The latest Thompson Hotel, Gild Hall, is officially in a soft-opening phase at $309 a night and a few days early at that too. But should you book there expecting a 60 Thompson or a Six Columbus-type of experience, most of the public spaces including the restaurant won't be open until March. A source tells us that a temporary front desk is up but there is no lobby so to speak.
We also got word on the hotel's restaurant which will come from famed chef Todd English. However, don't expect another Olive's (his restaurant inside the W Union Square as well as in other U.S. cities.) Our source says this will be a new creation from Todd English and will open no earlier than April 1.
Thompson Hotels is on fire this year (unlike 2006), even Ian Schrager has complemented Jason Pomeranc's hotelier skills. So there's little doubt Gild Hall will be a stinker. With rooms at flagship hotel 60 Thompson going for over $700 most nights, even a $400 room at a half-finished Gild Hall is a deal.
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes decided to bring their "Crazy in Love" show to Wynn Las Vegas's SW Steakhouse. Unfortunately for the Wynn, this may not be such good news as the two were seen doing some rather appalling behavior:
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, feeding each other and kissing throughout a birthday dinner for Cruise's mom Mary Lee Mapother at the Wynn Hotel's SW Steakhouse in Las Vegas. When the group (which included Cruise's kids Isabella and Connor) left the restaurant, a fellow diner approached the couple and asked, "You guys here for your wedding?" Cruise and Holmes just laughed.
For those who want more, ever reputable "news" outlet X17 has a video.
The SW gets nods for its star chef Eric Klein and his ability to fuse American steaks with the delicious flavors of Alsatian cuisine, a region of France influenced by nearby Germany and Luxembourg. Maybe in attempt to keep their Parisian proposal afloat, Tom and Katie were in the mood for French flavors.
Steve Wynn better be careful in how he treats this Scientology royal couple. If anything is done wrong, angry Scientologists could come after him a la Brad Grey at Paramount.
Want to taste some of Nobu's sushi delicacies when you head to London but can't really afford the Metropolitan Hotel prices?
There's a budget alternative for you at the St. Giles Hotel, where restaurant group Kobe Jones has opened a sushi outpost. Granted it's still a little pricey with dinner for two averaging about 100 pounds. And there's not much here that's innovative as far as sushi goes but restaurant reviewer, Fay Maschler of the Evening Standard, seemed to think it was passable even the overuse of sauce.
The apparently deliberate lack of precision in the presentation and liking for creamy sauces seems antithetical to the traditions of Japanese cuisine, but possibly appeals to those nervous of raw fish and restraint.
The only shocking thing about this place, named Kobe Jones, is that there's no mention of Kobe Beef on the menu anywhere.
Madonna continues her wacky touring hotel escapades by popping in on a wedding at a hotel in Rome.
Superstar Madonna surprised a bride and groom in Rome, Italy, over the weekend, when she interrupted their reception to congratulate the newlyweds.
British couple Imogen and Neil McCarthy were holding the wedding reception at the Hotel De Russie restaurant when they realized Madonna and her husband, Guy Ritchie, were also dining at the eatery.
After the DJ put Madonna's hit "Hung Up" on the turntable, the Material Girl decided to pay the happy pair a visit and wished them good luck for their future lives together."
The hotel restaurant we assume Madge and Guy ate at is the Le Jardin du Russie which features alfresco dining "in a tranquil oasis amidst the bustle of central Rome." The restaurant serves a gourmet Mediterranean cuisine created by Chef Nazzareno Menghini but presumably Madonna brings her own Kabbalah water.
The bar is described as a "playroom for adults," with a Far East theme, anchored by a gold sofa with metal-accented, Italian-imported tiled flooring that offers up a mosaic effect, glass beaded wallpaper, sari-inlaid tables inspired by noodle houses of Japan, and private "nooks" with coild drapery can easiy seat a few VIPs.
Despite the fancy decor, the real star of the bar is the sushi chef, Byung Kyu Park, aka BK, who stands behind the custom-designed and illuminated sushi bar. He flies all his sushi in from Japan, flavors his own soy sauce, and insists you let him order for you.
As far as the food, aria serves sushi day and night, with a lunch menu that offers up ancient noodle house fare. For dinner, choose from Thai chicken satay, tiger shrimp tempura, grey salt steamed edamame, Peking duck-maitake mushroom pot stickers, hoisin-sake glazed barbecue chicken wings and lobster avocado spring rolls.
But what we really care about is the drinks here. At aria, they serve sakes representing different regions of Japan, wines from Washington and Spain, Caribbean cocktails and more than 20 types of beers.
That should quench your thirst in the Chicago heat. But not that we think you should sample each one, we wouldn't want you to end up pulling a Hasselhoff or anything.
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by juliana
Want to taste some of Nobu's sushi delicacies when you head to London but can't really afford the Metropolitan Hotel prices?
Madonna continues her wacky touring hotel escapades by popping in on a wedding at a hotel in Rome.
