48 Hour Window - Mikey DeTemple                                                          

As we count the days until our first dip at Ditch Plains, we thought we'd share this cool clip from our friend, professional surfer & filmmaker Mikey DeTemple. See you soon, Montauk!


 

Our friend Fiona Byrne recently launched her new website The Byrne Notice...a fashion, lifestyle and culture destination covering the latest in travel, beauty, food, nightlife, books, art and interiors. Slanted to the stylish downtown New Yorker, whether it be in geographic location or state of mind, the site is an evolution of the journey she's been on since arriving in New York from Ireland back in 2004.

Nothing defines personal evolution better than the objects and stories we collect through our travels. We paid a visit to Byrne's adorable Lower East Side apartment where she shared stories about some of her most valued treasures.

Read about them below and be sure to take a trip to http://byrnenotice.com/

MASTERS AT WORK                                                                                              

We took a trip to Mast Brothers Chocolate in Williamsburg to meet Rick & Mike Mast and catch a behind the scenes glimpse at how our super sweet Brooklyn neighbors hand craft some of the finest chocolate in the world. Check out the film, and next time you visit us in Brooklyn be sure to stop by their North 3rd Street location to sample treats in the tasting room and take a tour of the impressive factory. 

During our visit we discovered that the flavor doesn't just end up inside the wrappers - we loved the soundtrack the employees were so happily working away to so much we pleaded for our own playlist, and they graciously delivered this mouthwatering selection of tracks for us to share.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: ROBERT KULISEK                                                             

Our latest Artist Spotlight features photographer & Montauk regular Rob Kulisek. This collection of summery scenes has us dreaming about the good times ahead on this rainy NYC day. Kulisek's photographs are inspired by the 50's and 60's beach cultures that he grew up fascinated with, often blending photographic realism with elements of fiction and fantasy.

Kulisek is a self-taught photographer who has studied under artists Taryn Simon and Chris Gentile. He splits his time between NYC and Ocean City, NJ working on personal and commercial work. In 2010, Rob helped brand and launch the menswear line Baron-Wells and continues to create unique collaborations with them. Recent shows include work at Danzinger Projects, Nike Bowery Stadium, Saturdays Surf Shop and Saatchi & Saatchi. Kulisek is also the publisher of a small, bi-monthly newsprint magazine in South Jersey called The Sun By The Sea.

To see more of Kulisek's work visit http://robkulisek.com/

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: ABBEY DRUCKER                                                              

New York based photographer Abbey Drucker is the first to be featured in our photo series, a rotating collection highlighting artists who inspire us. Drucker showcases a keen eye for capturing elegant feminine silhouettes with a moody, often vintage feel in this selection of works from her studies of female nudes taken across the US and Mexico. 

Abbey Drucker studied at The School of Visual Arts and works in both art and commerce. Her fine art portraits have been exhibited in Paris, Stockholm, New York and Los Angeles.  Select Editorial and Advertising clients include Vogue, V magazine, Stila Cosmetics, Young & Rubicam and Saks Fifth Avenue. In 2010 Abbey was featured in the New York Times Best Seller "Teen Vogue Handbook" as one of the leading New faces in Fashion Photography. Drucker's celebrity subjects include Steve Buschemi, Zooey Deschanel, Emma Stone, and Britney Spears. 

ART BASEL: TIDES TURNED TRON

Of all the memorable moments from this year's Art Basel, one of the most innovative and imaginative exhibitions was right in our front yard. A spectacular 3D projection curated by Hyundai RE:MIX Labs transformed the iconic facade of King & Grove Tides into an 8,000 square foot canvas. With a score by Anamanaguchi and Tetris-esque 8-bit inspired visuals, watch here to see how RE:MIX lit up Ocean Drive.

RE:MIX LAB is a festival of art, music, fashion, technology, culture and design taking place in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami and Los Angeles. Learn more at http://www.remix-lab.com/.

As the temperature drops our appetites are rising in search of hearty Fall eats, so we asked our friend and self-professed culinary junkie Michael Shields to share his well-palated perspective on the best the city has to offer this season. Revisit an old favorite or discover something new, and find more from Michael on his blog, yourculinaryfix.com.

John Keats describes autumn as "a time of boundless fecundity, a time of mellow fruitfulness". Seeing as fecundity is defined as the intellectual productivity of a creative imagination I am buying into this statement fully. To New Yorkers autumn is characterized by crisp air, shorter days (longer nights!), and the return of your fall gear from the depths of the closet. Autumn is also the season of primary harvest...which begs the question: Now that we are all back in the city full time: Where do we eat? ??We got you...

Not only do we have you on some new must-hit spots that are either recently opened or on the cusp of opening, but we also want to take a look at some of the classic institutions that often get overshadowed as the masses flock to what's fresh out the box. Here are ten restaurants that will keep even the coldest of souls warm, full, and satisfied this season. The young, and the old, in perfect harmony:

AMERICAN NOVEAU

Fat Radish (Lower East Side): On a cool autumn eve the cozy exposed-brick dim lit interior of Fat Radish warms like a crackling fireplace (It's baffling to think the space used to be a Chinese sausage factory!). The consistency at Fat Radish astonishes, as the scotch egg, the bacon cheeseburger with duck fat fries, and the heritage chop for 2 deliver each and every time.

Grocery (Carrol Gardens): Smith Street is, and deservedly so, a culinary destination for food enthusiasts hailing from all five boroughs and beyond. This Fall is a perfect time to revisit, or become acquainted with, the restaurant that placed not just Smith Street but the entirety of Carrol Gardens on the Culinary Map. Husband and wife chef/owners Charlie and Sharon have been serving farm fresh meats and vegetables with finesse for well over a decade and through the years Grocery has easily remained one of the area's best restaurants. The slow-rendered duck breast is an absolute surefire must.

THE STEAKHOUSE

St. Anselm (Williamsburg): We already have love for Joe Carrol for blessing us with Fette Sau and Spuyten Duyvil, but that adoration just increased a hundred fold as he recently bestowed upon us an affordable and delicious steakhouse. The iceberg salad (dressed with warm bacon vinaigrette) is outstanding and the perfect way to start pretty much any meal, and for a main course St. Anselm has a saddle chop that gives Keen's mutton chop a run for it's money. Bold words, yet true.

Keen's Chophouse (Midtown): Perfectly foreshadowed above and we would be remiss not to mention one of the oldest and finest steakhouses our city offers. Keen's mutton chop is worth the trip alone but so is the King's cut of Prime Rib and the T-bone. 50,000 churchwarden clay-pipes line the ceiling of Keen's, many of which belonged to some names you may have heard before...like Teddy Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, and Albert Einstein.

THE TAQUERIA

Empellon (West Village): Many thought Alex Stupak didn't have the chops to cook Mexican food. Many were wrong. An array of tacos (lobster w/field corn, lamb barbacoa/fish tempura) go well with a tomato juice sangrita thickened with pomegranate and spiced with chipotle. The Wylie Dufresne inspired smoked cashew salsa is worth making a visit alone.

El Parador (Murray Hill): It is a refreshing coincidence that New York City's oldest Mexican restaurant is also one of it's best. On second thought that isn't really a coincidence at all. If you're the only restaurant in town that serves a spot-on authentic Mole Poblano, the National dish of Mexico, you are bound to stick around for a minute.

THE FROMAGERIE / BISTRO

Earl's Beer and Cheese (UES): Corey Cova has cooked at Ssam Bar, Morimoto, and even aboard a US Navy submarine. Now he is the master of all things cheese uptown, including two of the finest grilled cheeses on the planet, the NY State (pork belly, kimchi, fried egg) and the Calabro (dill pickles, miso mustard, and potato chips). And having Sixpoint Autumnation on tap (and in cans!) as well as Ithaca Cold Front appropriately prepares even the most stubborn summer enthusiast for the road ahead.?

Artisanal (Murray Hill): Terrance Brennan's brasserie was not one of, but THE first restaurant to dedicate itself to cheese. Anthony Bourdain has called Terrance a hero for "taking a chance on cheese" and for helping "create not just a market to sell cheese but an emerging sector dedicated to making cheese." The rest of the food hits as well, especially the Artisanal burger.

THE GASTROPUB

Allswell (Williamsburg): The news that Spotted Pig Alum Nate Smith recently opened a new restaurant in Williamsburg made us weak in the knees with excitement. The menu is a work in progress, as it is truly in its blossoming days, but the seasonal American dishes with British and European influence (of course!) that they are churning out already are incredible. The cardoon toast should start each and every meal at Allswell, and save room for the roasted lamb or shellfish stew.

The Spotted Pig (West Village): It is impossible to not include the mother of all New York City gastropubs in the conversation. This Ken Friedman production remains the standard in the field, and English chef April Bloomfield, Nate Smith's old boss, deserves each and every one of the accolades she compiles. If your mouth doesn't start to water when you hear the words Spotted Pig you haven't dug into Bloomfield's perfect burger. So do yourself the favor!

SUNDOWN AT THE SURF LODGE

If you've never experienced one of Montauk's spectacular sunsets, the deck at The Surf Lodge is the ultimate front row seat. Cheers to our friend Jamie for capturing the moment this weekend with this brilliant image. We'd love to see your favorite shots from Summer 2011, so send your pics to info@kingandgrove.com.

DON'T LET THE SOUNDS OF SUMMER FADE TOO SOON...

Anyone who's had a frolick on the dance floor at the Electric Eel will agree that DJ Chelsea Leyland's sets have become the soundtrack to summer. Now those familiar sounds that got you up off your barstool time and again are available in her exclusive playlist, a collection of what she calls "a little something from every era and genre". Download it here, and fret not if the memories have you wanting to slip back into that summer daze - Surf Lodge is still open all week through September 26, and Ruschmeyer's Thursday-Sunday until October 2.

KING & GROVE SUMMER 2011 - DJ CHELSEA LEYLAND : Download it here

HOT OFF THE PRESS: THE USUAL #2

After a rainy weekend spent indoors battling the threat of Hurricane Irene, we're all ready to head East for Labor Day weekend to enjoy what we all fear could be the last warm rays of Summer. Unfortunately, getting there often means fighting for a seat on the LIRR or enduring long lines of traffic on 27. Fear not, for our friends Yasha Walin and Emily Anderson have you covered on the reading material with The Usual #2, the second installment of their alternative guide to our beloved quaint escape, Montauk. Interviews with surf pioneer Tom Curren and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Rachel Chandler's photographic look at the babes of Ditch Plains, and many more treats from out east will have you looking and feeling like a local by the time you hit the Napeague Strip. Stop by some of our favorite spots in Manhattan like The Fat Radish, Tommy Guns, The Smile, Indochine, or Saturday's Surf to grab a copy before hitting the road.