PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Craig Sjodin
On tonight’s episode of ABC’s The Bachelorette, we are in Fiji and there will be overnights with the remaining men! Charity Lawson catches us up on what took place last week as well as what we can expect in tonight’s episode! She’s pleasead that Dotun, Joey and Xavier are here for her and have told her that they are falling in love with her as well.
We’re starting off with Dotun who we love his family and how generous they were with Charity. Joey acknowledges that his Hometowns with her didn’t end in the best way as she was crying when she left him. Xavier shares that his fear of committing to a person has been greatly reduced now that he has met her and he’s looking forward to continuing with her. Jesse Palmer sits down with Charity and lets her know that Fiji looks great on her and listens to her on how she has been feeling.
We also see that Aaron is on his way to go back to Fiji as he wants to be back with her and feels he needs to talk with her. We’re not surprised about this at all.
Xavier gets the first date and meets her on the beach. We learn that there are over 300 islands that comprise Fiji and their date will have them on an island on their own. They get to learn about the culture and ceremonial procedures of Fiji and they are both dressed in attire that is indicative of the people. They continue to talk after these activities since Charity is all about getting clarity from everyone tonight. They continue on with their date with dinner. Charity feels that she needs to truly understand Xavier’s views on having a life with her and how they will continue if engaged. After chatting, he lets her know that he was unfaithful in the past, but wanted to let her know. Whatever grace she was trying to give him, you can feel her retreat and she even gets up to think about it.
She reminds us that she dealt with this for 6 years with her ex and he explains that he did cheat multiple times with his ex 2 years into their relationship! Charity has such a level of grace that she continues to question to find out more. It’s a raw conversation and she continues to try to make paths that they can go forward - it’s painful to watch. She tells him that by having this card and to give it to him, she needs to know where he’s at. He says his heart is there, but his mind isn’t. She doesn’t give him the fantasy suite card and sends his home. It was a brutal watch, but Charity put herself first. We know that she’s shaken after this!
Joey’s date is next and he’s waiting for her in a lush landscape. She arrives with a dune buggy and they begin their date. Although the buggy ends up not working, they walk to the waterfall and she enjoys that they’re having a good time. Joey brings up that he knows his Hometown didn’t go as expected and she responds that although she had a great time as well as great conversations, it was talking with his uncle that gave her pause. Since he mentioned that Joey was not being his true self, she wanted to know what that meant. Joey explains that he was surprised that his uncle appeared at the tennis center and in an effort to make sure that she was comfortable and things went well, that got in the way of him being the way he would normally be. It seems that Charity accepts this answer and they continue to get closer.
Their date continues to dinner and they can continue to chat with one another so that they can know more about one another. He says he sometimes gets concerned that people fall in love with the idea of him where he has self-doubt and he’s not always confident and with great energy. He’s being very vulnerable with him about who he is and lets her know that he is falling in love with her. Charity loves hearing this from him and she says that she is in love with him. She presents him with the Fantasy Suites card and they take it. They have a great night and wake up together in the morning.
Dotun is getting ready to meet Charity. Their date is on the water as they make the most of a stunning day. Charity acknowledges that she doesn’t want to keep looking for what could be wrong with him - she’s just going to have a good time! They sit down and continue to chat and she compliments him on how she loved being with his family and how she loved praying with his mom. Dotun also shares that he didn’t really watch the show so he wasn’t aware what would happen at the end of it. But even when he found out, he was happy about it. While chatting with other viewers, they reminded us that he was nominated to be on the cast and signed on 2 weeks before the show started taping, so it’s totally possible that he didn’t know a lot about it. Just like we like the idea of her Joey, we have felt the same with Dotun.Their date continues to dinner and he says that he knows that their date is like a fairy tale. He lets her know that he is in love with her and she shares this with him as well! They continue onto their Fantasy Suites together. We see them waking up with one another and we know that they have a great connection.
Aaron arrives at the hotel asking for her at the front desk, but without a room number, they can’t disclose that information. He starts looking for her on the property and finds her by the pool. She is truly surprised that
Charity’s Gave Roses To | X
Charity sent home | Xavier,
Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
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PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Craig Sjodin
On tonight’s episode of ABC’s The Bachelorette, we are in Hometowns! It’s favorite part of the season and we can’t wait to see how the families react to Charity Lawson! She starts out with Aaron and his family in Houston. They all have a lovely meal with one another. Aaron’s mother enjoys talking with her and asks her, “would you marry him if he asks?” She says that she wouldn’t be able to say yes at this point. We know this as she has a strong connection, but over the past few weeks, it’s been a bit of a disconnect. He even tells her that although he hasn’t said love, he feels that they are on the path to continue to work on this.
They continue their date by heading out to the football field to have a few appetizers and drinks and they connect with one another. He lets her know that he is falling in love with her and gifts her a letterman’s jacket as well. She says that she feels like they are back on track.
Next, Joey and Charity are in Pennsylvania. They kick off their date by Joey teaching her how to play tennis. Uncle Joe swings by ready to play tennis and we learn that he is very close to his nephew. Apparently Uncle Joe was Joey’s coach in tennis and you can tell. Uncle Joe feels that something is off with Joey although he can’t put his finger on it.
She heads to his family and they give her a warm welcome. His sister pulls her aside to get to know more about her. She lets his sister know that she is falling in love with him. Uncle Joe lets her know that he thinks that she’s a nice girl, but he feels that Joey has a tendency to be what he feels others want him to be. She is confused as she feels he has always been authentic. Initially, she had planned on telling him that she was falling in love with him; however, she doesn’t. He feels something is off.
Xavier meets Charity in his hometown of Cleveland. She’s looking forward to seeing him, but she still feels that there are elements about him that remind her of her ex that didn’t make her a priority. He takes her to a yarn store to kick off his date and he introduces her to his knitting friends as they’re taking a class together. She feels more connected and they continue to talk over coffee. After their solo date, she meets his family. She has a great conversation with his sister and mother and it seems like she enjoys what she is hearing as she gets to see them through their eyes. When Xavier’s dad chats with him, we get to hear more about his process in terms of where he’s at with her.
For her final Hometown, she is in Fresno with Dotun and she looks forward to having time with him as well as meeting his family. His parents won’t be there as they got to Nigeria every year for 4-6 weeks. But even though the timing didn’t work out, she’ll still meet his brothers and sisters. She also meets his grandmother and just when they’re sitting down to eat, his parents arrive! She gets along with them and they end their date riding away in a classic car to a drive in movie theater to see elements of who they are prior to meeting.
All the Hometowns have finished and she catches up with Jesse Palmer. We always love how he’s like a big brother with the listening ear which really allows conversation to flow freely with him. She knows 2 people will be hurt tonight at the rose ceremony, she says that she will be 1 of the 2.
Jesse meets the men at a private air hanger and gets feedback from them to see how they feel about everything. Regardless, this has been a great group of guys (plus or minus others who have already been eliminated). She feels awful that the person who she sends home, won’t see it coming and she knows how that feels as it happened to her.
She gives a rose to Dotun and Xavier. Now it’s between Joey and Aaron! The final rose is given to Joey.
Charity’s Gave Roses To | Dotun, Joey, and Xavier.
Charity sent home | Aaron
Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
PHOTO CREDIT // CREATIVE DIRECTION Dominic Ciambrone | PHOTOGRAPHY Bryam Heredia | PHOTO COURTESY of SRGN Studios |
In this month’s issue, our front and back cover story is with Bravo's Top Chef Season 6 Winner, Titan Chef on Food Network's Bobby's Triple Threat, countless appearances as a judge on Beat Bobby Flay, Guy's Grocery Games, and trailblazing Chef/Restaurateur, Michael Voltaggio. We have been a fan of his since he appeared on Top Chef and we love seeing his passion for food, guest experience and hospitality as well as he continues to increase his brand and portfolio by working his brother, Chef Bryan Voltaggio as well as their partnerships with Live Nation and MGM Resorts. We wanted to know what he was working on now, the upcoming 2nd season of Bobby's Triple Threat and how he navigated the industry. We also caught up with Chef/Founder Philippe Massoud of ilili here in NY as well as its DC location.We have attended this Lebanese restaurant since 2008 and we have a number of dishes that we enjoy there. We wanted to know more about how he brought the cuisine of his home in Lebanon to NY and elevated it! He gave us his culinary story that is filled with passion, memories, and the need to continue storytelling with each guest that comes to his restaurant. He also talks about how he got into the industry as well as an the importance of connection through his food. We sat down with decorated Team USA Swimming Olympic Medalist, Nathan Adrian. We enjoyed watching him as he participated in the Summer Games of Beijing, London, and Rio. He talked about being a freestyle swimmer, having teammates that included: Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Matt Grever, Cal Dressel and more! He also told us what he has been up to since then as well as the importance of safe sun! When it comes to haircare, Chaz Dean, Hairstylist, Colorist, and Founder/Creator of WEN which is a hair system that revolutionized the industry by removing lather from your hair routine. He talked about how he became a hairstylist, how creating products became part of his role, the fundamentals of Chaz Dean Studio, and his line, WEN. If you have yet to watch Netflix's The Deepest Breath, we highly suggest that you do. In our conversation with its director, Laura McGann, she talked about creating this documentary that focuses on a world champion free diver and her safety diver. In this story we learn about the sport, the incredible kind of training that takes place when competing and participating in this sport, the beautiful locales around the world, and the relationship of these roles and this duo specifically. You can stream this now.
This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from DJ Mia Moretti which we have seen perform a number of times here in NY and EDM DJ's Kris Kross Amsterdam. This month's 9DRIP comes from Chaz Dean. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from FAST X's Jordana Brewster and The Bachelorette contestant, Jason Tartick. Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from Chef Michael Voltaggio, and EDM DJ/Producer John Newman.
Our monthly feature, The Art of the Snack shares a must-visit to Jiwa Singapura in Tyson’s Corner. This month’s Athleisure List comes from Ritz Carlton, Bacara Santa Barbara and Ichibantei. As always, we have our monthly roundups of some of our favorite finds.
Read the JUL ISSUE #91 of Athleisure Mag now.
This month we caught up with Sepideh Moafi who embodies her characters and really makes us see the world through her eyes and the storylines that they are involved in where it's thrillers such as USA's Falling Water, dramas that include HBO's The Deuce and Showtime's The L Word: Generation Q, and shows that look at our relationship with technology and who has the power to use them in our lives in her latest limited series, FX Class of '09!
You can currently binge the entire season of 8 episodes now on Hulu which looks at a group of FBI agents as we see them going through the academy in the past, in their present day in their career and in the future. We wanted to know more about how Sepideh came to being an actor, how she approaches her roles, and her thoughts on the paradigm between technology and humans intervention and those who decide how this is instituted.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize you wanted to be an actor?
SEPIDEH MOAFI: I think I was about 23. I graduated from San Francisco Conservatory of Music as a Vocal Performance major at 21 and had started my career as an opera singer. While opera was (and still is) my first passion and finding my voice as a singer completely changed my life, I was becoming more and more curious about theater and exploring the full potential of characters without having to worry about hitting that high C, for example. I enrolled in a straight acting class with Bobby Weinapple in San Francisco (he taught an acting for singers class that I had taken at the conservatory) and he said I had “it”, whatever “it” means. I decided to audition for some plays and started booking roles like Juliet in Romeo & Juliet and Luisa in The Fantasticks, so I decided to apply to grad school on a whim and ended up getting a full scholarship plus grants to UC Irvine’s MFA Acting program. So I went.
AM: I have been a fan of your work from Notorious, Falling Water, The Deuce, The L Word: Generation Q, and currently The Class of 09! You always play characters that are dynamic and continue to reveal themselves in various ways. What are you looking for when you decide that you want to play a character?
SM: Thank you for your kind words. I think the reasons for taking on a part have changed for me throughout the years. I was more character driven before, now I think I’m more story driven. At first I was just so eager to do anything I could get my hands on. I even loved getting to play characters who seemed pretty two dimensional on the page because that meant I got to find the things that many people may overlook or miss and bring all of the complexity and nuance and heart to these characters and make them feel like full, multi dimensional human beings. Taking on any character allows you to gain insight and empathy for a range of personality types — people that are similar to you, people who think completely different from you — you get to explore a variety of career paths and life choices that maybe you’ve never imagined before. Acting is a beautiful way to explore humanity and empathy, and I feel so lucky to be able to learn and grow so much from my work.
I fortunately haven’t had to deal with typecasting; most of the characters I’ve played both on stage and screen are completely different from one another and their racial backgrounds aren’t necessarily specified. I remember having a long conversation with Remi Aubuchon (24, Stargate Universe, Silo), the show runner for Falling Water after I got cast. He gave me the choice to change my character’s last name (Alex Simms) to an Iranian last name if I felt compelled. I thought about this deeply. Representation is so important, but I kept asking myself if it would be more impactful to change her name to say, Alex Mohammadi or keep it as Alex Simms. I spoke to friends who encouraged me to change the name to a Persian last name, but my mom's words echoed those in my gut. She said I should keep it as it because we need to be able to separate our judgements and assumptions about who a person is, their background and what they look like based on their name. So I kept her name Alex Simms.
Something that has changed is that the more political I’ve become and the more humanitarian work I’ve done throughout the last decade, the more important it has become for me to be part of projects that I feel align with my politics and core belief system. We need healthy, accurate stories and representation of women, the LGBTQIA+ community, people from the SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) region, and all marginalized communities but not with a superficial, checkbox approach to diversity. My face on screen makes a statement whether I like it or not, so I’d rather take control of that to make statements I can get behind. It’s important that whatever project I decide to do doesn’t play into toxic narratives about marginalized people and doesn’t veer from the kinds of stories and representation I want to support and think we need more of.
AM: How do you approach getting into character to bring their authenticity forward?
SM: I think different characters require diff kinds of preparation. For example, for Lauren McCauley in Black Bird, I spent a good two months doing research by reading, listening to podcasts, watching documentaries, reviewing documents from the real life case, speaking to various FBI agents on a regular basis, and reading the script every day. I quickly discovered that there’s no way in hell I could be an FBI agent in real life (I find it too difficult to control my emotions!), so the extensive research helped me acquire the confidence I needed to step into her shoes. Dennis Lehane’s (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, Bloodline) brilliant script gave me everything I needed to play her, the research just helped me gain the confidence I needed in order to embody her truthfully. For Gigi in The L Word: Generation Q, I did speak to a few of my real estate agent buddies to gain some insight into her day to day work life, but that was kind of the extent of the research. I think every character prep is different. I remember doing so much prep work for Niki in The Killing of Two Lovers but once I got to set with our director Robert Machoian (Mother Mother, Strong Enough, The Foundry) and opposite actors Clayne Crawford (CSI, 24, Graceland), Chris Coy (The Deuce, The Peripheral, Accused) and the kids, I felt like all that prep went out the window. One could argue the prep was there as my foundation but I honestly felt like I was in a trance for the entirety of that shoot. The energy on set was abundant and infectious; we were like animals in the jungle playing with abandon. No matter what, I always start with the words in the script and my gut response to them. From there, I identify the tone, the world in which the character lives (their socioeconomic status, their relationship to their ethnicity and background, their gender, etc.) and that usually informs what type of work and research is needed. My only goal is to give all of myself to every role. If by the end of a film or show or play there’s still something in the tank, I haven’t done my job.
AM: What drew you to want to be involved in Class of '09 and what do you think about the past, present and future format of the show?
SM: There are a number of reasons why I was drawn to this show. The character being able to explore the breadth of anyone’s life over the span of multiple decades is a fascinating, eye and heart opening endeavor. This character, Hour, specifically being from a family that had to flee Iran felt resonant to me and her constant grappling with the dilemma of identity and belonging. The themes of the show — exploring AI, technology, surveillance, the fragility of humanity, and this dance between security and liberty. And lastly the cast, I felt very lucky to be able to have this unique experience with some of my favorite actors and human beings. We formed life long bonds (we’re still constantly texting on our group text!)
AM: We've been watching this every week and really enjoy seeing how everyone is connected with one another and how they evolve over various periods of time. What are the takeaways that you want viewers to walk away with after watching this series?
SM: Class of ‘09 is a limited series so the story is contained within eight episodes. But I hope this encourages the audience to probe at these deeper questions around the nature of security, surveillance, and willingly or unwillingly living in a technocracy. Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers, said “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” We are seeing increasing manifestations of major technological companies abusing their power with impunity and stealing our identities for profit. We’ve seen fuller expressions of this abuse in countries like China, Russia, Israel. We must always remember that our elected officials work for us and we cannot forget that it is our job to hold our elected officials and these major corporations accountable so that we don’t continue on this fast track towards a surveillance state.
AM: Are there upcoming projects that you're working on that you would like to share that we should keep an eye out for?
SM: Yes! There’s a film coming out called I’ll Be Right There with Edie Falco (The Sopranos, Impeachment: American Crime Story, Avatar: the Way of Water), Jeannie Berlin (The Night Of, Succession, The Fablemans), and Bradley Whitford (The West Wing, The Handmaids Tale, Get Out). I actually had the chance to work with Edie on one of my first jobs after getting my MFA. I booked a guest star role on Nurse Jackie a couple of months out of school and I flipped out because Edie was one of the reasons I decided to pursue acting. I remember telling myself to wait until the end of the episode with her to confess how big of a fan I was. I lasted about three hours before I exploded into tears and gushed about how much I loved and admired her. I felt like I totally humiliated myself but she was (and still is) one of the most gracious, humble, down to earth actors I’ve ever met. I’m part of an HBO Max animated series called Scavengers Reign coming out later this year too. I’ve wanted to be part of an animated project my entire life so this was one of those moments where the kid in me couldn’t believe it. Aside from that, there are a couple of other projects I’m developing, but I start work on a film called Wild Berries which will actually be my first Persian language speaking film, opposite award-winning Iranian actor Shahab Hosseini (The Salesman, Residents of Nowhere, Nargesi). It’s pretty much a two-hander so I’m very excited to dive into this world with Shahab and our director Soudabeh Moradian (Polaris, The Amber Thief, In Between).
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 98 + 101 9LIST STORI3S, PG 128 + PG 131 FX/Class of 09
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see WHERE’S THE LINE | SEPIDEH MOAFI in mag.
One of our favorite series that we can't wait to see come back later this year for it's latest season is Netflix's Emily in Paris! We love the idea of leaving the US to work and live in Paris, navigating a job that you're great at but doing it in a place whose culture and customs are different than what you've grown up with!
When Emily Cooper (Lily Collins), comes to Paris she learns how to think on her feet in her personal and professional life and along the way we see how her colleagues interact with her. One of her Parisian co-workers is Julien, played by Samuel Arnold. We know that he too is a rising star who wants to make a name for himself and we see how he grows to accept Lily. We caught up with Samuel to find out how he approaches acting projects, Emily in Paris, the importance of hydration and his ambassadorship with Jovē.
ATHLEISURE MAG: You have worked in television and in film, what are you looking for when you're deciding on attaching yourself to a project/role?
SAMUEL ARNOLD: When starting a project I hope to be surrounded by passionate people who are in love with storytelling. I hope to be challenged by having to play a complex tri-dimensional character and I hope to have enough space to create and say what I have to say through my acting.
AM: Emily in Paris is an amazing show from the storyline to the fashion, and of course Paris, it's a binge-able treat. What drew you to the series?
SA: When I was asked to audition, I knew it was going to be something big when I heard Darren Star (Younger, Sex and the City series and movies, And Just Like That) and Lily Colins (90210, The Blind Side, Curb Your Enthusiasm) were the names attached to it. They are both the best at what they do and I want to work with people like that. And of course, I discovered Julien and I was dying to play this character after I read the script.
AM: Julien is such an interesting character that has been great to watch as he navigates his career and relationships with others. How do you approach playing him as he is that friend that you definitely want in your group of friends who will always keep it real with you?
SA: I have a very physical approach when it comes to playing Julien. Obviously I am enormously influenced by the wardrobe. It gives so much to the character, but also I found that dancing was working for me. So I’ve been dancing the character to life for three seasons now.
AM: We can't wait for the next season which will drop this year. What are you excited about that you can share with us?
SA: I’m like everyone else when it comes to season 4. I have no idea what they have in store for us and I quite like that. I trust Darren and the writers to create something exciting and amazing like they’ve been doing so far. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Julien.
AM: The cast of this show is incredible! What are some of your biggest takeaways from being part of this show?
SA: Meeting all those beautiful and talented human beings was the best thing that happened to me on this show. We’re like family now. And we see each other as much as we can in between shoots.
AM: At Athleisure Mag, we believe in hydration as it's essential! You are the first brand ambassador of Jovē, which was announced at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Why is hydration important to you and what is the synergy between you and the alkaline brand?
SA: I used to be a professional dancer, and now I’m an actor. So my body has always been my main instrument. And to keep that instrument healthy and ready to go, proper hydration is one of the top things you can do. This partnership with Jovē comes at a moment in my life where I'm getting back to the gym and getting into a more healthy diet, so Jovē has been the perfect companion for the actor that I am.
AM: What does Deep Hydration mean to you?
SA: Deep Hydration is not only about quenching your thirst but it’s about hydrating every single cell in your body. Not only do you feel better on the inside and out, but Jovē is clinically shown to support skin and cellular health, supporting healthy hair, skin, nails and bones.
AM: Jovē has launched their Let Your Skin Do The Talking campaign, which focuses on skin health. Can you tell me about this and what will you do to amplify that message?
SA: Jovē’s Let Your Skin Do The Talking™ campaign amplifies the voice of what healthy skin would ask for — deep hydration at the skin and cellular level. My goal as a Jovē ambassador is to amplify this message and introduce Jovē all over the world as I travel because a high-quality product like Jovē deserves international success.
AM: How important is your personal well-being/self-care to you and what do you do to achieve that?
SA: As an actor, my main instrument is my body and it made so much sense for me to partner with Jovē, who hydrates and supports my instrument in a healthy way. It feels good to promote something that you love and believe in.
AM: You're an ambassador of Or Bleue which focuses on providing drinkable water to underserved communities. Why is being involved in this organization so important to you?
SA: Water is such a basic need, it blows my mind that some people don’t have access to it. I have it on tap and it’s easy to take it for granted. I want to make the world a better place and for me, it starts with drinkable water for everyone.
AM: Are there upcoming projects that you have that we should keep an eye out for?
SA: I shot a movie last winter in Canada where I played a character very different from Julien. I can’t say more about it but keep an eye out for it.
IG @superssama
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 102 + 103 9LIST STORI3S Netflix/Emily in Paris | PG 107 Jovē |
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see HYDRATION IS KEY | SAMUEL ARNOLD in mag.
We're always looking for an extraordinary restaurant especially when we're able to combine an amazing menu, with a team, and also an experience, ambiance and a story that makes you want to come back and to continue to support it whether it's in your neighborhood or an area of town that you enjoy visiting!
We caught up with Chef Charlie Mitchell who is the Executive Chef/Partner of Clover Hill in Brooklyn and just won the Michelin 2022 NYC Young Chef Award Winner as well as is a James Beard Finalist 2023! These awards are amazing to be recognized for a life of dedication and focus. We wanted to find out about how he fell in love with food, decided to work in this field, his culinary journey, and how he continues to share his vision through Clover Hill. We also have the opportunity to chat about he approaches his culinary style as we get his chef insights which allows us to think about how the foods that we eat and the intentions behind the menus we enjoy.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with food?
CHEF CHARLIE MITCHELL: Um, I would say a long time ago when I was a kid to be honest. I tell this story all the time, but I just grew up around food and I grew up with a family that just cooked for any and every reason whether it was good or bad, you know what I mean? It wasn’t hard to fall in love with food when you saw it and were around it so much and to see how important it was to everybody.
AM: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to work in this industry and to be a chef?
CHEF CM: A chef, I would say somewhere in high school, you know. I just cooked. I think that I wasn’t the most career oriented kid to be honest in high school right? I think that I wasn’t even thinking about it until maybe I got to that Junior year in high school and you’re kind of like, “let me figure out what I want to do.” And I think that because I was getting older at that point – I wouldn’t say that I was cooking anything serious or anything, but I knew that it was something that I loved to do when I was not in class at school. So I thought that I could do this for a living. You know, I was watching a lot of Food Network.
AM: Oh yeah!
CHEF CM: Yeah, Food Network and stuff like that. I mean it sounds corny now but Iron Chef was that one show that I would just say, “wow, this looks like some serious cheffing,” you know what I mean? When I would watch that show, I would say, “yeah, I want to do something like that.” But I had no idea how to be a chef at that time.
AM: What was your culinary journey in kitchens that you trained in on the way to coming to Clover Hill?
CHEF CM: I mean, it wasn’t a very typical journey at times, there were times where it was a little rocky. My first 3 years of cooking, I would say my foundation was in Detroit. My first cheffing at my first restaurant that I worked in I would say is where I got the most training. It was a lot of hours, a lot of cooking, a lot of on the job training, a lot of raw cooking techniques and then I moved to NYC to try to work in more fine dining kitchens in a bigger market and that’s why I came here. And that’s what I got. I was working at places like Betony and Eleven Madison Park and even in DC for places like Bresca and Jônt, those were like the most refined jobs that I had and that kind of shaped the way that I knew how I wanted to go about my approach to food. I mean, it has been about 10 years this year now.
AM: How do you define your style of cooking?
CHEF CM: I’m not really sure, I’m still figuring that out. I always say that I think that it takes chefs 20 years to really define their cooking style for great chefs. I look at myself and I consider me to be halfway. So right now, my focus on my style of cooking is to focus on the ingredients that we are using. Sourcing great products, great ingredients, caring about whether what we’re using is sustainable or not, who is growing our vegetables, and then from there, I like to focus on some techniques that some people may consider to be old school or very raw techniques. I like to make sure that the food feels like you are being cooked for, you know what I’m saying? We still cook our proteins from raw and we make sure that all our sauces are actually, hot, we care about those things like a person would care more for if they were at home, than if they were in a restaurant. If I had to sum it up, I would say that my cooking style is right now, a little raw and there is a lot of intuitive cooking. I cook the way that I want to eat!
AM: Which is a good place to start!
CHEF CM: Yeah, exactly!
AM: Well, you’re the Executive Chef/Partner of Clover Hill in Brooklyn. How did this come about?
CHEF CM: Well actually, so, Clover Hill, I was intro’d to Clover Hill when they first opened in 2019 because the original chef was a friend of mine. So I was actually introduced to the restaurant because I was in a transition and he was opening his restaurant and they needed some hands, some kitchen help. So I was around part-time/full-time working there 4 days a week for him and the COVID happened. So that was my introduction to Clover Hill and then time goes by and when the ownership was looking to reopen it, ironically, I had just moved back to NYC and they - Clay Castillo just randomly texted me and asked me what I was up to. I was standing there with my now fiancé and I was like, “yo, the owners of Clover Hill just texted me out of nowhere.” She was like, “okay, see what’s up.” So, maybe it was a day later or a week later, but we had coffee and we saw that our visions just aligned. With me being somebody that was in transition and him obviously going through it with having to close his restaurant due to COVID, he was very inspired to not give up. That was his message and I was in the same place and kind of young and kind of hungry and we just decided that we would go for it. Honestly, it was a very organic situation where he was in this position, I was in this position, and we had to figure it out together and that’s what we decided to do.
AM: Tell us about Clover Hill, what can people expect in terms of the ambiance of the restaurant as well as the menu itself?
CHEF CM: I think that the goal of the ambiance is that Clay will say this, to feel like home. It's a very homey approach which I know that that sounds cliché sometimes, but we look at it that way from the environment to the hospitality. It’s not just the décor, it’s about how you’re treated when you’re there as well. It’s to try to strip away some of the pretentious stereotypes of fine dining. We want people to feel comfortable which is what we mean by that, to feel accepted, and to be at a place where you can vibe, you can laugh, you can talk as opposed to some fine dining restaurants where you’re so intimidated that when you walk in, you see that it’s so bright and the tablecloths are everywhere -
AM: Which fork am I using first?
CHEF CM: Right! And you’re worried about your outfit and stuff like that. So we want to strip all of that away and make it about the food, the wine, and the service. The food has evolved as our price point has evolved. But it has always been very seafood focused as well as vegetables – so seafood first, vegetables second. You’ll see a little bit of meat here and there, so that is the primary focus of the cuisine. As far as what it always is, we change the menu 4 times a year. We do complete menu overhauls, but I use the food as well as Clover Hill as a means to further my growth, the restaurants growth and the other cooks as well. The food changes menu to menu, but it’s always very rooted in seafood, vegetables, and flavors that you know people either love or hate – it’s very seasoned food. The idea of it also being at home too is that, this is something that we pride ourselves on. Food is something that makes you feel like someone cooked it for you. It needs to have a sense of nostalgia to it, and it needs to have a sense of warmth to the food in every dish. So if it’s not delicious and it doesn’t remind you of something, if it doesn’t kind of bring you back to a place – then it kind of doesn’t work. So that’s in the DNA of the food.
AM: Congratulations on being the 2022 Michelin Guide Young Chef Award Winner and the first Black Michelin chef in NY which blows our minds even moreso that you are only the second Black chef in the US to do this! Honestly, we kept double checking ourselves in prep for this interview with you because we were shocked that it has been so few, but there we are! What does it feel like to win this award and in terms of representation, being able to have this distinction for yourself as well as for the restaurant that you are at?
CHEF CM: Well winning the award, to be honest, the Young Chef Award I had only heard about a day or 2 before the awards. I had never heard about it before. And then when I won, it was a complete surprise! I was just humbled and honored, mainly because so many of my peers and chefs that I look up to were also standing in this room and seeing me at that moment, so I just felt like that was just fucking cool to be honest! I mean to have all of those chefs looking at me when I was on that stage, that was just cool! For the Michelin Star too, me and Clay, I mean the whole team, but for us and the ownership, it was just like, what they went through with COVID and then closing down and then where I was at at that time and then kind of being in a position where I wasn’t sure what my next move was going to be. Just to see us put the work in for that year and a half, that validation and that visibility pushes everything. It means that what we’re doing is working and that the right people were seeing us, so that was awesome!
For me as a Black chef, that was also like a cherry on top, you know what I mean? It’s not like you’re looking to be the first or second of anything, it just kind of happens. But for me, it was kind of learning how to embrace it. Chefs and Black chefs that are older than me are looking at me like, “man, we did it!” Chefs that are younger than me are like, “how can I do it?” I’m just trying to learn how to embrace it and to be a resource which I think is the most important. Maybe it’s not full blown conversations or full blown FaceTime sessions with chefs, but it’s just about being available and a resource for questions or encouragement or just being somebody that they can see doing it so that they can do it! I mean winning it is great, the representation is great, and I’m honored to be someone to represent us in any kind of capacity that is in a positive way!
AM: Exactly!
To follow that up, to be a James Beard Finalist, that’s another one of those things that is so much of an honor. What does it mean to you to have this distinction also in terms of the recognition?
CHEF CM: I mean, it was great! I think that any chef that takes themselves seriously on any level whether it’s casual, fine dining, food trucks, or whatever – you take it serious. You put in a lot of work that goes into it, a lot of hours goes into it, and I think that some people may look at the last year and a half/two years of my journey and say, “ oh, it’s been so great – how does it feel?” For me, it felt like, finally! I’ve been doing this for all this time –
AM: So long!
CHEF CM: Yeah and it’s just the beginning. Some people don’t realize how many hours and how much time you put into something. So it’s just nice to be validated in any capacity – here’s this kid that’s at this restaurant that’s doing something that’s cool and good, had a good product, and they’re happy that I’m doing it. It’s encouraging – it encourages me to keep going. It encourages me to keep working as hard as we do. So that’s what it means the most to me.
AM: What I really love on your Instagram is that you talk about a lot of things. You talk about menu development and a number of nuts and bolts topics in the kitchen. For our readers that don’t know, what is menu development, what does it involve, and why is it so important?
CHEF CM: Well it’s hard! The reason why I share it is because – it’s been a new thing that I have been wanting to share because I think that some people have a misconception about how easy it is. I think that for me and having a small team, it’s just me. So it’s not like, oh does this taste good? It’s like, is it part of the vision, is it a part of who we are, is it on brand, and does it fit within our ethos? If we go here, where do we go from here? To constantly challenge yourself and your own ideas, it’s hard, you know what I mean?
AM: We love that you share it though, because, when people are thinking of a chef, they think of the restaurant and that there are partners and staff, but they don’t think about the hours, 14 hour days and these little things that you’re putting together to make a full picture. I think it’s awesome that you show it!
CHEF CM: Yeah!
I think that menu development is even something that I am just learning. I look at chefs that have been doing this for years! I reach out to them for advice and to see how they go about it. I think that the most important part about it is to just be curious about what you do, to be curious about food, and to continue to learn about food. I think that the hardest part of it is to continue to challenge yourself. Whether it’s your own ideas or old techniques that you have done before, and to not be too attached to a notion like, “we’re going to always cook the fish this way.” There may be a better way and you’re just going to need to be open minded to the journey of exploring, you know?
AM: Well, it’s interesting that you had a post recently that it is important to you that all of your dishes fall into your core values of good eats. What do you mean by that and what are those core values?
CHEF CM: When I worked at Eleven Madison Park, like Daniel Humm was kind of known for having 4 or 5 things that a dish had to have to fit in these boxes, which they don’t have to have – but that’s what he liked to say. For me, I am developing my own things for myself. So what I mean by that is – is it possible for a dish to go out as intended which is important. Is it meant to be cold – can it go out cold, is it meant to always go out hot? Some dishes, which sounds simple, but there are other factors with those dishes that we have to figure out in fine dining where you would know that it is not executable at this level. So being intentional is very important. Obviously, being very delicious is the most important. Is it visually appealing, but not to sacrifice if it is delicious or intentional, right? From there it’s, how does it make somebody feel inside when they eat it? Is it too spicy or spicy enough? Is it warm? Is it nostalgia? Is it a little thought provoking? Does it draw their memory? Those are the kinds of things that I focus on the most right now.
AM: What is an average day like for you at Clover Hill?
CHEF CM: Well it has changed so much now, I think that life now versus the first 8 months are so different that I feel like I should tell the story of how it was in the beginning beginning! But right now, it’s different. The learning curve right now is for me to learn to be an Executive Chef. That’s also what I want people to realize is that I teach my cooks that each level is a different learning curve. You’re a line cook, you’re a CDP, you’re a sous chef, you’re an Executive Sous Chef, you’re a CDC Executive Chef right, so now I’m like learning how to fall back a little bit and care about other things that I don’t know about. So right now, my day to day is still 12-14 hours but less cooking, more guiding, more teaching, more meetings with the managers and the ownership. We’re looking at how are we pushing this restaurant forward as far as cleanliness, design, organization, new plateware, new development, menu costing – for lack of a better word – visionary things.
AM: Yeah dealing with nuts and bolts of the business.
CHEF CM: As opposed to last year, I had less staff, I didn’t have a sous chef at the time. I was just cooking and keeping my head down and now I’m in the mode of focusing and actually running this restaurant as opposed to just working in the restaurant. Usually, the cooks' days start around 10 or 11am and they work until around midnight. My day starts around the same time and I work until around midnight/1am and then I do it all over again. The cooks right now, everyone on the staff, they work 4 days a week. I work a 5 day shift, they work a 4 day shift. I think that that’s a way that we try to give them a better live/work balance. Like you may work 4 long days, but you have 3 days off.
AM: Which is nice.
CHEF CM: Yeah it’s nice because it keeps you in that 40-50/hour range instead of that 60-70 hour range. So that’s what we’re trying to do right now. I know how mentally taxing that this job can be and I just want them to be able to be there when they are at work and to do the things that I need them to do. Then, they have enough time that they will be able to do what they need to do when they’re not here.
AM: After a night at work, what’s a meal that you like to cook for yourself when you’re at home?
CHEF CM: Nothing haha, I order takeout. To be honest, I’m a better eater at home now because I have Michelle to help me out without. I’m very simple. I like to eat very light at the end of the night for the most part. Just because, you’re about to go to sleep. So something like a protein, rice, and vegetables are my favorite things to eat.
AM: What are your go-to ingredients or spices that you always have in your pantry at home that are so versatile for you to make a number of dishes when you do decide to cook at home.
CHEF CM: Butter, garlic, and lemon. That can make anything taste good and then a cabinet full of spices. Anything from salt and pepper to curry spices, paprika, cayenne pepper, and all of that kind of stuff. But if you have butter, garlic, and lemon you can make anything taste good.
AM: When you’re not in the kitchen and you have time off, how do you take time for yourself in terms of self-care?
CHEF CM: Traditionally, I try to be as active as I can. I try to run, I try to workout. It also depends because sometimes the work week can get crazy and then I try to relax, spend time with mainly just me and Michelle hanging out all of the time to be honest. We just have to figure out days where we can sit on the couch for 8 hours. But in a perfect world, if I can just work out, recharge and watch some TV or something that’s great. As opposed to before where it was all about food 24/7. On the weekends, it was all about cookbooks and then I would go back to work. But now, I try to pull back from it all sometimes to just relax.
AM: That shows maturity where you give that balance to yourself just like you do to your chefs that you give 3 days off!
Do you have any upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for. I know that last year, you were part of Chef Kwame Onwuachi’s Family Reunion which must have been an amazing time. Will you be doing any other events like that this year?
CHEF CM: Um, I don’t know. Hopefully. I think that the Family Reunion one we missed out on this year because we just didn't have time for it on the schedule this year. I know that we’re doing some charity events in October, we’re doing this Michelin event in Sept called Euphoria which will be pretty cool. Besides that we’re keeping it pretty low key. We’re just trying to figure it out and summer gets pretty light in the city and especially in our area of Brooklyn. So we try to figure out ways to stay busy and to put some things together.
AM: What do you want your legacy to be? You have done so many different things, you have gotten so many different accolades, and yet you have such a bigger road of the things that you can achieve. What do you want that to be seen as?
CHEF CM: I think that cooking is one of those things that is a passion driven career. We get into this because we love cooking and we have a passion about it. I love it and unfortunately, I love restaurants. That’s what I chose, I didn’t go out for private, catering, or anything like that. So for me, it’s about that I want to be known as the best chef foodwise and one of the best chefs to work for and/or with. I want to make sure that I’m a good leader and a good boss and a good employer for my people. Hopefully I’m one of those well known serious chefs that is one of the best known chefs in NYC and one of the best known chefs in the country!
IG @chuckgood
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 86 Clay Williams | PG 88 - 94 Natalie Black |
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see THE PROCESS | CHEF CHARLIE MITCHELL in mag.
The summer really allows us to enjoy a number of sports and for many, there's nothing like a round of golf with friends. But with all the time that you spend on the course, it would be nice to have a mobile office that allows you to enjoy the game while also checking in when you need to!
We caught up with Jason Tartick who was a contestant on Season 14 of The Bachelorette (Becca Kufrin's season) and although he was eliminated in week 9, he would go on to date and get engaged to Kaitlyn Bristowe who was The Bachelorette for season 11! We wanted to know about his partnership with Wyndham Rewards, their Cubicle Caddie, his love for golf, what his experience in Bachelor Nation has been, meeting Charity Lawson, the current The Bachelorette (season 20 premiered Jun 26th on ABC), and his upcoming projects!
ATHLEISURE MAG: You've partnered with Wyndham Rewards to share The Cubicle Caddie. Can you tell us more about it and why you enjoy having access to it?
JASON TARTICK: Well, I’ve been a Wyndham Rewards member for the past few years and love how generous the program is, so when we agreed on this partnership, I knew it was the perfect fit. I’m usually balancing work while I’m on the go – and as an avid golfer, I love the concept of the Cubicle Caddie – it’s the best of both worlds. It’s essentially a tricked-out golf cart that helps golfers work from the green and includes essentials like a green screen complete with convincing office backdrops and all the things to actually help me do the job (like Wi-Fi and noise-canceling headphones).
AM: What was the moment that you realized that you enjoyed golf?
JT: Golf has always been a big part of my upbringing. I played with my grandfather, who has unfortunately passed, but the memories will always live within me, and playing with my father with is such a treat - We compete like no other. From my grand father, my father, all my friends and even and even with Kaitlyn - we go golfing all the time. But let me tell you, that girl is one hell of a putter! The Cubicle Caddie is such a nice addition with Wyndham Rewards because it allows me to get out on the golf course more often, to be able to take a call or two, and utilize the high-speed Wi-Fi Internet (which honestly is better than my actual office Wi-Fi). I love the game – to able to play with family and friends, it’s such a treat.
AM: What is it about this sport that keeps you coming back to it?
JT: It’s the comradery, the exercise, the social aspect – To be out and about, to compete. It’s the triple threat. There’s no game like it.
AM: Does Kaitlyn go out on the course with you and what are you guys up to this summer?
JT: Kaitlyn and I live right by a golf course, actually almost on the golf course. Sometimes, we will do date nights where we grab some wine and we go up to the golf course and do a little putt-putt competition. We’ll put bets on the line, bets like who’s going to pick up the dog poop for a week, who is doing the dishes or buying the next round of coffees. It’s a fun game for us and we get out often which is great.
The big thing that we are planning this summer is that pre-Covid, we had gone to Kelowna and spent time a ton of time in August, so I think that’s what we are going to do this August. We are going to head up to Canada to spend time with her family, and we are so looking forward to it.
AM: We always enjoy when the next season of The Bachelor/Bachelorette is coming back and as we wait to watch Charity's season premiering on the 26th, what was being on The Bachelorette like for you and what was the biggest takeaway that you had?
JT: At the CMA’s, I just had a chance to meet Charity. She is so sweet and kind, and I think this season is going to be absolutely remarkable. For me, I really enjoyed The Bachelor. It was such an amazing roller coaster of an experience. I got to meet so many people throughout the process and it was a once in a lifetime experience. From being on the show, almost every area of my life has changed. I’m forever grateful for the franchise and for the show.
I think the biggest takeaway that I have is that you just have to submit to the process and let yourself go. I found that the more people tried to control it, the quicker they would break because of the pressure. I think it’s so important that you allow yourself to let go, control what you can and not to worry about what you can’t.
AM: Tell me about your podcast Trading Secrets!
JT: Trading Secrets is a great podcast where we have on all different celebrities from all different industries come on and talk about where they made money, how they got money, where they lost money, and when and how they got to where they are.
Unfortunately, in our system today, we aren’t taught the things that we need to know about career navigation and managing finances, and that is the purpose of this podcast. It has been a top business charting podcast with over 100 episodes and over 5 million downloads. It has been so much fun so far and we have some really great guests coming up this summer. Some guests like Wells Adams, Macklemore, the creator of Entourage, and many more. It’s going to be a very exciting summer for Trading Secrets.
AM: You have a lot going on including a book - what can you tell us about this?
JT: Book number two is well on its way! Manuscript is in and the title is going to be: Talk Money to Me; 8 Questions Where the Answers are Numbers Because Stories Shift, Context Changes, but Numbers Don’t Lie.
In each chapter, you will be asked a question, and that question will be a number. We will then teach you how to get that number, what that number means, how to improve it, what that number means to your finances, how to have the conversation with your partner and asking them what their number is for that specific Chapter. The second reason why people are becoming divorced is because of financial infidelity. That being said, we need to get ahead of it and start having those conversations.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Wyndham Rewards
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see ON THE LINKS | JASON TARTICK in meg.
We like a good thriller and Ruth Ware's Zero Days, gives us just that! Husband and wife team Jack and her husband Gabe are hired by companies as penetration specialists to break into buildings and to hack security systems. After being hired to do this work, the job goes wrong and when Jack goes home, she finds her husband is dead! Not only is he dead, but she knows that the police have her as a suspect. Now she's running against time and must clear her name as well as find Gabe's killer.
As she navigates this mystery, she has to reassess everything that she knows and figure out who she can trust to help her figure everything out!
The fusion dishes that are presented in Egg Roll & Sweet Tea: Asian Inspired, Southern Style allows us to bring Asian and Southern cuisine together with 100 recipes.
You'll find a number of dishes that hit our comfort food spot including: Fried Chicken Spring Rolls with Honey, Rainbow Black-Rice Salad, Okra and Tomato Stir-Fry, Black-Eyed Pea Hummus, Golden Milk and Sorghum Hot Toddy, and a number of several recipes for an array of egg rolls and sweet teas.
Natalie Keng is known for creating Asian sauces that take your dishes to another level. She created this cookbook as a way to combine her favorite dishes that she grew up with. She is focused on these core dishes, sauces, and drinks that allow home cooks to prepare and share these finds with friends and family!
There's nothing better then making a dish that you grew up with and being able to add a twist to it to make it healthy! In Southern Lights: Easier, Lighter, And Better For You Recipers From the South, Lauren McDuffie takes a fresh take on Southern-style cooking and shows how it doesn't have to be unhealthy and heavy - it is a reimagination of our favorite dishes!
This cookbook has you covered from breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizers, snacks, desserts and so much more. We loved seeing Sheet Pan Catfish with Okra, Corn and Tomatoes; Chile-Soaked Watermelon with Smoked Almonds; Creamy Roasted-Garlic Mashed Potatoes; Pimiento Cheese Hummus and so much more!
Whether you grew up eating this or you've wanted to try it but in a lighter way, add this cookbook to your shelf!
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY BOOKS in mag.
It's been awhile but Black Mirror is back with 5 new episodes that let you think about connectivity, technology, interpersonal relationships and so much more! This season we're left with wondering about the extent of privacy and how by giving it out, we may be allowing more access to who we are then we ever thought! We also look at how much our love for True Crime may uncover secrets and behaviors that we never thought that those who we know have! It also makes us think about how the act of assisting someone or giving time to others can have adverse affects. We found that we were able to binge all the episodes in one weekend day and left our screens wondering about these themes as well as hoping that there would be another season to keep us pondering soon!
Fans of Sex and the City were treated to And Just Like That last year which picked up with the our favorite ladies of NYC. We returned to them last year in new circumstances as well as bringing in new friends to shake up what we knew about them and to diversify their lives!
This month, the second season is back with more stories to tell, more challenges to take on, and to to continue to strive to live their best lives with an array of nuances!
As you know, this show also has a podcast companion series which takes us into the writer's room to talk in depth about each episode as well as to talk about how they approached writing the episode, whose personal experiences it was based on and how it ties into art, styling and more. Episodes of this spin-off series drop weekly and if you missed anything, you can catch up on Max for this series as well as Sex and the City. Also listen to the podcast show on your favorite platforms.
We're enjoying another immersive audio drama from QCODE has been released and it takes us to the end and possible beginning of the world in Hidden Signal: Evergreen. Hidden Signal is an Anthology for QCODE and Evergreen focuses on a hand selected team of the world's greatest minds who are trapped in a subterranean biosphere. They realize that on Earth, an asteroid has destroyed the surface and that they are tasked to create a new society. Mistrust abounds among the group and the line between hero and villain is not easily seen in this fictional podcast. With so much uncertainty, can they come together and trust one another?
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY STREAMING in mag.
Restaurant Yuu is located between Williamsburg and Greenpoint in Brooklyn with a classic dining style at a beautiful black stone chef's tasting counter.
Chef/Owner Yuu Shimano trained at Tsuji Culinary Institute in both Osaka, Japan and Lyon France. He graduated in 2002. His first 12 years of his career was in France where he began at two-Michelin-starred La Villa des Lys at the Hotel Majestic in Cannes before becoming the Chef de Partie of Meats and Sauces at three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Guy Savoy in Paris. In 2017 he was tapped by Tokyo Restaurant Factory to open MIFUNE New York where he served as Executive Chef for 5 years and garnered a Michelin plate.
Their Pastry Chef Masaki Takahashi previously worked at two-Michelin-starred Narisawa in Tokyo. Chef de Cuisine Shuji Furukawa previously worked as Executive Chef at The Gallery by Odo. Sommelier Akio Matsumoto worked at the three-Michelin-starred L'Effervescence in Tokyo.
Their French 18 Course Omakase Menu focuses on traditional and classical French cuisine that they modernized creating new flavor profiles to impress guests. The 18 courses are served through 22 different dishes, as some of them like Trout (a smoked trout tartlet with fennel cream, finished with smoked trout roe) and Octopus (a bite-sized octopus fritter made from simmered octopus and shrimp croute and served with red) is the first course.
Three dishes that are the chef/owner's favorite is his signature Duck and Foie Gras Pie, a house made pie filled with duck breast and duck thigh, spinach, and foie gras, served with a black pepper cognac and duck jus sauce; Ayu, a young Japanese ayu fish wrapped in a shiso leaf then fried, served with shutou sauce made of fermented bonito cooked in soy sauce, and egg yolk; as well as the main dessert Plum, a miniature soufflé served in plumb compote with almond ice cream.
Their tasting menu is seasonal and will change every 3 months with the next menu launching at the end of July. The Duck and Foie Gras Pie is their signature dish so it will remain on the menu.
Their digestif offerings after the meal is a coffee and tea service paired with four mignardise: Pistachio Macaron, Chocolate Grand Marnier Muscadine, Kiwi and Tarragon Pate de Fruite, and Lemon Cream Tart. Their sommelier Akio Matsumoto can recommend a bespoke digestif of sake or fortified wine based on their preference of a dry or sweet after dinner drink.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | Dariia Neshama
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Restaurant Yuu in mag.
PHOTO CREDITS | Craig Sjodin/ABC
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Craig Sjodin
On tonight’s episode of ABC’s The Bachelorette, we are in New Orleans and the guys talk about how important it is this week since Hometowns are next week! The 6 guys chat with one another to talk about how they want more time with her and Aaron lets us know that he has lived in NOLA for the last 7 years. Charity Lawson swings by where they are having drinks and she chats with them and invites Joey on a 1-on-1 date. The guys feel the gravity of the week ahead and want to make sure that it’s nothing but good times ahead so that they can get to know more about her and to generate that spark!
Their date takes them through the city on a horse drawn carriage as well as the sites and the sounds of the city! It’s so easy between the two of them and Joey has always been our front-runner for who would go to Hometowns! As they settle down to dinner, both want to know more before she meets his parents. She lets him know that there are factors and things to navigate as an interracial couple. He explains that he is willing to experience it and won’t know until he goes through it, but he’s there. He also says how his parents would be crazy not to love her. We’re so cheering for these two! Of course, he gets the date night rose! He tells her that he is falling in love with her and is happy to continue down this road with her.
Back at the hotel, the remaining men are about to receive the group date card! Everyone would rather not be on the group card. Sean and Tanner are on a date card for a 2-on-1. They’re heading to the bayou where she can get clarity. We know that one of these guys will be going home. Sean is really upset and is definitely spiraling.
The 2-on-1 has to be the most uncomfortable date that you can be on! Between the two, we’re hoping for Tanner, but both guys seem to be great! She states the obvious that the 2-on-1 is not the most ideal and the bayou captain also says that this is a tough situation. It’s a crazy date experience but it’s nice that both men are being cool as there have been previous versions of this date have been downright hostile. They cruise the bayou and even have a crawfish lunch together. She lets them know that they all need to get ready for their dinner together and Sean makes sure that he lets her know that he is here for her with a few kisses. It’s definitely tough to have 2 different personality types on the same date. It’ll be interesting to see how Tanner will make himself known.
A table for 3 where Charity outlines the importance of clarity at this point. She toasts them and lets Tanner know that she wants to have time with Sean first. He lets her know about his family and how he is going through this journey even if he should get crushed - he’s willing to take risks. Tanner takes time to think about how he will talk with her and to bring himself forward so that he can be seen.
Tanner tells her that he is focused on protecting his peace as he has been hurt before. But he knows it’s important for him to bring those walls down so that he can connect with someone. Tanner is another person that we have liked from the beginning as well!
Back at the hotel, the date card arrives with Dotun getting a 1-on-1 for sunrise. Aaron is upset that he’s not getting a 1-on-1.
Back at the 2-on-1, Charity knows that she needs to make the right decision and she’s not sure which way she will go. She decides that she will not give out a rose. She wants to give more time, but we can see that Sean is upset that a decision wasn’t made.
The next day, Charity is at the Crescent City Classic where she will run with Dotun (and others) for this marathon. She brought outfits so that they could be dressed for the occasion. This is such a cute date as they have a whole race to walk and talk as they run through the city.
Both men from the 2-on-1 date debrief on how it was. The fact that there wasn’t a rose scares both of them. We can definitely understand the pressure of what this means around Hometowns. Sean says that he feels insecure about his place and the fact that there are a number of guys who have had 2 1-on-1 dates when he has never had that opportunity. After the race, they take time to continue to talk (throughout the date, it seems that they enjoyed cocktails and bites - that’s a race that we can get behind for sure). Dotun is another one that we could see being at Hometowns as well. He’s looking forward to having dinner with her so that he can share more about what he feels.
Dotun and Charity continue to the dinner portion of their date. They talk about their needs and he lets her know that he is falling in love with her. Of course, he gets a rose, she’s coming to his Hometown!
The next card arrives and Aaron, Xavier, Tanner and Sean are on the date card for a group date. Sean provides the stats and analyzes what this means. But he’s pretty upset and he didn’t know that Dotun had a rose, and of course he walks in with it on his chest. Clearly Sean is going to be really upset and even Xavier points it out.
Sean decides that he wants to talk with Charity. He lets her know how he felt about not getting a rose. He lets her know that he wants to bring her to his family and that he needs that validation. He lets her know that he is in the process of falling in love with her. She lets him know that he has always shown who he is, but she lets him know that in looking at it all - she has connections that are stronger. He tells her that if he has 1-on-1 time, they can get there. She says that with the time that is available, she doesn’t feel that they can get there and she knows it’s not what he wants to hear. With that, she sends Sean home. We can appreciate that he put it all on the line, but we never saw him going to Hometowns.
Now it’s time for the group date with the remaining men - Tanner, Xavier and Aaron. Two roses will be given on this date and by default, letting them know that they will be going to Hometowns. Everyone is looking at the 2 roses on the table, but she lets them know that she wants to make sure that the decisions are the ones that are best for her. She pulls Aaron aside so that they can chat with one another. She also takes time with Tanner as well as Xavier. Each man shares information that is personal to them as well as making a connection with her. In Xavier’s date, he wants to let her know who he is fully. He tells her that it scares him to think of channeling himself fully committed to one person. He lets her know that he has never done it before and he wants to do it once and to do it right. He wants to get engaged and married, but he’s trying to see if it’s with her and if he can fall in love with her. He thinks that he can get there if she is the one.
After speaking with the men on this group date, she gives one of the roses to Aaron and she walks him out as she makes her final decision between Tanner and Xavier. She chooses again to not give out the last rose and lets the men know that she will see them at the rose ceremony.
Charity swings by Tanner’s room to talk with him as he has been so open with her about what Hometowns will be like. She wants to let him know in person that she is not giving him the rose and she feels awful that they will not be able to continue to their journey. Tanner is a nice guy and it’s a shame that they will not be able to continue. He says that it is hard for him for this to happen to him and he feels that she deserves the world and that he is special.
Xavier arrives and he sees the rose sitting in front of him on the platter. She lets him know that it has been a tough week and that she has been on the fence about a lot of things and has had to trust her gut. She lets him know that she sent Tanner home and that even though there is one more rose, she doesn’t have to give it out. She wants to give it to him and she wants to learn more about him. He accepts the rose and he seems really happy. She wants to meet his family so that she can learn more and she feels that only time can tell. We’re looking forward to Hometowns next week!
Charity’s Hometown Roses | Aaron, Dotun, Joey, and Xavier.
Charity sent home | Sean and Tanner
Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
This month, our JUN ISSUE #90 cover comes from producer, composer, singer/songwriter, 2X Billboard Latin Music Awards nominee, 4X Latin Grammy Award nominee and Premios Juventud winner, Ovy on the Drums! If you have enjoyed a number of Karol G's music whether it's her solo or collaborations that she has done with Shakira, Becky G, Future, and more - you have enjoyed the disctinctive sound that merges EDM, pop, and Reggaeton to make a sound all of its own. In addition to his work with this artist, this much in demand artist from Medellin, Columbia has also worked with Nicki Minaj, Steve Aoki, Bad Bunny, and Maluma to name a few.
While we wait for his much anticipated album as a solo artist signed to Warner Music, we wanted to find out a bit about how he approaches creating his music, how he got his start, sharing his sound and how we can define it, as well as working with Karol G.
ATHLEISURE MAG: You’re a producer and singer/songwriter, when did you fall in love with music?
OVY ON THE DRUMS: How did I fall in love with music? Well, the truth is, I fell in love with music... I had never really thought about becoming a music producer or dedicating myself to music, but one day I discovered the program I currently work with and use for all my productions, which is FL Studio. I believe that from that moment on, I fell in love with this whole music thing, creating rhythms, and beats. Since the first day I discovered this program I've felt a passion and love for creating music.
AM: From your love of music, to creating your music. How did you initially break into the into the industry?
You have a creative partnership with Karol G as you produced all but one song on her debut album Unstoppable, Ocean, KG0516 and you were one of the producers on her 4th album, Mañana Será Bonito. How did this partnership come about and what do you enjoy about working with her?
OOTD: Once I started making beats and fell in love with music well, in terms of the industry itself, my first steps were thanks to the university where I studied a bit more about music.
I met some friends called "La Compañía" from San Andres, a beautiful island in Colombia. It was thanks to them that I had a strong approach to the music industry. They opened the doors of their studios to me, and it was through them that I also met Karol G. I am forever grateful to them because it was there that I had my entry into the music industry.
AM: What do you like about the sounds and beats associated with reggaeton, hip-hop, pop, and EDM?
OOTD: Well, what I like the most about the sounds themselves are the percussion and the changes, the cuts that each genre has. I really enjoy analyzing the slicers in each song and the different types and changes in percussion.
AM: You’re a producer and singer/songwriter, how do you define the Ovy sound?
OOTD: The sound of On the Drums today, in any of its three facets, is going to have a very distinctive sound that I have been evolving and refining for a long time. Right now, I consider my sound to be very minimalist, a very simple sound. Within the few elements I use in a production, I strive to make it sound grand.
It has been a bit challenging because, initially, my productions were very saturated, overloaded with sound. Over time, I have learned to select certain sounds to avoid saturating it too much in a production.
AM: When you begin working on a song, where do you start first?
“Well, what I like most about the sounds themselves are the percussion and the changes, the cuts that each genre has. I really enjoy analyzing the slicers in each song and the different types and changes in percussion.”
OOTD: When I start working on a song, most of the time I like to begin with the melody. Before creating a song, the first thing I do is sit at the piano and let it convey or evoke whatever mood I'm feeling at that moment. It's what guides me. That's why I love starting from there.
AM: You have worked with several artists such as Karol G, Nicki Minaj, Becky G, Bad Bunny, Ed Sheeran, Steve Aoki, and Maluma to name a few. Where do you get inspiration when it comes to creating music for the artists that you have worked with?
OOTD: I believe that inspiration should always come from within the artist. It starts with creating a rhythm or sound that I personally enjoy and being able to convey that beautiful energy I'm creating musically. Transmitting it to the artists I've worked with is important to me. I want them to appreciate what I do, connect with what I'm creating, and work together as a team. That's how I flow, and I think it's the key to finding inspiration when creating music. It's about transmitting that energy, whether I'm with the artist or working alone, and sharing it with others
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Ovy On The Drums
Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see START WITH THE MELODY | Ovy on the Drums in mag.
