BlackBook

On Wall Street there is a new chef in town: Josh Capone, who has come from the East Coast to take over the kitchen at The Exchange. Haven’t heard of this restaurant? Formerly known as SHO Shaun Hergatt, the name naturally had to be amended with the regime change. The décor remains the same, but the menu has changed to reflect what Capone calls “San Francisco sensibilities.” Meaning: you will find their dinner prix fixe to consist of local and season ingredients like their current dishes including beet salad, butter roasted hake with artichoke and caramelized veggies, and chicken on the bone in a roasted garlic broth. I caught up with Capone to find out what he was bringing to The Exchange and to finally learn, what do bankers eat?

The storied New Orleans venue named after the legendary band (turning 50 this year) has made the 2,200-mile haul to Northern California, setting up its first satellite in Mission District: Preservation Hall West at the Chapel.

Whether you love it, hate it, or just get off on it, there's no denying Fifty Shades of Grey is an S&M-ridden force of nature. Guys are reading it, libidos are reawakening, and the sale of rope at hardware stores has significantly increased. 

Was it really a decade and a half ago? Indeed, Richard Sandoval's pioneering nouveau Mexican restaurant Maya has been at it for fifteen years on New York's Upper East Side. Now it gets an anniversary present: Tequileria Maya, a new tequila bar and lounge next door with a whopping one-hundred-plus agave bases spirits and thirty-plus house-infused tequilas.

Arnaud Frisch's Parisian nightlife empire expands with Wanderlust, the spectacular new conceptual space along the Seine. Boasting the largest terrace in the City of Light (1600 square meters!) the rather revolutionary Jakob + Macfarlane designed (with visuals by Ghost World author Daniel Clowes) Wanderlust also flaunts an open-air cinema, restaurant, and club.

3rd Street Station (West Hollywood) - Old-world styling meets modern simplicity at this European bistro.

Za' atar (West Village) - A hidden gem serving the West Village's freshest and most affordable Middle Eastern food. Go now, before lines form.

Joanne Trattoria (Upper West Side) - Opening tonight! Lady GaGa's parents spawn an Italian restaurant, aiming for a "low-key" atmosphere. Good luck.