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Travel

Originally published on Monday, 13th February 2012

The Great Exchange

NY-LON

The latest NY-LON swaps, including ECC, La Esquina, Frieze and Balthazar


We’ll be the first to admit that some aspects of America don’t really translate. When did you last see a Drive-Thru that wasn’t a little tragic? And if we hear one more person refer to Essex as the ‘Bridge and Tunnel crowd’….

That said, it’s hard to deny the wonders that can appear when New York and London get their sharing on. And we’re not just talking about mimosa brunches.

Our own Museum of Everything and Cinnamon Club, for example, have both just finished cameos in La Grande Pomme. And with Frieze New York launching this May, the time is clearly ripe for transatlantic transience.

But what about something more permanent? 

Flying the flag from our side of the pond, London’s (and before that Paris’) much-relished Experimental Cocktail Club is set to unveil its New York offering later this month, setting up shop a stone’s throw from the original Box. Trading places in this direction, modern NYC taqueria icon, La Esquina is set to be heading across the pond to London this summer. Location and exact date to be announced in the near future and will be led by Derek Sanders, one of the owners.  

Another New York transition that's making us salivate, meanwhile, is the latest chapter in the Richard Caring story - namely, the London edition of his and Keith McNally’s Balthazar (it’s pencilled in for the first quarter of the year, but time will tell…)

Similarly on the food front, Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield of The Spotted Pig have been, ah, spotted (sorry) heading this way for a project later in the year. Plus there’s an STK unleashing its female-friendly steak-wares on the new Me by Melia hotel. While the retail rumour mill is still stirring up tales of the inaugural J Crew store somewhere in Central London. 

So in terms of transatlantic trading, 2012 is already looking pretty inspirational. Now if someone could please just ship over a Momofuku and New York’s famous delivery culture, why then we’d be sorted. Not to mention a good 10lbs heavier.

by AC

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