To hear the owners tell it, Rao’s—the 130–year-old Italian restaurant in New York City’s East Harlem neighborhood—was never supposed to be the kind of place where getting a table is nigh on impossible.
But in the late 1970s, after a glowing review from The New York Times, the business started giving loyal customers very, very longstanding reservations to ensure they could look after the people who’d been with them from the start. The same patrons who snagged a Thursday night four-top at 7 p.m. in 1977 probably still have it today. “[Customers] will say to me, ‘This is the 45th birthday I’ve had here,’” says Ron Straci, the restaurant’s charming, spry, 90-year-old co-owner. The eventual result of this policy is that Rao’s is, hands down, the city’s most exclusive place to dine.
That changed ever so slightly this week during the inaugural edition of Marriott Bonvoy and American Express’s new program, Dinner Rush. The idea is to put money-can’t-buy culinary experiences (like, say, a table at Rao’s) within reach of people with Platinum and Centurion cards, top-tier Bonvoy rankings, or both. But you also have to have fast enough thumbs to make the booking when it’s available. Certain cardholders were given early access—membership really does have its privileges—but the rest of the roughly 140 seats were offered first-come, first-served on social media.
Rao’s co-owners Frank Pellegrino Jr. (far left) and Ron Straci (center), with executive chef Dino Gatto at Dinner Rush presented by Marriott Bonvoy and American Express.
Getty Images for American Expres
Perhaps the most impressive element of the exercise—beyond the meatballs, which really do live up to the hype—is that the pop-up only lasted one night. Nevertheless, interior designers turned a small portion of the J.W. Marriott Essex House into a line-for-line replica of Raos, complete with its rich red walls, photos of patrons and friends, the marble fireplace in the corner, and even the signature Christmas decorations that stay up year-round. It made one wonder if there’s a tank of Bobby Berk clones on ice somewhere near Marriott’s HQ in Bethesda.
“It really does look like Raos,” Straci says. “It’s amazing what they did in a couple of days. If I showed you a picture of what it looked like before, you wouldn’t believe it.”
The cousins agreed, immediately, that they would do this all over again if asked. “I can’t think of a greater compliment that could be paid for Rao’s, quite simply,” says Frank Pellegrino, Jr., Straci’s cousin and co-owner of the restaurant. And while there are more Dinner Rush experiences planned, neither Marriott nor American Express representatives would confirm what’s next. For what it’s worth, I suggested they bring an afternoon tea from the likes of Claridge’s or The Dorchester to New York or Dallas, or transplant The Polo Bar to Miami or Atlanta. This is a rare, successful example of high-end experiential marketing done right, and whatever they do next is going to be delicious.
Here’s what else caught our eyes this week:
Armani Goes Back to the Archives—Again
Image Credit: Armani
Should you ever need an example of a timeless wardrobe staple, look no further than Armani’s Archivo collection. The line, which reproduces archival designs from the Italian house’s vast back catalog, released its second edition this week, offering 13 pieces that the master of modern minimalism penned between 1979 and 1994. These are clothes that look as good, or better, now than they did when they were originally produced. Reach for the cinnamon-colored silk bomber jacket with pockets outlined in cotton-and-modal corduroy (far left). Whoever inherits your wardrobe someday will thank you for it.
Ibiza, Without the Bass
Image Credit: Highstay
If you’ve aged out of Ibiza’s infamous oontz-oontz party culture, but still love the island’s UNESCO World Heritage sites and peerless beaches, Villa Escondida will certainly appeal. The modernist eight-bedroom property, offered by the Paris-based serviced villas specialist Highstay, is generously sized to sleep up to 16 people. It has plenty of amenities, but the most au courant among them is the padel court, carefully ensconced within nearly 4.5 acres of private Mediterranean gardens on the property. Plus, check out that view.
A Design Legend’s Travel Clock
Image Credit: Jaeger-LeCoultre
On the off chance that you didn’t get enough horological content during Watches & Wonders last week, Jaeger-LeCoultre had one more announcement up its sleeve. It saved its new Memovox Travel Clock, designed in collaboration with ur-designer Marc Newson, a secret until it was unveiled at Milan’s annual furniture show, Salone del Mobile, this week. The clock is a 69 mm circle of titanium powered by the caliber 256 movement, which achieves an impressive 12 days of power reserve. Its design is redolent of the 1950s, and its alarm sounds like you’re late for home room. It’s limited to 100 editions annually, and will come in an all-leather travel kit by the Modena-based company Schedoni, best known for outfitting the interiors of vintage Ferraris.
The Most Expensive Mirrors in the World
Image Credit: Sotheby’s
Even for the most monied among us, mirrors are one of those interior design elements that are always more expensive than you anticipate. How fitting, then, that Sotheby’s New York sold a set of mirrors that once belonged to celebrated fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent for a whopping $33.5 million this week? The price makes the gilt bronze confections, a set of 15 offered alongside a pretty stellar array of items that once belonged to Jean and Terry de Gunzburg, the most expensive single lot ever sold in a design auction. We hope the new owners like their reflections in them. And if you missed this sale, fret not: a second offering from the de Gunzburg collection will be up for grabs in May.
Dining and Cooking