Innholdsfortegnelse for 12/11-12/24/17 i New York Magazine

Ikebana (pronounced eek-eh-ba-na), for those unfamiliar, is the Japanese art of arranging flowers—a centuries-old discipline featuring spare, off-center compositions of local and seasonal foliage, positioned to emphasize form, line, and color, with plants chosen carefully for their symbolism. It’s a practice with new adherents. Brittany Asch, of Brrch florist, designs the dramatic ikebana-like arrangements found in the stores of cult style and beauty brands like Mansur Gavriel and Glossier. Broccoli magazine’s debut issue featured a delicate ikebana arrangement of marijuana leaves on its cover. Which brings us to the movement we’ve dubbed “freakebana,” rife with materials foraged from the corner deli as opposed to a Kyoto garden. While a subset of ikebana called morimono has long included the use of fruits and any part of the plant an artist likes,…

Where my dull-bladed Brookstone would leave jagged edges, the Green Bell ($12, amazon.com) slices through nails like a santoku through a tomato. Makes sense, given that they were made in Seki, the city famed throughout Japan for creating samurai swords. —JASON CHEN Kai’s Type 001 clippers ($7, amazon.com) look so elegant it is nearly impossible to believe they are nail clippers—arguably the lowliest of grooming tools—but they are, which makes them modest and approachable. Elegance and humility. —BRENNAN KILBANE…

Unlike every other stain I’ve ever tried the Wet n Wild MegaSlicks Lip Balm Stain ($4, jet.com) doesn’t make my lips hurt or settle into the tiny cracks in their perimeter, in a way that makes me look old and crazy. —EMILY GOULD I bought this cranberry-colored Face Stockholm lipstick ($22, facestockholm.com) specifically because it reminded me of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. Then, years later, I read a blog post that “proved” CBK was, indeed, a Cranberry Veil fanatic! I’ve never been so impressed with myself. —ALICE GREGORY…

It’s not that I implicitly trust makeup artists. But this makeup artist had the most luminous skin I’d ever seen. When I asked her what her secret was, she responded, “Camellia oil and a little Skin Food around the eyes.” She pulled out a lime-green tube of Skin Food ($19, dermstore.com), and it looked like a mistake. The cream was thick, balmlike, and billed as a treatment for excessively dry or rough skin. I’m going to look like a flashbulb, I thought, just before she handed me a mirror. But no: My skin was flawless and not at all greasy. Weleda Skin Food is an all-purpose, natural moisturizer that I now keep in threes: bedside, car, and purse. And while I don’t prime my face with it, it has replaced…

1200S Knights wear “surcoats,” likely made of linen and often emblazoned with their personal arms, over armor to protect themselves from rain and snow. The coats have slits in the front and back to allow the wearer to ride comfortably. 1779 To cope with Canada’s cold winters, fur traders make coats called capotes from wool blankets—which are easier to sew than bison skins. In turn, Hudson’s Bay makes the first Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket. 1887  John Partridge, inspired by Polish military frock coats, makes Britain’s first duffel coat, bringing toggles to the masses. 1912 Two parties claim to invent the trench: Burberry, which patents the trench-esque Tielocken in 1912, and Aquascutum, which makes a similar coat for the British military. 1940  Eddie Bauer invents the Skyliner, the first quilted down…

The Ultralight Japanese Option F/CE’s N3B Type A ($1,190, westerlindoutdoor.com) THE HOOD Detachable and lined in down. THE SHELL Made from Pliantex, a 100 percent polyester fabric designed to be both stretchy and breathable, by a small Japanese textile company called Daiichi Orimono. According to textile scientist Dr. Krishna Parachuru, the trick is combining crimped yarn with straight yarn. “The curled yarn will allow it to stretch; the untextured yarn will help to pull back its shape, without allowing air between its fibers.” THE DOWN F/CE uses white duck down from Nanga, which makes sleeping bags. “Every down feather is hand-picked from ethical down from Europe,” says the company’s Shannon Watson. “This one is 760 fill.” THE ZIPPER “You know Ziploc bags?” Watson asks. “This is a more heavy-duty version…

“This DVF faux fur gets a lot of attention. Once someone messaged me on a dating app and said, ‘I think I saw you on the L train with a cool coat on.’ ” —Torraine Futurum, model “This fuzzy 1970s coat has Andy Warhol’s Marilyn print all over it. It’s Betsey Johnson in her heyday, a coat that stops traffic.” —Barbara Flood, 85-year-old stylist “My style is a Carrie with a Miranda rising. So I love this Shrimps coat, which comes with the broaches.” —Lauren Garroni, runs @everyoutfitonsatc…

Ugly Baby, a new Thai restaurant in Carroll Gardens, has quickly gained a reputation among the chile-pepper cognoscenti for serving food that is off-the-Scoville-charts hot. But not every dish on the menu is designed to blow the top of your head off. Take, for instance, this deep-fried whole sea bream, a traditional southern-Thai dish, which forgoes chile heat in favor of a barrage of roughly ground turmeric, garlic, and black and white pepper. It’s suffused with spicy flavor if not spicy hot, yet has that certain compulsively edible quality about it that great Thai dishes have—the one that makes the evil food-science technicians who engineer snack foods to be addictive look like amateurs. On the menu at Ugly Baby; $20; 407 Smith St., nr. 4th St., Carroll Gardens; 347-689-3075 Whole…

RESTAURATEUR-SOMMELIER Joe Campanale and chef Erin Shambura, both late of L’Artusi, had been searching earlier this year for the perfect Brooklyn location to open their own place. Then came the call from Francine Stephens, with the shocker that she and her husband, Andrew Feinberg, would be closing local landmark Franny’s, and did they want the space? Being longtime Franny’s regulars and fans, they did, to put it mildly. And after hiring Home Studios to redesign the premises with Venetian-plastered walls, a travertine-and-marble bar, and terrazzo-inlaid tables, they have transformed it into Fausto, a restaurant that celebrates (mostly) Italian wine and regional Italian food made with local, seasonal ingredients. If that sounds familiar, bear in mind there’s no pizza; instead, Shambura has put the wood-burning ovens to use for entrées like…

LEXANDER PAYNE makes movies that are big for A their size, somehow both wildly eventful and perfectly pedestrian. You could describe the autumn he’s just had in much the same way. Between the completion and the release of Downsizing, his most ambitious and expensive film to date, the 56-year-old director spent three months in the town of Aigio, population 26,523, living with his young Greek wife and gregarious in-laws and watching the birth of his first child. A third-generation Greek-American from Omaha, Nebraska (where many of his movies are set), Payne likes to call Aigio the Omaha of Greece. I met him there on October 28, also known as Ohi Day. All of Aigio’s students, dressed in formal blue and white, marched clumsily down Mitropoleos Street as a stern woman…

Jacob Oresky and his firm have obtained settlements and verdicts that have earned them a place in the New York Law Journal’s annual “Top Settlements & Verdicts” section for each of the past seven years. Oresky & Associates have obtained over $250 Million in settlements and verdicts in accident cases for their clients. Of this success, Oresky states, “Our firm’s number one priority is to provide outstanding representation to each client. This includes sparing no expense to investigate and champion our clients’ rights. We establish a strong relationship with each client from the very beginning to help them through the difficult time following an accident.” From the moment Oresky is retained as counsel, he and his team of lawyers work to ensure clients receive maximum compensation for their injuries along…

In 2008, Jason Paris and Ian Chaikin merged their individual practices to create a firm that would serve as a highly effective partner for accident victims seeking justice. Since then, the firm, Paris & Chaikin, has quickly grown to where it is now one of New York’s premier personal injury law firms—one that is relied on by other lawyers, who often call upon Paris and Chaikin to litigate matters for them. “We are a firm with powerful resources” says Chaikin, who is licensed in the states of New York, New Jersey, and Florida, and who is fluent in English, Spanish, and Hebrew. “From the moment our firm is retained on a case, we give it our undivided attention while working with the top experts, specialists, and investigators to prepare for…

At Cohen & Fitch LLP our firm is dedicated to protecting individuals against the abuse of power. We recognize that litigation is often complex and lengthy, and that the system can be stifling to citizens of every race and economic background. Our mission is to empower our clients to achieve justice and fight back against those abuses no matter how difficult the task may seem. Our lawyers have the knowledge and fortitude to equalize the playing field and will not hesitate to take your case to trial to ensure that you get the results you deserve. This is why our firm is committed to handling every case and client with the same care, attention and determination needed to obtain the best possible outcome. Cohen & Fitch LLP The Woolworth Building…

Stowell & Friedman, Ltd. has developed a national reputation for its dedication to defending employees’ civil rights, and recovered over $850,000,000 in damages for its clients. Recognized by Leaders in Law for its 2017 Million Dollar Settlement, a $32,500,000 class action settlement representing a class of African American employees of Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. Shona B. Glink resides in New York City, and a partner at Stowell & Friedman, Ltd. since 2012, during which time she served as counsel on several high-profile class and plaintiff cases. She successfully represented victims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in court and arbitration, including cases that resulted in multimillion dollar verdicts. Stowell & Friedman, Ltd. 303 W. Madison, Suite 2600 Chicago, IL 60606 Chicago office: 312.431.0888 New York office: 212.496.5690 sglink@sfltd.com www.stowellfriedman.com…

John J. Ciafone, Esq., an Attorney practicing in New York, New Jersey and Washington D.C. for over 20 years and is admitted to the United States Supreme Court, is a Trial Attorney to the Profession and has argued numerous appeals to the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court. Ciafone’s main area of practice is Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice and Product Liability cases and has tried numerous Criminal Cases. Ciafone has tried and settled millions of dollars in Personal Injury Actions and has had some high profile cases appearing on Fox 5 news, Channel 7 news, Channel 4 news, Channel 2 news and New York 1 news in addition to radio and newspaper interviews in the Daily News, Newsday, New York Post and local newspapers. Ciafone ran for…

1 Jen Gann documented her heartbreak at learning that her son, Dudley, has cystic fibrosis—and at the painful realization that to win a “wrongful birth” lawsuit to help pay for his medical care, she would have to argue that he should never have been born (“Every Parent Wants to Protect Their Child. I Never Got the Chance,” November 27–December 10). @Alirosa tweeted, “I haven’t found a more honest account of motherhood or disease,” and Deadspin’s Lindsey Adler described it as a “masterpiece of compassion and conviction.” The story elicited an outpouring of responses from members of the CF community. Rebecca Mueller of Philadelphia wrote, “As a 36-year-old with cystic fibrosis who also happens to be a genetic counselor by training, I am deeply sorry that Gann and her husband were…

Horny R&B, like the rest of us, just isn’t as horny in this political climate. MIGUEL, THE petite singer who makes electro-R&B with the sexual potency of a hundred dozen oysters, stands contemplatively in front of an art exhibition titled “White Man on a Pedestal.” He is on the vast main floor of Red Hook’s Pioneer Works, a converted Civil War–era factory building turned incubator–performance space–art gallery–scene epicenter. His hands are in the front pouch of his pink hoodie, his eyes squinting in focus as he carefully reads line after line of the exhibition’s explanatory copy, trying his best to fully absorb how white male heteronormativity has damaged our society. Miguel, born Miguel Jontel Pimentel, is here to learn. Well, technically, the 32-year-old is here to give a private tour…

THIS RIDICULOUS GEL mold beloved by writer Lauren Levy is one of many extraordinary, strange, and otherwise incomparable objects featured on thestrategist.com. Levy dutifully wears these YogaToes ($37, amazon .com) for fear of developing her grandmother’s bunions: “They’re like a gel ladder,” she writes, “with just-thick-enough rungs that sit between each toe to stretch them outward from each other while also pulling them up away from the balls of your feet.” As for whether such stretching can slow the progression of hammertoes, the science is unclear. “But they’re adored by ballerinas in the Washington Ballet, the former trainer of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Sia. And I got all the positive reinforcement I needed this summer when I was sitting by the pool with my mother and she told me…

Recently, I began an investigation: What was the best turtleneck on the market? I surveyed friends and acquaintances and people I must have met once—meaning, I asked Facebook. It was my friend Charles’s suggestion, “I mean Lands’ End if you’re buying in bulk/many colors,” that swayed me most. Kaitlin continued to build the case: “The necks are especially high, and last week I got one in the exact same orange as Jane Fonda’s in Barefoot in the Park.” This reference to a critical cinematic turtleneck left me hot around the collar. They were both talking about the layering turtleneck from Lands’ End ($26, landsend.com)—a cotton, rayon, and spandex soufflé. Most important, it is not itchy—a nonnegotiable quality that if disrespected will strangle you. It is tight, but not too tight;…

The first step in solving any problem is admitting there is one. So here goes: You have back hair. And when I say “you,” I mean me. It cropped up in my 20s, like a pernicious advancing force—initially on the chest before clearing the clavicle, summiting at the shoulders, and “All right, boys, now down the other side.” My cross to bear: looking like an actual bear. I’ve tried smelly depilatories and professional waxes, but even the most delicate “sugaring” techniques led to bright-red rashes that subsided just as the stubble returned. Shaving is the only option, but here’s the thing about shaving your own back—you either have to be a double-jointed medical oddity or have someone who loves you enough to do it for you. Even my wife says…

What’s in your bag? A yellow sweatshirt—it’s from Nick & Son, the same store on Orchard Street where I got the red one that I’m wearing. I always like to match. If I’m going to wear yellow, I’ll wear all yellow. What are you studying? I go to Gallatin, and my concentration is centered around behavior and deviance in society, but I am interning at Douglas Elliman. I love looking at apartments—I go on StreetEasy all the time just for no other reason than the fact that I find it completely entertaining. I knew I wanted to go into real estate after watching Million Dollar Listing. I think it just seems so glamorous. I want to be the city’s next top real-estate broker. That’s quite a claim! I just watched…

The Coat That Doesn’t Exist One that half-unzips and rests on your hips (so you can easily take your arms out and catch a breather if you find yourself overheating on the subway). A Designer’s Solution We turned to conceptual designer Mary Ping of Slow and Steady Wins the Race, who sketched out a compromise. “It’s basically two coats, a zip-up motorcycle jacket up top and a buttoned trench coat below that’s segmented a little above the waist so when you unzip the top, the sleeves don’t drag on the ground. I thought this could also work at department stores when you are likely to overheat, or at museums when you don’t want to wait in line for the coat check.”…

FOR MEN Alpine Escape 550 Turbodown Parka  $299 at columbia.com “This uses metallic microdots to reflect heat back to the wearer, like those marathon blankets.” —FREDERICK REIMERS, JACKET REVIEWER, outside MAGAZINE Electron Jacket  $325 at rab.equipment “I’ve worn this walking the dog in single digits in Santa Fe and never felt cold. It also packs into a sack the size of a football.” —WILL EGENSTEINER, GEAR EDITOR, outside FOR WOMEN Cold Forge Down Hoodie  $299 at blackdiamondequipment.com “It’s ‘helmet compatible,’ which means it can fit over ponytails. It’s warmer than the other lightweight puffers I own.” —REILY K., OUTWARD BOUND INSTRUCTOR Nuuk Parka  $500 at fjallraven.us “This uses a non-down microloft that’s really good at trapping heat, and it has a polyurethane membrane that’s excellent at resisting moisture.” —SARAH SAVALA,…

MEDITERRANEANDIET DESSERT K + M Extravirgin Chocolate “Winter Spice” This seasonal addition to Thomas Keller and olive-oil maestro Armando Manni’s bean-to-bar line infuses not only Manni’s Tuscan gold but cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and orange oil into Ecuadoran milk chocolate ($15 at the Meadow, 523 Hudson St.). MIDDLE EASTERN CRUNCH Kreuther Handcrafted Chocolate’s Halvah Bar Texture is the key to this triple-layered treat of housemade halvah sandwiched between rich pistachio ganache and crumbly sablé Breton ($6; 43 W. 42nd St.). THE CINEPHILE SNACK Obsessive Chocolate Disorder’s Caramelized Popcorn Bar Chocolatier Sebastian Brecht’s swervy, lumpy slab is perfect for anyone whose movie move is to dump a box of M&Ms over a bucket of popcorn ($11; 63 E. 4th St.). THE CHAMPAGNE OF CHOCOLATE Gotham Chocolates’ Banana Milk Chocolate The…

IN THE BUDDY comedy Father Figures (previous title: Bastards), Ed Helms and Owen Wilson star as brothers who set off on a road trip to find their real father. So we asked Helms and Wilson to compile the perfect road-trip playlist from a few recent-favorite songs. INTERVIEW BY STACEY WILSON HUNT “Subterranean Homesick Blues” BY THE LUMINEERS FEAT. ANDREW BIRD (SELECTED BY HELMS) HELMS:The DNA of this song is just so rich, and it gets a little reinvention with some fresh voices. It’s definitely more Lumineers-y, and then Andrew Bird is just … I saw this really cool secret concert he did a few weeks ago at a guitar store. It was him, Blake Mills, and a few others. He is so transcendent. He’s a magician. “Precious Angel” BY BOB…

New York City Ballet David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center Through December 31 Towering trees, onstage blizzards, and pretty ballerinas. George Balanchine’s choreography, introduced in 1954: The one that set (and continues to set) the standard. New York Theatre Ballet Florence Gould Hall, 55 East 59th Street December 15 through 17 This kid-friendly one-hour version showcases the work of longtime choreographer Keith Michael and costumes from the team at the Metropolitan Opera. The Hip-Hop Nutcracker United Palace, 4140 Broadway December 14 It’s the third tour of this restyling brought to you by rap pioneer Kurtis Blow, packed with hip-hop movement and electronic beats. Company XIV: Nutcracker Rouge Théâtre XIV; 383 Troutman Street, through January 14 Everyone’s mischievous in this burlesque take on Tchaikovsky’s fanciful ballet, with…

Leaders In The Law is proud to present its annual New York’s Leading Personal Injury Lawyers section in New York magazine. “Personal injury is any damage or wrong done to a person, his or her property or reputation.” Injuries can happen at work, in a traffic accident, because of faulty products or services, mistakes in medical service… the list is long. If you’ve experienced any of these wrongs you know what it’s like, most times the deck is stacked against you. If you believe that you or a loved one has been harmed and are contemplating legal action, you need to consult an experienced attorney. Those who live in the greater metropolitan and tri-state area are fortunate to have access to many of New York’s most experienced personal injury lawyers,…

Gassler & O’Rourke, P.C. has focused exclusively on representing accident/injury victims with 40 years of combined legal experience. We have handled thousands of cases including catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, construction, motor vehicle, trip and fall and others. Partner, Charles Gassler was recently included in Lawyers of Distinction top ten percent of lawyers in the USA and Professional Network, top five percent of lawyers in the USA. At Gassler & O’Rourke, we understand how an unexpected injury can be a life changing event. We care about our clients and are committed to maximizing each client’s recovery. Our knowledge of the law, commitment to our clients and fearless reputation in the legal community has resulted in numerous multi-million dollar recoveries for our clients. Gassler & O’Rourke, P.C. 1025 Old Country Road, Suite…

Laskin Law P.C. is a boutique practice specializing in all aspects of plaintiff’s personal injury and medical malpractice law. Michelle Laskin has over 25 years of experience representing injured people. In 2016, Ms. Laskin settled a road design case against The City of New York for $2,500,000 for a woman struck by a vehicle drag racing on 86th Street in Brooklyn. Ms. Laskin holds one of the largest punitive damage awards in New York State against a drunk driver. Michelle Laskin has successfully represented parents of brain damaged children, obtaining a $4,500,000 settlement in one such medical malpractice case. Ms. Laskin has a stellar reputation for being an aggressive advocate for her clients. Michelle F. Laskin Laskin Law P.C. 585 Stewart Avenue, Suite L20 Garden City, New York 11530 PH:…

1968 The Cloisters · People-watching in the Garment District · The mod plastic furniture at B. Altman · TGI Friday’s · Wearing all black · Wearing all white 1969 Zoltan Mason’s astrology bookshop · The ladies’ room at Tiffany’s · The idea of placing a glass dome over Times Square • Joe Namath 1970 The gift-exchange policy at Saks · Bella Abzug · Halvah City · The Yiddish glossary in the French edition of Portnoy’s Complaint 1971 Lüchow’s Christmas goose · The non-gender-specific pronoun · Taxidermy classes · Dame Judith Anderson as Hamlet 1972 Típico music · Milt Zelman and Bruce Martire’s quiche Lorraine · The Basement Coffee House at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church 1973 The Boys on the Bus · Diana Vreeland’s dinner party for 500 · Corduroy ·…

THIS HASN’T BEEN the easiest, or the most easygoing, year. The news—natural disasters, corruption, lies, stupidity!—has put us all on a constant involuntary anxiety drip. But every day, something good happened, we promise. We looked, and we compiled. And when we were done, we realized—once again—that things in New York City are going pretty well (at least by comparison). And so here are 344 Reasons to Love this city, one a day, all year long. JANUARY JFK pop-up protests; No Pants Subway Ride; puppies saved; Gowanus kayaking now A-okay. 1 BECAUSE, nearly a century after it was proposed, the Second Avenue subway opened. Well, three very expensive stations of it, anyway. 2 BECAUSE JFK’s new luxury animal terminal, the Ark, opened the Pet Oasis. TSA pat-downs welcome here. 3 BECAUSE…

You’ve probably read all the alarmist literature about how bad sitting is for you, how it might (nay, will) kill you. Maybe you got terrified and bought a standing desk, used it for two days, and then permanently plopped back down. I was one of those people. I’d forgotten about the endeavor by the time I went to a party at a friend’s house and caught sight of a fire-hydrant-size piece of upholstered furniture. It sort of resembled Pilates equipment, or something you might find at a Waldorf school. “What is that?” I demanded. “It’s a kneeling chair!” my friend answered and then proceeded to demonstrate how one squats into it: rear elevated, knees lowered, posture made perfect. I got on (in?) myself and didn’t get up for the rest…

When my friend Chloe told me that her new husband bought her a power waxer for Valentine’s Day, I was worried. “It’s for your body,” she said with a smile. Chloe’s husband, Ross, gave her the Black+Decker WP900 Random Orbit waxer-polisher ($30, amazon.com), which is designed for car-and boat-polishing projects but does double duty as a massager. It both spins and vibrates, creating a friction that’s got an unbelievable way of soothing tired muscles, releasing tension, and warming the body. It’s what a foam roller wants to be when it grows up. Ross first heard about it from a friend, who told him working over his aching body with the power tool was the only way he was able to play Frisbee two days in a row. After further research,…

Calorie Mate ($5, amazon.com ) has been a subject of fascination to me for years. The reasons are obvious. Look at the packaging. Wouldn’t it be fun to open your pantry and see nothing but rows and rows of these squat, glossy boxes, each containing a preportioned, foil-wrapped nutritive ingot? There’s also the name. This is not a shake or a bar or a powder; it’s a “balanced food block.” And it comes in your choice of simple flavors: cheese, chocolate, fruit, maple, or plain. Nothing fancy, folks. That goes for the taste, too, which is like a buttery shortbread cookie. The ingredients are mainly wheat flour, butter, sugar, and a thousand vitamins, plus whatever mild flavor note has been added. Is it healthy? No, but that’s…

Hand Warmers, But for Your Torso 8K Flexwarm Jacket ($250, 8kflexwarm.com ) The USB-charged, iOS-connected coat, funded on Kickstarter last year, links to an app so you can program your ideal warmth. It can go from room temperature to 122 degrees in six minutes. The Puffer That Weighs Almost Nothing The Micro Puff ($300, patagonia.com ) After sitting on the technology for a decade, Patagonia just debuted its first coat with PlumaFill. The super-warm, lab-developed insulation is made from tufted strands that leave enough dead space so the coat can compress into a knapsack. A Smart Jean Jacket Levi’s Jacquard by Google Jacket ($350, levis.com ) Google and Levi’s launched this denim jacket this year. It’s made of…

“We designed a coyote fur bomber jacket for Joe Namath, when he did the coin toss for the 2014 Super Bowl. It was shown on air for three minutes, but still: That was the most publicized coat ever seen in the history of the fur district. I happened to have an extra one in inventory. I decided to keep it. The next day, it was negative-six degrees and I was walking to Mr. Chow’s with the coat completely open. I felt nothing.” —Marc Kaufman, furrier AS TOLD TO K.S.…

FOR ITALIANS, scampi refers to the little lobsters also known as langoustines or Dublin Bay prawns. For Italian-Americans, it’s the garlicky shrimp dish cooked in olive oil and white wine. For chef PJ Calapa, it’s the name of the now-closed southern-Texas restaurant where he first experienced fine dining and marked his high-school graduation. In tribute, he’s resuscitated the name for his own coastal-Italian venture in the Flatiron District, where scampi in all forms (including one made with Gulf shrimp and served with mafaldini, and another of grilled head-on Scottish langoustines) will be a recurring motif. But the menu also offers crudi like sardines with raisins and anchovy (pictured), vegetables like endive bagna cauda, pasta like spaghetti with squid and ’nduja, and desserts like cassata semifreddo. And sommelier Kimberly Prokoshyn, late…

WHEN DESIGNER Jenny Kirschner walked into the former Daily News printing plant in Prospect Heights, she turned to her husband, Aari, and said, “This is where we are going to live.” The cavernous loft, with 28-foot-high ceilings, had been unceremoniously chopped up with flimsy room dividers, and Kirschner saw something she could have her way with. “I didn’t want anything renovated—I wanted a gut job, a place I could turn entirely into my own.” Instead of interrupting the apartment with closed-off spaces, she created an 87-square-foot glass box in the middle of the first floor that does the job of two rooms; it’s Jenny’s office most of the time, but her desk can be easily wheeled out and it can become a guest room—the back wall hides a Murphy bed…

AS A TUMULTUOUS year concludes, you might be forgiven for wondering what exactly just happened, culture-wise: After all, there were a few other things going on to distract us. It’s not that fantastic art wasn’t being produced—Sean Baker made the film of the year, Kara Walker unveiled the best American exhibit of the century, and Kendrick Lamar dropped an album for the ages, to name a few—it’s just that the usual cultural conversation seemed subsumed by a news-cycle tsunami. Yet in 2017, culture was both an oasis and a Rosetta stone; a welcome refuge and a crucial tool for deciphering our batshit times. Here, a look at our critics’ favorite standouts; for fuller explications (and more plaudits), visit vulture .com. Together, these are the works that thrilled us this year…

HIGH BROW The awful L.A. fires. The fall of Al Franken. And John Conyers. And Lorin Stein. Meanwhile, in Alabama: According to a CBS News–YouGov poll, 71 percent of Alabama Republicans think that allegations against Roy Moore are made up. The bitcoin network uses nearly as much energy as Denmark. Russia’s massive doping operation gets it booted from the 2018 Winter Olympics. Artemis, by Andy Weir. The Martian author follows up his megahit with a moon-based novel that many reviewers want to shoot into space. The Trump administration proposes the rollback of a rule that prevents employers from pocketing their employees’ tips. DESPICABLE Young Thug posts a photo on Twitter of what appears to be a lean IV hookup. Kids, don’t try any part of this at home. According…

Paul B. Weitz & Associates is a premier personal injury law firm that handles major complex litigation in New York City and its outer boroughs. “No case is too complicated for us,” says managing partner Paul B. Weitz. “We put the necessary time and money into every case to get the best results for our clients.” The firm has a tradition of providing expert representation and personalized service, dating back to the early 1970s when the firm began as Schneider, Kleinick & Weitz. Since then, the firm has established a proven track record of more than 200 cases or settlements in excess of $1 million. Attorneys at the firm are experienced in all types of catastrophic personal injury cases, including construction and workplace accidents, car and truck accidents, medical malpractice,…

For 25 years, attorney Joshua Gropper has earned the reputation as one of the go-to trial lawyers in New York’s most significant cases. In 2017 alone, his accomplishments were considerable: • A $6,263,500 verdict in a pedestrian knockdown case, representing one of New York’s largest reported motor vehicle accident verdicts in 2017. • Inclusion in the Super Lawyers New York-Metro Top 100 Attorneys 2017 list, which is pared down from a list of all lawyers in the New York metro area, and includes some of the most well-known and respected lawyers in the country. Personal Injury as a Calling Before graduating from Boston University School of Law, Gropper’s career had already been shaped by tragedy: his brother was hospitalized for two years and lost all four limbs after a house…

For over 45 years the attorneys at Gurfein Douglas have been fighting for the rights of people with catastrophic injuries from auto accidents, malpractice, construction, work related, product defect and wrongful death cases. Each client gets the personal attention of the senior partners whose dedication, knowledge, passion and commitment to their case is what one would expect from “Leaders in the Law.” In addition to their law degrees, Mr. Gurfein holds a degree in engineering and Mr. Douglas holds a degree in biochemistry. Mr. Gurfein is a past president of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Douglas is the past editor-in-chief of the New York Litigation Review. Gurfein Douglas, Attorneys at Law 11 Park Place, Ste. 705, New York, NY 10007 | PH: (212) 406-1600 FX: (212) 406-4779…

Steven T. Halperin is a seasoned trial lawyer and litigator focusing on a litigation practice, including general personal injury, medical malpractice, and products liability litigation, as well as complex commercial litigation. In his 29 years in the courtroom, Mr. Halperin has personally tried hundreds of cases to verdict in New York State and Federal Courts; and has hundreds of six and seven figure verdicts and settlements to his credit. Knowing what it takes to win in the courtroom, Mr. Halperin and his team meticulously prepare every case from inception to trial. Over its 40-year history, Halperin & Halperin, P.C. has built a formidable reputation in the legal community for its aggressive legal representation and its willingness to fight for the rights of its clients. Steven T. Halperin, Esq. Halperin &…

Admitted to the NYS bar in 1981, David has been trial counsel to many prominent medical malpractice firms including many past Presidents of the NYS Trial Lawyers Association. He has taken over 70 verdicts on cases where the insurance company refused to pay including obstetrical malpractice, delayed diagnosis of cancer, wrongful death and surgical error, and obtained numerous multimillion dollar verdicts. Mr. Pollack has over 30 years of experience as a plaintiff’s medical malpractice trial attorney. His specialties include trial advocacy and practice, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and he demonstrates confidence when working independently on trial preparation, and reviewing thousands of physician depositions and medical records. Mr. Pollack has received awards from Martindale-Hubbell A-V rating, Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and the Million Dollar Advocates…