Pot Roast, Prosciutto, Potatoes, And Pashmina. - restaurant and boutique combinations - Review - restaurant reviews

Interview, Dec, 1999 by Brad Goldfarb

Whether your holiday of choice goes by the name of Kwanzaa, Chanukah, Christmas, or something else entirely, no tradition is more tied to the last month of the year than the bunion-building, imagination-taxing, credit-maxing one that has you sprinting from one end of town to the next in search of the perfect something for that special someone. So here's a tip on a somewhat less exalted though no less timehonored tradition: As you reach the point where you and your purchases will soon require separate taxis home, do what so many have done before you.... Sit down and eat. In New York, happily, this will most likely require traveling no further than the nearest escalator, as in the past several years many of the City's most seductive shopping spots have years begun to adopt a tradition typically associated with their dustier counterparts--the in-store restaurant. It's a food/fashion trend that's taken hold not just in Manhattan, but in Chicago (where Ralph Lauren has just opened a handsome new restaurant to accompany his recently completed flagship store there) and in L.A. (where Tommy Hilfiger has entered the retailer-cum-foodie fray). Here's the inside scoop on where to shop in New York City, when the proximity of your next meal is the only thing that can keep your holiday cheer as high as next month's Visa bill.

NICOLE'S AT NICOLE FARHI

10 East 60th Street (betw. Madison and 5th Ave.); 212-223-2288

One of the most eagerly anticipated store openings of the past year has been that of the much-delayed Nicole Farhi boutique, which at last opened its doors for business in late September. Though the smell of freshly stained wood still permeates the space, the store itself is already functioning like a seasoned local merchant, offering the same great mix of tailored clothing, knitwear, and household items that has made the London flagship such a destination. Like its English counterpart, Farhi features an ambitious restaurant operation which, far from being an afterthought tucked away in some dark corner of the establishment, has been allocated the lion's share of the shop's lower level. It's a basement space, but one that allows natural light from the large ground-floor windows to reach its subterranean recesses, leaving it both airy and light-filled. This, together with the well-lit open kitchen gives the space a clean, contemporary vibe. It's a sensibility evident in the cooking as well. While ingredients such as clabbered cream or offerings such as monkfish and chips suggest a traditional British sensibility, the finished product reveals an altogether lighter approach--streamlined, but English nonetheless. So while many of Nicole's best items--the baby-leek salad with lightly fried prosciutto, the antipasto plate, the various pastas and risottos, the roasted chicken--sound international, their preparation suggest an English hand in the kitchen (in fact, executive chef Annie Wayte came over from the Nicole's in London). If lunchtime crowds are any indication, it's an approach that's struck a chord. And while evenings have been a little quieter to date, with the shopping season now upon us, and with Nicole's dining room conveniently situated within pointing distance of the store's enticing home department, that's sure to change. Now if only the restaurant's wait staff were equipped to ring up a few purchases, you could have just found a way to take the entire season sitting down.

ARMANI CAFE AT EMPORIO ARMANI

601 Madison Avenue (betw. 57th and 58th Streets); 212-715-0500

It should come as no surprise that the man who revolutionized the homely business suit nearly twenty-five years ago would also be among the first to tap into the potential of creating a uniquely modern version of the in-store restaurant. Just as Giorgio Armani's structureless sportcoat bears little resemblance to the clothes we typically associate with all those multilevel, grande-dame department stores, a meal at the first Armani Cafe had little in common with the sort of dining experience you might have had, say, at Marshall Field's Oak Room in Chicago, or at Wanamaker's in Philadelphia. The Armani Cafe in New York City is no exception. Recently given a new home on the sixth floor of Emporio Armani, the Cafe now benefits from a sleek, light-filled perch above Madison Avenue, and a broad terrace with outdoor dining during the warmer months (which often means Manhattan at Christmastime). Like the racks of clothes on the floors below, it's a stylish, casual space, one in which every visual decision has been made with care and for a purpose. What hasn't changed is the Cafe's solid cooking. Featuring classic northern Italian items, the menu at Armani focuses on salads, pastas, and other specialties of the region. It's fast, simple food, but filling, satisfying, and often just the thing you're after when spending a day that's anything but. Spent too much on that cashmere sweater for your boyfriend? Soothe your nerves with the Cafe's creamy buffalo mozzarella and feasted peppers. Can't find the right gift for your parents? Console yourself with the lasagna bolognese or one of the other feel-better pasta specials. From light dishes like carpaccio or bruschetta to heavier ones like the daily frittata, the panini, or desserts such as tiramisu or flourless chocolate cake, Armani Cafe offers the kind of food that may not send you rushing downstairs to try on swimsuits, but will leave you feeling well taken care of. And at this time of year, isn't that all anyone really wants?