The 2023 James Beard Award winners are revealed, Louis Vuitton designs an airport lounge, and Apple’s Vision Pro could revolutionize architecture. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Esquire names America’s 50 best bars
Bloom’s cocktail lounge at the Ulysses hotel in Baltimore; photo by Brett Wood
Esquire has assembled its annual list of the 50 Best Bars in America. It’s a mix of high-brow establishments—there’s New Orleans’ sparkling Chandelier Bar at the Four Seasons and New York’s Swan Room at Nine Orchard, housed inside a former bank—to the funky, like the neon-tinged Let’s Go Disco and Cocktail Club in Los Angeles and more surprising inclusions like Jellyrolls, an adults-only, dueling piano bar inside Disney World. Read the full list.
How might Apple Vision Pro influence architecture?
This week, Apple announced its biggest product launch since the Apple Watch in 2015, the Apple Vision Pro, its first foray into spatial computing. The mixed-reality headset can oscillate between a partial, augmented reality, overlaying physical spaces with apps, movies, and more, or a fully immersive experience. Although the technology won’t be available for purchase until early 2024, some are already speculating on its potential implications. A recent article from ArchDaily dives into some benefits Apple Vision Pro could have for the architecture industry, including an ability to test complicated or expensive designs in incredible detail, merge architecture with digital environments for an entirely new experience, or allow professionals to design without the limits of the physical world.
The 2023 James Beard Award winners are here
The 2023 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards at Lyric Opera of Chicago; photo by Jeff Schear/Getty Images for the James Beard Foundation
At a glamorous fête inside Chicago’s Lyric Opera house earlier this week, the James Beard Foundation announced the 2023 winners of its chef and restaurant awards. This year’s awards were designated using the foundation’s new voting system, created in a bid to be more equitable, inclusive, and diverse following recent controversy. An article from The New York Times compiled this year’s 30 winners, of which 25 are people of color. Gregory Gourdet took home the coveted prize of best new restaurant for Kann in Portland, Oregon, while Damarr Brown of Chicago was recognized as an emerging chef for his work at Southern American restaurant Virtue.
Louis Vuitton Lounge opens in Doha airport
Photo courtesy of Louis Vuitton
Following the recent announcement that Louis Vuitton would transform its Paris headquarters into a luxury hotel, the heritage brand is continuing its expansion into hospitality. According to Robb Report, the Louis Vuitton Lounge is now open at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar. Filled with tropical touches, Quetzal bird sculptures by atelier oï are suspended above verdant greenery and floral-patterned furnishings. The space also marks another collaboration in the ongoing partnership between Louis Vuitton and three-star Michelin chef, Yannick Alléno. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the lounge is accessible from the Al Mourjan Business Lounge.
Meet the 2023 Platinum Circle honorees
Photo by PWP Studio
Hospitality Design magazine recently announced this year’s honorees for the prestigious Platinum Circle Awards, which recognizes some of the top talent in the hospitality industry. The 34th annual gala, taking place November 10th in New York, will celebrate: Martin Brudnizki, founder of Martin Brudnizki Design Studio; Ted Carroll, president of the Carroll Adams Group; Raul Leal, CEO of SH Hotels & Resorts; Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos, president and COO of Flag Luxury; and Libby Sims Patrick, founder and CEO of Sims Patrick Studio.