To open next week at Carbon 12 Gallery will be Ralf Ziervogel’s “In Decay.”

The first time the Ziervogel has shown in the Middle East, visitors will delight in seeing the artist’s drawings which often incorporate distorted bodies interacting with each other in a distraught and seemingly chaotic manner. At first glance they might appear to be romantic and passionate in sentiment following the works by Goya or Gericault. Yet to Ziervogel they are more architectural than fantastical; he focuses on the aesthetic relationship between the mangling figures more than a heightened sense of emotion.

Ziervogel’s art is influenced by contemporary films such as “Pulp Fiction” (1994) and “Fight Club” (1999) as well as consumer culture and also the 20th century logician Kurt Gödel. The exhibition is curated by Jyoti Dhar and features the artist’s drawing as well as a site-specific work which consists of decomposing furniture.

Ralf Ziervogel (b.1975) is based in Berlin and has exhibited his art in galleries throughout the world. His work has recently been collected by the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

“In Decay” by Ralf Ziervogel will show at Carbon 12 Gallery from October 5th through November 20th.

On my recent visit to erbaluce, chef/owner Charles Draghi held court in his airy dining room, explaining an Italian red during one of his special wine dinners. Diners were captivated as they enjoyed Draghi’s well-executed, herb-infused Italian cuisine that’s influenced by his roots in Piedmont, Italy. And indeed, I was, too. The sunflower appetizer, on par in taste and texture to an artichoke heart, was one of the most unique dishes I’ve tasted. The gnocchi was sublime—and as with the sunflower, unlike any other rendition, with pork, lemon and herbs, not the usual tomato sauce or brown butter. Draghi, in fact, doesn’t use butter. Many of his sauces are made from vegetable and herb infusions, not butter or cream—certainly a rare and noteworthy technique. That’s what’s wonderful about erbaluce: it’s full of surprises not often encountered. It’s no wonder erbaluce won Best Pre-Theatre restaurant from The Improper Bostonian (July 2010). Chef Charles Draghi and his lovely partner Joan Johnson have set a stage in Boston’s Bay Village where the main players—ingredients, techniques and the passionate chef behind it all—have created an award-winning experience.

Haute Living: What’s new at erbaluce?
Chef Charles Draghi: Since I base every menu on the ingredients I find at the Farmers’ Market, and the catch that is brought to me by local fishermen, I am excited by the wealth of options offered to me at this time of year. The best of summer tomatoes, corn, peppers, peaches, etc. share the stalls with autumn squashes, parsnips, turnips, apples, and the like. It could be my favorite time of year for the gain of any of these ingredients, but there are a few that particularly get my chef’s passion going: one of those is Silver Queen corn. This is the incredibly sweet, creamy, and slightly salty white corn that few farmers grow anymore. But it is very worth the wait into mid-September to search for this delicacy. I’m making a risotto with the Silver Queen corn, roasted, and folded in with some roasted parsnips, aged pecorino cheese, and tarragon. Then I top the dish with some very thinly-sliced lardo, that I made from the fat back of a 200 pound organic Tamworth pig that I purchased from a small farm on the South Shore. The lardo has been cured in a traditional mixture of sea salt, rosemary, juniper, and pepperoncino. This is a very silky, opulent dish that tastes of the fields and sun.

What's become the signature dishes at erbaluce: rack of wild boar with wild concord grape mosto and lavender branches

HL: What are some of your favorite dishes at erbaluce?
CD: The roasted rack of wild boar with a mosto of wild Concord grapes fermented with lavender branches is my signature dish, and has been for the past 12 years (since the Marcuccio’s days). It is one of my favorites. I love the nutty-sweet taste of wild boar, which is actually from a feral animal, and not farm raised. It has a steak-like texture that is very satisfying, and a subtly haunting, primal flavor, that is unlike any other meat.

Whenever they are available—and I’m never sure just when that is—I love the razor clams that I get from the Cape. I cook them in a Trieste-style; steamed with white wine, green peppercorns, fennel, garlic, and thyme. I also add in some julienned leeks, and serve the clams and broth over toasted bread. The broth is intoxicating and spicy, but the briny flavor of the clams is never over powered. Razor clams are usually available around the time of a full moon and when there is a storm at sea, so the stars have to be aligned to get them. But they are always a huge hit with customers.

The braised sunflowers with herbed ricotta and a vinaigrette made with raisins, capers, lemon, olive oil, and summer herbs, has become a huge and unexpected hit with my regular customers. The flavor of sunflowers is somewhere between artichokes and sweet corn, in the ear near the cob. They have a very distinctive and earthy flavor that I love.

Native day-boat sole under a nest of peppers, basil, leeks, peppermint and lemon zest

HL: Where do you like to dine when you’re not working?
CD: Joan and I work seven days and nights per week, so we rarely go out to eat. When we do (usually taking a break from our work in the office on Mondays, when we’re closed for service,) we like to drop into a new restaurant called The Gallows for a quick bite. We know the chef and general manager, both of whom worked with us while they were under construction at their restaurant. Seth Morrison, the chef, is very talented and his food has a deceptive simplicity and cleanness to it that we really enjoy. He is evangelical about sourcing local and mostly organic ingredients. His use of herbs is subtle and layered, yet still pronounced. We also like to grab a few dishes—almost anything, really—from Myers & Chang. I love the boldness in spice and herbs that Joanne uses. She has absolutely no fear in her cooking, and her ingredients are impeccable and lovely. Toro is also a good spot, as is Coppa.

HL: What’s your ideal meal?
CD: If I had to have one for the rest of my life, it would be a beautifully roasted chicken, particularly with rosemary, lemon, and thyme. And I would add some nice soft cheese, like taleggio or epoisses, with very ripe pears or white nectarines for dessert. If I were to select a first course, it would be the woodsy, rich minestrone my cousins used to serve us every day in Piemonte. The minestrone was served to us for every lunch, and again to start every dinner, and I never tired of it. To this day, the smell of a good chicken broth with parmegiano reggiano is the single scent that I identify most with Italy.

Zuppa du Duca (the duke's soup) predates tiramisu. It's comprised of layers of brioche, honeyed custard and creme anglaise and sprinkled with black currants, rum and coffee-cinnamon syrup

HL: Where do you like to dine for a special occasion?
CD: I worked for 5 years at No.9 Park, and I still think that it is one of the very best restaurants in the city. But I rarely dine in a restaurant that I work in, or have worked in. I can’t say why, I just don’t. To me Troquet is the best restaurant in town in terms of food, which is all that really matters to me. I would dine there all the time, if I had the time and the resources. It is the closest thing to a New York fine dining experience that one can have in Boston. (The chef, Scott Hebert, used to work with Scott Bryan at Veritas.) Otherwise, IF it were practical, I would go on an annual dining safari to New York, and probably dine at least once each trip at Jean-Georges. I loved the food we were cooking many years ago at Restaurant Jean-Claude, in the Village. I hear it is still the same as it was, and very worth the trip.

HL: What do you love about Boston?
CD: For one, it’s the best sports town in the World…and there are parks everywhere you look. But I love that Boston is a big little town. There are all of the amenities of city living, but in a European village kind of way. I think it must be the most European-feeling of all American cities, and I love the fact that one can walk across the entire town in 15-20 minutes. There are movies, movie festivals, plays, play festivals, jazz clubs, jazz festivals, restaurants, and neighborhood restaurant festivals available throughout the year. All these festivals are in celebration of a very youthful city, whose population is half college students, who are full of optimistic vigor. And yet, it is one of the oldest cities in the country with grand old architecture and social traditions.

HL: What do you like to do on your days off?
CD: That’s a trick question, as I don’t take days off. I don’t believe in them for a restaurant owner and chef. In my other life, I am also a playwright, so if I had some time off, I would find a nice café, set up a stack of steno notebooks and sharpened pencils, and work on some of the plays that have been haunting my sleeping mind.

HL: Your favorite vacation destination?
CD: It’s been many years since I’ve taken one, and it will probably be after the remaining 9 years of our restaurant lease run out before I take one again, but I really enjoy the Cape—particularly the rich solitude of Truro at night, watching the moon shards sail along the surf. I also long and ache to return to the village of Salogni in the Alessandria hills of Piemonte. It has been a very long time since I’ve been there. I have dual citizenship, so if I get there some day, I may not return to the United States. I might just go up into the hills with some goats and make cheese in a hut. That would be a nice ending for me.

HL: What’s your most memorable meal?
CD: When I moved to Boston, in the mid-eighties, I worked as a line cook at L’Espalier. There were only two or three serious restaurants at that time: L’Espalier, Jasper’s, which had recently opened and had a menu of oysters with mignonette, steak frites, and lobster with butter. Jimmy Burke had Allegro going, and that was pretty much it for the Boston dining scene. (Lydia hadn’t come back to Boston yet to open Biba.) Many of the younger cooks (myself included, that’s how long ago this was!) were talking about this fantastic chef in a hotel downtown, whose name nobody could remember, or pronounce. It was said that he was Austrian and French (I later found out he was Alsatian.) The hotel was the Swissotel, the restaurant was the Le Marquis de Lafayette, and the chef was, of course, a very young Jean-Georges Vongerichten in his first gig in the United States. I received a gift certificate of $150 from my brother to dine in the restaurant, which I thought was extravagant, but actually covered less than half of my final bill. I had the 9 course tasting menu, and my girlfriend at the time opted for 3 selections from the a la carte menu. I’m so glad that she did. I remember all 12 dishes, plus the dessert cart, as if it were yesterday. That meal changed my life (a bad cliché, I know, but in this case very true). I went from being a jaded chef feeling stale in a profession that seemed to offer little change or interest beyond what I had already mastered, to a neophyte cook with a world of strange and mesmerizing culinary geography to explore. Endless tastes, textures, and techniques, all exotic, and all enticing were presented to me in that one meal. I was Charlie opening secret doors to wonderful wonders in the chocolate factory, and I didn’t want it to ever end—and it hasn’t.

HL: What are your five favorite ingredients?
CD: Not necessarily the core ones which are most essential to my food, but the ones I most enjoy and make menu allowances for:
1.) Saffron
2.) All fresh herbs, but particularly lavender and marjoram (no other herbs remind me so vividly of the roads and fields around Salogni).
3.) Honey
4.) Chocolate
5.) Joan, as my dining companion, without whom nothing else has any savor.

erbaluce is located at 69 Church St; 617-426-6969

To contact Tracey Ceurvels, visit her blog, The Busy Hedonist, or email her.

Intraceuticals is the choice skin care line for those who know what’s best for the epidermis. These luxury products are used by the best in the industry and are the leading brand for plastic surgeons, dermatologists, and estheticians as well as upscale resorts and hotels. Even celebrities are eager to speak accolades about Intraceuticals. Madonna and Eva Longoria Parker are known to be regular users of their products. Katy Perry was quoted as saying, “I use Intraceuticals oxygen skin treatment to hydrate my skin and give me that fresh, well slept glowing look before any performance or appearance.”  Even Justin Timberlake has weighed in saying, “It makes my skin look dope.”

Sports Club/LA-San Francisco is the most recent destination to start offering Intraceuticals premiere oxygen facials and products. The in-house spa treatments are a true pampering for any skin type. They offer four types of treatments; Rejuvanate, Atoxelene, Opulence, and Clarifty, all aimed to bring back youthful glow, clarity and cleanliness to the skin. The key to their spectacular results is their application process. The Intraceuticals serum is airbrushed onto the face, while hyperbaric oxygen technology delivers pressure to transport the product deep into the skin.

Intraceuticals’ Atoxelene product is a true wonder. It is used as a Botox alternative and is completely injection free. It utilizes the same pressurized oxygen method to deliver the muscle relaxing serum deep into the skin, which instantly visibly reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

The large line of Intraceuticals products is also available for purchase at the The Spa at Sports Club/LA-San Francisco. This includes their recently launched Daily Serum. This professional-grade at home treatment promises “instant hydration, tone and lift.”  With the combined effects of the deluxe Intraceuticals Infusions and the at-home products, one can easily achieve radiant and flawless skin.

For appointments for Intraceuticals Infusions at The Spa at Sports Club/LA-San Francisco, call 415.633.3990 or visit www.mpsportsclub.com/clubs/san-francisco/spa.php.To find the nearest clinic or retailer of Intraceuticals products, visit www.intraceuticals.com/treatment.html.


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Held in one form or another since 1898, the two-week Paris International Motor Show that kicks off this Saturday is nearly as old as the automobile, itself.  As the world’s oldest manufacturer-based auto exhibition, the Paris Show has witnessed the debut of many of the 20^th century’s greatest concept and production vehicles.  Held in alternating years with the Frankfurt Motor Show since the 70s, the Paris exhibition continues to hold sway as the season’s first major auto show, offering manufacturers a springboard to gauge public opinion and shape agendas for the following year.

This year promises to be no different, with several manufacturers presenting anxiously awaited production models and cutting-edge concepts.  Chief among such companies is Lotus, the esteemed British sports car outfit that has been owned by Malaysian automaker Proton since 1996.  Lotus recently leaked images of the concept car it will officially unveil this week, the Elite (picture above).  Though the car lifts the name of the curvaceous 60s 2-seater revered by marque enthusiasts, little else about the new car evokes the idea of retro.  Envisioned as an optional retractable hardtop capable of hybrid powertrain technology, the proposed Elite is a 2+2 seat coupe that in normal configuration would be powered by a 5 liter V-8 projected to produce 611 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque.  As the car is purely a concept, performance figures and technical specs are subject to drastic revision and are therefore largely moot, but Lotus hopes the car to be typically performance-oriented with a sprint of 3.5 to 3.7 seconds to reach 60 mph from standstill.

Given the company’s longstanding relationship with Toyota (the Japanese manufacturer has for years provided engines for the Elise and Evora that capably propel the lightweight sports cars), it is hardly surprising that talk has finally emerged regarding the implementation of hybrid technology into a Lotus.  But it would have been nice if Lotus’ design team had managed to come up with a body as scintillatingly sexy as the Elise or Evora, let alone something remotely worthy of the classic Elite nameplate.  Rather, with its wedge-hatchback configuration, the new car looks a bit like a Celica on steroids, in early photos at any rate.  Call me crazy, but a projected price of just under $182,000 should probably warrant a shape slightly more curvy and exotic looking.

Where exactly the new Elite would fit into Lotus’ model line-up also remains to be seen.  Tentatively scheduled for production in early 2014, the car might be positioned as a premium flagship (as its price would suggest), which would be a first for Lotus branding.  As a 2+2 seater, the Elite could also be primed to replace the Evora, though that is unlikely given that the Evora only entered production last year, and Lotus has typically kept models in production for many years.

The incomparable original:  a 1960 Lotus Elite (below) sits on the field of the 2010 Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance.

At the other end of the sports car spectrum, Ferrari will officially present the SA Aperta (pictured below), which is essentially the first production level open top version of the V-12 powered 599 GTB Fiorano.  An homage to design company Pininfarina’s 80^th birthday, the car is named for Sergio and Andrea Pininfarina, the son and grandson of founder Battista “Pinin” Farina.  Aperta, of course, is Italian for open.  The car is Ferrari’s first limited edition V-12 roadster since the 550 Barchetta of 2001, which similarly celebrated Pininfarina’s 70^th anniversary.

Though the powertrain of the SA Aperta is almost identical to recent 599 variants, the body has been revised to ride lower to the ground, and to feature rollbars requisite of a true open-top car (the only weather protection offered is a light softtop).  As is usually the case in roadster conversions, the chassis has been stiffened to retain the structural rigidity previously assured by a hardtop.  With a stated power output of 670 horsepower, the SA Aperta would seem to utilize the same retuned 5,999 cc motor found in the 599 GTO that debuted in April.  Only 80 SA Apertas will be produced, and all have already been sold.  For those who missed the boat, though, take heart.  History would suggest an even more exclusive tribute model will appear in another 10 years.

I have definitely washed my locks with every shampoo there is, coated my cuticle with every conditioner known to man, and then spritzed every mousse, spray gel and volumizer into my hair and never have I ever been able to lock it down and commit. Sadly, the perpetual bachelor and I are somewhat synonymous.

I find a new product, use it for about a month and quickly grow tired of it because it is too tacky, suffocating or no longer interest me. Ultimately, I have finally found the cure when it comes to my hair and I am totally head over heels for Moroccan Oil products. Let’s call it the Aston Martin of hair if you will.

My fixation started with the oil treatment, which strengthens and conditions, revives shine and reduces drying time. All three things I needed because I dye my hair, wash it and use styling tools daily, and have been trying to overcome the daunting task of growing it out; which until now I have not been able to overcome. As the months went on my hair started to shine, my dead ends became scarce and my hair grew along with my obsession.

Thus leading me to delve in deeper and give the shampoo and conditioner a whirl. I immediately fell in love and my daily shower experience has been changed forever. Every person who showers in my home is encouraged to use it and enjoy. Honestly, my sister loved it so much she could not get out of the shower fast enough to order it.

Moroccan Oil changes lives one follicle at a time. Let me know what you think. After all everyone has to have a little constant luxury in their life. Until next time my friends, visit www.raylenebartolacci.com. To health and wellness, salute.

Bing Grossman, Myron Grossman

On Wednesday, Sept. 15, the San Francisco Parks Trust hosted a celebration to raise funds for the city’s parks and recreation programs at Golden Gate Park. Supporters and friends along with honorary co-chairs including The Honorable Gavin C. Newsom, Gina Moscone, and The Honorable Yasumasa Nagamine celebrated the event with a stroll through the Japanese Tea Garden, an Asian themed buffet catered by Chef Dan McCall and dancing featuring DJ Spider.

Founded in 1971 by developer and philanthropist Walter Shorenstein, San Francisco Parks Trust, formerly Friends of Recreation & Parks, began as a volunteer organization with the mission being to support area parks. With many of the organizations earliest endeavors still going strong, including Golden Gate Park Tours, the San Francisco Parks Trust continues to meet success.

The Party for the Park charity benefit boasted more than 725 guests including members of 20 first families. On this charitable evening, more than $400,000 was raised in support of San Francisco Park programs.

To view more photos from Party for the Park, visit Haute Living’s Events Gallery.

Hone your culinary skills while learning some Italian recipes this Saturday when Nove Italiano’s Executive Chef Geno Bernardo serves up an intimate cooking class with 15 to 20 people at noon at the restaurant sitting atop the Palm’s Fantasy Tower. Taste of Nove features savory fall favorites designed to take you on a culinary adventure with a delectable four-course meal.

At the class, cooking enthusiasts will receive insider tips on how to prepare signature Italian dishes from Chef Bernardo. The class will finish with everyone sitting down to try each course paired with wine.

The afternoon starts with Sicilian onion soup, an Italian version of a classic French dish made with salt cod. Then learn how to make ricotta gnudi, delicious ricotta dumplings. Move on to European Branizo for the third course, followed by lamb chop Scottadito, a grilled lamb chop served with salsa verde and spinach. Once Chef Bernardo is finished showing you how to cook up this fall feast, sit down to a dinner with your freshly cooked cuisines.

The cost of each two-hour cooking class is $75 per person. Space is limited. For reservations, please call 702.942.6856.

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The cast of "Fantasy" poses in bikinis on the red carpet.

The cast of “Fantasy” at the Luxor celebrated the addition of vocalist Lorena Peril at its 11th anniversary and 2011 Swimsuit Calendar launch party last night. VIP guests received a sneak peak of the 2011 calendar as the ladies of “Fantasy” walked the red carpet alongside their calendar pages while modeling the season’s hottest swimwear. Local celebrities and entertainers also came out to show their support and walk the red carpet, including Criss Angel, Carrot Top, the performers in “Thunder From Down Under,” Anthony Cools, Nathan Burton, Recycled Percussion and cast members from “Menopause The Musical.”

Before the VIP performance, which revealed Peril’s vocals and 17 revamped scenes, producer Anita Mann announced the show’s partnership with Nevada Cancer Institute. A portion of calendar sales will benefit the organization. The City of Las Vegas also declared Sept. 28 “Fantasy Day,” with a proclamation presented by former Luxor president Felix Rappaport, who is now in charge of the Mirage.

Following the show, guests attended the VIP after party with the cast of “Fantasy.” Peril led in the ceremonial cutting of the cake, which included an over-the-top, custom-designed cake presented to the cast on behalf of Luxor. Guests enjoyed an array or hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and each received an autographed calendar and a behind-the-scenes making of the calendar video. Calendars are available for purchase at www.fantasyluxor.com.

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This red and gray Russian Railways train is mostly aimed at passengers with a taste for luxury — those who have money and particularly time. Just think about this experience: departing from Moscow’s Belarus railway station with 22 stations on your way, 53 hours later you will arrive in Nice. Now this service connecting the Russian capital with most prominent French destination will officially run on a regular basis. The train will make stops at Smolensk, Minsk and Brest in Belarus, Warsaw in Poland, Vienna and Innsbruck in Austria and at the Italian cities of Milano, Genoa and San-Remo.

It runs once a week run with fares ranging from 306 Euro for second-class travel to 1,200 Euro for travel in the most luxurious compartments. The luxury-class compartments feature a shower and mini-bar. The train also boasts two dining cars. They are furnished with soft carpets and reproductions of paintings by the French artist Matisse. Individual compartments have a second room and televisions to provide passengers with comfort over the 2,050-mile journey.

This rail voyage is nearly perfect for people who enjoy the experience of fine traveling rather than hurrying to their holiday destination by plane. Revolutionary as it might seems to Moscovites, this is actually a flashback route reminiscent of times when Russian aristocrats used to flock to the French Riviera. The Romanov family built a vacation home there way back in 1856. Ever since then, Russia has had tons of travelers that make the journey each year.

If you also feel like embarking, the next journey starts any nearest Thursday.

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Erika Kauffman

Haute Secrets Hawaii

Name: Erika Kauffman

The stats: Born in Kealakekua, Big Island

Why
 she
 loves 
Hawaii: The sunsets!

Former Miss Hawaii Erika Kauffman not only bears the looks of a beauty queen. She’s undeniably intelligent, ultra motivated and boasts impeccable style. Kauffman is the new unit publicist for the highly anticipated show, “Hawaii Five-0,” a PR expert and power-girl on the rise to mega success. Pre-“Hawaii Five-0” and the launch of her independent company, E-PR, Kauffman represented some of the most prestigious brands in the islands including Hotels and Resorts of Halekulani Corp., actor Daniel Dae Kim and the opening of his restaurant, the Counter. Kauffman also served as Hawaii’s official ambassador of Aloha in 1997. It’s safe to say that Miss Kauffman has haute style and some seriously haute secrets!

Check out Erika Kauffman’s favorite haute spots in Hawaii at Haute Secrets.