(Chef's for the Emperor's Banquet)

In September 25th, The Emperor’s Banquet was held at  Chelsea Pier 60 as the culmination of a global competition of the finest chefs of Chinese Cuisine from around the world.

A lavish Ten course feast was served including a combination of the finest of Imperial China and the delicious delectables of 21^st century America.

Over forty top chefs, from numerous countries competed for two days in the heart of Times Square and   the winning chefs, in five distinctive regional cuisines, prepared the banquet’s extraordinary meal.

(Art Benvenuto, Anne Akers, Kerry Kennedy, Gail Rachlin, Dr. Jingduan Yang, Kean Wong)

Hosted by Food Networks star Marc Summers, the banquet also featured a Han Couture fashion show where beautiful Chinese models in 500 year old exquisite dresses wowed the crowd. A performance by violinist Corin Lee earned a standing ovation from the audience while swordplay master Long Fei, had a few fluttering hearts as he demonstrated some might sword slashing A special presentation during the evening was made to Kerry Kennedy, President of The RFK Center for Justice & Human Rights with the mission of advancing human rights.

Han Couture

In addiation to the fest, guests enjoyed an Emperor’s Vodka ice luge, Atlantico Rum Mojitos,  Villa Magnolia sponsored by Domodimonti Wines and Black River Caviar.

Notable attedees included . Patrick Harvey and Catherine Saxton, co-chairs of the event, Zhong Lee, chairman of NTD,Samuel Zhou, VP of PR and Development, Pia Maria and Stephen Norris, Bob and Paula Butler, Dick and Donna Soloway, Ava Roosevelt, Jane Holzer, Tim Gannon and Jamie Figg.

Its Ofiicial. Five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant and Italy’s Virtus Bologna basketball team have reached a verbal agreement allowing the LA Laker to play for the team during the NBA lockout.

According to the Associated Press, Virtus president Claudio Sabatini said the deal is “95 percent done” and that both sides came to an amicable decision, which includes a $3 million dollar contract for the first 40 days of the Italian league season.

Rumor has it, Virtus Bologna offered the 33-year-old a one-season contract worth $6.7 million just last week. The multi-million dollar contract offer is said to be the team’s fourth contract proposal.

Source: Huffington Post

EVENT: Gen Art 19th Annual Fresh Faces in Fashion Show

DATE: Saturday, October 22, 2011

PLACE: Vibiana, 214 South Main Street, Los Angeles, CA

TIME: 6pm

ADMISSION: $60 to $85 to be purchased at genart.org

Save the Date. On Saturday, October 22, 2011, Gen Art Presents its 19th Annual Fresh Faces in Fashion Show in Los Angeles.

Gen Art is pleased to announce the designer line-up as well as its new on-going partnership with Moroccanoil. Guests will indulge in a cocktail reception featuring four accessory designers followed by a fashion show and runway debut for seven of L.A.’s hautest ready-to-wear designers.

Hosted by actress and co-founder of My Fashion Database (MYFDB.com) Zoe Zaldana, Fresh Faces will feature women’s ready-to-wear designers 71 STANTON, Dear Creatures, Funktional, ODYLYNE, and Stand and Deliver; swimwear designer, We Are Handsome and menswear designer CHAMBERS. Fresh Faces will also feature accessory designers IMAN TOLOUI, Plomo, Sticks & Stones and TOMTOM will be showcased in an installation format.

Joining Moroccanoil are lead partners smart, Jet Blue, NewBeauty and MyFDB.com.

Source: Gen Art Organization

Those who have a taste for Tequila and Mexican food can look forward to the opening of Copita, a new Mexican restaurant and Tequila bar set to open in the spring in Sausalito.

Larry Mindel of Poggio and Il Fornaio and San Francisco cookbook author, teacher and TV personality Joanne Weir have joined forces to turn their common passion for Tequila into a new restaurant. Copita will open at 739 Bridgeway in Sausalito in the spring.

For Weir, the opening will mark her return to the restaurant world, which she worked in from 1985 to 1990 at Chez Panisse. Since then she has written 17 cookbooks and has been on public television for 11 years. Weir said, “I’ve always toyed with the idea of getting back into restaurants. I’ve thought about it and been looking for the right person to do it with.” Mindel echoes the sentiment and says he wouldn’t do it if Weir weren’t on board.

Weir will be in charge of the culinary side of Copita though the duo will be hiring a chef. The cuisine will be Mexican, however since it will be located in the Bay Area, it will be driven by market produce and a local sensibility. The space itself is a long and narrow location with room for around 50 seats inside and an additional 12 or so outside. Anthony Fish will do the design and plans indicate there will be a Tequila tasting table included.

Source: San Francisco Gate

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Patrick Perrin and Stéphane Custot are pleased to announce the final selection of participants for the fifth edition of the Pavilion of Art & Design London. Bringing together an incredible set of 60 galleries from 11 countries to its prime location on Berkeley Square, PAD London 2011 promises to be the strongest edition of the fair since its inception in 2007. A rigorous selection process introduces to London the best dealers from Europe and North America within the fields of Modern Art, Design, Decorative Arts, Photography and Tribal Art from 1860 to today.

PAD London precedes PAD New York, which will launch in November at the Park Avenue Armory to coincide with New York’s fall Impressionist and Contemporary auctions. With four successful years of the London fair and the revered reputation of its Parisian counterpart, Pavillon des Arts et du Design Paris now in its 15th year, PAD New York aims to build on this distinguished heritage to present a third collection of Modern Art, Design, Decorative Arts, Photography, Jewellery and Tribal Art.

For further information on the fair, please visit www.padlondon.net

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What more soothing for a lazy afternoon than a get to together with friends over tea and crumpets? Dubai may not have the dreary winter weather common of cities in Europe and North America, but you can still enjoy a nice cup of tea in welcoming and luxurious atmosphere. Visit the following top five tea parlors in Dubai for your tea and crumpets.

This week, the Coral Gables City Commission gave the operators of the Biltmore Hotel a final opportunity to pay back $5.5 million in rent and golf management fees before the commission declares the hotel in default on its 99-year lease of the taxpayer-owned property.

Mayor James Cason said, “We are giving them one last chance to come up with a plan that protects the city taxpayers’ interests or we would have to declare a default.”

The commissioners will make their final call on the issue by October 24. The issue at hand is how much rent the operator should pay in light of the economic downturn and high maintenance costs at the historic hotel. Twenty-eight months go, the Biltmore reportedly first told city officials it would stop paying its rent, which is equivalent to 3.5% of the hotel’s gross revenues.

Seaway Corp., the hotel operator, said most of the delay is due to the city. Allegedly the city waited 20 months for accounting studies before coming to the negotiating table in early 2011. However, after last-minute deal-making that took place early this week, the city of Coral Gables and Seaway kept negotiations alive. If possible, both sdes will head to mediation to work out a final deal and the process is expected to be finalized before October 24.

Seaway has agreed to allow Great American Life, which holds the mortgage on the property, to participate in the mediation. In addition, they have offered a $151,648 base rent payment for the fourth quarter of 2011. Howard Berlin, an attorney for Seaway, indicated to commissioners that they prefer mediation to alternatives.

“The Biltmore is 100 percent committed to resolving this issue. To declare a default would be unconscionable and legal gamesmanship. We are very sorry we are at this point,” he said.

The Biltmore opened in 1926 and survived the 1926 hurricane, Merrick’s 1929 bankruptcy and the Great Depression. During World War II, the hotel was an army hospital and for 20 years a Veterans Administration outpost which subsequently closed in 1968. The property was deeded to the city in 1973 in a move to save the nation’s historic landmarks. The Biltmore then re-opened in 1986 and is known to host a slew of presidents.

Source: Sun Sentinel

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Grey Goose Vodka, Design Miami and DACRA present F*CK CANCER: The Ty Bassett Benefit Bash, tonight, September 30, 2011 at The Moore Building in Miami’s Design District.

The event, which will run from 6pm-10pm will raise funds to benefit Design Miami’s own Ty Bassett in his battle against cancer. While Bassett may have lost his right leg to a very rare stage IV Cancer, we’re coming together to make sure he keeps his life.

Grey Goose cocktails, passed hors d’oeuvres and live entertainment will set the tone as Ty supporters help get him to Texas-based MD Anderson Cancer Center where he will receive the world class treatment he deserves.

Tickets can be purchased for $25 pre-sale or $30 at the door.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.FCancerTy.org

While many celebrities prefer to keep their private lives out of the public eye, late night talk show host Jay Leno enjoys sharing his personal passion for exotic cars with the world. Haute Living takes a look at some of the vehicles in Leno’s personal collection.

Jay Leno has a fleet of exclusive and limited edition cars that amounts to over 100 and growing. He also has a collection of motorbikes that is already over 90. Leno, a self-proclaimed car enthusiast, rose to fame in 1992 as a late night comedian but his affinity for cars began when he worked his first job with Ford Dealership in 1967. To take care of all of his cars, Leno has four “nannies” who look over the vehicles, which are housed in a three football-field size warehouses.

When Leno first arrived in California, his first car was the classic 1955 Buick Roadmaster. Now, he owns approximately 29 classic cars including the 1959 Fiat Millecento, 1941 Plymouth Special Deluxe Business Coupe, 1966 Ford Galaxie, 1966 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa, 1966 NSU Spider, 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe. He was also recently spotted driving a 1929 Bentley Six Speed.

For Antique cars, Leno owns about 15 including a 1929 DuPont Le Mans Speedster, the 1937 Cord 812 Westchester and three vintage Mercedes produced in the 1930s which were never seen before.

Though Leno’s Classic and Antique collections are certainly impressive, he owns the most number of Supercars including a Lamborghini LP700 Aventador in dark blue. He also recently purchased a 2011 Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 V-10 FSI Quattro. Leno is one of ten owners of the exclusive Bertone Mantide.

Source: Luxury Launches

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In a hot climate like Dubai most of us easily succumb to the soft, creamy and cold sensation of sweet ice cream. A quick remedy for heat exhaustion as well as an instant sugar high, the delicious treat is growing in popularity in Gulf with Italian gelato in particular preference. When you’re in need of an ice cream fix turn to these Dubai favorites.