Latest news with #Rubirosa
Forbes
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Inside Camp Rubirosa: The Hamptons' Hottest New Pizzeria With A Summer Camp Twist
Welcome to Camp Rubirosa It's been said that going to The Hamptons is like going to summer camp for adults, so it's no surprise that one of this season's hottest new restaurants is a chic pizzeria with a playful camp theme. Located at 31 Race Lane in East Hampton, Camp Rubirosa is both the family-friendly spot Hamptonites have been craving and the one they didn't know they needed. Cheers to The Camptons Full of whimsy, gorgeously presented food, and delightful cocktails, Camp Rubirosa blends nostalgic Americana with the rustic charm of the Italian countryside. It's one of the most uniquely designed restaurants in the area, where every detail evokes a feeling. Here's a look inside and the story behind the happiest restaurant in The Hamptons, which is co-owned by restaurateur Maria Pappalardo and media entrepreneur and restaurateur behind Billy Durney's Sag Harbor Tavern, Brian Bedol. A Pizza Legacy Rubirosa's famed tie dye pizza If Rubirosa sounds familiar, it's because the restaurant has a location in Manhattan at 235 Mulberry Street. Pizza is truly a family affair for the Pappalardos. The founder's father, Giuseppe, opened a pizzeria on Staten Island, and Manhattan's Rubirosa was founded by her late brother AJ Pappalardo. After he passed away, Pappalardo stepped in to keep her family's legacy alive. Pappalardo tells me, 'Brian and I decided to partner in 24 hours, and from there, we hit the ground running. He was living in Sag Harbor and could be on site every day, while I was in the city, focusing on hiring and operations. We got really lucky with an incredible executive chef and a seasoned general manager who brought both local knowledge and pop-up experience. It was a total team effort.' A cool campfire While the duo could have opted for a super-upscale concept—and it would have been successful—she wanted to do something different. 'We wanted to lead with fun — something with its own casual energy, not just a copy of Rubirosa on Mulberry Street, but still true to the original flavors and signature dishes everyone loves.' While Camp Rubirosa has a distinctly different vibe from its city counterpart, a few signature dishes remain—like the camp-appropriate Tie-Dye pizza, made with vodka sauce, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and a vibrant swirl of pesto. Design Camp Once Bedol and Pappalardo were settled on the camp theme, that's when the hard work began. A fun warning One of the most surprising things about this restaurant—which feels as if it's been there for decades—is that the owners used AI to help create Instagrammable design moments Bedol tells me, 'Maria and I were both set on the camp theme, but she was thinking more glamping than traditional camping. I asked ChatGPT to design a restaurant entrance that felt like stepping into a glampsite, and it came back with the perfect concept in 60 seconds.' In less than three months (warp speed even by New York standards), they transformed the space, which was previously Dopo. 'It was a fully collaborative effort between Brian and me,' explains Pappalardo. With lots of wood and high-beamed ceilings, it was the perfect spot for a Camptons dining hall. The right direction 'We reupholstered the banquettes, added some fresh paint, and layered in details to bring it to life. A lot of it felt like dressing a movie set. We were figuring out how to tell a story with the space while keeping it light, playful, and true to the summer camp feel,' says Pappalardo. One of Bedol's Facebook Marketplace finds led him to a local artist in Montauk who said he could build it. 'He showed up the next day with two by fours and canvas and brought the iconic, Instagrammable entrance to life.' Camp chic The team then sought out all the authentic camp kitsch that decorates the walls, including an inflatable horse, vintage water skis, and painted signs. They ended up sourcing many of these items from Facebook Marketplace and Etsy along with the help of some local contractors. 'The goal was to create a collected, lived-in summer camp vibe in the Italian countryside using pieces full of character with a bit of quirk. We didn't want things to feel too polished or perfect,' says Bedol. Still, it's the perfect place to camp out this summer—and unlike dining hall fare, the menu is full of dishes you'll come back for again and again.
Time Out
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Kings Co Imperial celebrates 10 years with smashburger dumplings and iconic chefs
In 2015, Kings Co Imperial made its debut in Williamsburg, spinning on Chinese classics with a Brooklyn twist. Countless orders of wok-seared dumplings and one sister spot in the Lower East Side later, and the restaurant has reached its ten-year milestone. To mark a decade in service, the restaurant has invited chefs from around NYC to the kitchen to cook up classics of their own. Starting this month, both locations of Kings Co Imperial are celebrating the anniversary with the summertime series, 'Dishes of a Decade.' From June 18 through September 30, the Chinese restaurant concept is inviting iconic chefs and eateries across NYC to create limited-edition dishes. For chef and co-owner Josh Grinker of Kings Co Imperial, it is all about celebrating those who have inspired them along the way. 'This series is about honoring the city that shaped us—and sharing the table with chefs we admire, whose food has inspired us over the years,' said Grinker in a press release. 'Nobody in this city accomplishes anything by themselves. Being in business for 10 years is a testament to our neighbors, our customers, our vendors and more.' Harlem's JJ Johnson is kicking things off this month. Infusing his African Caribbean heritage into a tried-and-true Chinese dish, Johnson's Jerk Duck Fried Rice special comes with a crown of ginger scallions and a fried egg. Rubirosa is bringing three of its time-honored pizza recipes to the restaurant: The Red with Rubirosa's signature vodka sauce, fresh mozzarella and Italian sausage; The Green with pesto and marinara; and half-red, half-green pie called the Tie Dye. But instead of pizza dough, the base of each will be scallion pancakes. George Motz of the West Village's Hamburger America is bringing a taste of Americana to the humble dumpling with the Fried Onion and Cheeseburger Dumpling (a dip of French's Chinese mustard is optional), while Emily Yuen of Greenpoint's Lingo is serving bowls of Bone-In Shio Koji Tonkatsu with Hong Kong curry and Chinese pickles. Settepani will finish the series with something sweet by serving a Cannoli Crumble with mango and honey. Each dish will be on rotation for a two-week period. And once it's gone, it's gone. So check out the full lineup of eats below and plan your summer calendar accordingly. Kings Co Imperial's Dishes of a Decade:
Forbes
28-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How This Accessible D2C Jewelry Brand Evolved From Clicks To Bricks
Wanderlust + Co's partnership with NYC community favorite Rubirosa helped cement its new store ... More within the local community Viral female-founded jewelry brand Wanderlust + Co is expanding Stateside. The playful and accessibly priced label has chosen New York City and Philadelphia for its first U.S. brick and mortar locations—on Bleecker Street and the King of Prussia Mall respectively. While Malayia based Wanderlust + Co has its roots as a digital-first brand, it has already established five locations across Asia in Malaysia and Singapore and is stocked with some 400 retailers worldwide. The U.S. region, however, accounts for 40% of global website traffic and conversions together with a 20-25% repeat purchase rate among U.S. shoppers. According to CEO and founder Jenn Low, these permanent spaces were also a response to insights gathered from a series of high-performing U.S. pop-ups together with intimate media dinners and one-on-one meetings. They demonstrated significantly increased conversion when people could physically engage with the product. 'We saw at first hand how much customers valued the opportunity to experience our pieces in real life,' she said. 'Those moments affirmed that our community was ready for a space where they could connect with the brand in person." The offering of these stores tap into broader spectrum market trends such as city specific products and personalisation services which are key when it comes to drawing customers in-store and and building a local community. Wanderlust + Co's New York store. Taking its cue from key luxury industry players like Le Labo and Christian Dior which pull focus on local, city specific products, Wanderlust created a whimsical pavé studded gold necklace with a charm in the shape of a pizza slice bedecked with pink pavé pepperoni in homage to New York. The novelty marks the latest addition to the brand's popular 'Food Lovers' series featuring fries, pretzels, dumplings and ravioli. In terms of broader trends, other recent hits include the Gen-Z brand's flip phone necklaces which successfully tapped into fashion's current fixation with all things Y2K. When Wanderlust launched in 2010, it rode the wave of the e-commerce revolution and enjoyed early viral success via what one would now describe as astute product placement and seeding with influencers like Leandra Medine and stylists such as Monica Rose leading to coverage in Teen Vogue and celebrity traction with the likes of Gigi Hadid. However, Lowe maintains that those early days were 'truly organic.' 'I hand wrote notes and packed pieces myself, sending them off to women I admired for their style as well as grit, like Eva Chen and Aimees Song. There was no real 'strategy' other than sharing what I loved with people who inspired me.' 'Today while that kind of visibility still means a lot, our focus is very much on community.' For New York, Wanderlust has partnered with NYC pizzeria Rubirosa on co-branded pizza delivery boxes for the restaurant's famous Tie Dye pizzas alongside the chance to win one of the limited edition necklaces. Moving forward, this kind of community driven creative storytelling will combine with further limited drops and exclusive collaborations, she says. Wanderlust + Co pizza slice necklace. While appealing in particular to a Gen-Z consumer, personalisation and storytelling amplify the emotional resonance of jewelry. The New York and Philadelphia stores both offer on-site piercing alongside personalisation services such as welding, engraving and a jewelry adjacent 'patch bar' where customers can personalise canvas key-chains, choosing from a series of iron-on designs—"allowing customers to bring their stories to life, making each piece uniquely theirs." 'That connection to meaning is what keeps our community coming back. Whether it's a gift to mark a milestone, or a charm you engraved on a whim—it becomes part of your story." Setting it apart from more mass produced counterparts, the small-batch jewelry done in recycled brass, 925 sterling silver or solid gold includes many hand crafted elements more common to the luxury industry—from initial sketches and sampling via 3D printed wax moulds to the setting, enamel painting and polishing processes. All partner factories are BSCI, SA 8000, and ISO 14001 certified while pieces are shower safe, hypoallergenic and feature game changing magnetic closures on bracelets and necklaces. Each is tested by humans for 30 days before going to market. The appetite for accessibly priced quality jewelry continues to grow. Another popular D2C instagram favorite Ana Luisa recently established its second New York store, joining the likes of Majuri and Catbird while Danish jewelry brand Pandora will open its first U.S. flagship in Las Vegas this summer.
