#cigar-bar-fire

#cigar-bar-fire

For the past few years, we've been rounding up the best new restaurants in New York City as they open, with the sentiment being that anyone visiting the Big Apple can get a glimpse of our vast and diverse culinary scene by dining at a younger spot or two alongside the old-school institutions.

Seven people were injured, including two firefighters after a fire broke out inside a Brooklyn smoking lounge early Saturday morning, the FDNY said. A total of around 79 firefighters and EMS medics rushed to the Blew Smoke cigar room about 2:37 a.m. near Washington Ave. and Pacific St. in Prospect Heights, where the fire broke out on the first floor of the three-story building.

The artists José Parlá and Claudia Hilda, his wife, live in a former fire station in Fort Greene surrounded by memories of Cuba, which Parlá's family fled in 1970 and where Hilda lived until recently. "There's a lot of magical realism here, a big mix of Cuban traditions and religion," says Parlá, pointing to an icon of la Caridad del Cobre, the island's patron saint, in the kitchen. "We cannot move her!"

A fire forced the temporary closure of a popular Brooklyn neighborhood bar earlier this month, and officials say it's still unclear when it will reopen. Flames erupted at Dynaco along Bedford Avenue near Lexington Avenue and Quincy Street during the early morning of Jan. 10, FDNY officials said. The fire was confined to an upper level and did not spread to the main bar area, though smoke and water from firefighting efforts impacted the entire building.

The artists José Parlá and Claudia Hilda, his wife, live in a former fire station in Fort Greene surrounded by memories of Cuba, which Parlá's ­family fled in 1970 and where ­Hilda lived until recently. "There's a lot of magical realism here, a big mix of Cuban traditions and religion," says Parlá, pointing to an icon of la Caridad del Cobre, the island's patron saint, in the kitchen. "We cannot move her!"

Miami is a hotbed for avant-garde fashion, design, and art, which is why people flock to the tip of the Florida peninsula every year to navigate the crowds at Art Basel and Design Miami. History buffs can explore architecture from the 1920s at the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, stroll the Deering Estate house museum, or study up on Miami's urban and environmental design at the Coral Gables Museum.

Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show was a success, but can the same be said about his other business ventures? Ahead of Bad Bunny's historic Super Bowl performance, I visited Gekko, a Japanese steakhouse in Miami co-owned by the singer and Miami hospitality mogul David Grutman. Since its opening in 2022, Gekko has established itself as a celebrity hot spot in Miami, attracting stars like Kim Kardashian and frequently hosting entertainment industry after-parties.

While one of the bartenders at the legendary Connaught Bar in London mixes your martini tableside, you're invited to choose your bitters to complete the drink. Lavender, perhaps? Or would tonka, coriander, or cardamom please you? Oh, what about the house-developed Dr. Ago's? Whatever your choice, you feel special for having collaborated on your order. But in truth, the selection process is so carefully planned by the Connaught that they're still behind the wheel. It's customization and control in perfect balance.

When the gin and tonic glasses are drained, and the crab tostada and chimichurri-dressed steak plates are cleared from the table, customers can snake through the kitchen and descend candlelit stairs to an entirely different experience: Laberinto, an underground speakeasy. The theme at Laberinto, which means labyrinth in Spanish, is escapism - a micro vacation after the meal has ended where guests chat, flip through vinyl records, and sip Mexican spirits and liqueurs layered with notes of oregano, sage, and palo santo.