Crains New York - October 8, 2012 - (Page 22)

Make like a tree Continued from Page 22 company offers special teambuilding zipline tours for corporations as well. To book the experience, visit www.zoomzip lines.com, or call (973) 864-8880. If speeding through the air isn’t your kind of thrill, there are more relaxing ways to see autumn’s colorful display. Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises runs full-day boat trips up to Bear Mountain through Oct. 28. On Saturdays and Sundays, guests can take a leisurely two-and-ahalf-hour sail on the Hudson River, past Grant’s Tomb, the George Washington Bridge and the Cloisters, up to Bear Mountain. Once docked, they will have about three hours to enjoy the park—including its Oktoberfest events, such as live music, dancing and a picnic lunch. Boarding for the cruises begins at 8:30 a.m. at Pier 83, at West 42nd Street. Tickets cost $50 for adults and $31 for children. To purchase them, visit www.circleline42.com or call (212) 563-3200. AFIRE: the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze Over the river For one more unusual way to see the fall foliage,take a walk across the Hudson River at Walkway Over the Hudson State Park.The 3-year-old elevated pedestrian bridge is the world’s longest, stretching 1.28 miles, 212 feet above the river. It offers panoramic views of the Catskill Mountains, which are especially beautiful in the fall. Simply take the Metro-North Hudson Line to Poughkeepsie station and hop on the free Walkway Shuttle at the River Station restaurant, across the street.Or you can stroll to the Walkway—it’s just 20 minutes. Once the leaves have fallen, spookier festivities take center stage. For a Halloween treat, grab one of the few tickets left to the most electrifying event in the tristate area. Spend an evening surrounded by more than 5,000 individually carved,illuminated pumpkins at the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at the Van Cortlandt Manor in Crotonon-Hudson. In addition to the beloved dinosaur made entirely out of jacko’-lanterns and the creepy haunted house, new attractions this year include flying pumpkin ghosts that soar above the glowing path, and a towering pumpkin bonfire. More than 1,000 volunteers help scoop, carve and light the pumpkins. The attraction, which runs from Oct. 6 through Nov. 11, had 80,000 visitors last year. Get your tickets at www.hudsonvalley.org. Adult en- try ranges from $16 to $20; children, $12 to $16. A short drive from the Blaze, in northern Westchester, is the Bedford Post Inn, Richard Gere’s hotel. The 14-acre retreat in Bedford has eight luxury rooms, two restaurants and a yoga studio. Starting this month, the inn is hosting a series of Fall Harvest Dinners with local farmers. On the first night, Oct. 24 from 5:30 p.m.to 9:30 p.m.,the inn’s executive chef, Jeremy McMillan, is teaming up with Amba Farm to offer visitors a three-course meal using the farm’s ingredients. Before the dinner, guests can take a cooking class. A similar event will take place on Nov.18.The dinners cost $55 per person and can be booked by visiting www.bedfordpostinn.com. Rooms at the hotel start at $395 a night. Chance sightings of Mr. Gere and his wife, Carey Lowell, are free. SOURCE LUNCH: ANDREW RIGIE by Andrew J. Hawkins bryan haeffele Cooking up plans for restaurant group A Sticky situations If you have only one day for an excursion this year, it might be wise to forgo the usual apple-picking trip for the chance to learn how maple syrup is made. Madava Farms, the home of Crown Maple Syrup, is opening to the public for the first time. Visitors will be able to wander among more than 800 acres of sugar and red maple trees to learn how pure maple syrup is crafted and— the best part—enjoy a variety of samples at the end. To kick off its first season of visitors, the farm is hosting a special tasting event on Oct.13 with Mast Brothers Chocolate and Blue Marble Ice Cream, and a Chefs Challenge Showcase on Oct. 14. The farm is in Dover Plains, N.Y. For more information, visit www.crownmaple.com. fter six years at the New York State Restaurant Association, Andrew Rigie wanted to lobby exclusively for the city’s 24,000 eating and drinking establishments. So he started the New York City Hospitality Alliance. The new group seems popular: Its launch party Sept.24 had to be moved from a small rooftop venue to a subterranean nightclub to better accommodate the guest list, which included several of the city’s top politicians. Mr. Rigie, 30, is focused on growing membership. When asked to name his favorite restaurant, he opted for a safe choice: his family’s fourth-generation bakery in Queens. Why the need for this new group? small mom-and-pop out in Flushing, or the upcoming chef in Park Slope or Williamsburg. We’re their organization. We understand them because we are them. How will you be recruiting members? Since we announced our formation in June, countless people from around the city have reached out to us: “How do I get involved? This is really exciting—what do you need?” Although it’s a very difficult industry, one of the great things is that it provides upward mobility. You see people from all walks of life coming to New York City to open a restaurant. At least the hospitality industry continues to put people on payroll, and is really critical to the economic footprint of NYC. Even the largest hospitality operator What are your top targets? in this city, for the most part, is still Upward of 90% of restaurant operaa small business in the grand tors will tell you the Health Department’s letter-grading sysscheme. And New York tem is their biggest City’s hospitality industry concern. Everyone suphas never had an indeports high food-safety pendent organization to standards. It’s in everyrepresent us. Having our one’s best interest to serve own independent organiLEXINGTON safe, sanitary food. What zation means we can focus BRASS they object to is what they 100% of our resources on 517 Lexington Ave. (212) 392-5976 feel is the punitive nature the issues that are imporwww.lexington of the system. It’s very tant to our members here, brass.com heavy-handed. They’re and customize solutions in AMBIENCE: being issued violations on the ways of education and Spacious and hip, this inspection that they training and other services with large windows for weren’t issued for the last to help businesses become people-watching inspection. What they’re more profitable. and a gregarious asking for is a more collabwaitstaff What do you mean by orative partnership to enWHAT THEY ATE: independent? sure high food-safety Steak sandwich There are more than standards. with onions, jalapeños and 24,000 food service and aged cheddar; Do you want to get rid of the drinking establishments in truffle fries; Diet letter-grading system? New York City alone. Even Coke; espresso I don’t believe there’s moif the city makes up more Tuna tartare mentum to completely than 50% of their membertacos with guacamole and eliminate the letter-grade ship dues, it’s just not fair to chili aioli; diver system. But I do believe a state organization to foscallops with … that the speaker and cus their necessary remiso, butternut the City Council undersources on one geographic squash and mushrooms; stand that there’s concern. location. If it makes sense coffee for us to align ourselves on TAB: $138.27, Will you be involved in the specific regulatory issues or including tip 2013 elections? economic development isWe are out there and talksues with any state or national organization, we’ll do so. But ing with every single candidate. We we shouldn’t be constrained.We need want to understand how they view to have the freedom to do what we the hospitality industry. We’ll look need to do, and how we need to do it. at state representatives as well. We want to hear their platforms, as well Will there be overlap with the state as educate them on how they can asrestaurant association? sist us. The hospitality industry Yes,there’ll be overlap.But there’s an needs to be proactive, not reactive. enormous pool of people historical- And we need to have an influential ly who’ve been left behind—the voice in policy and government. WHERE THEY DINED INSIDE TIP: Lexington Brass pays $50 a year to belong to Mr. Rigie’s group. 22 | Crain’s New York Business | October 8, 2012 http://www.zoomziplines.com http://www.zoomziplines.com http://www.bedfordpostinn.com http://www.circleline42.com http://www.hudsonvalley.org http://www.crownmaple.com http://www.lexingtonbrass.com http://www.lexingtonbrass.com http://www.murrayhill.com http://www.murrayhill.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crains New York - October 8, 2012

IN THE BOROUGHS
IN THE MARKETS
THE INSIDER
BUSINESS PEOPLE
CORPORATE LADDER
FROM AROUND THE CITY
OPINION
GREG DAVID
THE LIST
REAL ESTATE DEALS
CLASSIFIEDS
SMALL BUSINESS
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
SOURCE LUNCH
OUT AND ABOUT
SNAPS

Crains New York - October 8, 2012