We’re so over minimalism, mediocre wines and spinning. We’ve moved on to Spiritualism, baby couture and shag rugs. It’s all so cool . . . that is, until the next hot trend.
WHO’S HOT
RESTAURATEUR SCOTT HARRIS
IN TIME, HE’LL BE BACK IN THE KITCHEN, HIS WAY
Scott Harris doesn’t take the title “chef” for granted. Never did, never will. Now the guiding hand at the tiller of the 11 Chicago-area Mia Francesca restaurants and a brand new, upper-middle-class Mexican concept called Platiyo, he remembers vividly the effort he had to expend as a teenage dishwasher, community college culinary student and apprentice cook at a slew of restaurants including Ambria, the 95th and Chez Jenny.
Harris is home-grown, a native of the South Side. At 41, he is seen by his peers as an entrepreneur with a Midas touch who has mapped out an impressive game plan. Not so, according to the chef. He says chance meetings have led to partnerships, random cruises by car have turned up promising suburban locations with “For Rent” signs in the window.
“There’s been no master plan,” he insists. “It just happened. I’ve worked to keep things simple, prepare appealing food and charge reasonable prices. We strive to make our customers welcome and to recognize regulars by name. In return, they bring us a lot of energy that helps make the restaurants fun to be in.” –William Rice
Hot: Big pendant necklaces
Not: Lariats
Hot dog: The French bulldog
Hot: Electric or battery-powered vehicles
Not: Gas guzzlers
Hot: Cheap and chic chairs
The Louis Ghost Chair by Philippe Starck
Hot: Well-trimmed beards and moustaches
Not: Goatees (goatees are the ponytail of the ’90s)
Hot: “You’re brilliant!”
Not: “You’re fabulous!”
Hot: Katie Couric’s shoe collection
Not: Ann Curry’s longer hair
Hot: Striped colorful dress shirts (Paul Smith, Etro, Burberry)
Not: French blue dress shirts
Hot: Moderation
Not: Excessiveness (yes, we can still go out and have fun, but face it: we are getting a little older and the recovery is a bit harder now)
Hot: Local neighborhood hangouts
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Not: Being “on the list”
Hot: Cargo pants
Not: OK, one last time: Triple pleated pants!!!!
Hot: Old workhorse politicos (like Walter Mondale, Frank Lautenberg, Henry Kissinger)
Not: New kids on the block
Hot: Sabrina heels
Not: Stilettos
Hot: Little-boy undershorts
Not: Boxers
Hot: Shearling
Not: Fur
Hot: Baby couture
Not: Bargain-basement baby clothes
Hot: Totes
Not: Mini-backpacks
Hot: Leg and arm warmers
Not: Earmuffs
Hot: Roxy and Quicksilver luggage
Not: Tumi and Hartmann
Hot: Field hockey
Not: Soccer
Hot: Lomography cameras (a la Warhol)
Not: APS systems
Hot: Knitting and beading
Not: Paint by numbers
Hot: Karim Rashid and Todd Oldham Basics for the home
Not: Michael Graves Basics for the home
Hot: Shag rugs
Not: Sisal
Hot: Tuna carpaccio and tartare
Not: Traditional sushi
Hot: Baby blue and black
Not: The overuse of chocolate brown (it still looks great, but enough already)
Hot: Nerve.com
Not: Match.com
Hot: Underground dance, French filtered disco
Not: Progressive and Hard House
Hot: Pilates and any form of yoga
Not: Spinning and Tae-bo
Hot: Junya Watanabe’s intellectually fun fashion
Not: Angst dressing
Hot: The all-raw diet
Not: “Vegetarians” who eat chicken
Hot: Embellished furniture
Not: Froufrou furniture
Hot: Buying a vacation home
Not: Renting one
Hot: Joining a hobby club
Not: Working at your hobby alone
Hot: Restaurant regentrification
Not: Opening on “Restaurant row”
Hot: Reassessing your place in the world
Not: Complacent retirement
Hot: On-line dating, speed-dating
Not: Being set up by friends, who have run out of prospects
Hot: Personal leaves from work
Not: Blind loyalty
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Hot: Being over 50 but acting 18 to 34.
Not: Being over 50 and acting it
Hot: Comfort food lite (ricotta gnocchi)
Not: Heavy comfort food (potato gnocchi)
Hot: Mache
Not: Salad in a bag
Hot: Boutique lounges (like Minx, and Moda)
Not: Drafty, warehouse-style nightclubs (can’t get that lovin’ feeling if the place is too big to fill)
Hot: Crepes (light, takes flavors)
Not: Bagels (heavy, cumbersome)
Hot: Family photos in albums
Not: Family photos in frames
Hot: Flying the American flag at your residence year-round
Not: Raising the flag only on national holidays
Hot: Divorce showers (for friends who have had to turn over the linens, blender and snowplow to their ex)
Not: Traditional wedding showers (some couples have enough already)
Hot: Classic drinks (Get back to the basics with cocktails like the Highball, Tom Collins, Screwdriver or Whiskey Sour)
Not: Specialty sippers (give the bartenders a break)
Hot: Deejays spinning slower, sexier grooves
Not: Detached, nondescript Techno
Hot: A peek here, a peek there (leave some mystery; unexpected slits in dresses, tops, jackets get you noticed)
Not: Overwhelming cleavage
Hot: Mrs. Guy Ritchie
Not: Madonna
Hot: The great danes
Arne Jacobsen’s legendary 1958 swan chair and Poul Kjaerholm’s late ’50s pk lounge chair in wicker are remarkable for their purity of line and hipness.
Hot: Izod Lacoste logo on anything
Not: Any other visible logo
Hot: One bottle of great wine
Not: Two bottles of ok wine
Hot: Short and sporty
Hot: The ’70s a la Ali MAcGraw
Not: The “Sex in the City” look
Hot: New wave ergonomic office chairs
Hot: Verve Classics
The vault of Verve has been opened by International uber-deejays Richard Dorfmeister and Thievery Corporation. Remixing Verve classics like Nina Simone’s “See-Line Woman,” Carmen McRae’s “How long has this been going on?” and Dinah Washington’s masterpiece, “Is you is or is you ain’t my baby.” The sounds are cool, crisp and modern.
Hot: Eating dessert at bars like Sugar
Not: Cocktail lounges that serve nuts
Hot: J.Lo and Ben
Not: Ben and Matt
Hot: Apple’s Titanium Power Book G4
Not: Playstation
Hot: Black velvet blazers for men
Not: Black leather blazers
Hot: Going natural (hairy chests are back)
Not: Men who shave their chests and backs
Hot: Elongated watch faces
Not: Big-faced watches
———-
Where to buy: Apple Titanium Power Book G4, $2,229, at computer stores and departments. Lomography Super Sampler camera, $50, at Orange Skin, Chicago. Gucci long rectangular women’s watch, $595, at Gucci, Chicago. Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. extra large “Sevillana” sterling silver pendant on a silk cord, $250, at Tiffany & Co., Chicago. Swan Chair, about $2,825 (depending on fabric) and PK Chair (armless) in wicker, about $2,747, at Knoll Inc., Merchandise Mart, Chicago. Power Rider DL-250 electric scooter, $499, through the Neiman Marcus catalog (to order, call 800-825-8000 or go to www.neimanmarcus.com). Knoll Life Chair, starting at $1,200 (with arms), at Knoll Inc., Mart, Chicago. Plastic Louis Ghost Chairs by Philippe Starck for Kartell, $216 each, through the Design Within Reach catalog (to order go to www.dwr.com).