Andy Ricker, Pok Pok Wing
137 Rivington Street nr. Suffolk St.
This cool cat from Portland has brought his knowledge of Thailand to us and boy - how delicious it is! How 'bout those wings, New York? When we asked Andy Ricker how he likes to cool off in the warm summer months when he's not traveling to Southeast Asia and back and living a bi-coastal existence, his response was classic - "I like to fill my underwear with ice and watch March of the Penguins." While he luxuriates in his chilly panties, he enjoys snacking on Creamsicles. Brrrrr!
Scott James Teague, Demi Monde
90 Broad Street nr. Stone St.
This former Pegu Club barkeep is shaking things up in the Financial District, creating delicious cocktails and libations at the recently opened speakeasy/lounge/den of vice, Demi Monde. Close friends and patrons call him "Scotch" which is wildly apropos considering on the summer weekends, he can be found on the water in Connecticut "drinking iced cold beer and warm whiskey. The beer keeps me hydrated and the whiskey keeps me drunk." Spoken like a true man of his craft and another reason to trust anything he mixes up for us.
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| Photo: Evan Sung |
529 Hudson Street nr. 10th St.
This Chinese food aficionado and successful restauranteur can be seen gracefully turning down hundreds of foodie hopefuls every night that are trying to snag one of Red Farm's coveted forty seats. What he does to cool off between turning tables and organizing his seating chart on his high-powered iPad? "On hot summer evenings after getting home from work I like to sit on my screened-in porch and enjoy a rose-flavored jasmine iced tea."
130 Duane Street nr. Church St.
Chef Mehta, known for his South Asian fusion cooking at East Village's Graffiti and TriBeCa's Mehtaphor, there is usually nothing mild about his cooking - it's always robust in flavor and playful in nature. With the exotic spices and herbs, French technique and whimsical surroundings, Mehta brings it every time. When he's not heating up the kitchen (and our palates), he loves "slashing open a fresh coconut and gulping it down then scrapping the tender flesh." Even his cool-down method sounds enchanting - another reason we love him.
207 West 14th Street nr. Seventh Ave.
Medina has taken over sophisticated Latin cuisine in NYC with his Midtown staple Toloache, downtown Yerba Buena and Yerba Buena Perry and the new Upper East Side Toloache 82. When he's not overseeing his restaurant empire, he likes to "cool off with a nice Michelada - Dos XX beer, lime juice and hot sauce over ice - and a simple, cold shrimp ceviche." Another reason to love Medina - he's spicy even when he's not in the kitchen - Ole!
239 West 4th Street nr. Charles St.
If I could pick anywhere in the West Village to cool off, it would be in the cozy confines of Fedora. The perfect haunt for early evening or late night cocktails, you can usually find head barman and libation aficionado Brian Bartels sipping on a refreshing gin and tonic. "I never used to drink them but I went to Spain with Chef Mehdi [Brunet-Benkritly] and Gabriel [Stulman], the way they prepared gin and tonics brought a new found appreciation. In Spain, they use tongs to grab the ice and serve serve them in big Burgundy goblets. So badass." You can find Bartels mixing up the finest G&Ts around with Fever Tree gin, but he loves experimenting and "playing around" with different gins all the time. Love it!
21 East 16th Street nr. Broadway
Chef Quagliata is an expert of Italian cuisine that has built a name for himself as executive chef and partner at one of the most well-respected restaurants in New York. If you've savored one of his insanely delicious seasonal pasta dishes, you know it's a true culinary experience. When he's not dishing out lobster ravioli, roasted pork pappardelle and fried veal brains, he likes to cool off with one of nature's most refreshing treats. "I always have a watermelon halved and I scoop it out with a spoon like sorbet, right out of the fridge, standing with the door open.”
Oliver Gift, Lowcountry
142 West 10th Street nr. Greenwich Ave.
With an amazing pedigree as the former sous chef of Commerce and learning from Dan Barber at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, this chef is one to keep your eye on especially with the hearty Southern comfort food he is creating at Lowcountry in the West Village. He's created a menu filled with sophisticated Southern fare with a focus on seafood. When he's not throwing one of Lowcountry's summer lobster boils on Sunday and Monday, he likes to cool off at the driving range at Chelsea Piers while drinking home made sun tea lemonade. How does Chef Gift cool off when he gets out of the kitchen? "I hop on my bike after work and head to Chinatown for my favorite late night snack - beef chow fun & black bean sauce. I bring it back to my place and enjoy it from my fire escape, [watching] what the East Village has to offer at 3am." Sounds like a plan to us!
