The Premium Life

I have always had a passion for pizza.

I adore this simple, international, delicious food…a hot, cheesy, crisp-crust pizza, accompanied by a fresh mixed green salad and a cold, frosty beer rarely disappoint.

There are so many pizza styles – Neapolitan, New York Neapolitan, Chicago, Sicilian, Grandma, New Haven…and the list goes on and on.  Thickness, shape, preparation, ingredients and texture are all unique to the particular style – a veritable Shangri-la for “foodies” or the adventurous that are willing to explore the full spectrum.

Here are a few suggestions of pizza spots that I have recently had the pleasure to enjoy …I urge you to do some pizza exploration on your own and get back to me with your favorites…

Frank Pepe is my “go to” pit stop when traveling from New York to Boston.  The original joint located on 157 Wooster street (a mini Little Italy) in New Haven, has been a pizza Mecca since 1925. No frills necessary when you produce some of the best Napolitano pizza in the nation. Read more »

I usually wait a couple of months before authoring a review of a new restaurant or night club. I feel that this gives the owners and employees enough time get everything right. It also gives me a better opportunity to decide whether a new place is great after some of the hype has died down. It has been a few months since the opening of Griffin, the old PM space in the Meat Packing District. I have been there a few times now and I can say without hesitation, it is by far the coolest club in the area. The managing partners are Rachel Uchitel (Tao Vegas), Josh Kaiser (Pink Elephant), and Cain’s Hector Longoria.

The decor is much fancier and hipper than the old PM. It starts with a humongous chandelier in the middle of the main room which is a nice contrast to the blue velvet banquets that adorn the sides of the dance floow. The ceiling is a magnificent framed mirror and there is a great VIP baclony from which guests can watch all the action while not being disturbed.

The drinks  are designed and served by the experienced team at Milk & Honey . I highly recommend their Manhattan as well as some of their specialty mojitos. The place itself has a much more opulent feel than in the past and the crowd is your typical good looking crowd that tends to frequent the area. We were able to secure a great table in the middle of the main room that came with your standard bottle service requirement. Read more »

I have been vacationing on Cape Cod as long as I can remember but a true dining tradition started when my parents built a home in Falmouth a few miles down the road from the quintessential dockside restaurant: The Chart Room.

This will be the 10^th summer that we have had a Friday night standing reservation…this is not unusual for locals to reserve their table for the entire season. Located in Kingman Yacht Center, the rustic shingled eatery that once was a barged railroad (with an attached covered patio) is surrounded by hundreds of boats of all sizes and standards. Driving through the large parking lot leads to you the surreal Red Brook Harbor…where sunsets rank supreme.

The wait can be long but patrons stay calm with cocktails served waters edge at the outdoor tables. The crowd is a mix of locals, tourists, salty dogs and the posh boat scene.

Although the food is as fresh as the scent of the ocean air, the Chart Room is anything but fancy. Paper table clothes with the map of Cape Cod cover the tattered wooden tables and the menus mimic an old fashion luncheonette. The cuisine is simple but high quality. Focused on seafood and fish there are of course a number of dishes for the carnivore.  A heaping plate of steamers, Haddock fish chowder, and the stuffed Quahog are some of the appetizer favorites.  The Swordfish with anchovy sauce is delicious…the grill marks add a nice flavor that compliments the salty and citrus taste of the sauce. Personally, I like to stick to the classic boiled lobster needing nothing but the basic melted butter and lemon wedges.

Along with the sunset views and refreshing cocktails, the Chart Room provides value. All entrees are served with a house salad, warm rolls, a baked potato (in foil) and the nightly veggie (often sautéed string beans and butternut squash).

When your reservation is finally called and you enter into the bar area the energy hits you. The conversations and buzz are constant and sometimes even slightly too loud on the weekends but the food and view is worth the noise. The Oreo cookie cake with warm hot fudge and whipped cream is a perfect ending to a summer meal.

Many people enjoy dining at lunchtime, feasting on the lobster roll served on Portuguese crispy bread and the juicy broiled burgers. The bar remains busy until closing especially with boaters who need only to stumble 20 yards to their docked vessels. Another charming characteristic about the Chart Room is the Piano bar, set in the middle of the main dining room. The local singers perform jazz and cabaret classics throughout the weekend nights and randomly a diner will be brave enough to get up and join in.

The owner clearly wants to keep the experience of the restaurant set around the summer and fall season as it is only open from Mid May to Mid October. So all of us loyal visitors treasure our final sunset over the harbor and last bite of New England caught lobster to only hibernate until the next summer season at the famous Chart Room.

For more information and reservations please call the Chart Room at (508) 563 5350. And to help plan your next experience feel free to visit the Premium team at www.premiumlg.com.

Eat well!

After spending all of my July 4th’s in the Hamptons, this would be my first one on the west coast. I was not sure what to expect. I was lucky enough to be invited to the SoBe Lifewater July 4th day pool party at the brand new Shangri-La hotel in Santa Monica (Just opened 2 weeks ago). The SoBe Lifewater 4th of July Party was sponsored by Belvedere Vodka and hosted by Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Rashida Jones. This turned out to be one of the best July 4th parties I have been too. Besides the weather being perfect, the hotel was amazing, their food was terrific , a fun crowd, and a great setting.

The Shangri La Hotel just completed a $30 million makeover. Originally built in 1939, the hotel still features its art deco past and old Hollywood glamour. The hotel features a swanky rooftop bar, gourmet restaurant, and great rooms. All feature eco-friendly elements like compact lighting, organic cleansers for housekeeping , bath amenities from Natura Green. The Dining Room at Shangri-La is not to be missed also. Try the deconstructed Cobb salad and the burger–you won’t be sorry.

The Shangri-La is perfect for your next corporate getaway or event. With 71 newly renovated rooms, the hotel is perfect for a corporate takeover. Premium Lifestyle Group can assist with planning poolside bbq’s, team building activities, a rooftop party, and more.

For more information visit or email Premium Lifestyle Group.

One of my favorite restaurants in New York City is Dell’Anima, a tiny jewel of a restaurant located in the West Village. I often take clients and friends there who have never heard of the restaurant and invariably, the reaction is always the same, “Wow! what an amazing place. How come I have never heard of it?” That is part of the charm and uniqueness of Dell’Anima, it is very well known among foodies in New York City but not so much amongst regular New Yorkers and those coming in from New Jersey or Long Island.

I had the fortune of meeting Joe Campanale, Dell’Anima’s Beverage Director and Partner and the former Sommelier at Babbo, about a month after its opening. I instantly became good friends with Joe and I continue to be amazed with his extensive knowledge and taste for wine. In fact, whenever Joe is in, I always insist that he choose the wines and pairs them with my dinner. I am an unabashed fan of Dell’Anima but despite my relationship with Joe, the size of the restaurant always made it difficult to secure Friday and Saturday night reservations for our clients.

I was therefore very happy when Joe informed me late last year that he and his partner, Chef Gabriel Thompson, were opening a new restaurant also in the West Village. L’Artusi opened its doors in late 2008 and  I made it a point to be one of the first visitors to the new place. It is located on 10th Street (between Bleecker street and Hudson street) and it is a much larger restaurant than Dell’Anima. The restaurant seats 110 guests, features two floors of comfortable banquette seating, extended traditional bar, cheese bar and a chef’s counter over-looking the open kitchen. It also has a 2500 bottle walk-in wine cellar where you can host a private dinner.

I was very interested to see how the food would compare to the food at Dell’Anima. I was more than pleasantly surprised. We began by ordering the scallops with sea salt, olive oil and lemon and the grilled endive with pecorino cheese and citrus. Both appetizers where delicious, especially the scallops which were prepared in a very special way.

We then sampled the tagliatelle bolognese blanco, I am a huge fan of the tagliatelle bolognese at Dell’Anima, and the tajarin with hen of the woods mushrooms and asparagus. I was blown away once again by the freshness of the al dente tagliatelle. It is without a doubt one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had in my life. Joe has joked with me on occassion that many of his customers refer to the tagliatelle as edible crack, It is that addictive!

We then moved on to the main course and ordered the grilled octopus with potatoes, chillies, olives and pancetta and the hanger steak with crispy potatoes and salsa bianco. Both dishes were spectacular and the grilled octopus was cooked to perfection. As always Joe recommended some fantastic wines to pair with our meal that resulted in a truly memorable culinary experience.

The ambiance at L’Artusi is also fantastic. Even though it is a much larger restaurant than Dell’Anima, you still get the feel of a nice cozy restaurant with a wonderful crowd and service that makes you feel like family. Joe and Gabriel have done it again and I now have two great restaurants to choose from when I am looking to satisfy my craving for real, down to earth, sumptuous Italian food.

As always, if you need help in planning your next memorable experience, contact us at www.premiumlg.com.

Salute!