Oscar Wilde NYC

[photos via dailymail.co.uk]

This June one of the Dandiest bars in New York City is set to open it’s doors and we could not be more excited. The Oscar Wilde Bar, named after the famous Irish author, is an extravagant Victorian-style bar which inspired by the life of one of the most infamous Dandy’s in history. Boasting the longest continuous bar in NYC (120 feet) and over $4 Million in design features, the Oscar Wilde Bar is sure to be a favorite among lovers of opulence and decadence, like Mr. Wilde himself.

Full of stunning ornate features, sculptures, portraits and whimsical hidden features (like the 26 clocks throughout preeminently set at ten to two, the time at which Wilde died), the bar will feature many of Oscar Wilde’s signature beverages, like champagne and absinth, over 300 types of whiskey and of course, Guinness. There is even a life-size statue of Oscar Wilde at the bar that patrons can buy a drink for. There will be no seats at the bar, since the owners want visitors to stand and talk to one another instead of looking at their phones all night, something we are 100% behind.

If you happen to find yourself in NYC this Summer, we highly recommend stopping by dressed in your Dandy best. Because as Mr. Wilde famously said: “Looking good and dressing well is a necessity.”

Check out the full of story (as well as some stunning photographs) about the Oscar Wilde Bar here.

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2016 Johnny Onion Ride

Summer is making way for Autumn. That means it’s once again time for the darling of BLRC runs. The Buffalo Lazy Randonneur Club hosts our sixth annual and the world’s only Johnny Onion Ride. On this day we pay homage to AR JOHNNIGED BRO ROSKO, the pedaling peddlers of Breton’s famous Roscoff onions. Under their adopted moniker of Onion Johnny, these intrepid farmers have peddled their onions throughout Great Britain on bicycles. After crossing the channel by ferry, the Onion Johnny strings his bicycle with a hundred pounds of prized onions to sell to homes and restaurants. We will not ask so much of you.

We do ask that you outfit yourself in [stereo]typical french maritime or farmer style. Stripes, Berets, Neckerchiefs, etc. Also string a few onions to your own bike and we will add them to a cauldron of french onion soup made at the end of the ride. We gather at noon on the first Sunday of autumn at our waterfront park, a port of Buffalo’s own ferry. From there we lazily ride along bike paths to the rose garden pergola at Delaware Park, our nod to the English rose. Feel free to bring any other refreshments or picnic fare you like.

As always we request that you remain responsible for your own safety and equipment. Whenever you ride, follow all laws and safety precautions.

This is a RAIN OR SHINE event. Sailors and farmers dress like they do for a reason.

Johnny Onion Ride
Canalside Buffalo
Sunday, September 25th at Noon (Ride usually starts at 1-ish)

Manready Merc Knickerbocker MFG Chore Coat | J.Crew St. James T-shirt | Pedrito Beret | Dr. Collectors Rolling Scarf | Gant Slim Cargo Pants | Vintage Vixa Type 2 Chrono | New England Outerwear Co Lazy Mocs | Kronebourg Beer

 

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What To Wear: Dyngus Day

Today marks the 10th Annual Dyngus Day Celebration in Buffalo. A day (often confusing to those not from Buffalo) where the city celebrates it’s Polish heritage with parades, day drinking, squirting girls with water guns and hitting boys with pussy willows. I know, right… what’s confusing about that? What started 10 years ago with a bunch of young friends looking to reclaim some of their Polish heritage has transformed into the largest Dyngus Day Celebration in America. A see of red transcends upon Buffalo as the local Polish bars are filled to capacity with those easily awaiting their next helping Tyskie beer and smoked sausage. The wife and I partook a few years back and it really is an incredible sight to see. The weather isn’t looking to be as nice as it was on Easter, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t look your Dandy best in a festive, yet tasteful, outfit. Just don’t forget the essentials like your water gun and of course, a classic polka record. Have fun and be safe everyone!

Raincoat: Nordstrom | Button Down: J.Crew | T-Shirt: 716 Shop | Tudor Black Bay: Reeds Jenss | Denim: Levi’s | Squirt Gun: Walmart | Beer: Consumer’s Beverage | Viny: Record Theatre

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Sunday Brunch at Templeton Landing

This past Sunday, our good friends at KC You There invited us to sample the new Sunday Brunch menu at Templeton Landing. We’ve reported in the past on Templeton Landing’s incredible location which, during the warmer months is highly deserving of their hashtag #BestSpotInBuff. We’ve returned several times for dinner and good old fashioned day drinking, but never actually been there for brunch. Being that it was the wife’s birthday weekend and the weather was perfect, we jumped at the chance to attend.

The temperature was a balmy 83 degrees outside, but being right on the water, we hardly noticed as we sipped our bottomless mimosas. Up next was one of the real treats of our visit: Templeton Landing’s Colossal Blood Mary’s! As the cart rolled up, we chose between regular or spicy flavor and proceeded to add additional ingredients of our choosing. Being a Bloody Mary novice, I deferred to their best judgment and opted for the standard celery stick, a piece of shrimp, some peppers for color, a stick of savory bacon before finally topping it off with a slider. That’s right. There was a full-on hamburger in my drink and it was fantastic! Hands down of the best Bloody Mary’s we’ve ever had.

Understandably, the Bloody Mary was a tough act to follow. We opted for some of the crowd favorites of Belgian Waffles (which for some reason are called “Belgium” waffles on the menu which the wife pointed out) with strawberries, a side of bacon and Eggs Benedict for the Mrs. The food was good, however the bacon was our favorite part and it’s difficult to make something for brunch really spectacular (especially, like I said before with having to follow up the Bloody Mary’s), but the incredible view from Templeton Landing is so great you hardly mind. Lastly, we ordered some desert mainly because it was the wife’s birthday and she loves key lime pie where as I’m indifferent about it. She thought it was delicious and we enjoyed our view a little while longer before heading home for some lounging by the pool and digesting our delicious brunch.

Thanks again to KC You There and to Templeton Landing for having us. If you’re looking for a stellar brunch spot while the weather is nice, we cannot recommend Templeton Landing enough. Come see for yourself why it’s the #BestSpotInBuff.

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The Federal Bar

During my recent trip to Long Beach, I had the good fortune of checking out some incredible shops and restaurants during my stay. We’ve featured quite a few remarkable places here on the site, but few have truly taken my breath away like The Federal Bar.

Originally opened as a bank at the turn of the last century, The Federal Bar has been immaculately and meticulously restored so it looks as if it was just built. When you walk in, you are immediately greeted by one of two breathtaking crystal chandeliers hanging from the three floor-high ceiling. As you follow the cherry pillars up towards the ceiling, you see the original hand painted beams running the entire length of the building. The beautiful damask curtains are nestled between the windows which flood the floor with natural light from outside. The bar on the right as you walk in is so well integrated into the look of the interior, you almost don’t even notice that it’s there. At first I was skeptical of their rather limited looking whiskey selection, but as I traveled towards one of their several private siting areas, my fears were laid to rest. At the rear end of the restaurant sits a beautiful floor to ceiling mural, beside which rests one of the more impressive whiskey bars I’ve ever seen. As incredible as all this was, I had only just begun my exploration of The Federal Bar.

It turns out, there was not only a basement bar which had private VIP areas nestled inside one of the banks original vaults, there was also a legitimate Speak Easy used during Prohibition which was converted to yet another bar within a bar, within a bar. As we entered the dimly lit basement, it definitely felt more like a nightclub. Nothing too fancy, just some velvet red curtains, some sitting areas but still a very weathered, vintage looking bar which kept with the overall aesthetic of The Federal Bar. It had a little more underground, grungy feel to it, but that’s what was cool about it. Plus the vault. My God, the vault. The door was so intimidating I was almost afraid to go in it. Lastly we were led into the speak easy. The lights were out because it wasn’t open yet, however we were lucky enough to be told the password to get it once it opened: “Johnny sent me”.

I was so enamored with The Federal Bar that I had to go back during dinner. Their beer selection is quite good, as was the food, however, the service was a bit lack luster during dinner time. We had to wait over an hour for our food, which was unfortunate, and we were sat so far away from the bar that it also took forever for our drinks to show up. Thankfully our waitress (who was decked out in fully 20’s flapper garb which I thought was a nice touch) was aware of the problem and was gracious enough to give us a nice discount on our meal which made up for any unpleasant feelings which were had during our meal. After speaking with some locals about our experience, it turns out that since The Federal Bar has opened service has been a bit dodgy. People tend not to mind because the interior is so awe inspiring, but if you’re going to invest so much money in restoring a building like that, one would think service and getting food out on time is something that wouldn’t be overlooked.

Still, if you happen to find yourself in Long Beach, or are in LA and feel like taking a short drive, I cannot recommend enough stopping into the Federal Bar for lunch or dinner. All that’s missing is George Banks from Mary Poppins walking up to you singing about tuppence (whatever those are). It’s a wonderful time warp of a restaurant that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

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2015 Father’s Day Gift Guide

Ho boy, we’ve got a pretty stellar (and heavily leathered) Father’s Day Gift Guide for you this year on Buffalo Dandy! Our list is comprised of some items which every dad could use and enjoy from grilling and BBQ essentials, useful travel items, scotch and of course, vinyl.

The GrillTimer Watch:
The first one on the list quite possibly could be our favorite. After already doing our fair share of grilling this season, we were frustrated to find out that there wasn’t just a regular grill timing app so you could tell how long to cook your meat. Lo and behold, The GrillTimer Watch comes out and solves this problem in one of the most handsome looking (and affordable) ways possible. The thing looks like a Rolex for crying out loud! $50

Highland Park Dark Origins Scotch:
Dark Origins is inspired by the cunning spirit and courageous personality of Highland Park’s infamous founder, Magnus Eunson. This latest addition to the core expressions uses twice as many first fill sherry casks than in the classic Highland Park 12 year old resulting in a naturally darker, richer flavor. This is currently one of our favorite bottles of scotch. $80

Jack Spade Mitchell Leather Tie Canister:
Dad has to travel for work from time to time and this leather Jack Spade tie canister is a stylish way to store his neckties. The snap closure opens to a lined interior with 2 slots to keep tie bars. $178

Ursa Major Black Walnut Razor:
Handcrafted in Vermont from reclaimed black walnut, this Dandy-looking razor will look great nestled in Dad’s shaving station. It looks like these are currently sold out, but keep checking back for when they become available again because these are one of the best looking and affordable high-end razor’s we’ve seen. $36

J.W. Hulme Co. Leather Desk Valet:
Another gift for the Dad who has everything, why not get him something to store his everything in? A travel valet for personal items, this J.W. Hulme piece releases at brass buttons on the corners to fold flat for traveling. $95

Jayson Home Leather Coolers:
OK, full disclosure, the guys and I are talking about going in on one of these, if only for the sole purpose of straight stunting at every outdoor event we go to ever. The lux version of an outdoor event staple, these incredible leather coolers come in 3 available sizes. Covered and stitched by hand, the coolers themselves are just regular Coleman models, so you get all the insulation and cold beverage keeping technology you need. The price is pretty soul crushing, but if you can afford it, I say go for it. $385–$1495

Discommon Goods Watch Wallet:
Born from back-to-back trips across the globe, the Watch Wallet marries your most prized travel possessions – your watches and passport. The waxed Italian leather is full of character, and the tweed inner is a nod to Discommon Goods Scottish roots. However, the hidden geekery is the collaboration with D3O®  impact protection. The entire wallet is lined with 3mm D3O®  foam. This foam is the staple of the top ski, mountain bike and motorcycle impact protection systems – it stiffens and absorbs energy upon impact. $380

Leather Growler Holster for Cycling:
A must have item when attending any BLRC ride, this leather grower holder fits nicely on the rear part of your saddle, with several leather colors to choose from. You spent the money on that fancy Brooks Saddle, might as well make sure your beer looks just as good! $80

Chet Baker and Art Pepper “Playboys”:
Currently enjoying some heavy rotation on our turntable, this classic album (and incredible artwork) makes a fine edition to any father’s record collection. The third album collaboration by Chet and Art, these thoroughly enjoyable and often high-energy sides are perfect for bop connoisseurs as well as mainstream jazz listeners. Hugh Hefner reportedly objected to the album cover (obviously inspired by Playboy magazine with its near-identical wordmark and pinup photo) and threatened to sue. $20

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2015 Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic

The 8th Annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic was held at the scenic Liberty State Park in NYC this past weekend and as always it was a feast for the Dandy eyes. The outfits ranged from casual to classic, all of which are included in some our favorite looks from the event below. Our friends from KCYouThere were also in attendance this year, with Karina and Curt looking fabulous as always. Definitely going to have to procure some tickets to this event next year because who doesn’t want to sit in a park with a bunch of beautifully dressed people, drink champagne and watch a polo match? In the meantime, slip some Veuve into that morning glass of OJ and start this Tuesday off with some fashion and champagne. Cheers!

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Kennenbunkport Recap: The Sights

The wife and I had an incredible time in Kennebunkport last week. If you’ve never been, we highly suggest scheduling a visit, especially now that the warmer weather has arrived. Established in 1653 as shipbuilding and fishing village, Kennebunkport has become over the last 100 years a popular Summer colony and seaside tourist destination. The actual village itself is very small and centralized, full of souvenir shops, art galleries and seafood restaurants. We were surprised when we first drove into town how low the water lever was. Like, just mud… with little or no water. We thought for a moment that we had made a mistake in coming here. We soon found out that the water in town is tidal, with water levels rising as much as 12 feet when the tide came in!

We loved how small and quaint the village was. It wasn’t quite peak tourist season, so it was relatively quiet when we arrived on Thursday. Come Sunday, when we left and it was 70 degrees and sunny, the town was bustling with visitors. It was also nice that it was very much an adult town. Not a lot of kids running around and just an overall older and more sophisticated crowd which was just fine by us.

After exploring the village for a while, we headed out to Portland which was only a quick 25 minute drive away. Portland had a much more “city” feel to it, with plenty of shops and places to get “the best lobster in Maine” as well as a slew of local craft breweries. Also nearby was the Portland Head Light; one of New England’s most famous and photographed lighthouses. It was incredible climbing the rocks and cliffs surrounding the lighthouse which allowed for plenty of stunning photographic opportunities. Another popular site we saw during our stay were the various “Love Locks” seen around both Kennebunkport and Portland. Popular in places like Paris and NYC, couples write their names on padlocks and attach them to the bridge. You can even buy locks in some of the nearby stores as a reminder of your trip and your love for one another.

The Ramp:
While Kennebunkport was full of amazing restaurants (several of which made the top 100 most romantic restaurants in the US) one of our favorite spots we actually stumbled upon by accident while out exploring. The Ramp, which is part of the Pier 77 Restaurant, was an incredible dive bar filled with a vast array of New England sports memorabilia (all of which was authentic). Buffalo fans would surely sneer at the large collection of Patriots gear, but the restaurant was so incredible looking, who cares? The small deck area, which we delightfully had to ourselves, provided a quite spot to sit and reflect with the Mrs. on the adventure which lay before us.

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Raw Craft with Anthony Bourdain – Episode Two: Frank Shattuck

In Episode 2 of their Raw Craft Series, Anthony Bourdain and The Balvenie visit the legendary “boxing tailor,” Frank Shattuck, in Upstate New York to learn what it takes to create true “bench-made suits.”

Frank Shattuck is one fascinating dude. He’s a boxer, an actor, and a legendary tailor. He spent over 15 years learning and perfecting his craft under the tutelage of Master Tailor Raphael Raffaelli to make the best suits possible. When asked why he makes life so hard for himself Frank will tell you, “It’s all I know how to do.”

Anthony and Frank are reunited for the first time since a chance meeting at a New York City dive bar in the late 90’s. This episode will take you into Frank’s world as he demonstrates the painstaking craftsmanship that goes into making a beautiful bench-made suit; something Tony has lusted over ever since they first met.

The Balvenie shares Frank’s passion for craftsmanship. Their longstanding alliance with craft is a result of the distillery’s dedication to the five rare crafts of whisky making, which allow them to achieve their distinctive taste and exceptional quality. The Balvenie still grows its own barley, still malts in its own floor maltings, employs a team of coopers to tend its casks, a coppersmith to maintain its stills, and has in its service the most experienced Malt Master in Scotland.

Check out the full episode below.

  

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Walnut Studiolo Leather Whiskey Case

For storing a special bottle out of the light or bringing it out with you, Walnut Studiolo’s Leather Whiskey Case keeps your bottle of whiskey or wine secure and discreet in timeless style. The modern design details create an heirloom piece that ages as well as the beverage inside. The perfect gift for whiskey lovers, the Whiskey Case fits most whiskey, scotch, and wine bottles – any bottle up to 12.25″ tall (~311 mm) and 3.375″ (~85 mm) in diameter.

Sustainable cedarwood ends protect the bottle in the case, and a strong snap keeps the case closed tight as you travel to your destination. Handmade in its entirety, the leather case is hand-stitched and hand-dyed using the finest USA-sourced vegetable-tanned leather, in our workshop in Portland, Oregon. A leather strap provides a convenient carrying point, whether you’re taking it to the beach, a party, or out on a hunt.  The case also comes iwith two natural leather coasters, for your drinking companions.

$145

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