Whom You Know: January 2009

Saturday, January 31, 2009

TASTY TIDBITS: Mimi's Pizza - the best in Manhattan!!!!!

If you have not been to Mimi's Pizza, you are missing out on life! In a city where the competition in the restaurant business is as tough as it gets, Mimi's has endured for decades. When I lived in London, I would have rowed across the Atlantic Ocean for a slice of their pizza to die for. But don't take my word for it-it is clearly popular opinion.

Today Mimi's Pizza is at 1248 Lexington Ave. at 84th Street where it has been since 1965, but it was founded in 1959 on the west side: the original location was on 50th street and 10th avenue, and it was founded by Mimi himself: Dominic "Mimi" Vanacore.

Whom You Know spoke with Stephen Vanacore today, who is "Mimi Junior." Mimi's is dedicated to quality Italian food, and in 1985 the restaurant menu was significantly expanded. All pizza here is worth dreaming about, as well as the entrees: particularly the chicken parmesan. The original Mimi learned how to bake bread in a brick oven in Sorrento, Italy and all bread today is made right at Mimi's.

In the movie Sleepers, Mimi's is referenced in a jail scene where Brad Pitt's character was dreaming about it. In the mid-1980's, Paul McCartney ordered pizza for his wife Linda's birthday and Mimi's drove it to his private plane, where the pizza was then flown to London. Bobby Flay was a delivery boy at Mimi's in 1983, and in recent times customers have included Brendan Shanahan, Leonardo DiCaprio, Willie Nelson, and yours truly.

Mimi's is at 212 861 3363 and does not yet have a website but when you walk in, Dylan will regale you with superb service. A word of caution, however: once you go, you won't be able to stop!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

NIGHTLIGHT: Going Dutch at the Moma at "Starry Night"

On January 28th, the Moma hosted a fabulous event celebrating four centuries of Dutch-American friendship presented by the Netherlands Government, NYC and Company and the City of Amsterdam. Four hundred years ago, Henry Hudson arrived aboard the Dutch vessel "Halve Maen" in New York City. Matt Lauer and his wife were in attendance as well as the mayor of Amsterdam and other dignitaries. Guests were treated to smurf-blue Starry Night cocktails and a fabulous array of h'ors dourves including nicely-seasoned shrimp.

In addition to the friendship theme, the common values of freedom, openness, entrepreneurship and tolerance were celebrated. As with most MOMA events, the museum was open for viewing but the cocktail party was strictly downstairs.

Earlier in the day, Mayor Bloomberg unveiled a model of the New Amsterdam Plein and Pavilion, a gift from the Netherlands government to NYC to be installed in the Battery in late 2009.

This will be followed up with a special Harbor Day on September 13 featuring events and activities such as free bike rentals and ferry rides to encourage New Yorkers to enjoy the waterfront.

www.nyc.gov

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Dr. Garo Nazarian of Cosmopolitan Dental

"My, what big white teeth you have, Peachy!" said Little Red Riding Hood. Peachy replied: "The better to been seen in Patrick McMullen photos-That is because I go to Garo of COSMOPOLITAN DENTAL."

Dr. Garo Nazarian, originally from Manhasset, Long Island, attended Boston College earning his B.A. 1998, and then attended Columbia School of Dental Medicine. Upon receiving his D.D.S. from Columbia in 2002, he continued his training and education by joining the general practice residency program at Methodist Hospital,
with an emphasis on cosmetic dentistry. Since completing the residency program he has been keeping a private practice within the New York area.
A member of the American Dental Association, New York County Dental Society, Academy of General Dentistry and the New York State Dental Association,
Garo has had the opportunity to work with the top dental specialists and cosmetic dentists from around the world. These experiences have motivated him to provide the best quality dentistry with the most advanced technology all while developing a friendly and relaxed environnment, complete with the fabulous patient massage chairs and waiting room aquarium!
Garo accepts all forms of insurance, including the benefits of your PPO insurance providers.

Peachy: What is your favorite place to be in NYC?
Garo: My apartment

What is your favorite shop?
Bloomingdales

What is your favorite drink?
Macallan's 18 year on the rocks

What is your favorite restaurant?
Was Zoccalo (closed down)- now Asia de cuba

What is your favorite NYC book?
Catcher in the Rye

What is your favorite thing to do in NYC that you can do nowhere else?
Go to a Mets/Rangers/Knicks game

What do you think is most underrated and overrated here?
Underrated-women
Overrated-Public Transportation

Find Garo at:
http://cosmopolitandental.com/
Only steps away from Grand Central at 30 E. 40th Suite 105
(212) 683-1960

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Sniffapalooza!!!! Peachy smells something nice...

Sniffapalooza is an event-based group of fragrance aficionados that originated in New York City and now unites perfume passionatas from around the world. What started as a small group of women getting together to shop and share their enthusiasm for fragrance, has grown into a phenomenon that has attained international recognition through TIME Magazine, Forbes.com, CBS MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Women's Wear Daily, ELLE, Allure, Glamour, Brigitte (Germany), Fragrance Forum, WWD BeautyBiz, and many others.

Karen Dubin is the founder and Director of Sniffapalooza, an international event-based organization for fragrance enthusiasts. Sniffapalooza celebrates fragrance as an art, and perfumers are considered to be artists.

Ms. Dubin created Sniffapalooza six years ago because she wanted to meet others who loved fragrance as much as she did. In 2004 she was joined by Karen Adams, who she met at a Sniffapalooza event, as Executive Operations Manager.

Sniffapalooza occurs several times a year and draws hundreds of kindred spirits, both men and women, and spans an age range of 17 – 78. The current network reaches over 500,000, and their website, www.sniffapalooza.com, gets 18,000 hits daily. Ms. Dubin and Ms. Adams also oversee an online fragrance magazine, Sniffapalooza Magazine, which has become a respected fragrance journalistic publication.

Past Sniffapalooza events have been held in New York, Los Angeles, and Paris, and Florence. Stores that have participated in Sniffapalooza events include Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel, Apothia at Fred Segal, Le Labo, Bond No. 9, Lafco NY, Aedes de Venustas, Caron Boutique, Palmetto, Barneys New York, L’Artisan Parfumeur, Takashimaya, The Different Company, Salons Shiseido - Serge Lutens, Parfums Rosine, CB I Hate Perfume, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, bluemercury Spa, Guerlain Boutique, and Etat Libre fd’Orange. Creed, Guerlain, Annick Goutal, YSL, L’Artisan Parfumeur, Cartier, Molton Brown,
and Chanel have held special Master Classes for Sniffapalooza, and world-renowned perfumers Yosh Han and Lorenzo Villorresi and fragrance house Memoire Liquide have created bespoke fragrances in honor of Sniffapalooza.

Ms. Dubin lives in New York City, where she works for Merkley and Partners Advertising casting televison commercials for Mercedes-Benz. She is married with a 12-year-old daughter who is already passionate about scent and the olfactory world!

TASTY TIDBITS: La Fonda Del Sol

Thank you to L, for her column name on this one (carrots to you, L!). Located across the street from the famous Yale club, La Fonda Del Sol (Inn of the Sun, for we who speak English!) is sure to heat up your chilly winter with an amazing collection of Spanish Tapas and dinners. The modern Spanish cuisine is the best of its kind in Manhattan, and this opening is 47 years after the original inception. And for you non-Ivys, it is at 200 Park at Grand Central/44th and Vanderbilt.

The staff was exceptional from the minute I walked in- Travis was pleasant at the door, Chrissie was bartender extraordinaire, and Santiago was an excellent host. The crab montadito and the octopus salad were my favorites, and the garlic shrimp was also fabulous. The vegetables were fresh and all food was pristine. The only experience that detracted from it all was the poor lighting in the ladies room as I could hardly see my face to put on lipstick.

If you are looking for a fresh new place to try, La Fonda Del Sol should be at the top of your list! Especially to those who frequent Grand Central- it is steps away.

La Fonda Del Sol is part of the Patina Restaurant Group with Josh DeChellis as Executive Chef. Please see www.patinagroup.com

Monday, January 26, 2009

READ THIS: How to Lose Friends and Alienate People by Toby Young

As a quintessential Manhattanite, you should be familiar with this hilarious memoir of Toby's experience of working at Vanity Fair for Graydon Carter in the mid-1990's. The first time I read this book was on my work commute in 2002 and I was laughing so hard I cried on the subway. It is guaranteed to do the same for you.

"How to Lose Friends and Alienate People" is 38 chapters of escapades that you'd hardly believe could happen to someone, and is only more entertaining because they did happen. It contains chapter titles that can only make you wonder and rush to the bookstore/library:

Chapter 1: "Millions are to be grabbed out here and your only competition is idiots."
Chapter 10: The total Betty
Chapter 12: On the list
Chapter 19: "Stay the fuck away from the celebrities!"
Chapter 23: What they don't teach you at the Elephant and Castle Journalism School"

Read to see if Toby gets through all of Graydon's seven rooms! And what does he do on "Bring Your Daughter to Work" day? Shouldn't he have excellent odds as a straight guy at Conde Nast? Can a Brit successfully navigate the velvet rope and clipboard Nazis-or would it be more fun not to!?!

Today you will find Toby here:
http://www.tobyyoung.co.uk/

Incidentally, this book was made into a movie last year:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455538/

Thanks to Sofie O'Shea who recommended this book to me many years ago.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

About Peachy

Peachy Deegan has written professionally since her senior year in college with a concentration on interviews. Her media career began at age 17 when she was an intern at CBS News in New York, where she loved working with Charles Kuralt, and she subsequently interned at CBS in Hartford and Boston. She was a college radio sports personality in Ireland in 1997 in Cork, and appeared as a guest on college radio in Boston. She has worked for ESPN in television production and covered college sports for the Associated Press in Boston. Although not from Manhattan, it is her main home today and this site is dedicated to the best of Manhattan through her eyes. In May 2008 she appeared on the CBS Early Show to demonstrate social skills. In February 2010 Peachy Deegan appeared on the panel of Fox's The Strategy Room. Ms. Deegan has worked in the business world since graduation. Peachy Deegan is her pseudonym.

It's not who you know, it's whom you know

In tenth grade English class, I sat at a table with about ten other girls under the tutelage of Mr. McQuilkin, who taught us all we know about the English language. Quoting Diane Sawyer from a graduation speech she gave, he always said: "It's not who you know, it's WHOM you know."

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