Australian restaurateur Danae Cappelletto opened New York eatery Travertine early last year, an arduous process she once described as “a gladiator sport.” But Cappalletto slew the tiger, and now she has her very own modern, sleek, candlelit Mediterranean restaurant in a building that housed the popular mafia hangout Little Charlie’s Clam Bar until it shuttered in 2007. Once she settled on the space in Manhattan’s NoLita, she’s been collecting accolades for her award-winning investment ever since. The granddaughter of famed Australian chef Giuseppe R. Cappelletto, is finally making a name for herself.

Alan Linn created a home for the art world by hand picking every piece inside Norwood, his West Village private members-only club. An artist himself, Linn got his B.A. and M.A. at Royal College of Art in London and started his career working at local bars, but fell in love with New York. Lucky for him, a group of New Yorkers have since fallen in love with Norwood. Once a month, Linn selects random members to sit for dinner and hopes that Norwood's legacy will be the projects that are inspired there. Everything from movie screenings to band performances occur under Norwood's roof and spontaneous jam sessions take place regularly. (You might also be surprised to see which rock star comes in to play the piano every now and then). A chat with Linn after the jump.

Jean Adamson and Sam Buffa met while both were working at Freemans. Their relationship gave way to sharing a love of the food and aesthetic that formed Vinegar Hill House. Sam is also partners with Taavo Somer in the FSC Barbershop. Six months into their Brooklyn venture, the Vinegar Hill House team found Brian Leth, the chef de cuisine since April, formerly of Prune and Allen & Delancey. Leth excites patron with his locally sourced menu with ethnic flairs.

While many music fans know Del Marquis mainly as the power pop guitarist for the band Scissor Sisters, Marquis has been showcasing a deeper artistic approach in his recent solo work. Marquis’ newest project is a large scale release including three separate albums that dropped over the past six months starting with HotHouse, then Character Assassination, followed by Litter to Society and the final culmination Runaround (released tomorrow, September 22nd). The release is not just music minded, the entire four album set is meant to be viewed as one piece; a fully integrated multi-media project featuring music, short form video, and long form “intersode” videos such as The Third Rail. Promising to entertain fans of filmmakers like Fritz Lang, The Third Rail combines themes of oppression and a dystopian vision of the future with an abstract sci-fi feel. Here, Del takes our Pop Quiz.

The dissonance you feel in your gut when you pair “Pirate” and “Love” couldn’t be more perfect. Sprinkle in a glob of garage-surf-punk blanketed with the sharpest of black atmospherics, and you have yourself Norway’s very own Pirate Love. After coming off a huge European tour with Serena Maneesh, the band made a mid-June stop off in Toronto for North By Northeast, before switching gears and making a thunderous maiden trip to NYC for shows in support of their just album, Black Voudoun Space Blues. I was able to catch them at their summer Piano’s show where they pounded out psyche-punk tunes, coming across as a cross between Brian Jonestown Massacre and Turbo Negro. Obviously influenced by their visit to America, the lead singer, David Dajani, appeared on stage in a cowboy hat and daisy dukes. Check out his answers to our Pop Quiz after the jump.

Tommy Saleh, creative director for New York's Soho Grand and Tribeca Grand hotels, is the mellow curator of coolness who's been keeping both downtown institutions grand since they opened in 1996 and 2000, respectively. With a keen eye for talent, the soft-spoken, Egyptian-born Saleh consistently hosts the most groundbreaking musicians, artists, and scene-making cultural figures at his twin lairs. If you run into Saleh at a party in New York or LA or Istanbul or Marrakesh or London -- you know you're in the right place.

Dagny Mendelsohn is the front woman representing the 11 total owners at Macao Trading Company. She hails from the other serious foodie city, San Francisco, once she set foot in New York, she learned the heart of the restaurant business from one of the best, Keith McNally. She embraced the underground hipster scene from being part of APT, as well as gaining an education from the fashionistas (a.k.a. Richie Rich). At Macau, she brings it all together under one roof with dinners for people like Perry Farrell, Mick Rock and Morimoto.

Albert Trummer is the Austrian bar chef and brains behind Chinatown operation Apothéke. With business-minded partner Heather Tierney, Trummer serves his liquid medicine from behind the bar to an eager clientele night after night at the booming corner spot on Doyers Street. While growing up in his family's restaurant in Austria, Trummer learned his way around the bar and turned his father's private club into a booming hotspot at the age of 15. He's since worked for the likes of David Bouley, the Chambers Hotel, Home Bar on Shelter Island, and 60 Thompson. The master mixologist speaks about who does nightlife best, the apothecary premise and his plans for the future. And for a special video clip, he even mixes up his famous flaming inferno beverage for BlackBook's Cayte Grieve and Eiseley Tauginas.

Sandra Ardito heads sales, marketing and special events for KO Hospitality Management (Cooper Square Hotel, Empire Hotel, Hotel on Rivington, and Chelsea Hotel in Atlantic City). We met the hospitality connoisseur at the Cooper Square Hotel to get the scoop on the Hamptons Memorial Day hotspot, the Reform Club Inn (suites and private cottages in Amagansett), working for Ian Schrager, and why we should stay at Cooper Square (besides the fact that it's the location of the Bjork's afterparty tonight).

What happens when three young brothers from Winnipeg bust into dad's basement album stash and co-opt his precious vinyls of London Calling, Who's Next, and Get Yer Ya-Ya¹s Out? You have Inward Eye, a classic power-pop trio following up opening two tours for The Who with the release of their debut EP and a live assault on the USA. Drawing on influences from The Jam and The Clash to their new pals and tourmates Townshend & Daltrey, and hailed by critics as "the next big thing," the Brothers Erickson -- Dave (vocals/bass), Kyle (guitar/vocals), and Anders (drums) -- are finishing up their first full-length set for release on RCA later in the year. Last week, via Eric Ervin Presents, they played at Fontana's with the Littl'ans, from the UK, and local band the Reckless Sons. Who knew that Winnipeg had three strappingly handsome six-foot dyanmos who would dazzle the world with their music and raucous stage presence, not their hunting and hockey skills? See the proof in our Pop Quiz.