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Vantre


When Thomas Pastuszak, the wine director of the NoMad Hotel, goes to Paris, he seeks out friend and fellow sommelier Marco Pelletier, who curates the carte des vins at Vantre, a slyly simple neo-bistro in the 11th. He loves the roast guinea fowl prepared by the Italian-French chef Iacopo Chomel, which he washes down with a back-vintage Saint Joseph—one of nearly 3,000 selections on the wine list. (19, Rue de la Fontaine au Roi, 75011 Paris, Tél. : 01 48 06 16 96)

Drive

Ghia L6.4 Coupe


Paul Farago designed the Ghia L6.4 to appeal to Hollywood’s in-crowd. Clearly, he knew his target. Soon after the car debuted at the Paris Motor Show in 1960, Frank Sinatra bought one. A few years later, according to research by Paul Sable and Dyke Ridgely, Farago sold the one pictured above to Dean Martin. Martin commissioned famed customizer George Barris to make it a bit more personal. Rose-bronze metallic paint was added, along with a new dashboard, a storage locker between the seats, and, go figure, a gun holster under the driver’s seat. The final touch was a plaque: “This Ghia designed and built exclusively for Mr. Dean Martin.” In 1972, Martin sold the car to comedian Gary Morton, the husband of Lucille Ball. Since then, it has passed through a number of collectors. It’s 1 of only 17 known to exist and will be up for auction at Pebble Beach on August 16. Estimate: $375,000. (goodingco.com)

Take Possession

A Landmark Edition


Since the day it opened, in 1956, the Capitol Records Building has been one of the most treasured structures in Los Angeles, if not the world. Designed by Welton Becket, it’s the perfect combination of midcentury American modernism and playful optimism. (You can imagine the conversation in the offices of the architect, straight out of a Preston Sturges script: I got it, chief. What if we make it look like a giant stack of records—on a turntable!) Long before Apple created its new Apple “Park” (Zzzzzz … ), the HQ of Capitol Records (often dubbed “the House that Nat Built,” in honor of all the money Nat King Cole generated for the label) showed that a company could create a building that was a significant—and beloved—part of a city’s skyline, as well as functional. This 11-inch-high replica, cast in plaster, is a near-perfect representation. The only thing missing? The red light atop the spire, which to this day still blinks out “Hollywood” in Morse code. ($270, chiselandmouse.com )

Watch

Fearless


Emma Banville, played by Helen McCrory, is a defense lawyer convinced that her client was wrongly convicted of murdering a schoolgirl. Her efforts to exonerate him get her entangled in a deep-state conspiracy and put Banville in the crosshairs of both British and American intelligence. Told in a tight six episodes, Fearless, from Amazon Prime Video, is an enjoyably grim crime procedural with an espionage twist. (amazon.com)

Listen

Tabloid


Ivanka Trump’s latest disingenuous tweet (she misleadingly likened the weekend death toll in Chicago to those of the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton) is a reminder that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. So is the first episode of Tabloid, created by New York magazine, which lives up to its gritty title and, thanks to writer and narrator Vanessa Grigoriadis, delivers a deliciously gossipy and unbridled profile of the First Daughter. (luminarypodcasts.com)

Issue No. 4
August 10, 2019
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Issue No. 4
August 10, 2019