V Magazine party at Chelsea Piers

Last nights party was the perfect follow up to the previous in my search to experience the randomness fashion week has to offer. I had the pleasure of attending the Visionaire/Vman Magazine ice skating party last night at the Chelsea Piers. My crew and I had a blast! A very attractive crowd of models, fashion industry folks, press, fashionistas and a few sprinkles of celebrities were in the house hob-nobbin while some took to the ice giving everyone a chance to rub elbows and maybe even take a spill in front of Zac Posen, Anna Wintour, Michael Stipe and even Kanye West who seemed to have been all over fashion week apparently staking out his next look. I got a chance relive my childhood ice skating days with the crew and would in the future think twice about trying to take pics while skating. I ended up one of those taking a spill but not to be embarrassed since the ladies I slipped in front of thought it was a cute fall.

After getting my fill of skating and practically losing all circulation in my feet from strapping the skates on too tight, I turned them in and headed straight for the bar. There they were generously serving some new Belvedere vodka that had a bunch of added ingredients such as ginger, guarana and tea. Added to that was red bull and grapefruit juice which was a recipe for craziness by my cocktail standards but hey, I was just ice skating next to a 7 foot tall drag queen with a pink beehive so somehow the drink doesnt seem that crazy after all. Strolling through the crowd, I got a chance to mingle in and met a few interesting people along the way. One guy who I chatted with briefly sported an all black outfit and had on an interesting black hat with ears. My thoughts, "wow, that is a very stylish bat". Fashion can be real funny sometimes. As we started to feel real nice from the cocktails, we made our way to the dance floor where I found my flatmate the "Galactic" Angel rockin out at the Dj booth that was definitely pumpin thanks to the crazy dance flashbacks spun by Wolfie who flew in from Vienna just for the event. There we danced our crazy asses off til the lights came on.

Crazy party made for crazy times.

At your service,

The Boulevardist

Sunday Night Eats and Treats in Carroll Gardens

Opting to stay on my side of the East River, my crew and I made our way out to Carroll Gardens for some Sunday night satisfaction. Our first stop, one of my favorites was the converted Sicilian men-only club Brooklyn Social. This speakeasy style bar retains the look and feel of an old-time hangout (although they've relaxed the gender requirement). The old-time Brooklyn photos hanging on the walls and a beat up pool table in the back room also help give off the old Brooklyn feel most of us have only experienced in movies like Goodfellas. One of the reasons I love this spot is the cocktail menu, which consists of standard Italian cocktails such as my go-to cocktail the Negroni (Gin, Campari and Sweet Vermouth) as well as cocktails with Italian themed names such as the Fellini and my favorite for the evening, the Sicilian Fizz. With a crew of 6 we conquered the cocktail menu plus encores special thanks to Nino behind the bar who kept them coming at a steady pace as we dominated the pool table in the back as we waited for our table to be ready at our final destination for the evening. After 2 hours and too many cocktails to remember we joyfully made our way down to one of the hidden treasures of Carroll Gardens, Lucali's Pizza. Lucali having only been around for about 2 years now is well worth the wait and for reasons you'll have to find out for yourself. My take is first of all its rustic feel and ambiance, which is a perfect date spot for anyone looking to impress. The chef and owner who is also from the neighborhood takes pride and prepares each pie with the freshest ingredients available that day and hand grating the right amount of fresh mozzarella every time. He also stays true to the neighborhood and adds ingredients from the local Italian meat shops to each masterpiece. All placed in a wood burning brick oven, lightly charring it to perfection all in a matter of a few minutes. The result, a thin crusted, garden aromatic, pepperoni pungent, perfectly cheesed creation that makes all the difference in where I eat my pie.

Ahh, sundays are great.

At your service,

The Boulevardist

Pop Rally ft. Vik Muniz at the MoMA

In an effort to prove that the recession isnt completely destroying our spirit, I was thankfully called upon again by my friends at Sagatiba Cachaca(Brazilian Rum) to produce and manage the cocktail bars for the Museum of Modern Art's Pop Rally event. PopRally is a program of events at The MoMA and P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center that features collaborations with artists and musical acts, performances, film screenings, receptions, and special viewings of exhibitions at accessible prices. Past events include performances by Cat Power, Les Savy Fav, Patti Smith, Chicks on Speed, and PaperRad and friends. Last nights event was the closing party for video artist Vik Muniz (Brazilian, b. 1961), Vik Muniz is the ninth artist to participate in Artist’s Choice, a series of exhibitions in which an artist serves as curator, selecting works from MoMa’s vast collection to create an exhibition. Muniz has chosen a
rebus—a combination of unrelated visual and linguistic elements to create a larger deductive meaning—as the organizing principle of his presentation.

I had the pleasure and challenge of recreating Sagatiba cocktails for the 350+ guests this evening. On the menu was the Classic Caiprinha, a Blueberry Caiprinha and "Sweet Heat" which was a chilled shot of the aged Sagatiba chased with a strawberry dipped in a cayenne and sugar mix. You've gotta try this! Special thanks to my stellar bar team who made our production seem effortless and I couldn't have done this without them.

At your service,

The Boulevardist

A New Chapter in Cocktail Culture

5 nights in a row of indulging in one of my favorite activities…Cocktailing. And so you know Im aware of it, the word cocktail will show up a few more times in this entry...cocktails-cocktails-cocktails.

Last week was dedicated to ushering in what I believe will be a new phase in the cocktail culture here in New York. Nirvino, a startup out of San Francisco promises to make the average diner and cocktailer more educated and involved when it comes to what they choose to drink. It also lets them share new information with their friends and develop new relationships with other enthusiasts. I had the pleasure of hosting a soft launch for Nirvino at Madam Geneva in the East Village. The guest list was a short but concentrated group of industry brand reps, mixologists, magazine writers and bloggers and of course fellow cocktail lovers. Having the event as Phil of Nirvino and I discussed, in a cocktail lounge that chose to create a simple concept with their cocktails (preserved jam cocktails in 3 different flavors served with either Gin or Vodka) to represent their unique style mirrored the fresh idea of the Nirvino vision and staying true to their core. We imbibed these delicious jam cocktails made with 42 Below Vodka (special thanks to Paul Franich) and also had custom cocktail ice spheres sent in just for the event. It was a great space with fun people and tasty cocktails.

As the week carried on we indulged in more of what the New York cocktail scene has to offer. Special thanks to:

*Esteban at Apotheke who gave us a 101, 102 and 103 on mixology as well as a flaming version of his Sweet and Vicious.

*Justin at Pranna would hosted us for a Pranna cocktail tasting Wednesday and then shaked up Cabana Cachaca cocktails for another Nirvino event. My favorite was the Winter Spice, a warm-spiced wine cocktail.

*Marcie at Madam Geneva who held down the bar for the 2-hour blitz of our 40+ guests

* "Sweetie" our server at Employees Only (she asked that I call her that), who was well versed in the cocktail menu.

I think I’m going to take a short break now...
...Okay, where next?

A Decadent Sunday Evening a la Double Crown

Good Day people,

This past Sunday after taking in some culture and supporting a friend who was performing in a take on the Cinderella Story, our group unanimously decided to head down to Double Crown over on the Bowery for dinner. A good friend, Tamer Hamawi who was part of our group and happens to be one of the Managers of the restaurant, influenced the decision. Who’s to say no, especially having dined there the week before and being a regular at Madame Geneva, the enchanting cocktail bar tucked away in the back. It is remarkable how they transformed this space from the old Manahatta, into something far more visually exciting. Its almost like going on that long needed trip without springing for airfare.

As we perused the menu with its bold take on British colonial/Far east influenced cuisine we decided to have Tamer take us on a tour instead. First stop the Spicy Singapore style Laksa, then the East and West coast oyster platter, the crispy sepia, and the scrumptious chili-caramel pork belly, each dished paired with the perfect wine and/or champagne.

I have to say that as a carnivore to the bone (pun intended), It was the cross cut bone marrow glazed with miso and orange-olive marmalade and the succulent Big Braised beef short rib glazed with a Guinness 5 spice sauce, perfectly paired with a 2005 Chateau de Chorey burgundy that really set the experience on fire. We were satisfied and delighted by our jaunt through the menu. To finish, I imbibed my usual, a little Fernet Branca to ease the digestion because a million Italians cant be wrong!

I'll be back...

for more info: www.doublecrown-nyc.com

The Boulevardist

About the Boulevardist

A cultural polymath, for over a decade Tomas Delos Reyes' vast understanding of what excites and inspires has kept him on the cutting edge of special event production, branding, and lifestyle marketing. Beginning his career in San Francisco and now based in New York City, Tomas is highly regarded among tastemakers on both coasts as a visionary. His ability to absorb cultural trends across the spectrum-- mixing the raw with the refined while carefully infusing his own sense of style-- is what sets Tomas Delos Reyes apart from the rest.
Drawing from his background in film, dance, music, cocktail mixology and luxury goods, Tomas' event production company, Tomas Moves, is recognized by category leaders as an innovative partner. Moet Hennessey, The Whitney Museum and Red Bull are just a few who have trusted Tomas for his insights into what is current and alive.

In keeping with his reputation of being ahead of the cultural curve, Tomas Delos Reyes has a fresh and exciting vision for 2009. Yet, one aspect of Tomas Moves never changes: the personal attention Tomas gives to each client. "There is a certain synergy I love that comes about when I sit down with clients that enables me to take their vision and transform it into an experience. They tell me what they're looking for in black and white--and I bring it to color."