines. There’s also so much new stuff

happening in the category like new vessels

and new countries like Japan now

making orange wine.

AM: You have your own wine store and

subscription devoted to orange wines -

how did this come about?

DW: I found myself putting lots of orange

wine on wine lists and the staff

really digging it and selling it. I shared it

a lot with my friends and people were

asking for more. I wanted to do something

personal so I created my own wine

subscription, which took off. The store

was just a natural evolution and yes I always

want to be the first!!!

AM: If this has not been answered already.

Why are orange wines called "skin contact?"

DW: Orange wine is made from white

grapes that macerate on their skins for a

period of time - hence skin contact.

AM: As an orange wine expert, why is this

so popular?

DW: Orange wine goes way back to 8000

years ago, but it was only 40 years ago that

it was reintroduced outside the Republic

of Georgia. This tradition has reached

wine drinkers around the world thanks to

the efforts of producers, distributors, and

sommeliers who have been spreading the

word about this exciting style. The range

and versatility of this wine has made it a

natural fit for many wine lists, tables, and

picnic baskets.

AM: In terms of pairings, what are 3 dishes

that it pairs well with?

DW: Fried chicken with sparkling orange

wine.

Creamy washed rind cheese with a medium

bodied floral orange wine.

Spicy tonkotsu ramen with a full bodied

ramato style orange wine.

AM: Last year, you launched Orange Glou

Wine Fair, why did you want to be the first

person to have a wine fair dedicated to orange

wines?

DW: It is my mission to share orange

wines with as many people as possible

and to educate drinkers about them. A lot

of the time wine fairs and tastings target

primarily folks in the industry and I really

wanted to share it with consumers, to

give them access to taste an amazing se-

lection of wines and talk to inspiring

winemakers. The Orange Glou Fair is a

one of a kind opportunity to do so.

AM: This year, it will be held at the Wythe

Hotel in Williamsburg. What can attendees

expect at this event?

DW: Attendees will be able to taste over

100 of the top orange wines in the world,

from sparkling to still, in regular bottle

and magnum sizes. They will have the

chance to taste wines that they would

never have anywhere else and to meet

winemakers from around the world to

ask them questions, learn about the soil,

the vessels and the grape varieties.

All the wines at this fair are stunning

and some bottles are not even imported

yet so you can’t try them anywhere

else in the U.S. Some are so limited that

Orange Glou can’t even buy them, some

are special magnum fillings, some are

wine club only wines from the winery,

you’ll get to taste aged wines, etc.

AM: Who are 3 wineries that we should

keep an eye out for?

DW: So many, it’s not fair to pick as we

love them all. But there are three wine

regions that are popping right now and

should not be missed. We are especially

fond of Czech wineries - Orange Glou

launched a collaboration with Nespor &

Rajsky which you will get to taste at the

fair. We have over 10 different Georgian

wine varieties to taste and the Greek

wines are definitely worth seeking out.

AM: If someone enjoys the wine that they

are tasting, can they purchase it on site?

DW: Attendees will be able to place orders

for some of the wines for pick up or

shipping later in the week. (Editor's Note:

It is not legal to sell bottles at events.)

AM: There are 2 sessions for this event -

can tickets still be purchased?

DW: Yes, tickets are available for pur-

chase online for both sessions at www.

orangegloufair.com

AM: With this being the second year of

the event, what are your plans for future

years and will you expand to other areas?

DW: I have a dream of bringing this to

L.A. I have many other wineries to include

in the future too so no event will

be the same!!

AM: In terms of your boutique, are there

any tastings that you have or other

events coming up that we should know

about especially with the holiday season

being around the corner?

DW: This time of year we get pretty busy

with company holiday parties. The calendar

is filling up but you can still book us

for an event at the shop, offsite or virtually.

We also host free small tastings every

Friday night 6-8pm at the shop, customers

can come in to taste something

new and pick out some wines for gifting

or the holiday table. In January, we’ll get

back to hosting our monthly Deep Dive

orange wine parties on the last Friday of

the month and we’re always available

for private events to celebrate any special

occasions.

@doreenmwinkler

@orange_glou

@orangeglou_fair

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Orange

Glou Wine Fair

We always love a BRAVO Top Chef moment

and this month's Athleisure List

comes from Season 12 Finalist, Chef

George Pagonis and his brother, Nicholas.

They wanted to bring Greek cuisine

to Tribeca since they had looked

for the perfect space and finally found

the one they fell in love with in this

neighborhood.

Paros comes from memories that the

brothers enjoyed when their family

would visit their home in Paros, Greece

as they had a summer home there. It

was a no brainer to name the restaurant

after the source of these great

memories.

The restaurant's ambiance is warm

and welcoming. As a family-owned

restaurant, they treat their guests as

ATHLEISURE LIST: Tribeca, NYC

PAROS TRIBECA

if they are part of that family. The

restaurant's interior is a direct reflection

of Paros' allure, capturing the essence

of Cycladic architecture and the

island's streetscapes. Stepping inside,

you're immediately transported to

Paros' tranquility.

We suggest that 3 appetizers that you

should have on your mind are their

Grilled Octopus (fava, roasted peppers,

onions and capers), Lamb Kleftico

(slow-roasted lamb shoulder, shallots,

Grecian cheese blend, wrapped

in filo), and Kolokithokeftedes (crispy

zucchini fritters, lemon yogurt).

For your entree when you're with

friends and family, we suggest their

whole fish - specifically Fagri (pink

snapper from Aegean, with full flavor


and firm texture), Lamb Shank Youvetsi

(slowly braised lamb shank in tomato

sauce, orzo and mlzithra), and Filet

Mignon Kebab (marinated and grilled,

harissa toast, crispy fingerlings, chimichurri).

We love the idea of pairing these dishes

with Gigantes, Brussels Sprouts, and

Lemon Potatoes.

To complete this meal, you can't go

wrong with sharing a Baklava, Portokalopita,

or Cheesecake.

We love a great cocktail and we suggest

that you enjoy their Grecian-Tini

(Grey Goose Vodka, Skinos Mastiha,

mint, cucumber), Hellas Word (Ford's

Gin, Yellow Chartreuse, vyzina cherry

syrup), and The Mr Tony (Old Forester

Bourbon, fig syrup, walnut bitters). If

you want to enjoy Greek spirits, Mastiha,

Ouzo, and Tsipouro are on the list!

Although they currently only have dinner

service, in a few weeks, brunch will


be available and a few weeks after

that, they will have a lunch service as

well!

For those that are thinking about the

holiday season, they plan on being

closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas

Day. They will have a NYE party!

PAROS TRIBECA

211 W Broadway,

NY, NY 10013

parosnyc.com

@parostribeca

PHOTO CREDITS | Paros Tribeca


ATHLEISURE LIST: East Village, NYC

SEASONED VEGAN

We're always on the lookout for great

vegan bites and founder, Brenda "Chef

B" Beener had always cooked for her

family and when her husband went

plant-based, that's when her vegan

journey began. In 2010, she opened a

6-foot table inside of Lee Lee's Bakery

in Harlem. She would later open Harlem's

first full-service vegan restaurant

with her son Aaron Beener in

2014 for 9 years before closing earlier

this year, with the quick service eatery

that opened in the East Village on Aug

23rd. Fans of Seasoned Vegan have

included Stevie Wonder, Danny Glover,

Cory Booker, Colin Kapernick and

most recently in its newest location,

Yara Shahidi has swung by.

The beauty of Seasoned Vegan is that

dishes pull from the family's New Orleans

roots. Clearly, the sandwiches are

a great way to have a gratifying meal!

The BBQ Craw is great with a unique

protein made with burdock root. It

was a fan favorite in Harlem and now

that it’s made on the flattop grill, it’s

even better. The new SV Nugget Sandwich

came from customers constantly

asking them to make a fried “chicken”

sandwich. The tangy sauce on it

is one of the items they stopped making

during the pandemic shutdown

so a lot of people are excited that it’s

back! And lastly, the Craw Pretzel Boy

Sandwich is a twist on their old Po Boy

Sandwich - now served on a pretzel

bun.

Their famous Seasoned Vegan Fries

are also back (they were discontinued

for a few years in Harlem and have

returned) - they’re extra crispy shoestring

fries with a delicious Cajun seasoning

that’s a must try.

We're excited to share that the team

at Seasoned Vegan has revealed in this


feature for the first time, 2 fan favorites

that are now available! In addition

to enjoying their fries, another great

side that is returning to the menu

soon will be fan favorite - Seasoned

Vegan Mac and "Cheese." Although it

was not on the original menu at their

new location, hands down it has been

the most requested item! We're glad

to hear that it's back! Another great

item has made its way to the new location.

Their Raw Kale Salad was at

he original table at Lee Lee's Bakery

and was never available at the Harlem

location, so it's exciting to know that

you can order it in their new home in

the East Village!

To complete your meal, Chef B's vegan

cupcakes is an absolute home run!

SEASONED VEGAN

128 2nd Ave (near St Marks Pl)

NY, NY 10003

seasonedvegan.com

@seasonedvegan

PHOTOGRAPHY | Michael Tulipan

You should definitely keep an eye out

for additional items that will be added

as there are savory as well as sweet

items that are in the works! Whether

you're popping in or checking out your

IG, there's more to come for sure!




Stay connected and follow us across our

social channels on @AthleisureMag!



Bingely Books

FRIDAY NIGHT COCKTAILS:

52 DRINKS TO WELCOME

YOUR WEEKEND

The Collective Book Studio

AJ Dean

When it comes to mixing it up, Friday

Night Cocktails: 52 Drinks To Welcome

Your Weekend ensures that we will never

have to keep drinking our goto

drinks! We now have options

at our fingertips! This book has

over 52 recipes that can be made

at home with a number of ingredients

that you already have at

your disposal.

You'll find the classic cocktails as

well as those that are twist on

your favorites that will take it to

another level. We like that their

mantra is, "Try something new,

but be mindful of the tried-andtrue."

TIMELOCK 2: THE KYOTO

CONSPIRACY

Ie Snaps! by Ingramelliott

Howard Berk + Peter Berk

If you enjoy watching episodes

of Columbo, then you may know

Howard Berk who wrote some

of the episodes and in addition

to his work in a number of noted

shows, he wrote TimeLock

as well as TimeLock 2: The Kyoto

Conspiracy along with his son,

Peter Berk.

The concept of TimeLock is a

program that has a cellular acceleration

process that instantly

ages prisoners the total number

of years of their sentence.

Although there is siginificant

backlash, through this program,

crimes are reduced - but what

about those that are innocent?

We pick up where we left Mor-


being a mom, survival, faith, and hope!

As many know, in June 2021, we were

able to hear from this pop icon as she

shared her truth in court and this book

continues in this way. The ability for her

to share her story in the way that she

wishes with humor and even opening

up about painful moments is one that

that will allow you to reflect on her life

in The Woman in Me.

For those that will listen on Audiobook,

we can't say enough about Michelle

Williams' (Fosse/Verdon, Venom

franchise, The Fablemans) narration

which has been in our feeds over the

past few days!

gan Eberly in the first book as he was

convicted of a murder at the age of 23,

was sentenced to age 40 years via a

TimeLock capsule but was interupted

and was able to escape in his new age

of 43! 20 years was taken from him and

a new and more radical president has

obtained a newer technology that can

be used as a weapon on the battlefield.

When only one person is able to initiate

the program and he is kidnapped, the

need to rescue him is essential! Morgan

knows he must focus on finding him and

also stopping the president from pushing

forward with his plans.

THE WOMAN IN ME

Gallery Books

Britney Spears

Britney Spears brings us into her world

with her memoir which focuses on her

fight for freedom, dealing with fame,



Bingely Streaming

REPTILE

Netflix Original

Netflix

What happens when the life that you

thought that you knew isn't what it seems

and in the end, you realize that you're in the

midst of a coverup that makes it incredibly

difficult to get out of? In Reptile,

we're introduced to a real estate

family that does a little more than

selling houses. Will Grady (Justin

Timberlake) is living the dream

and seems to have a great life

along with a woman that he loves.

We also get to know more about

a police officer, Nichols (Benicio

Del Toro) and his crew! The two

worlds of these men as well as

those associated come together

in a thriller that leaves you constantly

wondering how all of this

is connected and where as well as

what is the lie?

This is the perfect movie to watch

on a weekend solo or with friends!

FBOY ISLAND

CW Original

CW App

We have been fans of FBOY Island

for the past 2 seasons on Max as

this social experiment is definitely

next level when it comes to women

finding their ideal man. Now

that they have made the move to

The CW, we're glad that Nikki Glaser

is back navigating the relationships

between the 3 women this

season and those who are FBOYs

and Nice Guys! Interestingly

enough, of the 3 contestants that

we will get to know more about,

Katie Thurston from Seaosn 17 of

The Bachelorette is competing for

love! It's an interesting crossover,

but we know that the Executive

Producer, Elan Gale, previously

worked on The Bachelor/Bachelorette

franchise. In addition to

Katie, she is joined by model Hali


Okeowo and social media influencer

Daniella Grace.

We can't wait to see what will take

place this season and to see how

these women will go about the experience!

EVEN THE RICH -

COURTNEY LOVE:

NOBODY'S DAUGHTER

Wondery

Spotify

Even the Rich is a great series that

has a number of episodes that focus

on getting the inside scoop of a celeb

or noted person that you know.

You get to know about how they got

to where they are, what they had to

navigate in order to be who they are,

and where they are now!

Previous series have included Jay-Z

and Beyonce, The Royals, Selena and

so much more! Currently, they are fo-


cusing on Courtney Love! In this series we'll

get to know more about her, her career,

and beyond. Hosts Brooke Siffrinn and Aricia

Skidmore-Williams will take us on this

journey as well as give a few insights along

the way!




Athleisure Mag OCT ISSUE #94

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