Immaculate Infatuation

Earlier this year, a pretty hilarious war of words broke out between a random New York Times financial writer and Chef Marc Forgione. Apparently Forgione was gettin’ loud on one of his employees in his kitchen. This writer, who was dining at the restaurant, had a good view of the action. He heard the commotion and decided it was OK to let himself into Forgione’s kitchen to reprimand the chef on what is and isn’t acceptable behavior…in his own restaurant! Really dude? You don’t go into the kitchen unless you’re invited. That’s like running onto the field during a baseball game. Rightfully, Forgione asked the guy to remove himself from his restaurant. Following the incident, Forgione learned in this New York Times Diner’s Journal article that the man he gave the boot to was a writer. To Forgione’s credit, he handled the whole episode well. Maybe next time he’s in the New York Times, it will be because his restaurant finally gets a review.

Even though we haven’t been to Marc Forgione’s restaurant yet, we fully back him. Under the circumstances, we would have handled this situation in the exact same way. Also, the man has good taste. Many of his picks below are all Infatuation approved restaurants, plus he rocks a sweet lookin’ mohawk. It was just announced this week that Forgione will be a contestant on Season 3 of Food Network’s “The Next Iron Chef”, which debuts in October. To keep up with all the Marc Forgione action on the internets, become a fan on Facebook and follow the restaurant on Twitter.

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Music festivals these days are big business, loaded with good bands and now, all kinds of good eats. In advance of this years Outside Lands Music, Food, Wine & Art Festival in San Francisco (8/14-15 at Golden Gate Park in SF feat. Kings of Leon, The Strokes, My Morning Jacket), we decided to give some Friday Fives facetime to a good friend and fellow music and food enthusiast, Superfly Productions principal, Kerry Black.

Black and his team curate festivals like Bonarroo & Outside Lands. You want All Access passes? Black is the guy you need to know. We tried to convince Superfly to sponsor an Infatuation party plane to SF for Outside Lands for us and all our friends (you). Didn’t happen. Maybe next year.

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We met Sloane a couple years back when she was “hangin’ out” with a friend of ours. We liked her from the start; A kindred spirit with big dreams and a can’t stop won’t stop attitude. She’s got good taste in words, music, food and booze…our kind of people.

Sloane’s first book, I Was Told There’d Be Cake (buy it on Amazon for $9.97) blew the f*ck up. When your mom, girlfriend and little sister are all independently reading and raving about the same book, it’s gotta be good. Her witty collection of autobiographical essays about life went on to become a New York Times best seller. Sloane’s follow-up, How Did You Get This Number (Buy it here), came out last month. We haven’t read it yet, but judging by the press its gotten so far, we’re pretty confident it’s another book club grand slam. Hopefully that short relationship with our buddy got some ink. To keep up with Sloane and her daily rampage of noise, make sure you’re following her on Twitter.

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Our Infatuation with Passion Pit started early. All it took was one listen to “Sleepyhead” and we were in it for the long haul. Their debut album, Manners, was one our favorite releases of 2009, and we used their addicting single “Little Secrets” as the soundtrack to our first ever video, Cookies Across The City. Needless to say, we’re pretty excited that Ian Hultquist, the band’s keyboard player/guitarist (left of the piano in the photo), took the time to drop his go-to restaurant picks on us. We learn from our friends, and there are definitely some spots in this list that we need to check out.

If you don’t already own it, it’s never too late to buy Manners. It’s currently on sale at Amazon for $5. And to keep up with all the latest, make sure to follow both Passion Pit’s band twitter and Ian’s personal twitter too.

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We head out East for Friday Fives this week to link up with Top Chef alum and Surf Lodge Executive Chef Sam Talbot. It’s perfect timing too, as we’re shooting an Infatuation TV episode in Montauk this weekend with Sam and singer/songwriter/pro surfer Donavon Frankenreiter. When the summer is over, Sam will be moving back into NYC to open the Mondrian in Soho, and he’s also currently working on his first book. To keep up with all the Sam Talbot happenings, follow him on twitter and check out his snazzy website. Nice Kooks tune on there by the way, that’s a good jam.

Surf Lodge has single-handedly changed the Hamptons’ nightlife game. It used to be that if you wanted to seriously get after it on the East End, you were either battling the lines and generally awful people at Pink Elephant (RIP, finally), or getting really dirty at The Point. Thanks to Surf Lodge and their awesome indoor/outdoor set up and no doorman policy, the only problems we run into here are huge crowds, bathroom lines and too many hot chicks. For those looking for night of potential Drunk Hook Ups, this is your spot. Speaking of Drunk Hook Ups, our boy Sam here is the first Friday Fives participant to have the balls to select that category from the “Perfect For” list. Nicely done.

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In keeping with this weeks theme of reviewing destination restaurants outside of NYC, this is the first Friday Fives that hits on multiple cities. We had the South Side of Chicago’s own Kid Sister take us on a mini-tour of her favorite spots in Chi-Town, along with a couple of NYC haunts for good measure. We fully back Kid Sister’s debut album Ultraviolet (buy it at iTunes here), and we’re kind of shocked “Daydreaming” hasn’t blown up yet. That jam needs to be on the radio so people can get their Right Hand Hi and sing along.

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Happy 4th of July to the Infatuation Nation. We’re celebrating the holiday by bringing you a Friday Fives of historic magnitude. Uncle Sam himself gives you five go-to picks and some interesting personalities that he likes to follow on Twitter. Restaurant favorites from the face of a nation…we’re so big time.

Also, Uncle Sam says that if you’re signed up to our email list, you don’t have to pay any federal income taxes this year.

Seriously. He said that.
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Kelly has been a fixture in the New York dining scene for a while now thanks to her successful NYC TV show Eat Out NY. It was only recently that she broke through on a national level, as the host of the always entertaining Top Chef Masters. Kelly likes to have a good time on Twitter – definitely follow her if you’re not already, and keep your eyes peeled around town. There’s a good chance she’s laughing, drinking a glass of wine and taking down a full a chicken in the booth next to you.

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This person needs no introduction. As the face of Food & Wine Magazine (where she’s special projects director) and through her role on Top Chef, Gail has become one of the most recognizable and well respected people in food media. With another season of Top Chef kicking off this week (our money is on Kenny, obviously), what better time to check in with our favorite member of judges table. We always knew Gail had good taste, but we didn’t realize she consistently hangs out at all our favorite spots.

P.S. – Top Chef producers, if you see this, we’ve got an excellent challenge conceptualized for you. It stars two food bloggers, Kid Rock, and a hot plate. Let us know when you want to set up a meeting.

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This week Fives checks in with one of our favorite up-and-coming chefs, Todd Mitgang. A few years ago, Todd was running a fantastic restaurant called Crave in the East 50’s…and then a crane fell on it. Since then, he’s put his skills to work at the under-appreciated Infatuation favorite Cascabel Taqueria, and is now about to open a dope little spot in Montauk called South Edison. With this new venture, Mitgang aims to create the ultimate surf town restaurant, bringing Manhattan standards of cuisine to the beach just south of Montauk Village. The menu is packed with summertime classics and an extensive raw bar. We were out in Montauk last weekend and did a quick walk through – check the twitpic. Can’t find us this summer? We’re probably at the South Edison bar taking down Blue Points and crab legs.

South Edison officially opens to the public this Tuesday, June 15th.

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In case you haven’t noticed, we’re freaks for the NBA around these parts. Particularly, the long suffering Knicks. With the NBA Finals upon us and the usual depression setting in that coincides with the Orange & Blue being further away from the action than Ron Artest from reality, Friday Fives takes it to the hardwood this week. We put the full court press on our favorite Knicks (and Red Bulls!) reporter, MSG analyst Tina Cervasio.

Since she arrived on the MSG sidelines two years ago, we’ve had a serious thing for Tina. Not only is she easy on the eyes, but a walking sports encyclopedia (which is always impressive for a female) and total pro on camera. Her picks? Celtics in 6. 30% chance of LeBron coming to NYC. Oh, you mean food? See below and don’t forget to follow Tina’s wild world of sports on Twitter.

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We’re getting the Memorial Day party started this year with a Friday Fives from hip-hop’s resident frat dawg, Asher Roth. People can talk trash all they want, but the bottom line is that the kid can rap. Asher’s album Asleep In The Bread Aisle was a solid debut and I Love College was the drunken party anthem of 2009. Admit it – you liked that song the first hundred times you heard it. We hung with Asher at MTVu’s Woodie Awards last year and he rolled up in an old school Charlotte Hornets Larry Johnson jersey. Respect.

Asher is currently recording a new record and has moved to NYC where he resides in the East Village, and happens to frequent some of The Infatuation’s favorite spots. Check his restaurant picks below and be sure to follow Asher on Twitter and check out his new augmented reality website, asherrothmusic.com.

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Friday Fives goes raw this week with Pure Food and Wine/One Lucky Duck’s own Sarma Melngailis. If chefs are the new rock stars, then Sarma is the Lady GaGa of raw food. Rabid fans stalk her life on Twitter and Facebook, where she’s built an impressive brand for both herself and oneluckyduck.com. Pure also happens to be a big time celeb, model and musician hangout. Alicia Silverstone (yes, she still exists and apparently hates dairy) recently guested on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and randomly pimped out Sarma’s infamous Master Cleanse-Tini. Sure, it’s a little feminine, but this is easily the best cocktail we’ve ever had made with sake. After checking out Sarma’s Friday Fives, we suggest heading over to Pure’s Outdoor/Patio Situation and sucking down one or four.

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For devil horn throwing lifers, Scott Ian is rock royalty. As the rhythm guitar player and face of Anthrax for almost 30 years, Ian is widely respected as one of the greatest axe thrashers of our generation. He’s cut from the same cloth as us too. Well, as close as we can get – we’re not actual rock stars – yet. Not only has Scott built a life for himself in music, he shares in our love for all things food, drink, Yankees and poker. Ian resides in LA these days, but this NYC native frequently comes home to visit with one thing on his mind: eats. He takes his dining experiences very seriously, and we appreciate him taking the time to drop his Friday Fives on us.

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Since we’re giving away a pair of tickets to the Gail Simmons hosted “A Taste Of Home” celebrity chef benefit and tasting next Thursday at Hosing Works and chef Mike Anthony of Gramercy Tavern is one of the chefs, we figured today would be as good a day as any to run his Friday Fives. Do we believe the hype on this guy? Absolutely. He used to be Executive Chef at Blue Hill at Stone Barnes, the highest rated restaurant on our website. Since 2006 Anthony has been Executive Chef at Danny Meyer’s infamous Gramercy Taven, restoring order in style at one of NYC’s most historic and well rounded eating establishments. We appreciate Mike taking the time to weigh in on his favorite spots for us today. Enjoy.

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As embarrassing as this is to admit, we secretly find Bravo’s Real Housewives programming pretty entertaining. What can we say, we’re suckers (especially Steinthal) for horny MILFs who dress and act like they’re still in high school. While most of them are awful, there’s one we’ve grown specifically fond of: NYC Housewife and Playboy Cover girl Kelly Killoren Bensimon. For a 41-year-old, that is one slammin’ body. Believe it or not, she actually eats (and tweets about it!). Here’s proof in the form of today’s Friday Fives (we gave her an extra pick since we refuse to consider the Boom Boom Room a restaurant).

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This week, Friday Fives is headed into the kitchen and pulling out a name you’re probably not familiar with. Robb Garceau is executive chef at Hudson Yards, the catering arm of Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. Among other things, Rob oversees all the action for Hudson Yards concessions stands at the Mets’ Citi Field ballpark in Queens. That’s right, all the good stuff: Shake Shack, Blue Smoke, El Verano Taquería and Box Frites. It’s Robb’s job to know everything that’s going on inside the ballpark, but we trust his opinion about good eats around the stadium as well. If you’re ever looking for a place to eat in Queens before or after a game, you’re in luck. Check out Robb’s suggestions below.

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Today’s Friday Fives brings us an all time Infatuation favorite, Talib Kweli. We’ve been down with his rhymes ever since the Mos Def/Blackstar days, and “Get By” has made an appearance on pretty much every iPod playlist we’ve ever made. Needless to say, we were fired up when he agreed to send over some of his go-to restaurant picks. Right now you can catch Talib on tour with Hi-Tek in support of the new Reflection Eternal album, coming next month. They’ll be at Nokia Theater on April 29th, and you can read below for some of Talib’s picks on where to eat before…or after.

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This week’s Friday Five brings us our first personality from the world of reality television. Although we’ve never actually seen Bravo’s Kell On Earth, we’re told it’s about a miserable chain smoking fashion publicist with four cats and (shocker) no boyfriend.

People loathe the star of the show Kelly Cutone, but her assistant, Andrew Mukamal, has become a hugely popular character among loyal viewers. With his bizarre Addams Family meets Kurt Cobain style, deep voice and “I just don’t give a fuck” attitude, Mukamal has endeared himself to the American public and is suddenly a budding fashion industry icon. We back anyone with enough confidence to rock a cape to work everyday. Check out Andrew on twitter and read below for five of his go-to restaurants in NYC.

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This Friday, multi-platinum recording artist and avid fan of sarcasm Moby hit us up with his Friday Fives…sort of. Instead of giving us five recommendations, Moby refused to conform and gave us his thoughts on almost all of our Perfect For categories. How “alternative”.

Moby also has a new book that he would like you to know about, Gristle. Gristle is an “information-packed, lively, and informative little guide”…”for the growing number of people…who are thinking twice about the consequences of our industrial factory-farming system of raising animals for food.”

Shake Shack anyone?

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Today, professional party animal, rock star and owner of Santos Party House, Andrew W.K., drops his Friday Fives: five of his favorite spots in our “perfect for” categories, along with five of his favorite people to follow on Twitter…including his wife.

AWK is a 100% Infatuation approved badass – a talented guy who loves food, music, and the constant pursuit of a good fucking time. He just released a new double album called Close Calls With Brick Walls/Mother of Mankind this week. You should buy it HERE. Want to know more? Check out his website: andrewwk.com

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Today, NY1’s own Pat Kiernan hits us with his restaurant go-to in five of our “perfect for” categories, along with five of his favorite people to follow on Twitter.

Make sure to visit Pat’s website www.patspapers.com, and sign up for his daily newsletter that rounds up headlines from around the country, cuts through the clutter, and delivers a tidy rundown to your inbox first thing in the morning. It’s a national version of Pat’s popular NY1 segment, “In The Papers”, and it will make you smarter.

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