This post may as well be written as a recipe for a do-it-yourself luxury sandwich.
An incredibly simple invention from French chef Michel Rostang, who names this dish “LE “SANDWICH” TIEDE A LA TRUFFE FRAÎCHE” – I think it means ‘The Truffle Sandwich’?
Michel Rostang is a two-star chef based in Paris. His two daughters are also in the restaurant business with him, and have been featured in numerous culinary magazines.
Rostang’s restaurants are renowned not only for the rich and gourmet flavor yet also for the decadent interiors which reflect an impeccable eye for artistic appreciation. Both Michel and his wife Marie enjoy collecting beautiful art objects and displaying them throughout their restaurants. Their restaurants are some of the most popular in Paris, France.
Designed by modernist architect Ray Kappe, the Gould-LaFetra House in Brentwood, L.A., was part of a ‘sensitive restoration’ project by owner and film producer Michael LaFetra. With a theme of glass and wood, the three-story home features panoramic views and a newly installed infinity pool.
Originally an estate from the 1960s, the home now features a modern kitchen, rooftop deck, and two fireplaces. The interior is a reflection of the architect’s modernist style, with neutral colors and simple, organic lines. Plenty of warmth is added with woods of teak, redwood, mahogany and Douglas fir.
Views include the Pacific Ocean, Santa Catalina Island, Long Beach and beyond. The master bedroom is located on the second floor, and gives a feeling of sleeping amongst the trees. There are three bedrooms in total, with wooden built-in furniture and shelves.
Whether as a classic piece of 1960s architecture, a modern minimalist refurbishment, or a futuristic embrace of nature into domesticity, this home is simply spectacular. The views are so awesome, they may even be mistaken for huge wall murals as it is hard to believe that the beauty is this real.
(Above: generated image of what to expect from the new Kiton boutique at Saks Fifth Avenue)
Saks Fifth Avenue will be unveiling an impressively luxurious Kiton boutique in the New York department store by February 26. The boutique has marble flooring and views of the Rockefeller Center ice-skating rink.
President and chief merchandising officer for Saks, Ronald L. Frasch, is certain that the man who’s willing to spend $7,000 on a suit is still out there. Quit logical, I suppose, since $7,000 seems quite a bargain compared to the $21,025 for a made-to-order version.
“At the end of the day the customer is searching for value. And value isn’t just in the price,” said Saks senior vice president and general merchandise manager for men’s wear and home furnishings, Tom Ott.
Kiton is one of the most exclusive suit makers in the world, with 330 skilled tailors who hand create each garment. Supposedly the suits will “fit like a second skin,” and be able to completely de-wrinkle even after being crushed into the crevice of an airplane seat after a long journey.
(Above-top-left: Tiffany giftbox; top-right: Clive Christian Imperial Majesty; bottom: Halcyon Jet Citation Mustang exterior and interior)
Halcyon Jets is offering its cusomters a $1.5 million exclusive Valentines’ Day giftpack offer to add to the cost of their Valentines’ Day flight packages. The giftpack for the special someone, called the ‘Dream Date’ package, includes: a $1.25 million Tiffany’s emerald and diamond necklace; a $215,000 bottle of the world’s most expensive perfume, Clive Christian’s Imperial Majesty; a bottle of vintage Krug champagne, Noka chocolates, and a set of Louis Vuitton monogramed luggage.
Passengers on the Dream Date will also have personal concierge service and the most luxurious dining and entertainment experiences available in the skies. And, I repeat, it’s $1.5 million on top of the cost of the flight itself.
At $1.5 million it’s actually a lowered-budget gift offer this year compared to Halcyon’s previous $5 million charter card offer during Christmas last year. Apparently the card didn’t actually sell, and predictions are that this Dream Date offer won’t either. Halcyon Jets, however, continue to declare such extravagant possibilities to show the world their position as a luxury aircraft with plenty of flexibility and exclusivity.
(Above-left to right: Cutting the ribbon of another Henry ford project; Gerard van Grinsven, President and CEO of Henry Ford West Bloomfield standing in front of current construction; Nancy Schlichting, President and CEO of Henry Ford Health Systems in one of the new rooms)
“I think in a hospital people should get better service even than in a five-star hotel because they’re worried,” said Gerard van Grinsven, President and CEO of Henry Ford West Bloomfield. “They’re concerned, they don’t know what’s going on. They don’t know what impact it will have on their jobs, their lives, their families.”
Such was the motivation behind the $360 million project that will be the Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital in Oakland County, due to open next month. The hospital interior has been designed with Feng Shui principles, luxurious and warm furnishings, and the comforts don’t even stop there.
Each of the starting 192 beds in their own private, sound-deadened rooms will have flat-screen TVs, wireless Web access, and serene views of a beautiful pond. The beds are expected to grow to 300 within two years, and 450 when necessary.
The hospital has also collaborated with upscale grocer Papa Joe’s of Rochester and Detroit restaurateur Matt Prentice to create organic, sustainable and tastey meals for its patients, staff and guests.
Possibly the greatest new feature of this hospital, however, is a 90-seat fully modernized kitchen auditorium which will host healthy cooking demonstrations in partnership with culinary students from nearby Schoolcraft College.
“What they’re trying to do, and I think they’re going to achieve, is a new way for hospitals to relate to patients and families, a new kind of work environment and a new way for that facility to relate to the community,” said Rick Wade, senior vice president of the American Hospital Association. “I think we in health care need to play a much more active role in educating and being those community centers, rather than being those typical, traditional hospitals.”
