If you’re in search of the cocktail of the summer, look no further. elNico, a brand new rooftop situated atop the 11th floor of Penny Williamsburg, has the potential winner—and plenty more!

From Sydell Group, the team behind NoMad, Freehand, and LINE brands, elNico joins Penny Williamsburg with panoramic views of Manhattan and Brooklyn, along with a colorful interior and art-forward space that is a feast for the eyes.

Taking a modern approach towards Mexican fare, Chef Fernanda Serrano and Hospitality veteran Leo Robitschek have joined forces for what may be the hottest new spot east of the river!

“I’m excited for guests to see and taste dishes that I grew up with that have gradually evolved, just as my palate has, while working in some of the world’s most notable kitchens, pulling in new techniques and ingredients to present my version of Mexican cuisine,” said elNico Executive Chef Fernanda Serrano.

The rooftop restaurant and bar offers a menu of shareable bites in both small plates and large format dishes. Highlighting ingredients from urban farms and producers in the tri-state area, let your tastebuds explore a range of flavors from their Caviar Sope with salsa cruda and crème fraiche to the Pulpo Pibil which is fried octopus with toum, xnipec, potato chips and tortillas.

But for the real show stoppers: the cocktails! Separated into four sections, the drink menu features Classics, Fresh, Preserved and Non-Alcoholic. Notable ingredients from Latin America are highlighted with cocktails like the Rhubarb Margarita with Ocho Blanco Tequila, rhubarb, Aperol, yuzu, and lime or the Turn the Beet Around with Paranubes Rum, Patron Silver, lime, yellow beet, pineapple, and vanilla.

As for what may qualify as the drink of the summer, it’s their Santo Pepino. It’s a light and refreshing delight on the tongue, presented beautifully with a cucumber garnish that lines the wall of the glass.

In terms of interiors, Andrew Zobler and the creative team at Sydell Group envisioned the dining room and rooftop lounge as an “eccentric artist’s plant-filled living room and studio space.”

Local artist, Yuko Nishikawa, features their work with an installation of paper sculptures using recycled materials that pairs perfectly with the funky furniture and patterned details.

elNico promises to bring the party with a built-in DJ booth and enough space to get your groove on when there’s live music, cultural programming and more.

Find out even more or make a reservation on their website here.

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* This article was originally published here

Four months ago, several American military generals had complained to Congress about China’s growing diplomatic and economic march into the Caribbean and South America, warning the power players in Washington to pay greater attention to its own backyard and soft underbelly.

The generals had pointed to the billions China is prepared to spend to win friends and influence people in the Americas as they urged the U.S. to counter China’s well structured and determined march into the Americas.

“We’ve got to pay more attention to this region. The proximity matters. They are on the 20-yard line of our homeland. We are in a neighborhood, these are our neighbors, and we have got to pay attention to them,” U.S. Southern Commander General Laura Richardson told lawmakers at a session back in March. “The People’s Republic of China has the capability and intent to eschew international norms, advance its brand of authoritarianism, and amass power and influence at the expense of these democracies. The PRC has expanded its ability to extract resources, establish ports, manipulate governments through predatory investment practices, and build potential dual-use space facilities, the most space facilities in any combatant command region.”

But even though the U.S. has not been making much noise about waking up to China’s ambitions in the hemisphere, its string of recent high-level engagements with the Caribbean, the 15-nation single trading block known as Caricom, has won praise from the grouping. Leaders say that it appears that the region is finally getting the type of attention it needs from the superpower to the north.

“We are at the moment engaged with the U.S. in a way we have not before. That is the first hurdle we had to cross,” said Trinidadian Prime Minister Keith Rowley as he hosted leaders to a summit marking 50 years as an integration movement last week.

The region had in recent decades complained about the neglect of the Caribbean as Washington had placed greater focus on the Middle East and Asia and Afghanistan. In recent months, Vice President Kamla Harris has swung through the region, holding meetings with a slew of Caribbean heads of government in The Bahamas as recently as last month, just weeks before the regional presidents and prime ministers held their own summit in Trinidad. Additionally, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken returned to Washington just last Thursday after attending the Caricom summit in Trinidad and flying to neighboring Guyana for a five-hour visit to the world’s newest oil producer and exporter and soon-to-be the country with the highest per capita producer in the world in less than a decade. Attending the summit as well were Minority House Leader Hakeen Jeffries and a number of U.S. congressmen, a development several leaders noted is proof that that the U.S. is indeed paying greater attention to the Caribbean.

But an interesting point was made regarding China’s march on the Americas, the Caribbean in particular. Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali made it clear that the country had found it hard to attract U.S. business interest in recent decades but this is changing now even while a number of Chinese companies bid for any and almost every major project the government puts out to tender.

“We are a partner with many countries, and China is one of our development partners. China has a huge footprint globally, and China––the Chinese company are very aggressive in the way they do business. They go after opportunity, and that aggression is now being replicated by investors from different parts of the world here in Guyana. I said before publicly that the aggression from the U.S. private sector was not there in terms of going after the opportunities, but as a result of the strong bilateral relationship over the last two years and setting that tone and creating that policy environment and building that trust, we have seen a complete change from the U.S. private sector. And this is as a result of both countries at the policy level saying to the private sector, saying to the investors: There is the opportunity; we are welcoming that opportunity. And that has created a positive shift. More and more investment is coming from the U.S,” Ali said, sharing a press conference with Secretary Blinken.

He also noted that EximBank of the U.S. is providing US$2 billion in financing for projects in Guyana, as he announced that U.S. foreign direct investment in Guyana now stands at $4.2 billion. “This is the highest in history. And if you look at the investment from different countries, this is the highest investment over the last two years,” he said as Blinken looked on. 

The post U.S. more engaged with Caribbean in living memory appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

The New York Times has uncovered that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has a network of connections to wealth and opulent vacations that extend beyond his association with billionaire businessman and controversial figure Harlan Crow, known for his affinity for Nazi memorabilia.

According to the report, Thomas has exploited his ties with affluent individuals he met through the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, a prestigious scholarship organization, for personal gain, benefiting himself and his wife, Virginia.

Thanks to their Horatio Alger connections, the Thomases have gained exclusive invitations to extravagant vacations, lavish parties, and coveted VIP access to sporting events.

Moreover, the association has facilitated encounters for Thomas with prominent figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Ed McMahon, as witnessed during a lavish three-day birthday celebration in Montana for billionaire industrialist Dennis Washington.

However, Thomas’ involvement with the Horatio Alger Association extends beyond luxury trips.

Notably, the contacts he made through this association, including Washington and investor David Sokol, formerly of Berkshire Hathaway, played a role in financing a documentary that portrayed him as a hero following the release of an HBO movie that depicted Anita Hill’s sexual harassment allegations during his confirmation hearings.

The Sokol family further extended their generosity by hosting the Thomases at their Montana ranch and waterfront estate in Florida.

The New York Times discovered that Thomas had not disclosed many of the benefits and gifts he had received from his wealthy and well-connected allies, and he declined to provide the paper with any clarification regarding this matter.

Initially, at the start of his tenure on the Supreme Court, Thomas dutifully reported various personal gifts he received, such as private flights, cigars, and clothing.

However, after The Los Angeles Times scrutinized his disclosures in 2004, Thomas ceased reporting certain gifts and advantages he received to the court.

A recent investigation by ProPublica in 2023 exposed Thomas’ close relationship with Harlan Crow, a GOP megadonor with a disturbing collection of Nazi memorabilia and Hitler paintings.

Crow had treated Thomas to trips on his private jet and yacht, amounting to tens of thousands of dollars, and even purchased a residence where Thomas’ mother resided.
Additionally, Crow financed the tuition of Thomas’ nephew, who was under the care of the Thomases.

In response to the revelation of his relationship with Crow, Thomas defended his lack of honesty by claiming that “colleagues and others in the judiciary” had advised him that he did not need to disclose trips of a “personal hospitality” nature from friends.

Thomas’ acceptance of benefits granted him access to exclusive places he might not have otherwise frequented, and he also extended unusual access to the Horatio Alger Association by hosting their induction ceremony for new members in the Supreme Court’s courtroom.

The Times highlights this as an extraordinary privilege granted to an outside group.
The newspaper’s examination of fundraising records revealed that the association uses this unique access to raise money for events and scholarships.

In an acknowledgment of the significance of the Horatio Alger Association in his life, Thomas expressed, “The Horatio Alger Association has been a home to Virginia and me.”

Upon receiving the association’s highest honor in 2010, he made these remarks, further stating that the association had enabled him to witness his dreams come true.

If his dreams revolved around undisclosed extravagant vacations and exclusive privileges, then he appears to have achieved them.

The Supreme Court recently updated its disclosure regulations, mandating that justices report private jet travel and complimentary stays at hotels and resorts.

However, an exception exists for “personal hospitality,” encompassing food, accommodations, or entertainment unrelated to official business.

As the layers of Clarence Thomas’ connections to wealth and luxury are gradually peeled back, questions arise about the integrity and transparency of one of the nation’s highest judicial authorities.

The post Clarence Thomas’ connections to wealth and luxurious vacations exposed unveiling a deeper web appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

We’ve seen the MTA release limited-edition Biggie and Dolly Parton MetroCards in the past, and now the New York Public Library (NYPL) and Queens Public Library (QPL) are following suit with limited-edition library cards celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop!

The cards recognize NYC’s role in hip-hop’s rise as a global cultural movement, commemorating the moment when, on August 11, 1973, “DJ Kool Herc switched, repeated, and isolated tracks through record break at a house party in the South Bronx, creating one of the first instances of the genre as people would come to know it,” says NYPL.

The NYPL card features the iconic “Wild Style” mural from the original soundtrack of the 1983 film of the same moniker. Set in the South Bronx with appearances by some of the most formative figures of the genre–including Fab 5 Freddy, the Cold Crush Brothers, Lady Pink, and Grandmaster Flash–the film is considered the first ever hip-hop film.

The distinct “Wild Style” mural created by artists Zephyr, Revolt, and Sharp can be seen on the front of the card, with the back of the card showing the original soundtrack cassette.

The soundtrack’s original cassette is part of NYPL’s extensive hip-hop research collection at the Schomburg Center.

The QPL card features art by the legendary streetwear trailblazers the Shirt Kings, who began selling graffiti-inspired custom clothing in 1986 from a booth at the Colosseum Mall in Jamaica, Queens.

Their designs drew some of the biggest names in hip-hop, was featured on album covers and music videos, and helped lay the foundation for hip-hop fashion as a global force.

Queens Central Library (89-11 Merrick Boulevard in Jamaica) will host a Hip-Hop Card Release Party with the Shirt Kings and special guests on Thursday, July 13 at 11:30 a.m. Early access to the cards will be available at the start of the celebration.

The limited-edition library cards will be available at all QPL and NYPL branches starting Friday, July 14.

In addition to the cards, both library systems will celebrate hip-hop’s anniversary through a series of special events taking place Thursday, August 3 through Saturday, August 5. The full calendar of events can be found here.

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* This article was originally published here