![Talking Shop with Julia AllisonAOL City’s BestBy Rachel RaczkaOct 10, 2010
Mediaite Julia Allison might be hard to slow down - we caught her somewhere between a train from Boston and a Chicago production of “Candide” - but thanks to Twitter and her tell-all blog, she’s not too hard to track. After getting her advice on the best veggie burger in town and shopping tips for tutu lovers, she left us weirdly pining for the glamorous, slightly know-it-all older sister we never had. We hear you’ve moved to the West Coast? Well, I’m technically and happily a nomad. After living in New York for six years, I packed up all my stuff about two months ago, put it into storage, and have been shuttling between five cities: New York, Chicago, San Francisco, LA and Boston. I stay with friends and in Chicago, my parents generously lent me their condo in the city. Despite upwards of eight flights a month, I’m spending less than half of my former monthly rent on travel costs than when I lived full time in New York.
What restaurant do you think you’ll miss most? No question, no hesitation: Momofuku anything. David Chang is a genius. Ma Peche is my latest favorite, but the best meal I’ve had had to be at Ko. My guilty pleasure, however, is Houston’s yeah, yeah, it’s Hillstone now on 27th and Park, where I went at least once a month for six years to order what I consider to be the best veggie burger in town. It’s not trendy, but damn, it’s delicious. Where have you had the luck finding more cute A-line party dresses than we’ve ever seen? [Laughs] Well, I have to do something to cover up my Kim Kardashian backside, and A-line party dresses do the trick! I tend to alternate between a few shopping staples, primarily Bergdorf’s and Bloomingdale’s, supplemented with some boutiques like Roni and for special occasions and red carpet events, Rent the Runway. Lately, I’ve veered into slightly sexier, edgier territory with Herve Leger, but I’ll never give up my Betsey Johnson. Her brightly colored, be-tutu’d confections just make me happy. Your main hair man, Ryan Darius, has been getting a lot of attention with his upcoming show on LOGO. No one knows how to make a woman feel beautiful and confident in her hair the way Ryan does. He likes it long, full, silky. If you do one thing for yourself this year, get a color and cut by Ryan. If you’re really in the mood for a treat, try the extension line he works with, Platinum Seamless. He gave me the Platinum Seamless extensions in February to grow out a terrible cut and I never want to go back to “normal” hair again. It takes 45 minutes and uses medical grade adhesive so it stays for two months, but never damages your natural hair.
Best of Julia’s NYC FavesBest Veggie Burger: Houston’s (now Hillstone) 378 Park Ave. SouthBest Meal: Momofuku Ko 163 1st Ave.Best for Red Carpet: Rent the Runway www.renttherunway.com/Best Hair Cut: Ryan Darius Ryan Darius Salon 82 West 12th Street](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_laew8sLq2R1qzcb4xo1_400.png)
Talking Shop with Julia Allison
AOL City’s Best
By Rachel Raczka
Oct 10, 2010
Mediaite Julia Allison might be hard to slow down - we caught her somewhere between a train from Boston and a Chicago production of “Candide” - but thanks to Twitter and her tell-all blog, she’s not too hard to track. After getting her advice on the best veggie burger in town and shopping tips for tutu lovers, she left us weirdly pining for the glamorous, slightly know-it-all older sister we never had.
We hear you’ve moved to the West Coast?
Well, I’m technically and happily a nomad. After living in New York for six years, I packed up all my stuff about two months ago, put it into storage, and have been shuttling between five cities: New York, Chicago, San Francisco, LA and Boston. I stay with friends and in Chicago, my parents generously lent me their condo in the city. Despite upwards of eight flights a month, I’m spending less than half of my former monthly rent on travel costs than when I lived full time in New York.
What restaurant do you think you’ll miss most?
No question, no hesitation: Momofuku anything. David Chang is a genius. Ma Peche is my latest favorite, but the best meal I’ve had had to be at Ko. My guilty pleasure, however, is Houston’s yeah, yeah, it’s Hillstone now on 27th and Park, where I went at least once a month for six years to order what I consider to be the best veggie burger in town. It’s not trendy, but damn, it’s delicious.
Where have you had the luck finding more cute A-line party dresses than we’ve ever seen?
[Laughs] Well, I have to do something to cover up my Kim Kardashian backside, and A-line party dresses do the trick! I tend to alternate between a few shopping staples, primarily Bergdorf’s and Bloomingdale’s, supplemented with some boutiques like Roni and for special occasions and red carpet events, Rent the Runway. Lately, I’ve veered into slightly sexier, edgier territory with Herve Leger, but I’ll never give up my Betsey Johnson. Her brightly colored, be-tutu’d confections just make me happy.
Your main hair man, Ryan Darius, has been getting a lot of attention with his upcoming show on LOGO.
No one knows how to make a woman feel beautiful and confident in her hair the way Ryan does. He likes it long, full, silky. If you do one thing for yourself this year, get a color and cut by Ryan. If you’re really in the mood for a treat, try the extension line he works with, Platinum Seamless. He gave me the Platinum Seamless extensions in February to grow out a terrible cut and I never want to go back to “normal” hair again. It takes 45 minutes and uses medical grade adhesive so it stays for two months, but never damages your natural hair.
Best of Julia’s NYC Faves
Best Veggie Burger:
Houston’s (now Hillstone)
378 Park Ave. South
Best Meal:
Momofuku Ko
163 1st Ave.
Best for Red Carpet:
Rent the Runway
www.renttherunway.com/
Best Hair Cut:
Ryan Darius
Ryan Darius Salon
82 West 12th Street
