California Apparel News

A buyer’s guide to the best boutiques and bistros in the nation’s trade show capitals

NEW YORK

ABC Carpet & Home888 Broadway(212) 473-3000

From its pushcart origins in 1897, ABC Carpet & Home has evolved into a New York shopping institution: a fourth-generation, family-owned business. The flagship six-story building at 888 Broadway carries a lot more than rugs. (Carpet and broadloom exclusively are across the street at 881 Broadway.) ABC is located in the Flatiron District of Manhattan; Gramercy Park and Union Square are minutes away, and shopping and restaurants abound. In a borough of pedestrians, this area of lower Broadway is particularly quaint and fun to stroll.

The ground floor of ABC is a funky-chic emporium specializing in home accessories, clothing, decorative items and jewelry with Far Eastern influences. Several restaurants are located here: The Dessert Studio for coffee, tea, champagne and chocolate; Pipa for tapas; and Lucy for Latin fare.

Heading upstairs, you’ll find floors of furniture, antiques, textiles and rugs. Design at ABC is diverse with a capital “D”: East meets West, formal meets country and traditional meets modern. The “warehouse aesthetic” of hardwood floors, antique carpets and sparkly chandeliers makes ABC a singular shopping experience. Anthos36 West 52nd St.(212) 582-6900

Anthos means “blossoming” in Greek, and if you want to get a jump on the blossoming of a new celebrity chef, Michael Psilakis is the man of the hour. Dubbed the “Mario Batali of new Aegean cuisine,” this self-taught young man recently opened Anthos in midtown Manhattan with partner Donatella Arpaia. The restaurant has been nominated for the James Beard Foundation’s 2008 Best New Restaurant Award, and New Yorkers flock to its fashionable location. Psilakis blends rustic ingredients with elegant presentation and reinvents Greek cuisine in the process. He is respectful of tradition, but adventurous. The room is Manhattan minimalist with white walls, dark slate floors and a mirrored back wall.

On the menu: Greek risotto with lobster, crab and sea urchin; crisped turbot with fried oysters, cardoon (an artichoke-like vegetable) and olive tsatziki; sheep-milk ricotta dumplings; and skordalia soup, a Greek dish of potato puree and garlic lightened up with yogurt for a smoother texture. Various interpretations of baklava are served for dessert. Retsina, a strong Greek spirit, is popular and adds to the merriment at Anthos.

LOS ANGELES

Barneys New York9570 Wilshire Blvd.(310) 276-4400

Barneys New York opened its Beverly Hills location in 1994. The 120,000-square-foot sky-lit structure, centered by a monumental staircase, is a paean to all things lovely, shiny and expensive. That said, Angelenos of all ages and thicknesses of wallet adore browsing and buying here. Every major or emerging designer is represented—in fashion, accessories, jewelry and cosmetics. There is beauty in presentation throughout the store. The perfume bar offers scents from Kai; Fresh; and i Profumi di Firenze, a line whose formulas date from the di Medicis. Handbags are proffered from Fendi, Givenchy, Jil Sander and Marc Jacobs—just a few of the scores of name designers at the store. The shoe collection includes Chloe, Lanvin and Prada. Clothing sources include Helmut Lang, Theory and Diane von Furstenberg. Barneys Green features a line of organic cotton and linen. The Co-Op casual label skews toward the young. When carpal tunnel syndrome cramps your style because you’ve fished your credit card out once too often, head to the fourth floor. There, an outpost of New York City’s legendary deli Barney Greengrass provides vodka and caviar along with the chicken noodle soup. Fraiche9411 Culver Blvd.(310) 839-6800

Culver City was an important-but-sleepy studio town once upon a time, home to MGM (now Sony) Studios and everyone from the munchkins in “The Wizard of Oz” to Scarlett and Rhett in “Gone With the Wind.” It faded for a while but has come back strong as a hot spot of dining, design and furniture stores.

Fraiche is a local culinary standout that draws diners from all around Los Angeles. Chef Jason Travi and manager Thierry Perez, co-owners, serve French-Italian cuisine in a rustic farmhouse setting of stone walls, beamed ceilings and a wall of wine. The food is consistently described as delicious, flavorful and fresh; the service is professional. There’s a bar menu and “bar chef” who whips up blood orange martinis and the “Day Spa,” fashioned out of gin, basil and cucumber. For lunch you can get a meatball sandwich with melted fontina cheese. Dinner possibilities include a fruit de mer of lobster, oysters, clams and albacore tuna ceviche. Duck-leg confit is served with Italian black rice. Charcuterie and salami selections abound. SAN FRANCISCO

Doe 629a Haight St.(415) 558-8588

In homage to the Haight’s glorious past, Doe, a charming “mini-department store” in the new Haight, sells Rich Hippie Perfume Oil in scents of Utopia, Purple Haze and Maharishi. “Rich hippie” aptly describes the evolution of San Francisco. The Haight is now a fairly gentrified shopping and dining locale, as opposed to a flophouse destination for Deadheads. Stylish urbanites aged 20 to 50 come to shop at the Victorian cottage that is Doe.

Doe features Bay Area lines and designers such as Rebecca Beeson, Talla and She-Bible. All denim is sewn in California, and jeans are sourced from organic denim brands like Del Forte in Berkeley. In addition to womenswear, the small, sophisticated store stocks accessories, baby clothes, housewares and paper goods. Dutchy and Herve Chapelier bags are sold. Grab a latte, and hunt for jewelry, sandals, teapots and bath products. Buy a finely knit James Perse sweater for your former hippie boyfriend, now your on-the-verge-of-retirement boomer husband. Coi373 Broadway (415) 393-9000

An avant-garde yet Zen-like dining experience awaits you at Michelin-starred Coi. Chef Daniel Patterson wrote a book that celebrated the “magic” of essential oils in food. To that end, the diner is urged to rub a drop of ginger grapefruit oil on his or her skin, breathe deeply and then take a bite of the pink grapefruit mousse. What seems silly at first is universally reported by patrons to truly enhance the taste of the dish. Chef Patterson says: “We try to use some unusual ingredients in familiar ways and familiar ingredients in new ways. I hope diners leave having discovered some new and delicious flavor, texture or combination.” A variety of ingredients are the inspiration for his inventive dishes.

Coi’s interior design combines grass-cloth wallpaper, diffuse lighting and muted colors to create a quiet, soothing space. Food is artfully plated on Japanese-inspired pottery. The menu changes daily and is printed with the list of local providers. Eleven courses are served from the formal dining room’s tasting menu for $120. In the Lounge, a la carte choices range from $8 to $19. Some mouth-watering plates: dairy-fresh goat cheese tart with beets, dill and caraway; local wild mushroom stew with new onions, handkerchief pasta and perigold truffles; and sweetbread ravioli in a truffle emulsion. Get your “om” on, and head to this foodie wonderland of art, technique and ambition. CHICAGO

Michigan Avenue (“The Magnificent Mile”)www.themagnificentmile.com(312) 642-3570

Envisioned as Chicago’s Champs-Eacute;lyseacute;es, Michigan Avenue, flanked by architectural landmarks such as the Wrigley and Chicago Tribune buildings, is as exceptional an avenue as you’re likely to come by in France or America. The eight blocks of North Michigan, also known as “The Gold Coast,” run from the Chicago River to Oak Street. Lake Michigan is close by, and the district is home to 460 stores and boutiques. In the warm months, when all Chicago revels in the great outdoors, landscapes and streetscapes of tulips, garden beds and kinetic sculptures liven up Michigan Avenue.

The venerable Drake hotel is here, as are the Peninsula and Four Seasons. The Art Institute of Chicago is one of many museums to visit in the neighborhood.

As for the shopping: Flagships for Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Cartier, Ermenegildo Zegna and the original American Girl Place are here. Department stores include Neiman Marcus and Saks. If you become overwhelmed and need an out-of-the-ordinary sugar rush, it’s Vosges Haut Chocolat to the rescue.SushiSamba Rio504 N. Wells St.(312) 595-2300

When spring and summer come a-callin’, Chicagoans welcome sun and warmth with all their hearts. They flock to good-time restaurants like SushiSamba Rio, rated one of Chicago’s best outdoor bars. A fashionable yuppie crowd dines on SushiSamba’s Japanese/Brazilian fusion dishes, hangs at the rooftop lounge and watches expert, inventive chefs do their work at the large, round sushi/ceviche bar.

Traditional Peruvian dishes are also served. If that seems like a stretch for a Japanese-style eatery, note the large Japanese immigrant community in South America; even a Peruvian ex-President is of Japanese descent, so the cross-cultural currents are strong there. This leads to dishes such as samba rolls with freshwater eel, bell pepper, cucumber, mango and avocado. Featured drinks include the caipirinha, the national drink of Brazil, and the lemon samurai: vodka, lemon, apple liqueur and fruit juice. A raw bar serves little neck clams, oysters and the “Amazon Platter.” SushiSamba is a stylish, sexy space in which to leave winter behind. It’s located in River North, which boasts the highest concentration of restaurants in Chicago.

LAS VEGAS

Fashion Show Mall3200 Las Vegas Blvd. Southwww.fashionshowmall.com(702) 784-7000

In a town where every edifice screams “Look at me!” it’s still hard to miss the Fashion Show Mall. FSM greets you with a giant “Earth vs. The Flying Saucers”–sized UFO floating over the entrance. Not that it takes any of the grandeur away from resident flagships Neiman Marcus, Saks and Nordstrom or the other 250 retail shops located here. At 2 million square feet, FSM is Vegas’ largest shopping destination under one roof. You can emerge from the retail emporiums of the Wynn, Palazzo or Venetian and, miraculously, still find more things to buy here.

Runway shows featuring the designs of Alexander McQueen and Roberto Cavalli have been staged here. The retail boutiques include: Bailey, Banks & Biddle, Fred Meyer Jewelry, J.Crew, Apple, Bang & Olufsen, Chico’s and Everything But Water. Ruehl is Abercrombie & Fitch’s “Greenwich Village–inspired” boutique for clothes. Ten million annual visitors munch happily away in the big food court, and you can check out individual store sales at FSM’s Web site. Hash House A Go Go6800 W. Sahara Ave.(702) 804-4646

If the 18-ounce porterhouse you ate last night at Mario Batali’s Carnevino still left your stomach growling in the morning, head for a place Vegas insiders and knowledgeable visitors such as Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart love for breakfast. A few miles west of The Strip, Hash House A Go Go is the place for “twisted farm food,” as its Indiana owners call it. Twisted it is in the sense that an ordinary egg scramble can be enjoyed with brie, basil pesto or chuck roast. Flapjacks and waffles are festooned with blueberry pecan, apple cinnamon, mango coconut or Snickers toppings.

But, hey, what’s ordered in Vegas stays in Vegas. In fact, if you’ve woken up in your Bellagio suite on the bleary side, Hash House offers the “O’Hare of the Dog,” a 24-ounce Budweiser with a side of bacon. Oversize platters deliver your money’s worth of good food—Hash House has been voted best place for breakfast by several Vegas publications.

Lunch and dinner are served, too. Sage fried chicken with a maple reduction is one item on the imaginative menu.

Hash House A Go Go is housed in a red brick building that resembles a farm, but the contemporary interior is bright and colorful. Did we mention that pancakes are the size of a pizza? Bring a friend hellip; or two or three.

DALLAS

Forty Five Ten4510 McKinney Ave. (214) 559-4510

This sleek store is housed within a historic 8,000-square-foot Colonial-style building. Forty Five Ten is a favorite for such disparate examples of style as Laura Bush, Oprah Winfrey and Gwyneth Paltrow. Fashionable Dallas women have made this their premier boutique destination since the boutique opened in 2000.

Forty Five Ten carries linens and tabletop accessories for the home as well as unique jewelry, with a focus on 18-karat gold and colored stones. Handbags by Stella McCartney, shoes from multiple designers and eyewear from Tom Ford are also here. There’s an apothecary for fragrance, body care and cosmetics. Brian Bolke, co-owner of Forty Five Ten, says: “Women in Dallas like to get dressed up; they care how they look. Locals embrace the store as something of their own [that’s] unique to Dallas.” The owners are cognizant of who is wearing what to social events. The fashion mavens at Forty Five Ten guarantee your dress will mimic no other at the gala.

Easton Pearson, Matthew Ames and Pringle are new this season in collections for women. Other represented designers are Alexander McQueen, Givenchy and Narciso Rodriquez. Men can choose from Moschino, Band of Outsiders and Spurr. Strut on over for lunch at the “T-Room” in your newly purchased Miu Miu heels. This bright cafe adjoins a fountain patio, and you can dine on a panini deep in the heart of the best of Texas. Fearing’sThe Ritz-Carlton, Dallas2121 McKinney Ave.(214) 922-4848

Chef Dean Fearing’s namesake restaurant at The Ritz is nominated for a 2008 James Beard Foundation award for Best New Restaurant. This is a welcoming nod to the chef, who presided over another Dallas top spot, The Restaurant at The Mansion at Turtle Creek, for 20 years.

Fearing’s is an extravaganza of multiple dining rooms, lounges and bars, a haven of the delicious food and comfortable luxury that make it a magnet for locals and visitors alike.

“Haute” Southwestern cuisine includes soft tacos of gulf shrimp with barbecue sauce; buffalo tenderloin; prime-cut rib eye mopped over live mesquite; and chicken-fried Australian lamb chops. Dean’s tortilla soup is a local legend that has moved from The Mansion to The Ritz. Last but not least, there are never fewer than two kinds of chocolate cake to choose from for dessert.

Portions are large, people dress to impress, and there’s a big bar scene. The dining rooms vary from Dean’s Kitchen, which the chef describes as a “kitchen wrapped around a dining room,” to the white-linen Gallery, which is elegantly dressed up with wingback chairs and gold onyx on the walls. The Sedaro room is a glass pavilion “winter garden” with expansive exterior views.

ATLANTA

Jeffrey Atlanta3500 Peachtree Road N.E.(404) 237-9000

Jeffrey Kalinsky is a well-known fashion industry insider. His stints as a buyer for Barneys and as an owner of chic boutiques cement his reputation as someone with a great eye for designers. He is also known as a person who gives his all in service to his clients. That worthy code translates to excellent customer service at his store. At Jeffrey Atlanta (there’s also a store in New York City), all sales associates are trained as personal shoppers.

Patrons make their way to the shop from all around the Southeast, and business travelers who discover Jeffrey make it a point to head there while in town. “There” is Phipps Plaza, a premier shopping center in Buckhead. The Jeffrey Atlanta location houses a Jil Sander store and Bob Ellis Shoes, a shop founded by Kalinsky’s father, under one roof. The designer mix includes Prada, Michael Kors, Dries van Noten, Proenza Schouler, YSL and Manolo Blahnik. The minimalist, loft-like space makes the clothing, shoes and accessories on display the stars of this space. There is a lot of pricy clothing, but end-of-season sales are rated “excellent.” Canoe4199 Paces Ferry Road N.W.(770) 432-2663

By the banks of the Chattahoochee River lies the fittingly named Canoe. Just outside Atlanta in Vining, this rustically elegant restaurant has been cited by Gourmet, Food & Wine and The New York Times as a wonderful place to dine. Carvel Grant Gould is executive chef and a seventh-generation Atlantan. Her mantra for food: Begin with fresh ingredients, respect their flavors, and apply solid cooking technique to bring the dish to life. Handpicked herbs and vegetables come from an organic garden, and only the freshest of fish is prepared. For lunch, Canoe selections include a pecan-fried chicken sandwich and pan-seared Georgia mountain trout. Dinner includes slow-roasted Carolina rabbit and grilled New York strip steak. In the South, desserts such as roasted-banana cheesecake are practically de rigueur. However, some of Chef Gould’s old Atlantan ancestors might get the vapors over Valrhona chocolate souffleacute; cake with a warm goat cheese center and Meyer lemon ice cream.

Given the attractive river location, Canoe’s seasonal patio is very popular, and an interior River Room offers big outdoor views. The Chef’s Table sits six to 10 guests, and the River Garden can be booked for events and weddings.

MIAMI

Tomas Maier Store1800 West Ave.Miami Beach (888) 373-0707

Tomas Maier’s store celebrates the Florida lifestyle with clothing geared toward the tropical ambiance and merchandise that declares this designer’s tastes. Maier is the creative director of Bottega Veneta and has a flair for understated elegance. He is also “king of the killer bathing suit,” as wearers such as Cindy Crawford will attest. His South Beach shop, housed in a 1930s bungalow, contains his personal choices in jewelry, hats, books, flea market finds, cocktail dresses, cashmere and swimwear. The mix is eclectic and fun but not haughty. (This is the man who put the Bottega Veneta label back inside the bag as opposed to blaring it from the clasp.) His shop in Miami and another opened recently in Palm Beach draw a mix of Europeans, out-of-state visitors and locals, somewhat in that order. A gallery in the back of the bungalow hosts art and photo shows. Brosia163 Northeast 39th St.(305) 572-1400

The Design District is Miami’s current hot spot. Bolstered and energized by the success of Art Basel Miami, the 18-block neighborhood is home to galleries, architects, design shops and cutting-edge fashion.

Brosia is a great place to unwind after taking in the district. The restaurant is anchored by a huge terrace, shaded by big old oak trees and paved with Caribbean keystone. The exterior walls are covered in a leaf-pattern mosaic, which ties in with Brosia’s theme as “a mosaic of Mediterranean cuisine.”

The restaurant is open from breakfast to dinner, and its menu captures the essence of cuisine that has evolved in Italy, Spain, France, Greece and North Africa. If it’s too muggy out on the patio, the sleek mahogany and zinc interior is the place to be for one of Brosia’s signature sangrias—either white (Prosecco and peach) or red (Malbec and amaretto).

Breakfast egg wraps include the Corfu, with feta cheese and sun-dried tomato, and the Jerba (North African), composed of spicy merguez sausage and peppers. Tapas are enjoyed at lunch along with pasta or roasted-vegetable muffaletta. Dine healthily at dinner on an herbs de Provence roasted half chicken with braised endive, arugula greens and pecorino romano.