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Don’t believe what you hear: Fashion people do like to eat. Particularly during New York Fashion Week, when the constant merry-go-round of shows, presentations, and parties requires substantial refueling. Of course, not just anywhere will do: the anointed restaurant must serve delicious-but-plausibly-healthy food, be conveniently located, relatively new, and—above all else—chic. The chosen one they’ll all be flocking to this season?
16 hours ago Can you avoid the crushing rejection of friends canceling on your virtual hangout when they have literally nowhere to be? If you and your happy hour group decide to make old-fashions.
Le Turtle, a stylish eatery appealingly wedged between Nolita and the Lower East Side that, before even opening in December, had already hosted two fashion dinners; one for a collaboration between ultra-cool clothing line Maiyet and beloved eyewear brand Warby Parker, and another for the CFDA and Lexus, hosted by Olivia Wilde.The instant fashion cred isn’t all that surprising considering who’s behind the new hot spot: Le Turtle is the fruit of a partnership between Taavo Somer, co-owner of L.E.S. Mainstay —a barber shop, clothing line and restaurant rolled into one—and Carlos Quirarte, a creative consultant for brands like and co-owner of. Though this is their first joint venture, they’ve been friends for over a decade (the two initially met in 2000, when Quirarte was working at a store on Mulberry Street). “Taavo walked by and asked how much a t-shirt in the window cost,” recalls Quirarte.
“When I told him the price he said, ‘Screw that. I’ll make my own t-shirt.’” The next day, Somer returned with a dirty white t-shirt scrawled with the words ‘My girlfriend’s out of town.’“He said he had sold two on his way to see me,” says Quirarte. “We pretty much never stopped hanging out after that.”. Photo by Paul WagtouiczFast forward 15 years, and the pair were finally ready to partner.
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“Taavo texted me and asked, ‘want to do something together?,’” says Quirarte. “The timing just felt right to start something.“ It didn’t take long for the project to fall into place: The pair jumped on a space across from Freeman’s that had recently become vacated, and quickly decided on French fare, because, according to Quirarte, they “wanted to do something grounded in tradition and rich in history, with a modern twist.” That translated to a menu split between French standbys like chicken liver mousse and whole chicken for two, and nouveau inventions like a kohlrabi bisque and veggie-heavy entrees. (Our favorite: a mushroom dish with truffles and oyster-brie emulsion.) Because this is a French restaurant, the bread, of course, had to be on point: Though they charge $6 for it, we can personally attest it’s worth every penny.Somer, who also runs, a cross-disciplinary creative agency, was in charge of the interiors. He wanted to focus on a mix of “new materials” like travertine, two-way mirrors and Mylar, juxtaposed against leather, wood and steel. The art on the walls was made by “a very dear, old friend and partner in the restaurant, artist Nate Lowman.” As for how they landed on the name: “Honestly, it was a joke name but everyone seemed to respond well to it, so we went with it,” says Quirarte.While a lot went into creating Le Turtle, Quirarte says their goal was quite simple.
“We just wanted a place where we and our friends would want to hang out,” explained Quirarte. Of course, it doesn’t hurt when your friends include famous artists, models, and fashion industry vets. “Carlos Quirarte and Taavo Somer are friends of Warby Parker, innovators in hospitality, and proprietors of like-minded establishments where we love to eat, meet, and hang out across the city,” said Warby Parker Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Dave Gilboa, when asked why he chose Le Turtle as the venue to celebrate the company’s collaboration with Maiyet.
“They are also warm hosts. We loved being able to share their newest downtown gem with friends during early preview tastings.'
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