Most New Yorkers who frequent the Meatpacking District are familiar with the restaurant Bagatelle, but what the savviest of downtown dwellers may not know is this quaint French Mediterranean restaurant opens its doors specifically to women on the first Wednesday of every month to host an event called “Bagatelle Pour Elle.” The event, which is intended to bring women together to shop, sip complimentary cocktails, and celebrate female-focused endeavors and entrepreneurship, is the perfect monthly motivator and the ideal place to catch up with your girl gang – or even establish a new one.
This month’s gathering, which was presented by Bella Magazine, included some incredible vendors who had the best summer had to offer. As we worked our way around the room our first stop was at Megan Isaacs’, the designer jewelry maker whose pieces were so breath-taking and refined we could instantly see ourselves wearing them anywhere from a business meeting to the beach. As modest as it was kept, Megan is a trained metalsmith and prides herself on using fine quality metals which make her jewelry both sculptural and lightweight. She had her most recent collection on display that evening and we found it hard not to purchase earrings in every shape and metal tone.
After doing a little shopping, we sampled two of the featured liquor brands of the night, Hiro Sake and Rosé Piscine. Named Best Sake at the 2016 and 2015 San Francisco International Wine Competition, Hiro was on hand to give us a refreshing recipe that had us considering it as a standalone beverage and not just an addition to our sushi or sashimi. Per the mixologist, just add Aperol and an additional spritzer to Hiro Red, and voilá, your new favorite summer cocktail with orange notes and mild carbonation is born. For those who have a penchant for a summer staple without the bubbles, Rosé Piscine was there to offer their unique style of vino. With its “residual sugar and acidity profile,” Piscine is best served on ice just as the moniker subtly denotes. As veteran wine drinkers, we were somewhat hesitant to drink a possibly watered down rosé; but to our surprise, the wine solidly maintained its floral nose and finished with a hint of exotic fruits. It left us dreaming of leaving New York and taking a trip to the beverage’s homeland, the South of France.
After speaking with a few women in business who were in attendance and learning of the ensuing summer sale happening at Trina Turk, we visited the Step Up Women’s Network. The non-profit works to “propel girls living in or going to school in under-resourced communities fulfill their potential by empowering them to become confident, college-bound, career-focused, and ready to join the next generation of professional women.”
The next Pour Elle event at Bagatelle is slated for Wednesday, September 6th.
-James Bianca