It’s been nearly a year since the cozy yet hyped Beatrice Inn shut down and it’s just as well.

Known for their low ceiling, cheap drinks, and shiny disco ball, “The Bea’s” closing in April signaled the “shabby chic” era’s end. Out are the drugged Heath Ledgers socializing with wannabe hipsters, struggling artists, and rich school kids living off trust funds at this smoky venue. Truth is, the only time The Bea, funded mainly by Chloë Sevigny, saw big names was when it was rented out for private events. No big surprise as The Bowery Hotel, Rose Bar, New York Public Library, and MoMa are rented and receive stars just the same.

To most insiders, The Bea died long before its doors were shut and the quality of patrons had been going downhill as trendy folks and trust funders moved elsewhere. The Bea was only cool for the first eight months, as are most hot spots.

The crowds that frequented the locale now hit up the front bar of the Jane Ballroom, The Rose Bar, and The Box. But if you’re looking to smooze with celebs or the who’s who central, hit up André Balazs’s place, Boom Boom Room, at 848 Washington St. atop of the Standard Hotel. Madonna’s always there along with half of Hollywood. We’re also fans of Avenue, the gastropub from Noah Tepperberg and Jason Strauss.

Rumor has it a re-opening of The Beatrice Inn at a new location is among us but with the general boredom over meatpacking and The Jane thrown into the mix, it’s doubtful even former worshipers will give it the time of day.

Restaurateur George Abou-Daoud might give you a quizzical look if you talked about recent economic contraction. When other businesses are closing their doors for good, he is right on schedule to open his sixth Hollywood restaurant. The newest member to his culinary family will be District, set to open next to The Mercantile on Sunset. In fact, all of the members Abou-Daoud family share the same one-mile strip with each other on Sunset Boulevard. The Mercantile garnered quite a bit of ink when it first opened, and District is sure to receive much of the same attention and praise. Though the details and pictures still remain scarce, we are expecting to officially welcome the new family member sometime in January. But for those who just can’t wait that long, get ready for New Year’s Eve. Come January, District will serve as Abou-Daoud’s first fine dining establishment, but for the last day of this year, expect all of the compliments of an open bar. The décor has been equated to something from 19^th-century New York, and the complete opposite of big brother’s wine and ice cream at The Mercantile. Abou-Daoud’s favorite chef, Kris Morningstar, is planning creative plates like duck fat Yorkshire pudding, oysters with beer jelly, and chocolate terrine with black tea, shortbread, and blood orange.

Other members of the family include Bowery, Mission Cantina, Delancey, and Tamarind Ave. Deli.

South Florida residents are trying to cash in on the upcoming Pro Bowl and Super Bowl by renting their homes to out-of-town football fans. When South Florida hosted the Super Bowl in 2007, the average hotel room cost $499 a night, but for the upcoming 2010 game, Davona Lynch would like everyone to know that her 3-bedroom, 2-bath home that is located just 15 minutes from the Land Shark Stadium, is available for a nightly rate of just $300. Pets are welcome. Even though she acknowledges that her Hollywood home isn’t new nor contains any luxury amenities, she thinks it’s a good option for anyone who needs a place to stay with access to a kitchen and laundry room. Lynch has listed her home on Craigslist.

Lynch is among many of South Florida’s homeowners who have decided to post up their homes for rent right on time for the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl. Private residences that are available for rent during that week ranges from Lynch’s $300-a-night home, to a single Boca Raton bedroom for $500 a night, or to Earl Hord’s Pompano Beach home with steam room, grand piano and three-car garage for $15,000 a week.

With football’s two events on consecutive weekends, more fans will want to stay the entire week to catch both games. It’s also the first time since 1979 that the game matching AFC and NFC all-stars will be played outside Hawaii, so the Pro Bowl is expected to draw a very large audience. It will be played Jan. 31, a week before the Feb. 7 Super Bowl.

Via: Miami Herald

For those who love a great night of dancing filled with copious amounts of champagne, Club Clicquot has just hit Los Angeles, so strap on your dancing shoes and get ready to pop some bottles.

The infamous collaboration between Hong Kong  hot spot KEE Club and Veuve Clicquot has just been welcomed with open arms by Los Angeles’ night scene. In its 13^th edition, like its sister clubs, Club Clicquot LA brings together world famous champagne and fabulous DJ’s for dancing through the night.

The evening included Ankie Beilke, Aron Harilela, Stanley Sun, Wei Shan, and Jackson Fong. They sipped on Veuve throughout the night and enjoy entertainment provided by Incognito resident, DJ Cache.

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As sad as it may be, 2009 saw a lot of great hot spots close around the country. Whether this was as a direct result of the struggling economy, or perhaps somewhat due to changing trends, New York City alone lost a number of venues that some of us just weren’t ready to let go of. Here’s a look at a few of the most memorable venues that were shut down throughout the past year. As more luxurious high-end venues began to target individuals who had the means and the desire to enjoy an evening of bottle service, many venues in New York struggled to keep up with the trends as the economy rubbed some salt on their wounds.

Lot 61

The incredibly successful bar was opened by Amy Sacco in 1990 and quickly became famous for its 61 flavors of martinis and a memorable cosmopolitan, which may not seem like much to you now, but consider the time. Lot 61 managed to maintain success for several years even after the nightlife scene began to transform.

Centro Fly

This venue was an attempt to create a more sophisticated setting for an older crowd who no longer enjoyed having their ears blasted out at the usual night club scene. The lounge was named after a store in Milan, featured a mod design and offered both food and dancing. Eventually, the place closed down and was replaced by an equally unsuccessful Duvet, which was just ordered to be closed as well.

Spa

This water-themed dance club located near Union Square operated under the business model of pricey entrance fees, a booming sound system, and a lively crowd. Remaining true to it’s water theme, Spa also sold 16 different types of bottled water, which was perhaps a trend of the time, but seems rather ridiculous to many of us now.

Lotus

Not long after it’s opening, Lotus became the place for everyone, dancing, dining, conversation, and wildness in the Meatpacking District. As the area surrounding Lotus expanded and grew in popularity in its own right, so did Lotus. Unfortunately for those who loved the venue, Lotus was unable to keep up with the flurry of openings in the area and attract a new crowd.

Studio B

This Brooklyn nightclub was a former Polish dancehall which gave people a popular alternative to traveling into Manhattan in the wee hours of the night. Unfortunately for Studio B fans and the club owners, the community was never in favor of the venue. When Studio B attempted to get a rooftop expansion it began what turned out to be a very lengthy and confusing demise.  

Bungalow 8

Amy Sacco opened her second venue in West Chelsea in 2001. Sacco and Bungalow “rode a Sex and the City wave and the space quickly became the hot spot of the beginning of the decade.” The club’s success led to a number of imitators, and although they never achieved Bungalow 8’s success or notoriety, they did change the area surrounding Bungalow 8, creating a difficult neighborhood for the club to maintain its high end crowd.  The seedier crowd that had taken over the street was a turnoff for Bungalow 8 customers. Sacco is currently in the process of preparing a revamp of Bungalow 8 in 2010, so keep your eye out for it.  

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Touche Muah is the brainchild of Ivelin Giro, a Miami Beach mother of three who conceived the idea of the intimate apparel line in her quest for natural beauty, comfort, elegance, and sensuality. Every piece is crafted in Turkey from organic bamboo, which is the most sustainable fiber at the moment with antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.

Touche Muah has quickly become the talk of the town amongst the most elite trendsetters. The line officially launched on December 1st at the start of Miami Art Basel Week with an exclusive cocktail party held at the Moore Building in the Design District, along with Fendi. More than 40 special guests were invited to celebrate the new venture with hors d’oeuvres provided by Sardinia Ristorante.

For more exclusive photos, please visit our events page.

The Case-Shiller index of metropolitan home prices has come out again. Although there are many interpretations for the numbers, many said more or less the same things. The results showed that major media outlets differed in their initial read on October’s numbers. “Prices rose for the fifth month in a row,” according to Bloomberg, “home-price declines slowed in October” according to the Wall Street Journal, “some disquieting signs of deterioration” underneath the “modest” rise in home prices, according to the New York Times, and we heard a “winter chill, but not housing doom,” according to the Dow Jones Newswire.

Without a seasonal adaptation, they say the numbers flatten out the simple rise, pointing to another possible slowdown in housing. Compared to October of last year, the index is down 7.3%, but the San Francisco area posted a 1.7% gain over the previous month, and a 25% gain over the previous year. Phew!

Via: Curbed SF

Since CityCenter opened its doors on December 16, the world has gone gaga over the newest architectural masterpiece to land on the Las Vegas strip. With a price tag of $8.5 million, we would expect nothing less than the highest praise from national media sources, celebrities, and Vegas VIPs. And even though The Donald disapproves, as we reported here yesterday, saying that the architecture is unappealing and the concept was poorly executed, there are many who ardently believe that CityCenter can save Las Vegas.

The multibillion-dollar project, located between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo casinos, is a collaborative effort between MGM Mirage and Dubai World subsidiary, Infinity World. Luxury hotels Aria, Mandarin Oriental, and Vdara already call CityCenter home, with Harmon boutique hotel on the way next year.

Now the dust has settled from the grand opening celebrations and the fireworks have disappeared from night sky, leaving economists across the country waiting to see if CityCenter can boosting the fledgling gaming economy. The question has been posed from media outlets far and wide, including Forbes, the Washington Post, and the San Francisco Chronicle. “Lots of people want CityCenter to be an economic miracle,” Mary Riddel, interim director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas told the Chronicle. “We’ve been so dependent for so long on massive openings and massive spending. We’ve hit a wall.” That wall was confirmed with October’s numbers, which show that Vegas gaming hit its lowest mark since 2003.

The power of MGM Mirage carries some weight and chief executive Jim Murren predicted that the modern artwork and glass architecture will draw tourists, resulting in a five percent increase in visitation next year. Though we are big Donald supporters, here’s one time we hope his instincts are off.

Downtown Napa’s latest restaurant, Norman Rose Tavern, opened on Monday. Instead of being a dark and stuffy English pub, its modern space filled with touches of stainless steel, a warmth of recycled sun-washed wooden beams and doors, and feathery leather banquettes suggests anything but. Located in the new Napa Square at First Street and Franklin, the eco-friendly spot features dramatic windows and corner patio that hypnotizes all passersby to take a look inside. The tavern can accomodate about 100 guests, including 18 seats on the patio, and another 18 in the private dining room. Its dining bar and long, sleek traditional bar, is a great hangout spot.

Although the use of the word “tavern” usually suggests a pub, Chef Reed Herrick assures us that it will be all about the food. The menu will consist of American classics such as hamburgers, meatloaf, waldorf salad, and chicken and dumplings. The menu intends to also change seasonally. Owners Michael and Christina Gyetvan and Chef Herrick have stayed true to comfort food, having operated the prosperous Pizza Azzuro restaurant in downtown since 2001.

The Norman Rose Tavern is located at 1401 1st Street in Napa, CA. For reservations, call (707) 258-1516‎.

Via: Examiner

I’m sure we can all think of a great meal we recently had, perhaps one that left us wanting more, or even actually coming back for more. But what about the best meal of an entire year? Here’s a rundown of some opinions of what was the best meal in 2009 by those who know food best.

As an annual tradition, the Eater website asks foodies and chefs eight different questions about the year and food, and then compiles their answers. Here is a glimpse of what they discovered when they questioned chefs, food critics, and food lovers, about what their favorite meal of 2009 was, and why.

Chef Thomas Keller: “Instead of single best meal I can tell you my single best dish of 2009: the fusilli pasta with baby octopus, bone marrow and tomato from Marea in NYC. I’ve had it several times this year and it is just sublime.”

Jan Newberry, San Francisco Magazine: “Yakitori at Sumika in Los Altos. If it were closer to home, I’d eat there once a week.”

Brett Emerson, Contigo: “Elan and I don’t get out much, as our baby restaurant needs a lot of attention. Still, we’ve had some amazing meals this year. We are having a tough time deciding between our opulent truffle and porcini filled dinner last month at the new Quince and a perfect dinner at Coi in February a couple of weeks before we opened Contigo. We’ll call it a draw.”

Sarah Sung,UrbanDaddy: “Wild Game Week dinner–Sitka deer, antelope and frog legs paella–at the Big 4. And the old-school decor compels you to start with a martini.”

Lissa Doumani, Terra/Ame: “Our meal at Asador Etxebarri in the San Sebastian area of Spain. We had probably the best Gamba ever there; lightly cooked over coal, just beautiful. When stepping away from the table for a minute I mentioned to Hiro [Sone] that it was so good I could have it again. When I returned to the table the next course was a Gamba! Life can be perfect. There is also this amazing beef in San Sebastian area called Bouy, it is an older steer that is well marbled and the fat is actually yellow! It is so rich in flavor, doesn’t seem to matter what the cut. We had a steak at Asador Etxebarri and another place almost a flank cut, both delicious.”

James Oseland, Saveur: “Easy. The meal that was served on the last episode of Top Chef Masters, season 1, where cheftestants Rick Bayless, Michael Chiarello, and Hubert Keller cooked up their culinary biographies in four amazing courses. From Bayless’s barbecued quail to Keller’s baekehoffe, memories of this oh-my-God meal continue to be the stuff of my culinary wet dreams.”

Lucchesi: “Manresa and Momofuku Ko. For different reasons, the last night of Postrio was pretty alive too, with Wolfgang, Bauer and all the alumni there. Also memorable: Commis, the Leg of Beast dinner at Incanto, and the Dining Room at the Ritz (insanely stuffy atmosphere yes, but there’s a distinct possibility that Ron Siegel has somehow become underrated).”

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