Super Bowl Sunday isn’t just for football fans anymore. It’s been just over five months months since global superstar Taylor Swift began dating Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce, and the two have cut a lean figure in and out of Manhattan’s hautest boîtes. And while we know Swift is a fan of a love story on date night, she’s also about having a good time.
Often spotted with her girl squad consisting of Blake Lively, Cara Delevigne, Selena Gomez, along with fellow football WAG Brittany Mahomes, Swift has grabbed her gaggle and taken them to some of Los Angeles and Manhattan’s most compelling eateries.
Casual girls nights at Lucali over pizza, catch-up sessions over sushi at Nobu, and cocktails and conversation at her neighborhood watering hole Fouquet’s are all staples for Swift. And while it's anyone's guess if Swift will make it from her Tokyo performance to Las Vegas in time to catch the big game, we know even with her whirlwind schedule, she'll find a moment for a zen (and tasty) bite.
Below, we share our Inspector’s takes on 9 spots around the world that T. Swift can’t get enough of.
Lower Manhattan’s iconic Battery Maritime Building, a 1906 ferry terminal in an ornate Beaux-Arts style, is the venue for Casa Cipriani, a members’ club and luxury boutique hotel by the legendary Italian restaurateurs and hoteliers. Inside is probably the purest dose of contemporary Italian luxury design available this side of Milan; the rooms and suites are remarkably restrained in their opulence, in contrast with the building’s exterior ornament, and those that face the river offer a view unlike any other hotel in town.
Step inside the narrow, weathered space, where owner Emilio Vitolo and son, Anthony, offer each guest a personal welcome and a genuine Italian-American experience.The menu is filled with pasta classics like Roman cacio e pepe, tossed with sharp pecorino and freshly ground black pepper.
Inspector notes: "Signature specialties include pollo Emilio, a delicately breaded chicken cutlet draped in lemon-caper sauce; and clams oreganata speckled with garlicky breadcrumbs."
Hotel Barrière Fouquet's New York
Hotel Barrière Fouquet’s New York is a combination of two well-loved phrases we never thought we’d see together; the Parisian luxury hotel brand has indeed set up shop in Tribeca, marrying some very French Art Deco–inspired interiors with a post-industrial brick structure that could hardly be more Lower Manhattan. The result, as you might imagine, is a hit in both the fashion and food worlds, and gets to the heart of what people love about both Tribeca and Paris.
This is the kind of cooking and scene that makes you wish you were Italian. Start with a stroll through the alimentari up front to grab some goodies; then settle into the rustic and warm dining area in the back.
Inspector notes: "Perfectly chewy spaghetti, tossed with lemon zest, bottarga di mugggine and red pepper flakes, is simple yet wholly devourable."
This ever-trendy yet refined Italian ristorante is as much coveted for its gorgeous setting as its lineup of rustic, tasty fare. The ambience is always abuzz and everyone looks beautiful amid low lights, a long bar, and walls adorned with wine bottles.
Inspector notes: "Try terrific house-made pastas such as the mezze rigatoni tossed in a creamy white veal bolognese-style sauce, or the hanger steak with pickled red chili and charred onions."
Although it's located in sunny South Beach, Lucali exudes a charming rusticity that calls to mind its original Brooklyn locale (the one that Swift went to with Lively). The wood-fired brick oven at the rear is sure to stoke the appetite.
Inspector notes: "The 20-inch pizza is lusciously charred and sports a light crust crowned with fresh pomodoro sauce, a combination of cheeses and fragrant sprigs of basil. Various toppings are offered to embellish the pie, and one may even choose to have just half dressed with say, meatball crumbles and green chili slivers."
There are now Nobu restaurants stretching from Dallas to Dubai and Mexico to Melbourne, but this one was Europe’s first when it opened back in 1997. [Note: Swift visited Nobu Downtown on lower Broadway with fellow football spouse Brittany Mahomes.]
Inspector notes: "Like seeing a favourite popstar on stage, you can expect all the greatest hits, from seafood toban yaki to rock shrimp tempura and, of course, the dish that’s been copied a thousand times: black cod miso."
Since debuting in the 1980's, Spago has become an American institution that never seems to age. The market-driven menu, as conceived by venerated Chef Ari Rosenson, is focused on the state's bounty with modern classics and perennial signatures.
Inspector notes: "Veal schnitzel, pounded flat and fried until golden, is another time-honored item that just so happens to be the recipe of the chef’s grandmother."
Occasionally, predictability can be a beautiful thing, especially when it comes to rave-worthy Italian cooking. Via Carota is not so much robotically perfect as it is pleasing—in fact it’s the kind of place where dishes can (and should) be piled on. Italian style and artistry combine in this homey space that features bare wood farm tables, sideboards and whitewashed brick.
Inspector notes: "A luscious (and unmissable) risotto cacio e pepe arrives loaded with pecorino and fresh pepper."
