RESTAURANTS

Megu
62 Thomas Street
212.964.7777

During the almost two-week extravaganza of the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, silver screen aficionados can dine on the delicacies of Megu’s organic and sophisticated cuisine. The 13,000-square-foot restaurant incorporates a blend of traditional and modern, with established and emerging Japanese fare. A tasty array of the finest sushi is presented using umibi aburiyaki, a purifying grilling technique that adds an exceptional flavor to the food. But that is not the only way Megu stands out from the restaurant crowd. Upscale lounges like M by Megu and the Living Room in the Megu New York and Megu Midtown locations, respectively, have transformed the brand venue into a unique restaurant with a popular nightlife milieu. With its flair for international cuisine, it seems fitting for Megu, which imports a majority of its ingredients from Japan, to have opened a third restaurant, Megu Hong Kong, in 2007. Porcelain columns made of intertwining rice bowls and sake vases drape the interior of Megu New York in Tribeca. Megu also has a vast selection of more than 600 wines and 60 varieties of sake along with its eye for style and lavish locales.

HOTELS

Tribeca Grand Hotel
2 Avenue of the Americas
212.519.6600

The floor-to-ceiling windows of the Tribeca Grand Hotel Grand Suite and Rooftop Terrace capture an awe-inspiring view of the Manhattan city nightlife. This panoramic venue tempts guests with even more luxury to add to the splendor of the already striking hotel upon which it is perched. The suite’s terrace, which is twice the size of the interior space, adds a significant backdrop for entertaining. Not to be outdone, the suite itself boasts rich textures of wool carpeting and grass cloth wall coverings with organic colors from designer Bill Sofield’s vision of lavish rooftop living. The Grand Suite features high-end amenities like flat-screen plasmas, the iMac G5, and a state-of-the-art SoundDock digital music system by Bose, putting to shame amenity lists from competing hotels. A pillar-laden, Zen-like pergola tops off the elegant features of the Rooftop Terrace, which is only accessible from the Grand Suite staircase, and provides a comforting escape with a limitless view of the downtown scenery.

FILMS

The Girlfriend Experience
2009 Tribeca Film Festival
Wednesday, April 29, 8:00 pm
SVA Theater (333 West 23rd Street)
Theater 2

Director Steven Soderbergh ventured into rarely chartered territory when he cast adult actress Sasha Grey as the lead in his indie flick, The Girlfriend Experience. However, it is an appropriate role for the porn star’s first foray outside of the flesh film industry, as her character is a $2,000-an-hour upscale Manhattan prostitute. This film is garnering attention for reasons other than garter belts though. Brian Koppelman and David Levin, of Ocean’s Thirteen fame, wrote the screenplay, while Marc Cuban and Todd Wagner financed the film through their HDNet label. The plot follows call girl Christine throughout five days, cutting between her business-life and boyfriend-life. Some are describing it as a period piece due to themes related to the economic woes occurring in 2008. After the showing, Soderbergh, along with lead actors Sasha Grey and Chris Santos, will share their thoughts and experiences about making the film.

RESTAURANTS

Chanterelle
2 Harrison Street
212.966.6960

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Chanterelle has been one of the most inviting and highly acclaimed dining hot spots in the city since its move from Soho to Tribeca. David Waltuck and wife, Karen, own the elegant French eatery. He prepares the mouth-watering cuisine, including his signature Seafood Sausage, and she handles the esteemed front of the house service. Located in the 19th-century Mercantile Exchange Building, Chanterelle blends its grandiose cherry wood pilasters with a friendly environment of welcoming and knowledgeable staff members. Its fine dining encompasses a novel cuisine of 400 international selections with a changing à la carte dinner menu. Also on hand are the talents of a pastry chef, a fromager, and Roger Dagorn, a sommelier with a commanding expertise of 5,000 bottles of wine ranging from small wineries to reputable Bordeaux. This three-star restaurant adorns its menus with artwork by contemporary American artists and distinguished works by Francesco Clemente, Roy Lichtenstein, and others. Be sure to stop by for Sunday Salons where the Chanterelle family will share their knowledge of various cheeses, the best of wines, and even chocolate and flowers.

LOUNGES

Brandy Library
25 North Moore Street
212.226.5545

With a staff full of “librarians” and oak bookshelves complete with rolling ladders, the unique concept of the Brandy Library might seem like it transforms into a stuffy reading room, but the atmosphere is quite the contrary. The posh lounge has an extensive collection of beer, wine, cocktails, brandy, and more than 1,500 bottles of whiskey. Both wine connoisseurs and novices alike have whet their palates with the exclusive spirits from around the world and the delectable tapas that showcase foie gras, sushi, and American mini burgers. Cozy up with a 66-page leather-bound menu as you make your selection while sommeliers entice you with wine tastings. The Brandy Library also offers Cognac Week, Peat Week, and Whiskey Week where guests can meet distillery owners and brand aficionados. Private parties, tasting sessions, and the ingenious lounge ambiance have made Brandy Library a Tribeca staple since opening in October 2004.

SALONS

Edris Salon
430 West 14th Street, 3rd Floor
212.989.6800

Not far from Tribeca, Edris Salon provides an oasis of beauty in the midst of the Meatpacking District. The salon’s many offerings can help any film festival-goer prepare to walk the red carpet. Edris landed on the style radars due to the acute creativity of its namesake owner, stylist Edris Nicholls, and makeup artist Landy Dean. Together their work has appeared on the heads and faces of a myriad of celebrity mugs and on the pages of the world’s top fashion glossies. The Caribbean-born stylista was trained at the best beauty venues, including Warren Tricomi, before taking the shears into her own hands and opening Edris. The salon is billed to combine uptown expectations of supreme service, with an eccentric, multicultural approach that makes it worthy of its trendy Meatpacking District address. Their service menu includes everything to tend to the various funky fashions found on the streets of New York.

FILMS

Whatever Works
2009 Tribeca Film Festival
Wednesday, April 22

The world premiere of Woody Allen’s new comedy, Whatever Works, is the talk of the town, not only because it has earned a top spot at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, opening the event on April 22, but also because it marks the quirky director’s return to New York, after several European settings, including England in Match Point and Spain in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Larry David leads the cast, starring as an eccentric New Yorker who decides to leave behind his luxury lifestyle in order to embrace the ways of bohemian living. Evan Rachel Wood plays his Southern belle love interest, alongside Ed Begley Jr. and Patricia Clarkson. With Allen and David at the helm of this film, it comes as no surprise that the storyline is filled with a series of unpredictable escapades. The film is expected to receive rave reviews, so Sony bought the distribution rights and will release it in June 2009.

ART

Tribeca Issey Miyake
119 Hudson Street
212.226.0100

A titanium Frank Gehry sculpture snakes its way through this creative downtown Manhattan shopping venue, which sets the tone for all of the Miyake collections housed in this couture boutique. When Miyake first approached Gehry, he requested that he transform the space with his unique vision, using unusual materials to create movement, light and energy. While Gehry’s young protégé Gordon Kipping became the architect on the project, Gehry created the titanium sculpture or “intervention” which threads through the lofty 15,0000-square-foot space. This flagship store, house in landmark cast-iron building, not only holds Issey Miyake Fete, watches, perfumes, A-POC, HaaT, Me, and Pleats Please, but also serves as a unique setting for artist collaborations, exhibitions, and events.