The Best Bet
Even in an age of designer museums, the art-dining experience remains at best adequate and, at worst, desultory. The Bar Room, Danny Meyer’s less formal eating option at MoMA (the full-fledged space, the Modern, is supposed to open in a few weeks) instantly raises the bar. The chic minimalism you’d expect—Poul Kjaerholm stools and dining chairs, Georg Jensen settings and table accessories, a wall made from a luminescent glass-encased forest photo by German artist Thomas Demand—is matched by the food: swift yet sophisticated dishes like a piquant peekytoe-crab salad and decadent steak tartare with quail egg. (The pictured barstools are by New York designer Mark Albrecht.) A few reservations are available, and it’s not a bad idea to make one—even on quiet days, numerous tables are almostalways taken—but if you sidle up to the bar, you should get a seat within minutes.
(1) A little bit French, a little bit sporty: Back in the seventies, Lacoste had a whimsical way with kids’ clothes that simply doesn’t exist today. Marchand de Legumes New York has original stock—striped polos, sweaters, overalls, skirts, even nylon zip jackets (from $29 to $48; 212-965-1954 or marchanddelegumes.com).
(2) Marc Jacobs has never made sunglasses before. His new line incorporates that instantly recognizable padlock clasp ($230 to $250 at Solstice; 212-730-2500, 212-823-9590, and 212-563-7877 or solsticestores.com).
(3) Vijay Singh won the 2004 U.S. Open with TaylorMade’s r7 quad Driver: It’ll help your game too, with its adjustable—and legal, as long as you don’t tweak during match play—center of gravity ($499 at the World of Golf; 212-755-9398).
(4) Marc Berthier’s silver graphite pencils update the standard for the 21st century; a set of twenty comes in a sleek aluminum box, with both eraser and sharpener ($45 at Industries Stationery; 212-334-4447 or industriesstationery.com; Boston Ranger No. 55 pencil sharpener, $39.99 at staples.com).
(5) There’s no reason why that pile of logs by your fireplace shouldn’t be stylish too. This tray, made from stainless steel with leather accents, is balanced on a pedestal ($1,350 at Karkula; 212-645-2216).