THE JOLLY

ROGER

a monthly publication by the roger smith hotel

July 1, 2011 – Issue No. 1

“We don’t just

love NYC.

We live here.”

The Roger Smith Hotel is thrilled to present the inaugural online edition of The Jolly Roger, a short monthly newsletter aiming to shed light on the vibrancy and culture of New York City. Inside you’ll find travel resources, tips, restaurant and theater reviews, live music listings, stuff to do with kids, and more. If you are planning on coming to NYC in July, you can use this link for 10% off our best room rate.

Hope to see you soon,

John Birdsong, Editor

@johnbirdsong

“Lobster Hot Dog.”

Kosher Beef Hot Dog with Lobster @RSHenrys

libations

By Kevin Gill, Restaurant Manager – Lily’s Restaurant

+ Henry’s Rooftop Bar

A trifecta of Sixpoint pints

Sixpoint Brewery is a local brewery in Red Hook, Brooklyn founded in 2005. They love Brooklyn and create styles of beer to capture its essence, focusing on the growing community of artists and creative spirit. The Sweet Action Ale is a unique cream ale that focuses on the simple balancing of malts and hops. It has 33 IBUS (International Bittering Units) and an ABC of 5.2%.

What is a cream ale? A cream ale is based on the American light lager, however it is an ale that is finished with lager yeast.  It is generally subdued in the malt and hop characteristics, but Sixpoint decided to break that definition. It finishes its fermentation as a lager but starts as an ale. This gives the beer a crispness that is associated with lagers, and more yeasty flavor normally associated with ales. Enjoy a cold Sweet Action at Henry’s Rooftop Bar. Fact: It’s on the sixteenth floor of @RSHotel.

eat what?

by John Birdsong, Editor

A feast for the eyes and the stomach at Fette Sau

Fette Sau. Hands down the best BBQ in NYC. This Williamsburg, Brooklyn BBQ joint serves up meat like no other NYC establishment. The meats are smoked, which distinguishes it from most other “BBQ” you’ll find in the city. Since Fette Sau is in BKLYN they are able to get around Manhattan fire codes and give meat the wood smoke it needs to taste awesome (tip: try the brisket). With communal indoor and outdoor seating, it’s the perfect place to meet friends or make new ones. Take the 4/5/6 train to Union Square then the L train to the Bedford stop in Brooklyn. Pro – Heritage pork, grass fed beef, a massive bourbon selection, and beer by the gallon Con – It gets super crowded on weekends in the summer and seating can be hard to find Rating: 3 out of 4 rib bones.

Check out our new summer menus for Henry’s Roof-top Bar and Lily’s Restaurant (video)

on the stage

by James Fox, Director of Sales @RSHotel

A scene from Tony Award winning “The Book of Mormon”

After the Tony Awards, the hot tickets are War Horse and the House of Mormon.  These shows will be around for a while and may be hard to get.  Here are some options, good through the summer, that are more accessible and affordable:

Terence McNally’s Master Class returns to Broadway with Tyne Daly as opera diva Maria Callas in a drama of her late-life career as a teacher. Runs through Aug. 14 @ Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.

Hair depicts the birth of a cultural movement in the ’60s as told through a tribe of hopeful hippies living in New York City, while war rages in
Vietnam. Runs from 7/5 – 9/10/11. Rent, Jonathan Larson’s Tony and Pulitzer Prize Award winning musical tells an inspiring story about friends and artists struggling in New York City’s East Village. Rent tackles addiction, poverty, AIDS, and most of all love. At the New World Stages Jul.14-Aug. 11^th

Death Takes a Holiday - a new musical of a 1920s play, made into a film in 1934 with Frederic March and remade as Meet Joe Black with Brad Pitt in 1998 stars British actor Julian Ovenden as Death who arrives in an Italian villa shortly after World War I and falls in love with a newly engaged young woman. Runs July 14 – September 4^th @ Laura Pels Theatre.

Imaginocean – John Tartaglia, of Avenue Q fame, has created a magical musical undersea adventure for kids of all ages. Performed in the dark with black light
puppets taking center stage it is the story of three fish that set out on a remarkable journey of discovery. At the New World Stages – Matinee shows Wed/Sat/Sun through Sep. 4^th

Shakespeare in the Park has one of New York City’s most beloved summer traditions. For 57 years New York natives and visitors alike have been enjoying free Shakespeare in Central Park. Catch Measure for Measure or All’s Well That Ends Well this summer.  Free tickets are distributed via the free lines at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, and on the web via their Virtual Ticketing system.

kids(what the heck do you do with them?)

by John Birdsong, Editor

Cooling off in summer-time

Since I don’t have any kids of my own (for now) I’m going to leave this one up to the experts at Timeout NY Kids that have compiled this awesome list of stuff to do with the munchkins this July. TimeoutKid’s July List

LIVE music

by Phoebe Knowles, V.P. @RSHotel & John Birdsong, Editor

Stone Temple Pilots stooping it up

John – NYC is a mecca for live music. With venues like MSG, Radio City, and countless others there’s something
for every ear. Blast From the Past. July 25th, Stone Temple Pilots @ Williamsburg Waterfront. OMG. If you’re like me, high school in the 90’s consisted of lots of Nirvana, STP, Soundgarden, (enter random grunge band here). Let’s hope these aging rockers have the energy to entertain a new generation of music lovers. Buy tix here.

Phoebe – Central Park Summerstage – Concerts are free, the beverage sponsors are Magic Hat and City Winery (makes for great drink options!), bring snacks and a picnic blanket (no glass bottles…we learned the hard way), spend the evening listening to cool world music.  For the free events, you can’t reserve tickets, it’s a first come/first served system.  My friends and I got in line around 6:15 for a 7:00 Jarabe de Palo/Ely Guerra/Novalima show…things seemed a little hopeless as the line wrapped way around the park and we couldn’t even see the SummerStage entrance from the line’s end…but sure enough, once people started to move, in we went…along with about 3,997 other Latin music fans from New York!   Here is a schedule of free music events - www.summerstage.org

There are way too many concerts to list here, so we’ll direct you to a few of our go-to resources for concert listings: Village Voice, Brooklyn Vegan, Ticketmaster.

at the lab gallery

Helen Dennis – Projected Drawings – July 8 – Sept 2

Helen’s work is rooted in the built world of the urban environment. She uses architecture to develop her layered drawings, which are entwined into the photographic process and directly used as
negatives to create photographic drawings. Using the space at The LAB Gallery, Helen will push the concept of her process further. Through manipulation of the space, she will project the outside environment directly into the exhibition space, turning it into a camera obscura. From within, her drawings will unfold to engulf the space and thus, magnify the nuances of urban life. The passage of time and movement on the streets outside will be depicted as Helen’s drawings grow over the duration of the project. The Lab Gallery Presents: Helen Dennis Studio Visit (video) Helen Dennis was born in the UK and now resides in Brooklyn, NY. She studied her BA (Honors) at the University of the Creative Arts in Canterbury and achieved her MFA at Hunter College in 2005. Dennis has been awarded a fellowship from Aljira Center for Contemporary Art as well as a photographic fellowship from The International House, NYC. Dennis has attended art residencies in Beijing, Cyprus and most recently Iceland. She has participated in various exhibitions worldwide and in the US with the support of Queens Council of the Arts, Kent County Council, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, South East Arts UK and the National Lottery Arts Fund for the UK. Dennis’ public art installations have been commissioned by the Downtown Alliance of New York and NoLongerEmpty. www.helendennis.com

cesar’s picks

by Cesar Avery, G.M. @RSHotel

You’ll find ‘Paradise’ in the Bronx (if you’re a Yankees fan).

Here are Cesar’s top five things to do in NYC in July/Summer. How many can you do in one day??

1.  Yankees Game

2.  A walk on the High Line

3.  Driving Range at Chelsea Piers

4.  Bowling at Bowlmor in Times Square

5.  Bike ride in Central Park.  You can rent, or bring your own.

at rspop shop:

kt collection

by Melissa Gonzalez,CEO – Lionesquemedia – @Lionesquestyle

Inspired by NYC’s fashion world, Katie knows how to mix the city’s edgy street style with timeless gold and silver designs. She is an expert at hunting down meaningful pieces from her travels and creating classic pieces that can be worn from season to season. KT Collection Opens Shop at RS POP Shop July 2011

Fusing Classic Lines with Urban Flair, designer Katie Thompson is bringing KT Collection to RSPOP Shop for July 2011. Inspired by NYC’s fashion world, Katie knows how to mix the city’s edgy street style with timeless gold and silver designs. She is a expert at hunting down meaningful pieces from her travels and creating classic pieces that can be worn from season to season.

KT Collection (video)

in other awesome news

by John Birdsong, Editor

Rainbowed-out Imperial Guard

New York State just approved same sex marriage!!! The Roger Smith Hotel in NYC is a perfect place to have a small wedding. We would be thrilled to host your special day + we offer
in–house party planning, floral arrangement, catering and wedding videography services. Email Events Manager Martha Rodriguez for a site inspection. What you need to know about same sex marriage in NYC via NYCGo.com

ask an intern

by management trainee Emma Fagerhov

Those are actually our interns.

It’s summer in New York, and with the beautiful weather, the city has a lot to offer. Here come the Roger Smith Interns’ Top 5 things to do in NYC during the summer:

1. Visit Six Flags Great Adventure – All interns

2. Enjoy a run through Central Park in the morning sun – Emma Fagerhov

3. Spend the day at one of NY’s rooftop pools with a drink – Oscar Wallen

4. Taking a walk in Central Park – Javier Bisbal

5. Going to Coney Island to the beach – Marta Ferrando

travel resources

GoNYC.com

MTA.info

Thereare a million things to do in NYC. Book your stay @RSHotel here for 10% off our best room rate.

other places to find us online

http://rogersmith.com

http://rogersmithlife.com

http://rslilys.com

http://youtube.com/rogersmithnews

http://flickr.com/rogersmithhotel

Letus know what you think of The Jolly Roger.

Sendsubmissions or suggestions to Jbirdsong@rogersmith.com

Sky-high dining at Henry’s Rooftop Bar @RSHotel

The Roger Smith is a hub for social media in #NYC. People. Art. Food. Wine. For 10% off our best available rooms rate: bit.ly/RSrooms

twitter: twitter.com/rshotel
fb: facebook.com/rogersmithhotel
blog: bit.ly/RSlife
web: rogersmith.com/

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Stop by sometime soon and try some of our new menu items..best eaten with shorts and flip flops, because summer will only last so long : )

Henry’s Rooftop 2011

Lily’s Summer 2011

Henry’s and Lily’s at The Roger Smith Hotel are located at 501 Lexington Avenue (@47th st) NY, NY – Lily’s is on street level, and Henry’s is a short trip on the elevator to the 16th floor.

For more info about Henry’s and Lily’s visit:  http://rslilys.com

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Rarely do I have the opportunity to lunch with colleagues, simply because our individual schedules are so erratic and unpredictable, that it seems nearly impossible to coordinate an “honest, sit down and enjoy your meal kinda lunch”. Luckily, today was one of those rare days to take advantage of, a day after a long Memorial Day weekend where the spring has graciously bowed-out and allowed summer to make its early and grand entrance with 90 degree temperatures, inevitably slowing the pace of our hectic lives and perhaps the hustle and bustle of New York City. It’s one of those days, a sun-scorched Tuesday, which begrudgingly feels like a stale day in August in the middle of a long and drawn out heat wave.

I’m not a fan of days like these, not unless there’s a pool nearby.

But late this afternoon, to my surprise, I received an invitation to enjoy a relaxing lunch at Lily’s restaurant with some of my colleagues from the Roger Smith Hotel: James Knowles, President and Artist-In-Residence, Ulrika Bengtsson, Director of Food and Beverage, and Rajesh Nair, Director of Operations. The occasion was special: the debut of Lily’s new summer menu.

The four of us sat in the back, tucked away in a cozy corner near a window. We were perfumed by aromatic scents, which uncurled like invisible tendrils from behind the kitchen door, and flowed through the air as the rumble of wait staff hurriedly passed through. I love to see the various steaming plates of food juggled by the expert hands of waiters. There’s a seductive and thrilling quality to it, when a restaurant comes alive.

photographs by John Birdsong

I must admit, I have a somewhat overactive imagination and at times it gets the best of me especially if I’m anxiously awaiting something… in this case the promise of food. Inevitably, my eyes darted across the various murals on the walls, which appeared to me as raw celluloid stills, personifying a gathering of strange people in an obscure cocktail party. My ears detected the disembodied echoes of dry conversation, lounge music, the clinking of glasses, and drunken laughter: the lively energy of a ghostly cocktail party from years past filling the sunlit dining hall with a low and constant hum.

What are ghosts? Perhaps they are nothing more then two points in time crossing over each other.

Just as I was receding further into my fantasies, the first starter arrived: four Gazpachos; chilled vegetable soup of Andalusian origin, ideal for the summer heat.

Happily sipping my Gazpacho, the waiter plopped down another: Barbecue chicken sliders with coleslaw, each sandwiched between a soft mini-bun, topped with a sweet pickle, and held together by a skewer.

As I munched on this delectable treat, a plate of Buratta served over grilled rustic bread, with tomato and basil made an appearance. My fingers and hands stealthily finagled a piece. My comrades also sneaked in to scoop up the remains, and quickly the plate emptied.

The starters came and went, but not long before the first main dish waltzed in: a rim soup bowl filled with Baked Mussels boiled in a ginger-flavored coconut broth.

As we ate and delighted each other in spirited conversations about our long weekend, barbeques, pool parties, sun-baked beaches, literature, and the hotel, the second main dish arrived: a humungous roasted Pork Belly served over grits; greedily devoured whole by us all.

And lastly, what turned out to be my favorite, a Snapper wrapped in a double layer of aluminum foil, a delicate fish baked with fennel, lemon, and herbs, instantly provoking the memories of fun filled outdoor summer barbeques and quiet dinners by the patio. I washed it all down with a cold and refreshing iced tea.

iphone photographs by Matt Griffith

Immensely sated, I had no room for desert. Nonetheless, my peers were tempted by the cold and delicious sugary confections of chocolate ice cream served over pretzels.

As we concluded our informal tasting, my colleagues languidly returned to their work lives.

I was the last to leave the dining hall, methodically sipping my second round of iced tea as I watched the wait staff clear the tables and the last of the lunch crowd dissipated.

In the inevitable silence and emptiness which soon followed, I stared at the murals once more, and raised my glass in a gesture of a toast, acknowledging the ghostly cocktail partiers, and thanked them for their attendance with an open invitation to return.

Perhaps our timelines will cross again.

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XOXO,

Henry (the awesome Boston Terrier)

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Happy 2011 from @RSHotel!

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lily’s

501 lexington avenue @ 47^th street

212 838 0844 

www.rslilys.com

lilys@rogersmith.com

henry’s our roof-top bar is open:

Monday-Friday 5-11pm

New menu and new wine list

Daniel Mowles and Jeff Farley have created a seasonally focused menu, bursting with local, authentic flavors that will delight our patrons. this will all be accompanied by a local, sustainable and organic wine list.

New cocktail list and happy hour specials lily’s

Dawn Slaughter and Kevin Gill have created a new cocktail list that is worth a visit… or two.

Reviving classics such as Sazerac and Parfait A’mour

Happy Hour is back!

Monday – Friday 5 – 7pm  and  10 – Midnight

lily’s is celebrating October fest

The whole month of October, please come and enjoy Octoberfest beer, apfel strudel cocktail and sausage dinner with sauerkraut and potato salad in the evenings

The holiday season is around the corner –time to book your upcoming event

Let us tailor make your event – perfect location, perfect setting

Contact martha rodriguez at 212-583-3195 or

Request information

for more information and reservations for lily’s

call 212-838-0844 or email lilys@rogersmith.com
OpenTable Booking

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$25 per person includes local draft beer
tax and gratuity not included

cheeseburgers, hot dogs, vegetable shish kebob,
pulled pork bbq, grilled chicken,
coleslaw, corn, chopped salad, watermelon, lemon bars.
for details and reservations call: 212-339-2097

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