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EventsLifestyleThe Latest

On the Scene: Celebrating National Lemonade Day with Fishers Island Lemonade

by Lenique Vincent
written by Lenique Vincent

It wouldn’t be summer without National Lemonade Day! Fishers Island Lemonade (FIL) kicked off the festivities with a happy hour hidden in New York’s trendy escape from the city, Governors Island.  Held on August 16, the evening was spent  celebrating Fisher’s craft cocktail lemonades in all their forms including sparkling, frozen (in ice pop form), and of course, in pink.

Taco Vista, the company’s summer collaborator, provided h’orderves and hosted the event which also sought to recognize the entrepreneurial sprit behind the holiday. FIL founder, Bronya Shillo, celebrated her eighth National Lemonade Day as an entrepreneur in a male dominated industry that credits her a pioneer.

Since their launch in 2014, the brand has expanded from their original lemonade cocktails, to more options in a variety pack; a milestone that was launched and celebrated in May. This happy hour afforded an intrigued crowd the opportunity to try all four versions of the cocktail, and the icy pop, under the sunset. 

Fishers Island Lemonade, a gluten free mix of lemon, honey, distilled vodka and barrel aged whiskey, is available for purchase on the company website where the Fishers team shares recipes for boozy lemonade cocktails that’ll make for great end of summer drinks!

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FeaturedLifestyleThe Latest

Restaurant Review: A Tavola at La Devozione

by Megan D'Souza
written by Megan D'Souza

Nestled into Chelsea Market, one of the first fine dining restaurants to grace the ever-popular market boasts authentic Italian cuisine, artisan goods, and more. La Devozione splits into 4 sections. First, their to-go pasta bar emulates the typical grab and go Chelsea Market food scene. Their artisan goods table displays hand crafted plates and cups from Italy, colorful Moka Pots, and Dolce & Gabbana collaboration gift boxes, and the walls are lined with bags full of every imaginable shape of pasta (or at least, far beyond the average American pasta imagination – 126 to be exact). The third part is their chef’s table, dubbed “The Oval,” where Michelin-starred chef Peppe Guida provides an interactive fine dining experience.

 

Finally, the fourth a part of La Devozione is A Tavola, their casual dining area. Featuring a sprawling set of square quad tables, the space has a modern feel that humbly offers you a taste of a storied 110-year old pasta business. Pastificio Di Martino has been making dried pasta for home consumption for over a century, and expanded into the restaurant scene with takeaway in Naples. Now, their first-ever establishment in the United States opened last November, to guests from all over the world. La Devozione is Italian for The Devotion in Italian, and their signature dish of the same name evokes the spirit of Italian dedication to quality cooking and well-sourced ingredients. 

Giuseppe Martino, the third generation owner of Pastificio Di Martino, is the restaurant owner. Along with Chef Alessio Rosetti (Hotel Grand Hotel Fasano in Gardone Riviera, Tony May’s SD26, Black Barn), he developed this menu to highlight traditional recipes based on the best ingredients. Bar Director Cristhian Rodriguez (formerly of NoMad Hotel and Eleven Madison Park) works with the bar staff to develop the unique cocktails featured on the menu, and each gets his stamp of approval before it’s offered to guests.

 

We stopped by on Wednesday to sample some of their authentic cuisine – starting off with drinks, we ordered the Redwood, a cherry and gin combo, and the Fantasma, a pisco-based lemon and strawberry drink. Each had distinct and unique flavors that were the perfect intro to our meal. For our appetizer, we had to try one of their highlights, the Lollipop Di Macaroni, a breaded macaroni and cheese lollipop with truffle-hazelnut sauce. With flavors both familiar and comforting from the mac n cheese and enticing from the truffle and hazelnut, this appetizer was incredible! 

 

Next, for our main course, we had the restaurant’s namesake dish La Devozione. It’s spaghetti cooked in tomato sauce and fresh basil – their take on the classic spaghetti al pomodoro. The standout ingredient in this dish is tomatoes from Sorrento, which are harvested in the summer and canned to send to the US in the fall. In contrast to San Marzano tomatoes, these are richer and sweeter, giving the sauce an extraordinary flavor. The store will start selling these as soon as they arrive from this summer’s harvest, so stay tuned for their arrival on the shelves! 


We finished off our meal with a nightcap and some dessert – their Figli Di Fiori cocktail, a cappuccino, and their Paris-Brest dessert. This gin and elderflower cocktail is one of their summer specialties, and was the perfect fizzy and light drink to top off a meal of delicious pasta. The cappuccino was strong yet perfectly palatable, with that satisfying espresso flavor rounded out with creamy, frothy milk. Finally, our dessert had layers of fluffy pastry, hazelnut chocolate creme, and was topped with hazelnuts. Each bite was perfectly creamy from the pastry, sweet from the creme, and crunchy from the nuts – the ultimate combo for a dessert. We loved our meal at A Tavola and can’t wait to come back to try The Oval. We even grabbed some of their signature pastas, the item that made them famous across Italy, and have our eyes on the Dolce & Gabbana box for next time

Make your reservation and learn more about La Devozione here!

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Blek Le Rat
ArtEventsLifestyle

The Father of Stencil Graffiti Reveals New Works at Solo Show at West Chelsea Contemporary

by Benjamin Schmidt
written by Benjamin Schmidt

West Chelsea Contemporary is the right place for an artist like Blek Le Rat to show for his first solo exhibition in New York because it was in 1971 that the artist (now 40 years into a career) found his seed of inspiration in NYC. “There was an incredible profusion, in the subway, on the walls surrounding basketball courts, graffiti drawn in marker, nestling signatures surmounted by a crown, spray-painted lettering, filled with swirls and colors, everywhere I looked. I was so intrigued by these illuminations I remember asking the inevitable question: “What does all this mean? Why are these people doing this?”

 

The graffiti I saw in New York remained firmly planted in my memory, though acting out my own graffiti took ten years to hatch.

 

Studying fine arts and architecture during the 1970s at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, Blek Le Rat always had an academic mind for art. Well-versed in etching, lithography, and screen printing, Blek Le Rat had the skill for mastering art. But thrilled by the risk, unpredictability and beauty of street art, he was drawn to the craft. Armed with a study of architecture at the Architectural Teaching Unit #6, he was well-suited to create work around the urban environment. Together, he began applying the principles of fine art to the street in Paris, becoming the pioneer in the place where even the most progressive thinkers dismissed graffiti as a nuisance.

Years later, some of Blek Le Rat’s questions of meaning have been answered, recognizing the symbolic power of graffiti: “I’m here, get used to it.” Over time, Blek Le Rat took advantage of stencils to make his process more efficient but no less individual or beautifully executed. The result has been hundreds of works, all over the world, often composed of human-scale dancers, musicians, common people, and of course, the rat itself, an ever-changing, reoccurring character in Blek Le Rat’s cast of stencils.

Cited as an inspiration for Banksy (who has been welcomed into the world of fine art), it’s an opportunity for Blek Le Rat to reconstitute his street art in the context of a canvas, serving as yet another turn inward and reconsideration of his classical training. The new prints on view continue reveling in the historical references Blak Le Rat has treasured in his work, featuring figures such as Beethoven, Sibyl, Eros, and a tribute to fellow artist Richard Hambleton, as well as new subjects of interest, often superimposed on rustic backgrounds, just as they might be found in the wilds of the urban space.

West Chelsea Contemporary opened in October 2020 under the direction of Lisa Russell, a tastemaker with a unique appreciation for mediums. Showcasing everything from mid-career and emerging artists to legends like KAWS, Yayoi Kusama, Keith Haring, Mr. Brainwash, Takashi Murakami and more, West Chelsea Contemporary was the logical choice to steward such a show in New York.

Blek Le Rat is on view from August 20-September 25, 2022 at West Chelsea Contemporary, located at 231 10th Ave., NY 10011. Free. Learn more at https://wcc.art/

 

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FeaturedLifestyleThe Latest

Restaurant Review: Parma Nuova Enchants the UES

by Megan D'Souza
written by Megan D'Souza

Tucked into a beautiful corner in the Upper East Side, Parma Nuova is the latest creation from the minds of restaurateurs Giorgio Manzio and La Masseria Group’s Enzo Ruggiero, Giuseppe Iuele and Chef Pino Coladonato. We stopped by on Monday night to sample some of their menu items!

When you walk into the restaurant, you’re greeted with the quintessential, comforting scene of an elevated New York Italian restaurant: white tablecloths, cherry wooden chairs, a tall candle stand on every table. We sat down before the dinner crowd rushed in, so got to see the ambiance transform from quiet to bustling yet warm. 

 

For our first course, we chose the BURRATINA CON MELANZANE, PEPERONI ARROSTOE POMODORI SECCHI. Served with sundried tomatoes, marinated eggplant, and sweet roast peppers, this preparation turned the typical, but still delicious burrata starter found on every menu in the city, into something bright, unique, and delicious. Our second dish was the INSALATA PARMA, a medley of arugula, radicchio, tomato, peppers, olives, and endives, topped with sheets of parmesan. It was the last day of the heat wave, and we needed a cool salad to revive our bodies – this hit the spot.

We sipped on summery aperol spritzes and enjoyed our appetizers while we excitedly browsed Parma Nuova’s decadent pasta and entree menus. After debating over traditional and modern dishes, we finally settled on GNOCCHI ALLA SPUMA DI PARMIGIANO E TARTUFO, a gnocchi in parmesan sauce with fresh truffles. When the pasta is brought to your table, the server comes with a precious truffle in a glass jar and shaves it directly onto your plate! I’d never seen this done before, and as a truffle-obsessed foodie, I was awestruck. If you’re a fan of truffle, and I’m thinking that applies to almost every single person reading this, you definitely need to try it fresh. Our decadent pasta helpings were completed by their daily special, the Branzino, with roasted carrots and potatoes. The fresh fish was deboned and plated, cooked with a deliciously simple seasoning and the perfect complement to the rich, cheesy pasta. 

Before we finished our meal, we had to try some of their desserts – the TORTA DI MAMMA PAOLA, a flourless chocolate cake, and the MISTO BOSCO CON SORBETTO AL FRUTTO DELLA PASSIONE, a passion fruit sorbet topped with fresh summer berries. Offering something luscious and something refreshingly light, these desserts left us very full, and very happy. Before we left the restaurant, we caught up with Giorgio and Enzo to learn a bit more about Parma Nuova’s launch and vision. Officially opening just a few weeks ago, the restaurant offers a similar menu to Masseria dei Vini, just with a few more regional specialties from the Parma region. The La Masseria team is hoping to offer the Upper East Side a taste of the authentic Italian cuisine that has delighted Rhode Island, Palm Beach, and Midtown West for years.

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EntertainmentEventsFashion & BeautyLifestyleThe LatestUncategorized

NoMo Host’s Gazoo To The Moon’s “Open The Gates”

by Chris K. Singh
written by Chris K. Singh

 07-14-2022- SoHo’s NoMo was host to the one of a kind art exhibit by Gazoo To The Moon. The newest art collection was entitled “Open The Gates” and was inspired by Gazoo’s previous series known as “Gateway to the Moon”. 

  “Open The Gates”- consisted of live art where the artist Gazoo made a piece in front of those in attendance. Along with the live performance there were a series of pieces that were for sale and on display that showcased the true versatility of Gazoo’s artistic expression. 

  Within the previous series “Gateway to the Moon” – Gazoo explored his one-of-a-kind geometric tape art installations. The meaning behind this year’s live art show is powerful as Gazoo opens the gates to his new realm of life and creativity by expressing his art in a way he has never done before.

  When asking Gazoo to further what he means when he’s exploring new realms he further elaborated

   “I am at a point in my life where I believe in what I am doing for myself. I have been doing art my entire life and I can really see every detail of my life reflecting within my art.”

  In regards to the geometric art, Gazoo explained that he started this artistic journey 10 years ago and made it clear he has intentions to keep progressing. 

  “Down to the tape that I use to create the art itself- has significant meaning. One of my role models, early in my life, pushed me towards my passions and it was him that inspired me to use the tape in such an intricate and precise fashion.”

  While speaking to Gazoo, it is evident that he has no intentions to stop evolving as an artist. He will continue to keep pushing the border with his live art and one-of-a-kind geometric tape art installations.

  

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EntertainmentThe LatestUncategorized

Kizz Daniel’s USA Concert Tour: New York City

by Gabrielle Babson
written by Gabrielle Babson

On July 8th, Award-Winning Global Afropop star, Kizz Daniel performed at the Palladium Times Square theater as part of his North American Afroclassic USA Concert Tour.

The evening began with a private pre-concert cocktail reception on the rooftop of the Brooklyn Chop House in midtown of New York City. A variety of light appetizers were served for guests to enjoy as they gathered in conversation about the much-anticipated concert of the evening. An open bar was available for those who wished to indulge in specialty cocktails with titles inspired by the artist of the night, Kizz Daniel (“The Kizz”) and his new single “BUGA” (“The Lo, Lo, Lo”).

After the reception, guests were instructed to head to the concert. With hundreds of fans filling the theater anxiously awaiting his arrival, host Young Prince entertained the crowd to the sounds of popular Afrobeat hits, all of which many of us know and love. Gracing the stage with his 2018 hit “Baba,” Kizz Daniel took to the stage to put on a series of memorable performances making this a night to remember. 

Amidst his performance of some of the most memorable hits, Audiomack surprised the artist of the hour with a plaque to commemorate 300+ million streams of his new single “BUGA.” With many more accomplishments to come and many more milestones to achieve, Kizz Daniel was sure to leave his mark in New York City and continues to share his love and artistry with his fans!

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LifestyleThe Latest

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH NATHAN LEONG & VISIT TO “SOMEWHERE NOWHERE”

by Avyana Chapman
written by Avyana Chapman

The Knockturnal checked out the beautiful, Somewhere Nowhere rooftop club last weekend. If you have never been check it out ASAP! The long weekend is still young!

Somewhere Nowhere NYC, a two-level indoor lounge and open-air rooftop pool venue, sits at the top of the Renaissance New York Chelsea Hotel located at 112 W 25th St, on the 38 and 39th floors. The 5,156-square-foot luxury day and nightlife destination is designed to artfully merge progressive sound and lighting technology with garden-inspired decor and magical design to indulge guests in an immersive nightlife experience. The decadence of Somewhere Nowhere’s outdoor lounge and open-air rooftop pool boasts 360 views of Manhattan’s majestic skyline as far as the eye can see.

The cocktail menu changes seasonally and features a mix of classic libations and expertly crafted cocktails that match the venue decor and escapism from the hustle and bustle of the city. On the food side, Somewhere Nowhere offers globally inspired comfort food dishes that are upscale yet approachable for all guests. Available on the After-Work menu to take off the edge, Late Night Food, or Nightlife Menu. 

The Knockturnal was greeted by Nik, who was amazing and took us right up to the 38th to get our night started. THIS VENUE WAS STUNNING! It literally looked like we were in a fairytale!! OMG!! After being lost for words for about 5 minutes and trying to record the beautiful Instagramable establishment, Nik escorted us into the VIP section where we started the night with a couple of refreshing cocktails. After enjoying a few cocktails and a shot we went to the dance floor to jam out to the music @samblacky and @jacksonenglund were spinning! The rest of the night was filled with great vibes, amazing views of the city, and music that kept us moving and feeling alive!

The Knockturnal also had the pleasure to interview Nathan Leong:

The Knockturnal: Please tell readers about yourself. 

Nathan Leong: I’ve always gravitated to the high-energy and fast-paced lifestyle of nightlife and hospitality. As an Asian kid growing up in Puerto Rico, I was able to stand out amongst my classmates. I was the kid who always threw parties and gravitated to a very active social life. When I moved to New York, I was quickly attracted to nightlife and the energy from the atmosphere and began co-producing VIP Table Decks for the main stage at Electric Zoo— the largest electronic music festival in New York. Growing a reputation in the industry and the right contacts to build a live music venue, I launched my hospitality group El Grupo SN with partner Sameer Qureshi to open the tallest nightclub, lounge and rooftop pool with Somewhere Nowhere. We wanted to create a venue that felt like an escape in all aspects from the decor, high tech sound system and location itself which is how the name was created— Somewhere Nowhere, you are somewhere but able to escape to be ‘in the moment’ or nowhere at the same time. 

The Knockturnal: What makes Somewhere Nowhere more than a nightclub and music venue? 

Nathan Leong: My partner Sameer Qureshi, and I have always said from day one that we are creating a lifestyle brand with Somewhere Nowhere NYC. Our goal is to expand our brand and experiences beyond one physical location and create memorable and intimate experiences within our ecosystem that will be made available in multiple destinations. Under one roof, we’ve expanded to offer events beyond nightlife by introducing Daylife for after-work events and the launch of our rooftop pool and new jazz programming on Wednesdays. 

In addition, we’ve bridged the gap between the tech and hospitality communities through the launch of our NFT collection— The Somethings. Our membership-utility based NFT collection will offer royalty rewards, as well as will work towards becoming a household name in the lifestyle and entertainment world as a brand producing exclusive digital and IRL (in real life) experiences and brand activations that will unite our community in multiple cities. We recently launched our in-house creative Web3 studio, SWNW Lab to accomplish this – which currently has over 10,000 registrations for the NFT collection. 

With The Somethings NFT project, our hospitality group can invite Somewhere Nowhere NYC’s community to embark on a journey from one physical location to a plethora of new experiences within our ecosystem in multiple cities and destinations. 

The Knockturnal: Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way? 

Nathan Leong: We’ve been fortunate to have the support of the community we’ve built over the years. It has helped make it a smooth road instead of launching Somewhere Nowhere and these new ventures without a base clientele. We have amazing support from everyone. The biggest challenge we’ve faced is growing and scaling while maintaining a level of top execution for events. That’s all part of growing pains and we’ve been fortunate to find top event planners who are stepping up to take on the new challenges as we continue to add new programming and expansions. Scaling your business is always the goal, so learning how to improve as you grow is a new set of exciting challenges that we’re ready to face. 

The Knockturnal: What are you and your team most looking forward to in the future?

Nathan Leong: We’re excited to officially launch our NFT collection by SWNW Lab, The Somethings. This is a project that 3D motion graphic designer Matt Burniston and myself have been working on for the last five months. The team is excited for The Somethings NFTs to drop as it adds a new element of gamification to our everyday interaction with our clients. With ‘The Somethings’ we are able to add more experiences for our clientele that expands our ecosystem beyond Somewhere Nowhere NYC – such as token-gated pop-up experiences. The Somethings collection will be dropping this summer to offer customers special membership perks through their NFTs. 

Now that it’s Summer and the weather is beautiful again, we have ramped up entertainment for Somewhere Nowhere with day life and afterwork programs being activated on both the nightclub and rooftop pool levels of the venue. 

In addition, we’re expanding our El Grupo SN hospitality group this summer 2022 with our newest venue in Long Island City, Gamehaus NY. A multi-room concept as the largest family-friendly venue in New York. 

You can follow Nathan Leong on Twitter or Instagram: @nathanleongnyc

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