Chef Angie Mar and Christofle’s Lunar New Year dînatoire on Tuesday night began at 6 p.m. I arrived at Le B, Mar’s West Village hotspot, at 6:10 p.m. to find the restaurant already flooded with revelers. I checked the invitation but I had not misread it. Only Mar could inspire some of New York’s busiest personalities to show up right on time.
Pushing past the crowded banquettes, I discovered Martha Stewart in the kitchen where she gleefully inspected and tasted the delicacies that would soon be served to guests. A glass of wine in her hand, the domestic goddess giggled with Mar, dressed in a Paco Rabanne gown.
Back in the dining room, the crème de la crème of the culinary world were out in force. Chef Gabriel Kreuther, of his two Michelin-star eponymous restaurant, held court along with Chef Markus Glocker of Koloman in NoMad and Chef Max Wittawat of Bangkok Supper Club in the Meatpacking District. Yet even surrounded by the best of New York’s food scene, one attendee stood out from all the rest.
“We have André Soltner—come on?” Mar gushed. “How much bigger can we get? To have the support of other chefs means the world because these are really role models and idols to me.”
At 91, Chef André Soltner is a legend. For four decades, he ruled Lutèce, the legendary Manhattan eatery routinely rated among the world’s finest cuisines and the most polished social scene. When I asked Soltner about Mar, he told me that he has known Mar since she enrolled at the French Culinary Institute, where he serves as Dean of Classic Studies. “She is just wonderful,” he said, in a warm French accent.
“Wonderful” and words like it were used throughout the night to describe Mar and her contribution to the city. Her career began at Mario Batali’s famed Spotted Pig; from there, she became the executive chef and later owner of the legendary Beatrice Inn until it closed in 2020. Mar launched Les Trois Chevaux before opening Le B, in the same desirable location, in 2023.
Wherever Mar goes, the crowd follows her. The party’s guest list reflected a night at her restaurant. “It’s all about getting the right mix, isn’t it?” Mar mused. “Uptown, downtown… I love having friends from different circles come together.”
Interior tastemakers Athena Calderone and Colin King mingled. Actor Dean Winters, in thick-rimmed glasses, brought an air of sophistication that was a far cry from his dirtbag characters on 30 Rock and Sex and the City. The fashion crowd included legendary fixtures like Fern Mallis as well as young designers like Bach Mai, whose collection will walk on Saturday evening. Meanwhile, Peter Som and Gigi Burris both wore red in celebration of the evening.
Elsewhere, Pierre-Antoine Bollet, the CEO of Christofle, could be spotted mingling with guests: The evening also served as the debut Flowing Dragon, a limited-edition sculpture, designed by Chinese sculptor Zheng Lu for Christofle’s Haute Orfèvrerie atelier.
Heads swiveled as Dianne Brill—or, “the fabulous Dianne Brill” as she introduced herself—strutted the crowded restaurant. Draped in a blue fur stole (I did not dare ask if it was real or faux, lest I cause offense either way), the downtown legend carried herself with an old movie star pride. In the 30 years since she modeled for Thierry Mugler. her beauty, presence, and outrageous proportions remain unchanged.
“I can’t wait for The Blonds,” she said, referring to the high-camp design duo. “I just love them.”
One of the two signature cocktails that circulated the room was even titled after Warhol’s nickname for Brill: Queen of the Night.
Like the atmosphere, the menu became more casual as the night progressed. Silver trays of fire-roasted squid, prepared with garlic and chartreuse, were replaced with Mar’s famous burgers. Dungeness crab and pork dumplings gave way to fried chicken (albeit, laden with Osetra caviar). Laughter and gossip filled the blue cocoon of Le B as the party crescendoed with a lion dance. Wielding the traditional red and yellow puppet, dancers pushed through the hollering crowd. Gold confetti flew in all directions.
When I ask Mar her hopes for the New Year, she does not hesitate. “In Chinese, we always say, ‘Gong Xi Fa Cai,’ which means I hope you get rich.”
