This billionaire was born in Damascus in 1939 and declares his loves to be music, architecture, art and horse racing. His home is the £50 million neo-Georgian mansion Tusmore Park near Bicester in Oxfordshire and he supposedly paid Robbie Williams in excess of a million to perform at his daughter’s May 2012 wedding to PR Khaled Khawaja at The Palace of Versailles. Saïd was one of Margaret Thatcher’s biggest supporters but is also said to have been a confidant of Peter Mandelson. As chairman of Saïd Holdings Limited, he presides over an empire with investments in hedge funds and real estates but he’s better known for the £23 million endowment he provided to establish the Saïd Business School in Oxford in 1996.
Tag: business
-
Wafic Saïd
-
James Sherwood
This Kentuckian buccaneer founded Sea Containers in 1965. He is best known though buying the Hotel Cipriani in Venice for less than £1 million “on a whim” and reviving the Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express. A true perfectionist with an attention to detail unlike any other, Sherwood was victorious in 2010 in a battle with the Cipriani family over their using his hotel’s name in London and also founded Harry’s Bar in Mayfair with Mark Birley. He is married to the leading expert on botanical art, Dr Shirley Sherwood OBE, and was once stranded at 16,000 feet in the Andes with Princess Michael of Kent after his helicopter had to make an emergency landing. -
The bogs of Bayswater
Christian Huhnt recounts an evening at the launch of La Suite West
I have a personal connection to Inverness Terrace as twice in my life I’ve had to crash at my friend’s place there. It’s less than a minute from the new Anouska Hempel-designed hotel, La Suite West, and runs parallel to Queensway.
Bursting with cheap Chinese, Arabic and Mediterranean restaurants, this is an area that has great transport links to Oxford Street and the city centre that is also a very short walk from Hyde Park. As a result it’s full of tourists. Here, they arrive and depart every day, wandering around with heavy luggage trying to find their way. Most of them look like they’re hopelessly lost and in need of a good scrub. The tourist density here is almost equal to that of Victoria Station’s Gatwick Express exit or the Piazza San Marco in Venice.
The lobby of La Suite West, 41 – 51 Inverness Terrace, London, W2 3JN 
Party guests at the launch of La Suite West Please don’t get me wrong though. I have always felt that this place, the heart of Bayswater, has been totally underestimated. It is charming with lots of London Plane trees and a very cosmopolitan feel. Lady Weinberg, better known as the visionary designer and sometime actress Anouska Hempel, plainly agreed as she integrated all that was good about this atmosphere into the hotel that she has cleverly designed.
“Let’s celebrate with a little champagne” 
Guests at the party included the British supermodel and VogueTV presenter Jade Parfitt and Duncan McDonald of Propeller Communications 
Our party correspondent Christian Huhnt and Inga Buschke enjoying the launch of La Suite West 
Angelo Valentino also represented “The Steeple Times” with his daughter 
Guests at the launch of La Suite West 
Susan Ansary, a regular on the party circuit, even put in an appearance Arriving at the hotel entrance, you get a feel of how important it was for Hempel to grasp this outside space and use it as a communal environment for the guests. I was invited to visit on the evening of the hotel’s launch and this was the area where guests congregated. Here, along with the champagne, they served molecular bites including Nutella ice cream that had been shock frozen using liquid nitrogen. This, they told me, had been done to avoid ice crystals appearing and the result was a very smooth and creamy texture. I’d put money on this having left the menu now though as just days later I read news reports of a girl in Lancaster losing her stomach after drinking a cocktail made in a similar manner. With hindsight, I must say that my stomach is very glad that they got the measure just right.
When you enter the hotel, which first opened to guests three months ago, you feel as if you are visiting a Scientology church or traversing the ramp of a Star Wars space shuttle. Coming “onboard,” you enter a reception hall, in which a friendly concierge welcomes you. The whole interior is very minimalistic and has been reduced to hues of only black and white. A long fireplace leads you deeper into this shuttle, onto a main corridor, past the dining rooms and connects into to labyrinthian walkways that transport guests to their appointed suites.
I was told that the hotel rooms are all decorated in the same style and have similar layouts. They differ only slightly in size. On the evening of the launch, the largest could be admired and all of them had a very independent feel as they benefited from their own access to the street. Essentially, the rooms are quite small but all offer the contemporary luxury that any jetsetter would expect. The bathrooms have a particularly sophisticated feel and are clad in marble throughout. The extendable televisions hidden in the bed frames perfectly fitted with the minimalist design, but where this became bizarrely rigorous was the flexible water hose in the bathrooms that dispensed with the need for good old European toilet paper.
One of the hotel’s bedrooms 
A toilet at La Suite West – complete with hose attachment but minus loo roll La Suite West is a great step forward. In fact, it is a very audacious move towards upgrading a whole area that clearly has potential for more and which, at the time of writing, does not offer anything better than shabby hostels and seedy bed and breakfasts. The hotel is a well-arranged concept and evidently Hempel put a lot of thought into the execution of it. The design is well composed, but being German I did notice some of the carpets and minor details could have been a little better.
One last piece of advice: the management might want to ship in some bog roll. Some ageing Brit might decide to show up and I’m sure nobody would want a scene from Fawlty Towers to be played out in that rather smart lobby.
La Suite West, 41 – 51 Inverness Terrace, London, W2 3JN. Telephone: +44 (0) 20 3642 3928. Website: http://lasuitewest-px.rtrk.co.uk
Images by Andreas Kirchberger and Christian Huhnt. -
Stuart Graber: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times asks Stuart Graber, chairman of The Alternative Board London and former managing director of Time Warner International: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?
Superior mind, superior attitude.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
A quote from Calvin Coolidge: “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will jot; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2012?
Piers Morgan.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
Good friends who have gone over to the other side.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
Continued good health.
Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank.” What’s your view on the banking crisis?
History has taught us time and time again that when there is money to be made certain individuals will do “anything” they possibly can to benefit and that includes breaking the established rules and regulations.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
“What will be, will be.”
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
My family and I believe that children and animals are most deserving of our charitable giving.
The judge in “Law Abiding Citizen” states: “I can pretty do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?
These highly lethal modern technological marvels form a new arsenal of weaponry. I would imagine that the use of these devices requires a good deal of professional training and skill. If they are “used appropriately” by the military and law enforcement then they should be utilised to save lives.
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
A mixture of family, friends and acquaintances whose company I enjoy.
Stuart Graber If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
A Chinese ten-course dinner with the leader or person who could commute my death sentence. It would preferably be consumed on a private jet that can take off when I tell it to.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
It depends on which country and what age you happen to be however if pressed I would say about 2-3 hours before you eat dinner.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
Martini.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
LA based entertainment industry parties. They are much more experienced and better equipped to create the most amazing environments for a party.
Who is the most positive person you know?
My wife, Susan.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
Smoking Cuban cigars.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
A British bulldog, not because they are tough or mean looking but because they are the embodiment of loyalty and love.
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
A Grabercar. For those who don’t know, they are lightweight sports cars.
Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
I am an expert marksman and knife thrower.
What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?
Statues of my bulldogs, The Manoush and Cupcake.
A graduate of Harvard Business School, Stuart Graber is the chairman of the Alternative Board London. He lives in North London and was previously managing director of both Time Warner International and Music Choice Europe. He was also involved in developing, licensing and distributing culturally and linguistically adapted versions of Sesame Street and obtained the first commercial network radio license in the United Kingdom for Classic-FM.
-
Martha Stewart
This “High Priestess of Homemaking” was brought up in ordinary surroundings in Jersey City, New Jersey but became a self-made business magnate, author, magazine publisher and television personality. A divorced mother of one, Stewart briefly dated Sir Anthony Hopkins but couldn’t help associating him with his Silence of the Lambs character, Hannibal Lecter, and so ended the relationship. Now worth some $638 million, she was jailed briefly in 2004 after being convicted of insider trading but has made a remarkable comeback in the years since. Stewart lives in Katonahm, New York and also has a 35,000 square residence named Skylands on Mount Desert Island, Seal Habor, Maine that formerly belonged to Edsel Ford, the son of Henry Ford. America’s “Queen of Entertaining” is a lady who has worked extremely hard and as a result she is deservedly one of the world’s most successful businesswomen. -
How the mac ’n’ cheese met the truffle oil
Christian Huhnt recounts an evening of rock ‘n’ roll at the opening party for Hollywood Road’s latest venue, Honky Tonk
When you hear about the opening of a London-based “underground NYC inspired rock ‘n’ roll restaurant,” the last thing you expect is to find it in the very heart of an area that estate agents now call “Little Chelsea.”
Honky Tonk, 6 Hollywood Road, London, SW10 9HY So, my companion Steffen and I headed off to determine what this mystery may be, and to learn what the owner, who is supposedly involved in The Supper Club, was willing to reveal that night. As soon as I arrived, I found myself sipping a chilled drink, while listening to some Screamin’ Jay Hawkins vibes. “The Gringo,” a mix of tequila, juice and wheat beer is described as “a delectable intertwining of Mexican and British” on Honky Tonk’s drinks menu and it is just such.
As I was pushed deeper into the venue, away from the bar at the entrance, I felt I had been left alone in the middle of Shoreditch, with a 60s-inspired retro-American “highway diner” flair interior of unrendered walls, raw lightbulbs, Formica tables, and pierced and tattooed modern-hippy looking 20-somethings; only the pretty waitresses reminded me, that I was in fact not in a greasy US-diner, but at an opening in Chelsea, West London.
Guests enjoying Honky Tonk’s opening bash 
Honky Tonk’s bar staff creating cocktails 
One of Honky Tonk’s waitresses serving cocktails When it came to the food, served as canapés, it again became clear, that I was in SW10. The “not” fried chicken, as the waitress educated me, is only coated with a “special recipe” and then oven-baked. It has as much crispy pleasure as it would have had fried, but it is far healthier and plainly designed so as not to dispossess the figure conscious guests of this elite neighborhood.
Almost finished with this delight, I tasted the next dish on the menu: New England crab cakes in a chili-mayo sauce, followed by little potato skins loaded with chilli con carne and sour cream. As I wasn’t sure anymore if this food could be solely called “good old-fashioned American bites,” the next dish was most definitely the tip of the iceberg: the macaroni cheese, apparently the “Baked Beans of America,” the synonym of cheap grub, the epitome of total culinary absence. Here at Honky Tonk, though, they controversially served this with a porcini béchamel and truffle oil sauce, along with roasted wild mushrooms. Believe it or not, it worked and it was bloody good.
While getting in the mood with another fancy drink, one of my favorites by the way, I tried a rum and ginger beer concoction topped with a slice of lime and listened to Elvis Presley’s Mystery Train playing in the background. Whilst enjoying this, I realise that the Chelsea boys and girls have arrived and are mingling with the hip East London crowd. I have seen this lot at many other openings and can’t assume they were shipped in, but nonetheless the spot is suddenly buzzing and a great evening follows.
Examples of the humour of Honky Tonk’s management adorn the venue’s walls Honky Tonk promises to deliver the New York vibe, bringing cool Blues, Jazz and Rockabilly tones with regular live music to the heart of posh Chelsea. Well done so far.
Rock on!
Honky Tonk, 6 Hollywood Road, London, SW10 9HY. Telephone: +44 (0) 207 351 1588. Website: http://www.honkytonkchelsea.com.
-
Hook off
The deportation of Abu Hamza and the story of Hassan Butt
It’s taken far too long but thankfully the day of Abu Hamza al-Masri’s deportation has arrived. This evil one-eyed Egyptian-born Sunni preacher, best known for his hateful views and involvement in terrorism, has been in prison in Britain since 2004 and is now finally to be extradited to America to face terrorism charges.
Abu Hamza al-Masri 
Hassan Butt when he appeared on the American CBS television magazine news show “60 Minutes” My only experience of such people involved meeting a young man named Hassan Butt in 2008. Butt, known in the Muslim community as the Al Qaeda supergrass,” was allegedly a former recruiter for the organisation. I met with him after he wrote an article for the Daily Mail in which he stated:
“My plea to fellow Muslims: you must renounce terror… My pleas to fellow Christians: you must renounce racism.”
These words came from a man, born in 1980, who had previously said of Britain:
“I feel absolutely nothing for this country. I have no problem with the British people… but if someone attacks them, I have no problem with that either.”
These words came from the very mouth of a man who had been a member of the now banned radical Islamist group Al-Muhajiroun. Butt claimed to have taken tea with Mohammad Sidique Khan, the leader of the 7 July bombings, recruited upto 200 people to undergo jihadist training in Pakistan and raised between £7,000 and £9,000 a month towards the “cause.” Here was someone who had concluded that:
“I would agree to being called a radical and one day I may even be called a terrorist, if Allah permits me. That is something it would be an honour to be called.”
On the day Butt’s “Damascene conversion” article was printed I was working with an American billionaire vodka tycoon on his various projects in the UK. The man concerned came to London on a periodic basis and always began his day by scouring his favourite right-wing paper for whatever took his fancy. If there were something or someone he liked the look of in it, he’d yell across the room: “Get ‘em round.” More often than not, when I made the call, such people would turn up as many sought funding for their projects. Few of them ever got whatever they were after as this individual was especially careful with his dollars.
On reading Butt’s article, which I admit I also found well written, the Jewish billionaire was thoroughly impressed. He said: “I like the sound of this guy. Get him round.” At the end of the article was a Gmail address so reluctantly, imagining that no doubt MI5 would begin monitoring my own account, I sent off a message. Within minutes, Mr Butt was on the phone.
Butt told me that he’d be in London in the following days to appear on Newsnight with Jeremy Paxman so I invited him to lunch. On the day in question, an extremely well presented 27-year old appeared in a brand new £50,000 Audi Q7. After he’d parked, I said: “That’s a nice car.” His response: “The BBC have loaned it to me.” I was perplexed and thought this unlikely, but let it go.
I introduced Mr Butt to the vodka tycoon and for the next hour, the Muslim and the Jew chatted about the differences and similarities between their religions and ways of life. The utterly charming Butt wanted the billionaire, who happened to own a publishing house, to pay for and print his autobiography. The aggressive billionaire had another agenda. His vision of how to unite the religions was to produce a leaflet. He ranted: “It’ll begin thus: ‘If I want to worship a tree, I’ll worship a tree’.” An impasse was reached.
Over lunch at Choy’s on the Kings Road, the conversation continued hopelessly in the same vein. When it was over and as Butt drove away in the Q7, all I could think of was that the security services would most probably now begin monitoring our business activities.
That night, Butt appeared on Newsnight and beat off all of Jeremy Paxman’s attacks. I suppose all who recruit for terror organisations are probably charm personified but Butt most definitely showed his utter brilliance of mind when put up against the media’s finest.
Butt’s strategy worked as he was subsequently invited by the then Minister of State for Security, Counter-terrorism, Crime and Policing, Tony McNulty, to advise them on how to stop young Muslims being “radicalised.” Butt, whom a government source described as having “understood the terrorist mindset perfectly,” had managed to get to the heart of the British government.
The next move of this man, who was arrested but released without charge on five counter-terrorism charges between 2002 and 2008, was to claim that Greater Manchester Police were harassing him. Many of his allegations, though, were illustrated to be pure fantasy in the transcripts of interviews held with them:
“I actually arranged myself to be stabbed in the shoulder, sorry in my arm and in my back because I knew if I said I had been attacked Shiv ([Malik] a freelance journalist and co-author of Butt’s autobiography, Leaving Al Qaeda: Inside The Life And Mind of A British Jihadist) was going to ask for some proof so basically I stabbed myself… you know it was just part of the whole scam.”
I do not know what has become of Butt now but the last reports of him I have been able to find were published in the Daily Mail in July 2009. Here, the paper reports that he “hurled an onslaught of race abuse at police” during an argument over where his Audi Q7 was parked. How odd that that vehicle, supposedly loaned by the BBC, had surfaced again but equally strange was that this educated man was accused of shouting such things as: “Do you like feeling Pakis up?” and calling police “Gestapo,” “bald dogs” and “members of the BNP.” This portrayal was most certainly at odds with the Butt that I met, but plainly he was the Jekyll and Hyde of Al Qaeda.
Whilst my encounter with the pseudo-terrorist Butt was almost certainly with a young man of fantasist tendencies, Abu Hamza truly is a preacher of hate and a force for evil. This hook-armed “terrorist facilitator with a global reach” claimed tens of thousands in benefits in Britain yet also incited others to blow up our citizens. He solicited murder and stirred up racial hatred yet happily ran up legal costs at this nation’s expense. As such, Abu Hamza’s downfall is very much welcomed and his deportation from the British Isles will be celebrated not just by Her Majesty the Queen but indeed by the whole nation.
Watch a Channel 4 News video clip featuring Hassan Butt at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t3uw2nZ7kY
-
No man is an island
The joys and pitfalls of island life
Living on a private island would, to many, seem like a dream. The prospect of being able to do what you want, when you want and without having to pander to rules and regulations indeed does sound appealing. Swapping the rat race and daily commute for white sandy beaches, crystal-clear waters and peace and tranquility would undoubtedly tempt huge numbers of us. Taking up the mantle of Robinson Crusoe certainly has it’s merits, but what are the perils of owning an island and what is currently available?
The Greek island of Patroklos On the leading website for the sale of islands, Private Islands Online, the most expensive undeveloped island on offer is the island of Patroklos in Greece. This relatively flat 643-acre undeveloped island boasts a “mild and pleasant” climate and 275-acres of cultivable land. It has about 150 goats and 5,050 olive trees and the agent suggests now is the perfect opportunity to exploit and develop tourism there. A price of £120 million is sought. So much for Greek austerity as whoever buys it will still have to shell out further to construct at least one residence.
The Frank Lloyd Wright inspired Massaro House on Petra Island An especially spectacular option, also available through Private Islands Online, is Petra Island, just 15 minutes by helicopter from New York City on Lake Mahopac. The island itself, which is said to have been for sale for a number of years, is 11 acres in size and is currently owned by Joseph Massaro, a sheet metal tycoon. The highlight here is a 1,200 square foot cottage designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and a 5,000 square foot residence, Massaro House, built to the same architect’s designs in 2008. Though the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation state of the latter: ““It’s not a Frank Lloyd Wright house, because it hasn’t been certified by the foundation,” this is a home that would certainly suit any James Bond villain. The agent declines to share the asking price, but it certainly at the higher end of the scale.
At a more modest price is Nautilus Island, off Brooksville in Maine. This 37-acre island was in the ownership of the same family for 130 years until 2004 and is named after the British war sloop “Nautilus,” that engaged the American vessel “Hazard” in battle in it’s waters during the American Revolutionary War.
An aerial view of the island of Nautilus 
The main residence on Nautilus Island 
The island of Nautilus’s boathouse now serves as a stylish private bar The island includes a renovated 6-bedroomed main house, a farmhouse and a guest cottage. It also boasts open fields, perennial and kitchen gardens and a seaside vineyard for wine production. There is a protected harbour with a pier and moorings and over one mile of rocky coastline with gravel and shell beaches. A price of approximately £4.9 million is sought prior to auction on the 18th October through John Saint-Amour of LandVest.
Returning to Europe, Knight Frank offer a 65-acre island off Ireland’s west coast named Inishturk Beg at a price of £2.85 million. Sitting in Clew Bay, County Mayo alongside 364 other islands, receivers of an Egyptian-Irish businessman named Nadim Sadek are trying to find a buyer for a property that includes a main 7-bedroom house, 4 smaller properties, various outbuildings and an AstroTurf sports pitch.
An aerial view of Inishturk Beg Island 
The main residence on Inishturk Beg, The Island House, comes complete with extensive leisure facilities Singing the praises of Insishturk Beg, Harriet Grant of Knight Frank comments:
“It is an easily accessible island and although it’s in the Atlantic it is very sheltered. And the island itself has plenty of natural shelter. It is an extraordinary development in which no expense has been spared. The electricity and water come straight from the mainland and it also has broadband access.”
British TV presenter Ben Fogle, who starred in the BBC reality show Castaway 2000, set on the Scottish island of Taransay, warned of the dangers of island ownership in an article in The Times recently when he commented: “A lot of people get seduced by the island dream without thinking of the realities.” Taransay came up for sale in 2011 and though Fogle put together a consortium that raised £1.5 million, he was beaten off by a landowner from the neighbouring island of Harris.
Television presenter Ben Fogle pictured on Taransay during the filming of the BBC’s “Castaway 2000” reality show The Barclay brothers, owners of amongst other things The Ritz and The Telegraph Group, have had their fair share of trouble since purchasing the sister island of Sark, Brecqhou, in 1993. They have rowed with Sark’s government over everything from inheritance law to property taxes and whether they should or should not be allowed to use motor vehicles. Their case illustrates the perils of upsetting the locals.
Issues such as electricity provision, sanitation, the delivery of food supplies and how one would cope with an emergency may seem more mundane but also must be considered by those purchasing an island. Sir Richard Branson found this to his cost when the 8-bedroomed Great House on his £60 million Necker Island in the Caribbean burnt to the ground in August 2011. If he’d been on the mainland, his residence would most probably have been saved.
The remains of The Great House on Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island On this morning’s Desert Island Discs, Hollywood actress Goldie Hawn requested that the luxury she would like to take would be lip-gloss. Presenter Kirsty Young said she could have two tonnes of the stuff. Frankly, in reality though, anyone buying into island life would have to have a lot more practical things higher up their lists.
For more information on Inishturk Beg Island, Westport, County Mayo, Ireland, go to: http://search.knightfrank.com/gwr120043
For more information on the islands of Patroklos, Greece and Petra, New York, go to: http://www.privateislandsonline.com
For more information on Nautilus Island, Brooksville, Maine, go to: http://nautilusisland.landvest.com
-
Hospitality’s game changers
Sixteen rising stars in hospitality in New York by Oliver Estreich
In the first of a series, we profile the up and coming achievers working in hospitality in New York:
Miranda Mancuso:
A lifelong New Yorker and graduate of the Brearley School, Miranda Mancuso’s interest in the hotel industry led her to the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. After graduation, she began her career with André Balazs Properties and is currently director of acquisitions and development. In that role, she focuses on finding and underwriting potential properties, helping to grow the company’s portfolio of boutique hotels. One recent project Mancuso was involved in was the acquisition of the Cooper Square Hotel, which is currently being transformed into the Standard East Village.
Bobby Rossi:
A New York native and Penn State graduate, Rossi has had a long history of brand building and hospitality development under his belt. Currently, Rossi owns and operates No.8 in which has quickly been recognised as an elite venue in New York City. Due to it’s rapid success, further outposts of the brand are being developed in Miami and Las Vegas with his partners, LDV Hospitality. In addition to his venues, Rossi is the principle of two other companies. One is Rossi Marketing Group, a leader in the strategic marketing field, and the other, Headlines & Heroes, an online men’s lifestyle guide that features products and services from an array of categories.
Brian Mazza:
Windsor Custom co-founder Brian Mazza developed an appreciation for the finest in menswear at an early age through his father, who instilled a love of fashion and understanding of quality, cut and design. A native New Yorker, he attended the University of Rhode Island where he majored in communications and dedicated a year to pursue his true passion and studied fashion and art in Florence, Italy at Lorenzo de Medici. When he returned to the States, Mazza accepted a position working in sales at Generra and also merchandised the collection for their top retailers. He subsequently began exploring the hospitality industry at The Paige Management Group where he quickly rose to director of hospitality and soon after became a partner at The Ainsworth and The Fulton, the group’s top-ranked venues. Windsor Custom combines Mazza’s expertise and love of the best in entertainment and dressing.
Christina Civetta:
Civetta started interning at PR Consulting where she had her first real opportunity to see some of the biggest NYFW shows and after-parties come together. It was this behind the scenes rush that sparked her interest. She states she has always have had a passionate love for fashion, art and music and that she loves that to to combine them organising events. Her favourite project was working on Mick Rock’s Exposed book tour, which she did with his manager and one of her close friends, Liz Vap of FeralCat Productions. She launched C2 Worldwide in 2010 with Cole Miller and feels she: “Hasn’t really looked back (or had time to!)” Her company works on partnerships for some of the most exclusive venues in Manhattan. She’s now expanding through the US and globally with brands and venue projects.
David Hart:
A chef who trained in London, David Hart has developed a wealth of diverse experience over the course of 18 years at the highest levels of the restaurant business. Having worked his way to the top in renowned companies, such as Soho House, Claridges Hotel and other well-known London restaurants, he adapted his talents and knowledge of the business to help launch various restaurants and bars in the UK.
In 2004, Hart started his own events company and quickly secured prestigious accounts for the BBC and MTV at both the Monaco Grand Prix and Cannes Film Festival. It was while managing events logistics on board the yacht Annaliesse at Cannes in 2005 that he worked with Richard O’Hagan and the two became firm friends. Hart moved to the US in 2006 to run his own chef training and restaurant consultancy service. As Desmond’s executive chef and operations director, his culinary creativity is matched with significant operational knowledge.
Michael Blum:
Michael Blum has been working in real estate for the better part of ten years. He began on the construction site of a private residence and then worked for several developers and investors including a DC-based company focusing on commercial real estate. After graduating college, he moved to Bombay to co-manage the acquisitions for Crescent Heights, a US-based condo developer/converter. He also spent almost a year between India and Vietnam on residential, commercial and hospitality deals.
In 2009, during his studies for his master’s in real estate development, he found a hotel in the Hamptons to use as his Capstone project for an artsy, boutique hotel. Simultaneously, he tried to acquire the hotel, only to lose out to a far more experienced Sean MacPherson.
After completing his master’s, Blum was hired by a Mexican investor and hotel company, Grupo Habita, to oversee the construction and opening of a boutique hotel in Chelsea, called Hotel Americano. The hotel is on West 27th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues. It has 56 rooms, 2 restaurants, and four bars. In addition to acting as a developer, Blum was also in charge of the pre-opening and became general manager, overseeing a team of over 100 employees. Hotel Americano was on Condé Nast’s 2012 Hot List, and won a James Beard Award for Best Restaurant Graphics.
Blum has recently left Hotel Americano to redevelop a hotel and retail project of his own at Texas A&M University.
Michael Stillman:
As the son of one of the country’s leading restaurateurs, Michael Stillman grew up with a unique vantage point on the inner workings of the industry. Michael learned from a young age how artful design, quality ingredients, and creative marketing all play a critical role in attracting and retaining a loyal clientele.
After graduating from Brown University with a double degree in modern and contemporary painting and African-American political theory, Stillman worked for the acclaimed Union Square Hospitality Group before learning the business of The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group from the ground up. After stints in the restaurants’ kitchens and purchasing departments, Stillman played a critical role in the opening of the Smith & Wollensky restaurants in Houston, Dallas, and Boston. During openings, Stillman participated in staff recruitment and training, menu development, and operations. He then led the creation and execution of every aspect of Quality Meats, Park Avenue, and the group’s newest project, The Hurricane Club.
When the proposed merger of The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group closed, Stillman became president of Fourth Wall Restaurants, a New York-based restaurant group that owns, manages, and develops unique restaurant concepts, including Park Avenue, Quality Meats, Maloney & Porcelli, The Post House, The Hurricane Club and Smith & Wollensky New York.
Dana Loia:
A native New Yorker and the creative force behind Dana’s Bakery. During her career as a photo editor, Loia achieved great success but felt something was missing. Pursuing her passion for baking, she enrolled in the pastry and baking program at New York’s Institute of Culinary Education, and graduated with honors.
A pastry advocate and longtime lover of macarons, Loia was surprised by the lack of variety in flavors available. She saw an opportunity to do something no one else was doing and created a line of French macarons that have an American twist.
With flavors like caramel popcorn, thin mint and S’mores to name a few, Dana’s Bakery has received an overwhelming response and is an instant hit among New Yorkers.
Dana’s Bakery is currently sold exclusively in New York City and will launch nationwide in August.
Brandon Freid:
A native New Yorker and graduate of the University of Miami, Brandon Freid joined the Impulsive Group in 2003 where he began his business career managing operations and assets for the Ameritania Hotel in New York City. Freid now oversees the operations and management of the complete Impulsive Group portfolio, which includes Impulsive Charters, which charters yachts around the world, the sophisticated four-star Ameritania Hotel located in Midtown’s Theater District; the Moroccan-themed Marrakech Hotel nestled in the Upper West Side and the award-winning Sanctuary Hotel, also located in the Theater District.
Freid’s mastery of business and finance is coupled with a solid grasp of architecture and design. He plays an instrumental role in the interior design and renovation work of all Impulsive Group properties. His most recent project was designing The Sanctuary Hotel’s new rooftop lounge and restaurant, Haven, which just opened this month.
Zachary Goldberg:
Zachary Goldberg was born and raised in Manhattan and entered the world of nightlife at a young age. He attended Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School for high school and continued his college education at Baruch where he graduated with a degree in corporate communications. Goldberg has worked in restaurants ever since he was 16 years old beginning as an assistant maitre’d at Town Restaurant and Blue Water Grill. His first nightlife gig was creating electronic dance music parties, before EDM was cool, at Marquee. When Lavo Nightclub premiered, Goldberg obtained then glamorous position of VIP host.
Vip Manchanda:
One successful restaurant will just be the start of it for Vip Manchanda, who is just getting his feet wet in New York City.
Manchanda worked in nightclubs, bars, and restaurants as a student at the George Washington University and after graduating in 2008 came to New York to pursue his career in finance. That year, he opened Brick NYC. After realising his true passion was in hospitality, he left his finance career in 2009 and has never looked back.
Apparently there are many more projects in the works, and Brick NYC just seems to be the launching pad for this successful restaurateur.
Brick NYC is a two-floor space located in Tribeca and serves modern Italian fare.
Nick Kenner:
Nick Kenner left his job in finance to go into the risky restaurant business with his pal Rob Crespi. Their idea for Just Salad came when they realized there weren’t enough quick, healthy lunch options near their offices in Midtown.
With the help and knowledge of a family friend, chef Laura Pensiero, who developed the menu and created 27 unique dressings, Just Salad opened its doors in 2006. A line of hungry young professionals gathered and Just Salad became a de facto singles scene. The lunch spot was such a hit that Kenner and Crespi were able to open another location only eight months later. Revenue is expected to top $3 million this year.
Nick Cohen:
It’s been said of DJ Nick Cohen: “I don’t know if he’s better known for his skills, the women he’s been with or the sneakers he’s created, but either way if DJing were movies, this kid would be the Australian version of a young Johnny Depp.”
Cohen’s skills are great, but his music selection is better. He is not afraid to play any song and has a knack for understanding what makes women dance. Recent coverage in W Magazine and the following of a really interesting crowd makes Cohen my choice for the next New York DJ to take the crown: “More importantly, whenever he is spinning, the party is very high end. Good energy is hard to bottle and Cohen has a supply for several lifetimes.”
Cohen lost his DJ virginity at Bungalow 8, New York City’s legendary playground for the international jet set. By the time he was old enough to drink legally, he was regularly featured in the many publications which chronicle the movements of the young and influential tastemakers who compose his loyal fan base, such as New York Magazine, Page Six, The Wall Street Journal, the Daily News, Gotham and Hamptons Magazine, to name a few.
Having sharpened his teeth at elite nightclubs and private parties in his native Manhattan and Southampton summer playground, Cohen has in recent years transcended his birthplace and taken the game on the road, headlining marquee gigs coast to coast and across the globe.
In fashion circles they say that you’ve got to know the rules before you can break them. This concept succinctly sums up Cohen’s iconoclastic boundary-breaking and genre-defying style. The hallmark of DJ genius is dropping the track nobody expected to hear and hearing a dull roar of enthusiasm bubble up from the crowd as the dance floor fills to capacity. Whether he’s bumping Nas at a white-tie wedding or throwing on Fleetwood Mac at a hip-hop industry gathering, DJ Nick Cohen keeps their heads ringing and their bodies moving.
His singular sonic signature has everyone from Paris Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld to real estate kingpin Aby Rosen, Stavros Niarchos, Vito Schnabel, Gwen Stefani, Larry Gagosian, Dasha Zhukova, Maria Sharapova and Shady Aftermath Records chief Stuart Parr asking for: “The Nick Cohen sound.”
Having fully earned his stripes through years of residencies at storied venues like Bungalow 8, Marquee, Avenue, 1Oak, Le Bain, Jet East, Pink Elephant, Cain and countless more, Cohen is now available strictly for private functions. In his spare time, he has recently developed, launched, and successfully sold high-end sneaker company Upper Echelon Shoes and is currently working on what promises to be New York’s most exciting new restaurant venture. Stay tuned.
Alexander Ott:
World-renowned master alchemist, published author, and explorer Alex Ott learned the life of a nomad from his globe-trotting mother and father, a nutritionist, architect and musician, respectively, who exposed young Ott to a vast array of adventures.
From playing with lions in Africa to exploring the Atlas Mountains, surfing with dolphins, and fighting off nature’s elements in the rainforest, Ott learned how to get the most out of life. His journeys provided him with the unique ability to experience the flavors of foreign lands and taste all the fruits of the earth.
Ott began his career in mixology at age fourteen and learned the tricks of the trade under the tutelage of Heiko Beck and Thomas Kothe, owners of one of Europe’s most creative cocktail bars. After getting his bachelor of science in organic chemistry and further cultivating his craft, Alex launched the exotic cocktail menu for the famed Buddha Bar in Paris. The process inspired Alex to delve deeper into the art and science of drink alchemy and to develop his unique approach to infusing fresh fruits, spices, and herbs into elixirs used to stimulate the mind and body.
For the next few years, Ott continued traveling and experiencing foreign cultures, tastes, and scents. After surviving a harrowing plane crash in Thailand in 1998 that killed 101 passengers, Ott had a renewed sense of dedication to all of the passions in his life, including art, surfing, film production, nature preservation, and flavor alchemy. Alexander Ott’s path led him to New York City, where he made a name for himself at the fusion eatery Sushi Samba where he was the first in Manhattan to use the famous muddle stick.
Acclaimed for his unconventional drink mixes, Ott landed roles as himself in the HBO series Sex and the City and earned titles such as “Mixologist of the Year” and “Best Mixologist in America” from national publications for many consecutive years. Since then, Ott has worked and consulted with scientists, flavor houses such as Givaudan, more than fifty major spirits brands, including Svedka Vodka, Gallo Wines and Möet Hennessy. He has created over 290 cocktail menus worldwide, and endless cocktails for high-end establishments and events such as the Oscars, produced Tom Ford fragrances, invented space travel beverages for NASA, and helped conjure the hangover prevention drink MERCY.
From over twenty years of experience in food and drink science, Alex has developed a one-of-a-kind approach to cocktails, now called elixirs and potions. In his upcoming book DR COCKTAIL 50 Spirited infusions for the Body and Mind he shares his knowledge of food science of botanicals, juices, herbs, and spices to awaken and stimulate the world to the effects and benefits of earth’s finest offerings.
Daniel Holzman:
Co-owner and executive chef of The Meatball Shop, Daniel Holzman started his cooking career at age 15 at Le Bernardin in New York City. Working after school and on weekends and holidays, Holzman remained there for 4 years until, at the suggestion of chef Eric Ripert, he attended the Culinary Institute of America with a full scholarship from the James Beard Foundation. Prior to graduation, Holzman accepted a position at the soon-to-open Paladin in New York City for chef Jean Louis Paladin, working alongside such culinary notables as Wylie Dufresne and Sam Mason.
Six months later Jean Louis Paladin asked Holzman if he would be willing to move to Las Vegas, NV, to fill a vacancy at his flagship restaurant Napa in the Rio Hotel. Accepting the offer, Holzman began what would ultimately become a 10-year culinary journey through some of Los Angeles, and San Francisco’s finest restaurants including The Campton Place, The Fifth Floor, Aqua and Jardinière.
In 2004, Holzman began his first management job as chef of the California organic bistro, Axe, in Venice, Los Angeles. After 1 year at Axe, Holzman was offered and accepted the position of executive chef at the Inn of the Seventh Ray, a 250-seat restaurant in the Topanga hills known for its romantic outdoor setting and lavish weddings. Holzman remained at the Inn until 2007 when he moved to San Francisco to open SPQR, a rustic Roman osteria, as co-owner and executive chef. Within 3 months of opening SPQR received 3½ out of 4 stars from Michael Bauer in The San Francisco Chronicle, a rating usually reserved for far fancier restaurants.
In 2008, Holzman and three partners founded KB Treats LLC, an ice cream novelty company. KB’s first product, QB’s (crispy rice and marshmallow treats filled with ice cream), were an immediate success and can be found in markets nationwide, including Whole Foods, Giant and Stop and Shop.
Michael Chernow:
Co-owner and general manager of The Meatball Shop, Michael Chernow began his professional restaurant career in 1996 behind the bar of the popular nightclub, Life, on Bleecker Street in New York City.
Learning from the ground up, Chernow quickly worked his way through the ranks becoming the youngest bartender on staff. After 2 years working at both Life in New York and its East Hampton sister club, The Tavern, Chernow signed on to open Woo Lae Oak on Mercer St. in New York City. In 2001, Chernow made the move to Los Angeles where he worked at Woo Lae Oak’s original location on La Cienega Blvd. Returning to New York, he opened Punch and Judy, a wine bar on Clinton Street. In 2002, Frank Prizanzano offered Chernow a position behind the bar of his eponymous flagship restaurant Frank on Second Avenue.
For 7 years, Chernow managed the bar at Frank where he had a large, loyal following. In 2007, Chernow enrolled in the French Culinary Institute (FCI), graduated with honors, and was awarded an associate’s degree in both culinary arts and restaurant management in 2008.
-
Leona Helmsley (1920 – 2007)
“The Queen of Mean” was a chain-smoking hotelier and real estate tycoon with a reputation for tyrannical behaviour. She took the view that “only the little people pay taxes” but was investigated and convicted of federal income tax evasion in 1989. Sentenced to 16 years, she served just 19 months in prison and 2 months under house arrest. Worth some $8 billion, Helmsley left her Maltese dog, Trouble, $12 million in trust.