NFTs? Check. Live Cuban music? Double check. Signature cucumber gin and tonics from Épicerie Boulud? Triple check! This is how Clandestina, Cuba’s first private fashion brand parties. They celebrated the launch of their new collection, Metavelso at The Canvas 3.0, a new gallery space located in the World Trade Center here in Downtown Manhattan.
Owner Debbie Ellen Jones of Ellen’s Wine and Spirites, brings a unique and new concept to the usual liquor store environment. Her creative use of categorization immediately caught my eye once I walked into the store for our one-on-one tasting and interview. Everything is organized by price, colorful dots, and charming emojis. The colorful dots spotlight whether the product embodies, “female power, minority, kosher, I love NY, biodynamic, organic and off dry and sweet” options. The charming emojis are displayed like a fun game game of literal verses symbolic flavors, for example, mushrooms for earthy, and wood for smoky. The store being displayed by price also provides a go-to comfortable area for each individual customer that walks in. Owner Debbie’s hospitality, enthusiasm, vast knowledge, and huge passion come from her 11 years of expertise as a Sommelier, including at a 2 Michelin Star Restaurant, Jungsik in Tribeca.
N: I love the categorization of your liquor store. What brought about this idea and made you want to do that?
D: I’ve been in the restaurant industry in NYC for about 11 years now, and being a female in the wine industry for a long time, it is still represented majority by males. And being a female in the wine industry, I understand that there’s very few of us, and I wanted to represent the underrepresented. There are very few females in the wine industry, there are even fewer minorities in the wine industry, so this is where the ideas sort of came from. But also, I’m keeping in mind about the quality of the product that we have, and representing also the local industry as well, such as, we are in Queens, in Ridgewood, so we want to represent…about 20-25 percent of our inventory is from New York and then everything else is globally. We also have a great sticker system so females in the wine industry are represented by pink, minorities in the wine industry are represented by purple, we have a small amount of Kosher represented by blue, organics by orange, biodynamics is green, and then also off dry-to sweet styles of wine, for ease of locating different products that someone might be interested in. Our wine section is organized by price point so, $14, $20, and $28 on the long wall there, and inside those respected price points, you have about 40 different selections of wines ranging from white, rose, and also reds from all around the world, and each wine has a label and also emojis, because I think emojis are very simple to understand, and when somebody walks into a wine shop, they might feel a little bit intimidated, so I try to make this wine shop as easy as possible to navigate. We also have a small section of orange wines, sparking wine, such as champagne, pet nat prosecco, for example as well, and then we have our spirites section where we represent scotch whiskey, also whiskey from Japan, a lot of American, urbans, and ryes, and then also, Irish whiskey, mezcal, tequila, vodka, gin, and then after dinner drinks such as cognac, amores as well. Some Vermouth, so you can shake up some cocktails.
N: Nice! I would love to know since you did come from a Michelin Star Restaurant, what was that transition like into more retail, more ownership, and more entrepreneurship?
D: I’m still actually a part of the restaurant industry. We just opened the wine shop about 2 months ago. We had our soft opening, and our grand opening was November 16th, so we are a very new wine shop located in Ridgewood, and we’re still expanding as you can see in the center of the store. We have another price-point, categorized, so anything above $30 is in the center, reds, and whites, and in the future we are going to expand these sections, so that it’s a larger section…that is our improvements for the future though. I, in the Michelin Star Restaurant industry, am at the Jungsik, it’s a 2 Michelin Star Restaurant in Tribeca. That transition was relatively easy because I have such an amazing staff at the wine shop to run everything on the day to day. I have great support!
N: Can you speak a bit about being a Sommelier and being that representation, and how you hope to leave your mark in this industry?
D: I hope to leave a mark in the industry by raising awareness of females and minorities in the wine industry. I think that the more that we talk about the equality or the opportunities for some verses others, have to be a little more equal because as a Sommelier, the certifications are very expensive, buying wine itself is very expensive to expand your palette, and to also learn about spirites as well. All of this has a dollar amount. So I would like to expand the awareness of how the restaurant industry and the wine industry can help those who need it.
Life of a Neuron is an exhibition by ARTECHOUSE in partnership with the Society for Neuroscience (SfN). ARTECHOUSE is a showroom for projects that bring together various elements of art, science and technology. The space is built for “experiential art” and their mission includes, “inspiring genre pushing artists to create with technology.” ARTECHOUSE looks to be evolving in numerous directions, veering between a gallery, a museum, and an adult playground. Couples and their infused drinks were strewn throughout the main exhibit.
The exhibition lives up to their mission to create experiential art. After a short introduction in a separate room, visitors are released in groups into the exhibit, onto a loft at the far end of a long bar, overlooking the Life of a Neuron. Projected onto the floor and all three walls below the loft is a video playing the birth and death of a neuron in the neocortex. I wouldn’t call the silent video informative but it was very beautiful. The blurb for the video was upstairs by the bar. Most of the couples were to be found down stairs on the floor against the pillars, romantically gazing at the neuron.
Off to the side of the bar and the main room were smaller interactive exhibits. All of them reacted to different movements and represented different functions of the brain. The blurbs gave me a relative idea of what function was being represented but the exhibit still felt more playground than science fair. The installations are all by various artists (Synthestruct, Yamashita Fuse, Gil Castro, and Server Demetrius) and presumably informed by scientists. Life of a Neuron runs from May 14th to November 13th in their NYC location, one of three along with D.C and Miami Beach.
The Knockturnal attended a Glenmorangie and Ardbeg Whisky tasting at Horses in West Hollywood. To begin the evening, we were handed a delightful themed cocktail titled “Winter in LA”. The cocktail was made with original Glenmorangie, lemon, chamomile, honey, pink grapefruit juice, manzanilla sherry, cinnamon, and soda. Then we sat at an intimate dining table decorated with roses and candles.
We proceeded to try the first nose tasting of whisky, glenmorangie’s truffle oak reserve 26 year old whisky. The flavor profile in this consisted of maple syrup, peaches, and cinnamon. Then, we were served our first course which was a delicious salad. Next we nosed and tasted Glenmorangie’s Cask 0004 which was a rare and unique whisky, with a molasses-like flavor. This whisky was spicier and more impactful than the first. Our main course for dinner was steak which paired well with the spirits. Finally, we were able to taste a rare Ardbeg, Ardbeg Cask NO. 0343. This was much stronger than the other two, and this encapsulated a smokiness while also having a floral side. To conclude the evening the guests were given the choice of tiramisu or cheesecake for dessert. Glenmorangie and Ardbeg even gave their guests a send off gift consisting of one their favorite whiskys, “A Tale of the Forest”. Overall, it was a lovely evening with Glenmorangie and Ardbeg.
The Knockturnal attended an exclusive screening of season 2 of ‘The Game,’ held at Paramount Studios in partnership with the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA).
Especially following the success of season 1, the screening was a lively and joyous celebration where guests could catch up with their favorite characters and get a taste of the new drama brewing in season 2. Football-themed appetizers and drinks were served to match the scenery of ‘The Game,’ and the night concluded with a Q&A moderated by Hip Hollywood and Jasmine Simpkins.
Watch season 2 of ‘The Game’ on Paramount+, with new episodes airing every Thursday!
What happens when a never ending war ends?
Director Matthew Heineman captures the final months of the 20 year long war in Afghanistan in his new documentary “Retrograde.” Heineman is known for his Oscar-nominated doc “Cartel Land” and his narrative feature “A Private War.” His films are gonzo in the most dangerous and intimate of moments. His unfettered access lets you feel like you’re there — often in places you feel like you shouldn’t be.
“Fly on the wall” comes to mind when describing his films, but Heineman says he hates the term. “No offense to flies, but they don’t have a lot of agency,” he said. He, as a filmmaker, does, however. And he gained access to those “fly on the wall” shots by building trust with his subjects and pounding at bureaucratic hurdles and logistical setbacks.
After a Monday screening of “Retrograde”, the director sat down for a Q&A to discuss how the film came together.
“The goal is to become part of the fabric of the daily lives of our subjects so they can be comfortable,” said Heineman of his style of filmmaking. “You can have those surprising human moments you would never ever get if you just helicoptered in and tried to film.”
Heinman put himself in some life threatening situations. “A lot of people think I’m this adrenaline junkie and love getting shot at, which I don’t —for the record. I don’t do this for the thrill of it,” he said. “If you’re risking your life for something it has to be for some form of a greater purpose or story I really believe in.”
He recounted the filming of a scene where he’s backseat in a helicopter in a particularly dangerous area. The Taliban began firing. He said, “When you’re in the helicopter and rockets are being shot at you there is no object button. There is no I want to go home. You are there. You’re in it.”
He continued, “In those situations the only thing I have agency over is my camera. And that is what I choose to focus on. I focus on framing and exposure. I’m mixing sound when I’m filming. Those are things I can control. If I’m going to risk my life to get a scene I’m going to get it right.”
“Retrograde” is produced by National Geographic and available for streaming on Disney +.
Carter Kench was a delight to interview as we discussed moving and celebrating the holidays in the West as fellow Southerners, his TikTok presence and inspirations, and his partnership with International Delight this season.
Executive Chef and Partner of Pig Beach & Barbeque Restaurants, Matt Abdoo, brings together his cultures of being half-Italian and half-Lebanese, to his delicious dishes. Being an informational and charismatic Guest Chef on TV shows such as, The Today Show, has “always been a dream” for him. He drew up watching the greats – Mario Batali, Emeril Lagasse, and Bobby Fley, being “iconic rockstars,” telling me, “I remember Emeril Lagasse doing his thing, and being completely enthralled by it.” Abdoo is also an Award Winning Pit Master, a Food Network Celebrity Judge, and a classically trained, fine-dining Chef, as well as the Co-Author of “Pig Beach: BBQ Cookbook,” along with Shane McBride.
“Food is about brining people to the table, sharing your love, with your family, with your friends, and with your loved ones, to bring everyone together.” What I found most celebratory about the dinner event, was the absolute deep enthusiasm and passion that he embodies during his demonstrations. “Getting every demographic, every diverse group and everyone from every walk of life, getting excited about food” was always something “special,” for him.
N: How did the partnership come about with Zippo, and what excites you most about this partnership? Why is Zippo so targeted to your audience?
M: Well, first and foremost, there isn’t a better lighter on the market than the Zippo. It’s the most reliable and badass looking lighter that’s out there, and it works consistently without ever worrying about it at all. I started using these lighters when I was much younger, in my upstate New York days, just setting camp fires in my Boy Scout trips. It was always like the cool thing to breakout that really cool lighter that was in your survival pack, and then it grew to be this sort of iconic thing, that everyone knows what it is, whether it’s a movie scene or a tv show- the villain or the hero, where the guy like sets the house on fire, or blows it up. There’s always a Zippo, but that sound is like quintessential. You hear the click, and it’s lit, and it’s just the coolest thing ever, so I’ve always loved using these lighters for as long as I can remember. It happened just by happenstance, that Sherry, who I’ve worked with in the past, reached out to me and said, “hey, we got this really incredible thing/ client that we’re working with. I think you would be perfect for them!” And she connected us and they took a liking to me and knew that the whole, barbeque, pig-master, live-master thing was a good match, and we just had a lot of fun working together, collaborating on these dishes and holiday-themed recipes, doing something special so that we can have a really fun holiday event with you guys!
N: Love it, and I want to congratulate you on the cookbook! What are your top two…
M: Oh my God, recipes?!
N: Yes!
M: That’s like trying to pick who’s your favorite child! So the really cool thing about the Pig Beach cookbook is the majority core is based upon fundamental barbeque recipes. Later in the book we have some cool recipes that me and my partner Shane, that helped me write the book, take our fine-dining-“Chef-y” careers, and we get a little bit more elaborate with smoke, and the flavor, verses just traditional barbeque. We have some incredible recipes. I’ll give you one- my favorite Barbeque recipe, and then I’ll give you my favorite, what we call, “non-barbeque-barbeque” chapter. So, my favorite recipe in the cookbook is gotta be our peach and glazed baby-honey-back ribs… In the “non-barbeque-barbeque chapter,” it’s gonna be a toss up either between, again, cause of my fine-dining Italian roots and barbeque, we do this smoked-duck lasagna in the back of the book.”
The wonderful and delicious dinner and specialty drinks was concluded with goodie bags filled with Matt and Shane’s cookbook, Zippo decorative lighters of choice, candle lighters and chargers.
Just Above Midtown: Changing Spaces, is open from October 9th to February 18th at the MoMA. JAM was a gallery and an art space open from 1974-1986. The exhibit is curated by Linda Goode Bryant herself, in concert with MoMA curator Thomas Jean Lax. The exhibit opens with the early bursts of JAM at 50 West 57th St. Lint in a plexiglass box by Wendy Ward Ehlers hangs alongside a collage of cut and pasted colored punched paper by Howardena Pindell.
With two children and no money, Linda Goode Bryant founded JAM in 1974. Her will haunts the exhibit. Eviction notices are plastered against the wall in a small hallway leading to the second part of the exhibition. Against it are earphones where you can hear Linda’s words. “..never had any money” were the first words I heard when I put it to my ear. Acting before financing is the only way for BIPOC artists.
The hallway takes you to JAM’s second location at Franklin st in Tribeca. On the right is a piece made by Heap-of-Birds (Hock E Aye Vi Edgar). Cheyenne and English words for community, liberty, and other concepts are painted alongside each other. The extent of Linda’s mission is apparent through her inclusivity. During this period the space focused on workshops, acting, and other participatory forms, while the wider art world was focused on collectible objects at the end of the 80’s.
JAM feels more like a base camp than a showroom. A headquarters for Ms. Bryants invasion of the NYC art scene. Her collection of process based art chronicles her path to further inclusivity. A necessary process passed forward to a new generation of black artists. After fifty years her war path has brought JAM to MoMA, in the heart of midtown.
We had the honor and privilege of sitting with Chicago rapper, Tyre Hakim to talk about all things concerning his music career and one of his latest singles Last Supper. The track, produced by The Sick One and Zoemixedit, dives deep into Tyre’s experience in finding his purpose and redefining his calling. The visual, directed by Noyz, features a love interest catering to the Chicago rapper in their lavish estate. The video takes on an introspective and meditative tone as Tyre raps smoothly over the low humming beat, telling his deeply honest story fighting to become a better version of himself and cutting away at his vices.
Tyre has been expressing himself through the art form for as long as he can remember – with his mother in a church choir, his father well known as a rapper himself. With deep musical roots, becoming an artist was the path he was destined to take. At the age of 11, he began his musical journey drawing inspiration from hometown legends like Kanye West and classic R&B sounds that influence his songwriting and rapping. Tyre is beginning to make a name for himself as he climbs the ranks of hip-hop in the Midwest with his unique storytelling and wordplay.
As we posed questions regarding his start with music, his artistic journey, and his continuous commitment to his craft, he expressed a few sentiments highlighted below.
The Knockturnal: What did the beginning stages as a young artist look like for you?
Tyre: When I was younger I just wanted to be the best rapper, that’s all I wanted to be known for. I wanted to outrap industry legends, no matter who it was. As I got older and started life-ing, I started to see how music affected people and how I could really use it as a tool to help change the world. That’s when I started making a serious commitment to my artistry. I always took it seriously but at about 19 that’s when I knew I wanted to put together a team to get a few albums out and for more opportunities to be created.
The Knockturnal: Who and what inspires you? What keeps you going?
Tyre: Many people and events have influenced me to keep going. Whether it’s being at rock bottom, having children, realizing that I have a gift and skills to use. I never saw a plan B or a second option when it comes to the music. There was no other way. I rather do all things with music being at the forefront. Chris is my producer, friend, mentor, all of that. I have known him since I was 16 and he has always motivated me. We’ve had ups and downs but he never let me become complacent or get comfortable with where I am. He always continued to push me to evolve and grow. Giving up has never been an option.
The Knockturnal: Can you speak to the process of writing Last Supper? Did the visuals live up to your expectations?
Tyre: I am talking about what not too many people talk about. “Who is God?” because that has been a mystery to the world. I wanted to simplify it based on what I have been taught throughout my life on who exactly God is. I am telling stories, I am talking about life and I am really talking about “self.” We are taught that “self” is God; you can cultivate the God in you and that was my mindset behind Last Supper. I have rapped about driving around in fast cars, the girls, the money so I wanted to make something with meaning and substance, something more than just a handful of people can relate to. It was just a spiritual song to me; that’s where my mind was at the time.
The Knockturnal: What do you think sets this single apart from your earlier work?
Tyre: Back then I wasn’t very meticulous with music. Being young, I used to be very eager to get music out. Back then you just wanted to put it out for feedback but now there’s a science and a system behind everything that comes out. As far as music, I rap on a whole different level. Sometimes I don’t like to listen to my older songs cause I’ve grown so much with the pen.
The Knocturnal: The song begins with, “Follow the leader. Follow your heart. Follow your teacher.” Who fulfills those roles in your life?
Tyre: That’s a great question because that’s the basis of the song. I have a few teachers but my number one teacher, pretty much taught me everything I know, would be Louis Farrakhan, no question about it and that’s what the song was about, my leader. I would also say God because that’s the same spirit. If a man is talking in the name of God and living God, that’s what I’m following– that same essence and spirit, that same thought process, everything that that person lived for because it made me a better person. I can talk about that coming from out of the darkness, not knowing everything, being in the woods a little but then coming out of it and being guided to the light. That’s exactly what the song is about.
Follow Tyre Hakim for more on his musical journey as he continues to explore his versatility through his lyricism and storytelling! Check out his latest single Back from the Dead.
