Boris: Titanium Is The New Plastic: AMEX Titanium

Boris reports on the latest AMEX allowed to grace the confines of his French leather wallet:

"What for years was rumored to be the higher level credit card than the American Express Centurion (Black to the laymen) Card, the Titanium has made its appearance in my Goyard wallet. The Titanium is actually the Centurion but now is crafted out of pure titanium instead of plastic giving it a matte and more stealth look (the sheen of plastic is so vulgar). Supposedly, the new material makes it harder for the card to be fraudulently reproduced, but as far as I can tell it just makes for a better chopper of the old Colombian marching powder. Expect to see the Titanium in New York, St. Tropez, Sardinia, or wherever else I may wind up blacked out and ordering a couple of methusalems. Next up: the American Express White Card: rumored to exist in the pockets of certain Saudis and requiring an annual expenditure with AmEx of over
$1 million."

+Goyard.
+American Express.
+Previous W4: Selfish is Good: AMEX RED Card.

W4: First To Say Ciao To Chows

W4's Miss Dirty Martini Reports on the 'casting disaster' at Mr. Chow's Tribeca:
Reported: 17 June 2006.

NY Magazine awards zero stars to Mr. Chow's Tribeca:
Reported: 27 June 2006 Edition.

NY Times says Mr. Chow's Tribeca is Satisfactory:
Reported: 28 June 2006 Edition.

W4 - Always Keeping Your Chow Fresh - We Don't Ask Why.

Ciao Chow: Mr. Chow Tribeca: New York

Our newest tantastic corespondent, Miss Dirty Martini, recently was sent to Mr. Chow's new outpost in Tribeca. Here is what came back:

"You know it's the kind of place a Toby Maguire would hang out at" said a friend of a friend - which I guess is true if you are into short, slightly overweight balding guys and their silicone enhanced mistresses supplemented by groups of cougars on the prowl and 'So You Wanna Be a Rap Star (or at least see one a dinner)' contestants. This is why friends of friends should never be fully trusted.

The new Mr. Chow's is situated in that desolate area called Tribeca where mid-thirty year old west coast transplant types dwell with their Hudson Street mothers and their Toyota Prius parked in front of their sparsely decorated lofts (they keep their gas guzzlers hidden deep in a overpriced parking garage for fear of offending the neighbors who are doing exactly the same thing). Interestingly though, the restaurant itself actually isn't all that bad. As with the other Mr. Chow's there is no menu and the pre fixe is remarkably reasonable at $50 and is actually quite good. Additionaly, the photos of the ever eery Christopher Walken on the wall add a nice touch and remind us that we all have a bit of the devil inside. However, any culinary pleasure you might encounter at Chows becomes a bit negated when you realize that you can also order a Red Bull vodka with your meal which makes you wonder - are we here to chow to chug? The answer is still unclear. Meanwhile, the bar area remained crowded with a group of thirty and single (for good reason) women and a group of guys wearing t-shirts that say things like "Sit On It" - no thank you. To escape this casting disaster you might be fortunate to sit outside at a table where you can have the vilified pleasure of a cigarette without having to get up. Ciao Chow - the food isn't worth the crowd that surrounds it. "

+Mr Chow Tribeca, 121 Hudson Street, New York +1 212 965 9500.
+Toyota Prisus. If you must: W4 Prefers: Lexus RX Hybrid.
+Photo: Rome Fiumicino, 2005.

No More Conversation: Beats: Black Calvados

Although the food at the black walled Parisain spot of the moment, the aptly named Black Calvados (BC), could not have been worse and the service untippable, the sole redeeming feature of this new boite its sleek downstairs lounge. As one South American diplomat put it to us at three in the morning, "I felt as though I was in a glass full of ice cubes". And yes, after a more than a few cocktails we can report it is true - the place is one giant mixed drink. The small room has the feeling of a steel walled meat locker lit soley by flashing white strips of frosted neon lights. The tables are neon encrusted glass ice cubes. The place clearly is begging to be in a music video. After stiring up a few drinks one can let loose with a Parisian hipster / model crowd that smokes more than they speak - which is good thing as vertical small talk with models is never recommended.

As we predicted in one of our earlier Eurotrash music posts, 'World Hold On' by Bob Sinclair was going to do well. Our W4 late night spies have tracked it as it moved across the globe and reported hearing it in Paris, London, Miami, Boston and other EU Passport sanctuaries around the globe.

This week's Eurotrash pick this week is the No More Conversation remix by Mylo. Whether you are driving across the Siene, attempting to escape from Chateau Marmont, or sitting in the Black Calvados ice cooler in Paris we agree - no more conversation, s.v.p.

+Eurotrash Pick: EZ-Files: No More Conversation - Mylo Remix.
+Black Calvados, 40 avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie, Paris +33 1 47 20 77 77.
+W4 Prefers: Bungalow 1 and 82 at: Chateau Marmont, 8221 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, +1 323 656-1010.
+W4 Photog: Budapest Grafitti, 22 May 2006.

Buda-Bar: Gresham Palace: Communist Winter: Budapest

Communist Winter reports on where to grab a digestif in the city where East meets West:

"If you find yourself passing through Budapest the best cocktail in the city certainly does not lie in the west. The Four Season's Gresham Palace is without contest Hungray's best hotel and contains one of the more striking architectural interiors in the region. Located on the Pest side of the river, the Gresham Palace hotel bar is the perfect spot to stop by for a finely mixed cocktail after watching the sunset over the Danube. As Hungary inches closer to adopting the Euro as their currency it is good to see them adopting a healthy western attitude towards overpriced cocktails as well."

+Four Seasons Gresham Palace, Roosevelt Tér 5-6. 1051, Budapest, +36 (1) 268-6000.
+W4 Also Suggets: Rooms overlooking the Danube at: Art'otel, bem rakpart 16-19, h – 1011 Budapest +36 (0) 1 487 94 87.

Highball: Smoking with Fidel in Sao Paulo

Highball reports from her South American quest to find a polo player, cabana boy or kept man:

"Although I failed in my quest to find a sexy Latin lover in Sao Paulo, I did discover some fantastic spots in this city that rocks at night. You must head to Figueira Rubaiyat for dinner which boasts an enormous fig in the restaurant’s center (for which it is of course famous). Most of the restaurant is outdoors and you are seated around the sprawling century old fig tree. If you can bear the odd scent and falling leaves, request the table at the tree’s base. The food and service are incredible (we had 4 waiters ensuring our wine classes were always full) but dining inside tree branches is the main selling point.

Afterward, head to Fidels, a small, dark, chill live music venue that hosts impressive bands and few tourists. The music is primarily Brazilian with some American soul occasionally tossed in. And of course, don’t go to Fidel’s without lighting up a Cuban cigar from their extensive cigar “club”.

+Figueira Rubaiyat, Rua Haddock Lobo, 1738 Jardin Paulista, Sao Paulo, +55 11 306 3888. +Fidel, Rua Girassol 398 Villa Madalena, Sao Paulo, +55 11 212 4225.

Boris in Mexico: Zihuatanejo:Amuletto

Boris writes in from the shores of North America's Thailand, Mexico, with this culinary report:

Great restaurant: Amuletto -unbelievable view and attentive service. I dined on chilled carrot and orange soup followed by sweet and sour shrimp with a mango and ginger sauce, all of which was fantastic. Dessert was a brownie with a Kahlua and vanilla ice cream sauce. Also partook in a Mexican coffee: coffee, tequila, Kahlua, and whipped cream and set on fire, which was fucking fantastic. Only downside was some LA peasant on his cellphone and a laptop (it is truly amazing how revolting people's manners can be) throughout dinner while his brainless girlfriend looked on.

Next morning, said Mexicant coffee had me feeling not so snappy so I counteracted with a Boris breakfast du championes: 2 Klonopin, chilaquiles with salsa verde and black beans, a pot of coffee, and a Marlboro Light followed an hour later by a Pina Colada. Neither Moctezuma nor his revenge will break me.

Besos,
Boris

+Amuletto, Villa Del Sol, Playa La Ropa S N, Zihuatanejo, Mexico +52 (755) 55 5 55 00.
+Where is Zihuatanejo?
+Previous W4: Boris.
+Previous W4: Titties Out: Acapulo: Golddeluxx.