Saturday, December 29, 2012

A Fancy Dinner in Nice

Hotel Negresco
The Opulent 100-year-old Dowager of Nice
While we were in Nice in September, we treated ourselves to a fancy dinner at the 2-star restaurant, Le Chantecler, in the Hotel Negresco.
Celebrating it's 100-year anniversary, Le Negresco is positioned on La Promenade des Anglais facing the Baie des Anges. It's doormen dress in 18th century costumes.
Le Negresco's lobby is elegant and adorned with 
elaborate lighting sconces and oil paintings of dignitaries.

 A Royal Richard
The Baccarat chandelier with 16,309 crystals in the Royal Lounge.
 A aueen of some sort.
The people of Nice seem to go for these 
chunky ladies in bathing attire.
This is a sculpture by Niki St. Phalle.
 A seating area with an art deco rug.
La Fête à Venise.
A seating area in an art-deco style.
Because it was the 100th anniversary of the hotel, 
these somewhat bedraggled mannequins wearing
serving costumes from the archives, were on display. 
 Saucy girl, at least her shoe is on straight.

 Naturally, we had to pose with the mannequins.



 Some jesters.

Famous guests.
Pink Champagne and Roosters
We had a special dinner at Le Negresco's fancy restaurant.
 A Chantecler is a rooster.
The room is terribly pretty with cherry-pink velvet chairs.
We were offered champagne on arrival.

 Examples of Le Chantecler abound.
A bit of modern art sur la table.
Le chef sent out l'amuse bouche.
Precious little petit fours of tomato jelly with creme fraiche, 
crab salad in a spoon, and little squares topped with gold leaf.
 Le sommelier presents our wine.
Notice that Richard has removed his tie after noting
 other men wearing polo shirts in the dining room
Le beau beurre.
 Le pain.

 Appetizer: les tomates burratas
Although it looks like dessert, it's a appetizer.
Les cannellonis avec caviar and more gold leaf.
 It took two servers to serve our main course.


Le filet de St Pierre Roti

 A dessert: Souffle citrons with fraises des bois.
 Le fraîcheur abricot.
Les bon bons. 
A Drink at Le Bar
One evening we ducked into Le Bar at Le Negresco for an apéritif.
The charming barman serving our drinks.
I had a Negroni which was scrumptious.
It's gin, sweet red vermouth and Campari.

 The woodwork at Le Bar dates from 1913.
 Carmen, the mascot of Le Negresco.

Have a cocktail on us. 
Happy New Year from Carol and Richard!

À Bientôt!





Sunday, December 23, 2012

Merry Christmas from Bill Cunningham

Jollytown
I am absolutely thrilled and happy to have Jean and Valerie, the Idiosyncratic Fashionistas, wearing my helmet-collage hats about town. This past week they crossed paths with the inimitable Bill Cunningham, and what to his wondering eyes should appear, but Jean and Val in my eccentric head gear. According to Jean and Valerie, Bill nearly fell off his bike when he spotted the Fashionistas. He snapped away, and the results are front and center in Bill's On the Street column in the Sunday, December 23, 2012 Style Section of The New York Times.
Jean and Valerie are the perfect models for my hats
because they have such energy, verve and stylish elan. 
These ladies are total New York originals.
There's a video too, where Bill says this about my hats:
"...two women in the most delightful helmet-shaped velour hats with applique patches that are right off the canvases of Sonia Delaunay, the 1920s French painter." 
You can see the video here and Jean and Valerie appear at 2.29. 

Here's the whole spread. 

  Please also take a look at Jean and Valerie's blog
The Idiosyncratic Fashionistas

A Vintage Tea Party
Last week Richard and I hosted a vintage tea party. Guests were Robin Lung, who was in New York from Hawaii doing work for her documentary, Finding Kukan, Robin's new FB friend and Kukan supporter, Sammy Davis and Clarissa Tartar. Take a look at the Finding Kukan teaser here.
Robin and I make the "K" for Kukan sign.
I am wearing a Tucker blouse and pant, and Robin is wearing a
Nina Ricci jacket that she bought in a Passaic,
New Jersey thrift store for $4.

Fashion expert and vintage blogger, Sammy Davis,
 in the fabulous cape that she wore to the party.
See Sammy's blog here.
Robin and Clarissa.
 Clarissa is wearing a coat exactly like
the one worn by Ellen Burstyn in the 1973 film,
The Exorcist.

Part of the afternoon's entertainment was Richard showing Sammy
his shirt collection.
 At least he wasn't showing her his etchings.

À Bientôt mes amis.