Burgundy Wine Company

Stepping out of the culinary carnival in the main Eataly building through the side street entrance of the calm, cool wine shop next door was a soothing experience. The space is primarily filled with Italian wines, though there is a selection of local New York varieties upstairs. Also on the second floor is the “Riserva Room, ” a temperature-controlled chamber with rare wines, mainly acquired through auctions. What surprised me about the Riserva Room, however, is that the bottles are not very expensive. Despite feeling the need to whisper inside the elegant space, I noticed that many tags quoted prices under $100. We learned from Brianna Buford, the PR Assistant, that this is so that customers do not feel intimidated to try new wines. As with the rest of Eataly, Vino is dedicated to educating the public about the quality, origin, and uses of its products. There are helpful signs in the area and tastings every week. “Staff Pick” signs give shoppers individual recommendations and there are often fun promotions whose goal is to introduce customers to new labels. For example, in 2015, the wine store hid golden corks all over Eataly, offering anyone who found one a special bottle of Vino Libero. “Vino Libero” means “free the wine, ” a motto which seems to ring true throughout the store, where wine is freed from any pretension or intimidation and presented in a playful, educational way.

Eddy Le Garrec is the vinous hero that New York needs and deserves. To step into his store, Empire State of Wine, is to step into a different dimension; one where gouging is a forbidden practice, 90+ point wine is affordable for anyone with twelve dollars to spare, and bottles that are impossible to import are stacked for sale. Eddy himself bubbles with impatient energy. He knows that the quality and price of his product are unprecedented in Manhattan. Eddy has cracked the code of selling affordable wine in the United States, where a five-euro bottle often ends up costing twenty-five dollars. During the hour we spent in conversation, Eddy gave me a peek behind the curtain of his business. We were constantly on the move as he nudged me along with a gentle hand, gesturing to emphasize his words, but I found that in addition to his passion, there was something more inscrutable, perhaps a world-weary or melancholy note. As it turns out, Eddy Le Garrec has lived a life of emotional highs and lows. From LA to Vegas to Miami, and then New York, his is a story worth hearing. Born in France, Eddy traveled to Los Angeles at the age of twenty-five. “I had a contract with a restaurant for one week and while I was there, an incredible thing happened. I won the green card lottery. I was lucky. Stupid lucky. So I said okay, I’m staying, and I fell in love with the country. ” Eddy’s family growing up was in the restaurant business, and he found himself in the right place at the right time to thrive in the US. “It was the 1990’s and the beginning of the wine boom, where Americans were growing interested in collecting and learning about wines. ” Eddy then casually mentioned that he worked at the legendary L'Orangerie. “I waited on all of the Hollywood stars. I have a story for every single one. ”Next came a move to Las Vegas where he followed the same chef who had brought him to LA. “I stayed for two years and directed the opening of several restaurants and hotels. It wasn’t what I loved but looking back, it goes to show nothing is ever a waste of time. I also learned to play poker. But I don’t do that anymore. ” Unfortunately, Eddy also made some mistakes in his love life, bad enough to elicit a pained look on his face even today. It was time for a fresh start. After two years of Vegas, Eddy ran off to Florida. “When I moved to South Beach, there was no real wine culture in Miami. I realized I could start up my own brick and mortar, and W Wine was almost immediately a success. That was in 2006. What’s amazing is that I modeled my store, and even this store today, around this Vegas model. It is open, not intimidating or stuffy. The warehouse look is what I want. Customers come in and it makes my day when they say they’ve never seen a wine store like this before. You’ll also see I have the expensive stuff up front that people will walk past to reach the more affordable options, and when they get there they are relieved. It is like finding the slot machines. ”The slot machines, in Eddy’s case, are his “15 and Under” series, a bright display he sees as one of his biggest successes. Categorized by flavor profile (Bubbly, Fresh, Crisp, Buttery/Creamy, Light Body, Medium Body, Full Body) and with plenty of information at hand to read, anyone can come in and make an informed choice on a great wine. There might be one or two wines in each category, all handpicked by Eddy for their quality and price. “I used to get angry about people copying this idea, ” Eddy told me, “but not anymore because in the end, I know nobody can do what I do, nobody. ” Yuriel, one of Eddy’s employees nodded emphatically from behind the register. “Nobody, ” he agreed. Eddy was approached by a Canadian company that wanted to buy out his Miami store. “At first I did not want to, but I took a look at the check and was like wow. But then things did not go so well. Their plan was to merge my store with a separate online platform. I was working all the time on my computer, constantly working, and I was very unhappy. In the end, I and the other CEOs were fired because they needed more Canadians on the payroll. It was a hard time. ” At this point, Eddy ran a hand through his thick black hair. “I then went into a depression. It took me five years to wake up. ” During that period, Eddy felt it was time for another change of scene. “I moved to New York and even went back to school where I studied documentary film. One day I will use what I learned. Nothing goes to waste. ” But Eddy could not stay far from wine for too long. After a series of real estate transactions, he found himself owner of the Chelsea storefront property that would become Empire State of Wine. In a stroke of luck that echoed his green card jackpot of years ago, Eddy was granted a liquor license in what seemed like a record time of three months. “Boom, I was in business. Incredible. ” This time though, Eddy worked in reverse. He began by building his website. Even there, the aesthetics are meant to promote the sort of open and honest wine culture that Eddy is passionate about. In today’s world of online retail, he has no pretensions about the brick and mortar side of business. But it gives him an opportunity to meet people. “I love helping customers learn about the magic of wine. I also love demystifying it. In the end it is grape juice. Drink it! Enjoy it! ”

In January of 2007, Oscar Farinetti founded the first Eataly in Turin, Italy, specializing in quality Italian goods. Under B& B Hospitality, the marketplace has since expanded throughout the United States. The first New York City location opened in the summer of 2010 near the iconic Flatiron building, and an expansion has been planed in the Financial District for 2016. Strolling through the epicurean haven, I saw a dazzling array of artfully displayed gourmet products. The produce section alone reaped multiple varieties of earthy mushrooms, vibrant stone fruits, and luscious greens. The cotton candy grapes and sea beans were astoundingly similar in flavor to their namesakes. Other sights included a traditional espresso bar, a butcher counter with cuts from sustainable farms, and a station entirely devoted to making mozzarella, turning out two to three hundred pounds daily. Above, ornate ceilings accentuated these wonders, paying homage to the building’s previous life as a luxury hotel. “Eataly is the gallery, the producers are the artists, and the products are the art, ” explained Italian-born Dino Borri, Eataly’s brand ambassador. He got his start working under the founder of the Slow Food movement, Carlo Pertrini, at the age of fourteen, eventually helping to open an Eataly branch in Japan. He is now based in New York as a major product buyer. He still, however, visits Italy frequently. The gallery analogy is a perfect metaphor, especially since Eataly advocates for small businesses by clearly crediting them with their products and financially sponsoring projects to accelerate capacity growth. “The majority of our products come from Italy, but we also get some locally, ” Dino told me. Some of the local sourcing has to do with shipment restrictions - salami and unpasteurized cheese are not allowed to cross over the borders, but primarily the goal is to find the freshest ingredients. One of the benefiters from Eataly's work with local businesses has been Wild Hive Farm, a small farm from Upstate New York with organic, stone-ground bread. GuS Soda also met immense popularity after hitting Eataly’s spotlight, and local farmers turn to the marketplace for a steadier income source than farmers’ markets. However, it is not just the labeling of product origins that keeps shoppers at Eataly informed. Cooking classes are offered regularly at La Scuola, recipes are provided with many of the meals, and various signs give product tips and facts. “The olive oil expert can go on for over twenty minutes in a discussion of delicate, grassy, and herbaceous varieties, ” stated PR Associate Brianna Buford, “he knows the proper tasting techniques. ” I am sure the vinegar expert is just as well trained. Passing by the highly specialized eateries, my cravings constantly wavered between savory and sweet. The newest edition when I visited in the summer of 2015, the Nutella bar, features a constantly running chocolate hazelnut fountain, ready to be poured on a bounty of appetizing creations. In the bakery section, I learned that all the hearth-baked breads come from the same “mother yeast. " Nearby, serving some of the best pasta and perfectly charred Napoli-style pizza pies in Manhattan is La Pizza & La Pasta. During my discussion with Dino, he told me, "We really made this store for ourselves. " He declared himself a primary customer for Eataly, saying, “We are what we eat. ” It is less about the fancy products than about having everything be “good, clean, fair, ” and having something for every price point. “We have introduced a new way of eating, ” he smiled. He is glad that others have begun to mimic Eataly's highly successful marketplace model, since it means increased quality for everyone. While spending hours touring Eataly, I sampled the food at some of the eateries. A favorite was the zucchini Carpaccio with fried capers, toasted pine nuts, soft white cheese, and fresh mint at Le Verdure, a veggie-centric eatery that has been a go-to place for me since it first opened. After trying the Pesce Crudo Trio, including raw pink snapper, swordfish, and steelhead trout, from Il Pesce, my photographer, Tom, exclaimed, “this is fresher than the fish my dad caught and cooked last night. ” The Manhattan Sideways Team finished off with a necessary treat at Il Gelato. By providing quality flavor, supporting small farmers and educating shoppers, Eataly has truly maximized their slogan “Eat. Shop. Learn. ”

Alessandra and Mario De Benedetti had never been in the restaurant business. She was a law professor and he was in finance - both living in Italy. When a passion burns inside you, however, and a desire to live in NYC is so strong, why not change careers and pursue your dream? This is exactly what the dynamic duo chose to do. Working alongside Elizabeth Roberts, architect extraordinaire, the team created a space built for dramatic floral arrangements and an enchanting atmosphere for dining. Alessandra combined her love of flowers by integrating them into the restaurant's splendid cocktails, specialty dishes and magnificent displays. In 2019, their dream finally became a reality as they opened the doors of Il Florista on West 26th Street.

Crossroads Trading Company now has almost thirty locations around the United States, but even in Manhattan they keep their original relaxed Bay Area vibe. The company began in Berkeley in 1991 and has since become a hub for recycling both men and women's clothing with the goal of helping the environment and working to eliminate waste. Locals are welcome to come in and sell their gently used garments for cash or credit... and while there, hopefully browse for something

If one were to close their eyes and walk into Hill Country, there is no doubt that in an instant they would know what kind of food was being prepared. At Hill Country, they take their barbecue very seriously. The food is prepared in their very own custom meat-smoking room, and everything is done in the style of Central Texas barbecue. The atmosphere is kitschy and relaxed, with live American music most nights of the week.

When Ashley Van Goehring, Hotel Giraffe’s director of sales and marketing, led me up to the rooftop bar as part of a tour of the entire building, I did not expect to find such a quiet nook. Despite being in the middle of the busy Flatiron district, the patio’s height and warm red brick border meant that the sky-high courtyard is reasonably silent. It is also beautiful: every inch appeared to be carefully designed with hanging plants, potted shrubs, and striped deck furniture that hinted at the hotel’s name. There is even a metallic giraffe statue in the corner, named after owner, Henry Kallan's granddaughter, Jesse. The seasonal rooftop does not remain quiet at night. Though the garden is only open to guests during the day, at night it turns into a cocktail bar, run by Bread and Tulips, the restaurant attached to Hotel Giraffe. The tucked-away space is also attached to the hotel’s private event room, which has a little roof terrace of its own. Ashley told us that the room had been used as Big’s apartment in the Sex and the City movie, and pointed out the little details that can be seen in some of the film scenes. The small attached patio shows just as much care and attention to detail as the larger rooftop bar, with potted flowers and warm, giraffe-inspired colors. Staring out at the sunny view, Ashley turned to me and said, “It’s nice to be reminded that this city is not just the place where I live. It’s a magical place. ”

Whenever Rebecca, a member of the Manhattan Sideways team, asked her glamorous college roommate from Arizona where she had bought whatever fabulous item of clothing she was wearing, the answer was always the same... Buffalo Exchange. Founded in 1974 by Kerstin Block in Arizona, it was one of the first used clothing shops to open in the country. The store offers its patrons a place to buy, sell, or trade second-hand garments so that they can find a new life in someone else's wardrobe. Today, Kerstin continues to run her company with the help of her daughter, Rebecca, and they have expanded to forty-seven stores nationwide. The company has maintained its funky, fun vibe and reasonable prices even as it has grown so large.