BUTTER
“Oh, aren’t they beautiful?!” the Food Network star said of the audience as she emerged from backstage. Perfectly polished with glittery silver ballet flats, a lavender dress shirt and hair as fluffy as banana cream pie, she was every bit the Southern belle her fans know and love from TV.
But her story, as it turns out, is not so picture perfect.
Paula Deen—the face, the voice, the matriarch of Southern cooking—was interviewed in front of a live audience Tuesday at 92Y’s Kaufmann Concert Hall. But rather than quizzing her on the perfect buttery biscuits or the crispiest fried chicken, renowned psychoanalyst Dr. Gail Saltz picked Deen’s brain about her troubled early life, and the ironically traumatic evolution of her comfort food empire.
On the crossroads of Chelsea and the Meatpacking District, this posh lounge truly fits their motto, “one of a kind.” With spacious interior featuring oak ceilings, ostrich leather walls, a roaring fireplace, mirror walled outdoor smoking area, and mazelike floor patterns with an array of VIP tables patronized by celebrities and top models. 1OAK is the place to see and be seen by New York's hottest celebrities.
The owners, Richie Akiva, Scott Sartiano, and Ronnie Madra birthed one of NYC’s hottest nightclubs through over 40 combined years of success with Butter, Lotus, The Park, and G Spa & Lounge. It’s safe to say, these men know how to throw a good party, if you can get in.
Richie Akiva and Scott Sartiano's claim their newest project, The Darby, will not be like their other ventures, or even like the other restaurant/nightclub sets around today.
The pair say they "want to bring back an old-fashioned sense of class from the ’50’s and ’60’s, ... a place where you can dress up, have an amazing dinner and some music and entertainment." From the guys that created iconic venues like 1 Oak and Butter we would expect nothing less.
On board for the project is TV personality, Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli who has talked about a Continental menu featuring a raw bar and small plates for sharing.
The Darby: Wear your best. Bring your appetite.
He may only be 22 years old, but Jesse Marco is already well-established as one of New York City's most talented and sought-after DJs. His signature style and flair for mixing cross-genre classics, like Led Zeppelin and Jay Z or Michael Jackson and Nirvana, has caught the attention of some of the industry's biggest names, including Tom Ford, Russel Simmons, and Kanye West. Since he started spinning on his first turntables at the age of 12, his passion, talent, and dedication has taken him to the top, with a little help from DJ legends Mark Ronson and DJ AM. Don't miss your chance to get in on the action with Jesse Marco at Joonbug's Fashion Week Gala. Oh, and did we mention that he's also a model? How appropriate.
I got to thinking last night: A model friend is like an expensive handbag in nightlife. Now mind you, at this point “thinking” was fueled by one too many tequila shots and stale pizza crust I ripped away from a passing stranger; but alas, I think I was on to something. People in nightlife tote around models like they have hair made of silk and vaginas made of gold. One of my promoter friends told me his boss sends him text messages daily that say, “Models. Models. Models… Go! Go! Go!” to pump him up for a night’s work of promoting at a hot new spot. These promoters make livings off lining their couches with leggy fresh meat straight off the farm, and keeping their tummies full of free dinners they don’t eat and vodka they don’t need.
Butter
Scene: Bar, Restaurant, Lounge
East Village
415 Lafayette Street
(between 4th and Astor Place)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 253-2828
www.butterrestaurant.com
Butter, the longstanding and exclusive club in the East Village, is a restaurant and underground alcove where the fashionable, sexy, and young go on Monday nights. The upstairs is reminiscent of a ski lodge and serves up American contemporary cuisine.
Downstairs, the loud and smoky 'Birch Room' lounge features denim banquettes that can be packed with an impressive amount of beautiful people. The walls are decorated to look like a forest and the lighting is dark at best. The small dance area is usually crowded as the DJ spins soul, hip-hop, and rock. On the nights Butter is hot, the door is notoriously difficult and you must know someone to get inside. A favorite of celebrities, Butter offers a degree of privacy along with a good time.
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