Shop & Dine
The latest edition of our biannual tribute to inspired stores andelegant eateries
LOS ANGELES
Case StudySpace 138 S. La Brea Ave.Los Angeles(323) 932-0899www.casestudyspace.com
BrettWestfall never lets fashion get boring or too familiar. In his previousretail outing, Westfall piled shopping carts into a precarious and tallart piece/store fixture. Now he’s applying that same out-of-left-fieldapproach to Case Study Space, his new store.
Westfall, whoalso designs the high-end avant-garde menswear line Unholy Matrimony,opened Case Study Space in February as a 2,200-square-foot home forartists and high fashion. The store/gallery space—which sells menswearand womenswear from brands such as Odyn Vovk, Unholy Matrimony, Lost& Found, Undercover, Thimister, Hussein Chalayan, Maison MartinMargiela, Zucca and Plein Sud—is part of the revitalization of La Breaas a shopping destination.
Westfall, who is also an artist anda musician, is the first to illustrate that fashion, art and even musiccan coexist seamlessly with each other. At the store’s opening,Barnacle, Westfall’s band with Joel Knoernschild, of T-shirt brandCreative Growth for Everyone, and Katie Knoernschild, awriter/dancer/actress, played a set and set the mood for the store. Inall, Case Study’s approach to retail resembles nothing you’d ever findat a mall. Drai’s W Hollywood6250 HollywoodBlvd.Los Angeles(323) 962-1111www.draishollywood.com
Sittingatop the W Hollywood hotel on Hollywood Boulevard, Drai’s is arestaurant, bar and nightclub with a pool deck and a panoramic view thatscreams “big. night. out.” All 22,000 square feet of the place arefancy, with snakeskin–embossed couches, gold mirror tiles, fire pits andMoroccan-inspired cabanas. And, thanks to owner Victor Drai’s Las Vegasclout and Hollywood connections, celebrity sightings are regularoccurrences.
Drai’s is where you go to dinner to kick off oneof those nights that feels a little like Vegas. It’s where you wearsequins and leather and those shoes. You know the ones.
Therestaurant, which serves lunch seven days a week and dinner Wednesdaythrough Sunday, dishes up the kind of cuisine you need before a bignight out: Kobe-beef steak, roasted rack of lamb and lobster risotto.Tuck in, you’re going to need it.
NEW YORK
Creaturesof Comfort205 Mulberry St.New York(212) 925-1005www.creaturesofcomfort.us
“Gowest,” they say. Manifest Destiny and all that. But what happens afteryou’ve gone west and made your mark? Creatures of Comfort owner Jade Laithinks you go back east and do it again. In September, after relocatingto Manhattan, Lai opened her first New York store with the same mix ofhard-to-find and spot-on labels that made her 5-year-old Los Angelesstore and online store a hit with tastemakers.
The New Yorkversion is an open-concept space large enough to include a galleryperfect for showcasing ongoing special projects and an outdoor gardenpatio.
The airy but still playful 2,300-square-foot storesells womenswear, menswear and lifestyle collections by designers suchas Tom Scott, Bless, Bernhard Wilhelm, Rick Owens Lilies, MM6, Zucca,Rachel Comey and the Creatures of Comfort collection.
Plus,Lai gives New York shoppers an added temptation by offering them piecesfrom the Creatures of Comfort private-label line that aren’t availablein the Los Angeles or online stores.DBGB Kitchen & Bar299BoweryNew York(212) 933-5300www.danielnyc.com/dbgb.html
DanielBoulud’s DBGB Kitchen & Bar is like the love child of a Parisianbistro, a brasserie and a classic American steakhouse. Which is to say,it is a casual French-meets-American restaurant that only Boulud couldcreate, at once elegant, sophisticated and accessible. DBGB, Boulud’s10th restaurant and his first casual dining spot, is significantly morewallet-friendly than, say, Daniel, Boulud’s flagship restaurant on East65th Street. The average check for a three-course meal at DBGB will setyou back about $32—roughly the price of an appetizer at Daniel.
ExecutiveChef Jim Leiken serves brunch, lunch, a prixe fixe lunch and dinner atDBGB. The fare is earthy and robust, with more than 10 house-madesausages on the menu and multiple hamburger options, alongside matzoball soup, country-style pate of pork and chicken liver, beef-bonemarrow served with pastrami, watercress and pickled mustard seed on ryebread toast, and crispy pigs’ feet served on romaine heart salad with asauce dijonnaise. SAN FRANCISCO
Seedstore212Clement St.San Francisco(415) 386-1600www.seedstoresf.com
SistersCynthia and Jennifer Huie have all sorts of good taste, and they’rewilling to sell it to you. Ostensibly, Seedstore, which they launched inAugust, is a contemporary apparel store for men and women, but really,it’s where you go to outfit your whole life without looking like you’retrying too hard.
Basically, everything in the1,600-square-foot store—including some store fixtures—is for sale. Radfurniture, tons of vintage bits, and odds and ends for your house (or togive as gifts to impress your hipster friends) share space withcarefully chosen apparel from Swedish Hasbeens, Levi’s, Bridge &Burn, Pendleton, Trovata, Free People, Farm Tactics, Raleigh Denim,Covet, local designers and Dear Creatures, among others. The look isurbane and rugged for guys, feminine and crisp for women, and overallmodern with a touch of vintage Americana.
Retail prices rangefrom $70 to $350 for the clothes, and the sisters, who scour fleamarkets and thrift stores for neat-o finds, keep their shelves stockedwith things such as vintage milk glass, old brass frames, vintage bottleopeners, shaving kits and old-school kerosene lanterns. It’s the sortof stuff that let’s you say, “Oh, this? I got it at an upstate fleamarket for five bucks” or “My grandfather bought it in Paris during thewar,” and people will believe you. And be jealous. Cotogna 490Pacific St.San Francisco(415) 775-8508www.cotognasf.com
Ohboy. Quince, the one-Michelin-star restaurant helmed by Lindsay andchef Michael Tusk, just got a laid-back little-sister restaurant,Cotogna.
More relaxed than the super-fancy and legendarilytasty Quince, Cotogna serves up rustic trattoria cuisine. Less formaldoesn’t mean that Chef Tusk will be asleep at the wheel. Chef Tuskshares the bill at Cotogna with Chef Ryan Childs, formerly of ChezPanisse, Gary Danko and Aqua. Together the two preside over a kitchenthat specializes in wood-burning rotisserie-roasted and grilled meats,game birds and fish, prix fixe wines from Northern Italy, and house-madepastas.
Catering to the casual lunch crowd, locals out forpost-work cocktails and the ever-ravenous San Francisco foodie dinnerscene, Cotogna combines Tusk’s signature techniques with ingredients andproduce sourced from among the top Northern California purveyors.
Lookfor classic Piedmontese dishes such as stradette con porri, a cornmealpasta served simply with stewed leeks, arneis and cream; assorted pizzasmade in a wood-burning oven; and whole roasted fish and vegetables. DALLAS
Elements4400Lovers LaneDallas(214) 987-0837www.elementsclothing.com
Elementsis, quite simply, a dream. A dream closet, that is. Seriously. Toconvince you, here are just a few of the designers that this 11-year-oldstore stocks. Ready? Here we go. M Missoni, Catherine Malandrino, TracyReese, Graham & Spencer, #8232;Burning Torch, Alice+Olivia, Poleci,Geren Ford, Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent, Plenty by Tracy Reese,Meghan, Twinkle by Wenlan, Willow, Jocelyn, Mike & Chris, RachelRoy, Elizabeth & James and Diane von Furstenberg.
Deepbreath. Mark & James, Badgley Mischka, Haute Hippie, Zimmerman,Rozae Nichols, Black Halo, Gryphon, Halston Heritage, Of Two Minds,Maria Bianca Nero, Notify, J Brand, Current/Elliot, Hudson and GeneticDenim. See? Amazing.
But wait. That’s not all. Turns outElements was such a success that the store launched Elle, alittle-sister store next door that stocks contemporary styles frombrands such as Splendid, A Common Thread, Corey Lynn Calter, Nu, Nation,T Bags and Seven.
We dare you to visit this store and notfind one or a hundred things to covet.Bolsa614 W. DavisSt.Dallas(214) 367-9367www.bolsadallas.com
Bolsadoesn’t mess with Texas. No, it welcomes Texas right in, shows itaround and gives it the best seat in the house. Which is a complicatedway of saying that Bolsa—the cafeacute;, wine bar and market in Dallas’ OakCliff neighborhood—whips up tasty “slow food” cuisine featuring organicand locally grown produce that is trucked in every morning.
Withno freezer to be had, Chef Graham Dodds serves a constantly changingmenu of seasonal dishes based on what’s available that day. “We are verycommitted to local, organic and regional farmers,” said co-owner ChrisZielke. “Our menu changes every day.”
That means on any givenday, depending on what is freshest off the farm, Bolsa’s bruschettacould be topped with prosciutto and fig or smoked salmon and cregrave;mefraiche or Fuji apples and pine nuts.
Making Bolsa’s approachto food even more novel is its affordable price points. A trueneighborhood joint, Bolsa has salads that are less than $9, entreesstick around $20, lunch specials are $10 and on Tuesdays wine ishalf-priced. Before 7 p.m., cocktails are $5 or less daily.MIAMI
LorieLester6301 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 103Miami(305) 756-8070
Hotand sultry, breezy and relaxed, tipsy and fun—that pretty muchdescribes a weekend in Miami. It’s also a pretty apt description ofLorie Lester, the new boutique from Miami-based designer Lorie Lester.
Thestore, which opened Oct. 1, showcases Lester’s contemporary designs andgives shoppers the opportunity to see how the designer works and evenparticipate in the process. Everything in the store is cut and sewnin-house, and the cutting room is open to the store so shoppers are ableto look at all the different fabrics—mainly silk, micro-Modal andorganic cottons. Extra-picky shoppers or those who want a little moresay in their sartorial flourishes can have Lester’s garments made forthem in a fabric of their choice. “I love to bring people into thedesign process and make something that fits them perfectly and is madeespecially for them,” the designer said.
The possibilities areendless. Brides can outfit their bridesmaids with a variety ofsilhouettes in the same pretty silk or girlfriends on vacation can scoopup a unique and personalized souvenir.
Chow Down Grill 9517Harding Ave.Surfside, Fla.(305) 397-8494www.chowdowngrill.com
MiamiBeach is lovely. The beach is great, the architecture is beautiful andthe restaurants along Collins serve fancy, tasty food. But sometimes youdon’t feel like getting all dressed up for dinner. You just want reallygood, easy-breezy food without a big to-do.
Enter JoshuaMarcus, a chef trained in classic French and Italian cuisine whoeschewed the fancy stuff for his first solo outing. Instead, Marcusdecided to focus on Chinese, Vietnamese and Southeast Asian–influencedfood. His tiny eatery in Surfside, just 15 minutes from Miami Beach, isall about fresh, high-end ingredients—but don’t call it “gourmet.” Thatword may as well be a four-letter word. “That word isn’t allowed here,”he said.
“Fresh” is a better word, as are “house-made” and“healthy.” Marcus makes his own tofu and the dough for his dumplings andegg rolls. MSG, sugar, preservatives and corn syrup are replaced withhouse-made stocks, broccolini, brussel sprouts and white asparagus.Marcus remakes classics with a chef-y twist. Dumplings feature cilantro,basil and fennel instead of the usual watery cabbage. Daily specialsinclude whole fish, green tea–smoked duck and seasonal treats such assoft-shell crab.LAS VEGAS
SageAriaResort and Casino3730 Las Vegas Blvd.Las Vegas(877) 230-2742
LasVegas is increasingly becoming a foodie heaven. Bring it on, we say.Chef Shawn McClain is the latest to throw his hat into the ring with thedebut of Sage at the fancy new Aria Resort and Casino.
Servingcontemporary American cuisine spiked with ingredients and techniquesgathered from around the world, McClain’s Sage combines farm-to-tableproduce, artisanal meats and sustainable seafood with an emphasis onsimple, clean flavors and seasonal ingredients. Think seared black andblue tuna served with baby artichoke, black olive oil, quail egg andwhite anchovy, or roasted pumpkin soup with nutmeg-spiced foam to start.Entrees are McClain’s own spin on the classics. Topping the list isKobe-beef steak finished with shaved truffle, braised veal cheeks withwhite polenta, and duck served with heirloom apples and celery-rootpuree.
Mirroring McClain’s commitment to seasonality andtastiness, mixologists (not, ahem, “bartenders”) will use fresh-fruitpurees, boutique liquors and homemade bitters to whip up daily cocktailofferings. Beckley Boutique Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas3708Las Vegas Blvd. SouthLas Vegas(310) 652-3500www.beckleyboutique.com
Theysay you can never go home, but Beckley Boutique and owner MelissaRichardson Akkaway are proving that you can—and in style, no less.
TheWest Hollywood, Calif.–based contemporary store is getting ready totake Las Vegas by storm with a new location set to open on Dec. 1. Theplan is for Beckley—which sells perfectly curated offerings from brandssuch as Erin Fetherston, Vivienne Westwood, Halston, Myne, Gryphon,Kain, Kova & T, Lover, Ports 1961, and Sass and Bide—to up and moveits winning formula to Sin City.
For Akkaway, the newlocation represents a homecoming of sorts. Akkaway grew up in Vegas andmade a name for herself when she spearheaded the development of retailcenter Mandalay Place at Mandalay Bay in 2002. But she’s not the onlyone with roots in the desert. Her iteration of Beckley is inspired bythe original Beckley store, which her great-grandfather launched in LasVegas in 1908, selling hand-tailored clothing for traveling businessmenwho needed custom-fit suits, shirts, ties and hats.
The newLas Vegas version of Beckley will feature the deacute;cor and services thathave made its West Hollywood store a success. Expect to see abohemian-chic interior that showcases Beckley’s fashion-forward mix oftops, dresses, bottoms and accessories; comfy seating areas for loungingwhile shopping; and lots of feminine but not fussy details. Now you’vegot a new store to raid when the roulette-table gods have smiled on you.
