Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/262375
Ben Towill and Phil Winser might be from England, but they're being chased around New York City by almost everyone who's stylish, sustainable and super- hungry. Everyday sightings at the pair's three eateries include celebrity loyalists like Jake Gyllenhaal, who often has four- hour brunches over beet juice and (unbelievable) avocado toast; Ryan Gosling, indulging in charming and electric tête-à-têtes at the long, communal table; and striking models like Dree Hemingway, who is also Winser's longtime girlfriend. With their three exceptionally delicious, authentically farm-to-table Manhattan restaurants The Fat Radish, The Leadbelly and The East Pole, and nonstop, all-the-rage cameo appearances at Paris Fashion Week, beachside in Montauk and at the Frieze Art Fair, we were happy to grab Ben Towill, half of the still-under-30, über-British duo, for a quick chat. You're food guys, style guys, party guys… I am a restaurateur in New York. How do you start and end your day? I wake up early, normally go running or to the gym or do yoga. My nights end attempting to read one of the many books I start but never finish. What's your favorite meal? Sounds so simple, but pesto pasta would be my last meal. Who's the hardest crowd to please? We're lucky to work with lots of different groups. We do Frieze Art Fair every year, several fashion events and things like our farm dinner series where we focus on one animal, five courses and see what our amazing team in the kitchen can come up with. It doesn't matter what you do for a living—everyone loves good food. Favorite vacation spot? Guéthary in the southwest of France. Dream destinations for a restaurant? 17 Orchard Street [the current address of The Fat Radish], 14B Orchard Street [The Leadbelly], 133 East 65th Street [The East Pole]. Last three songs you listened to? John Boutté's "Hallelujah," Sam Cooke's "Having a Party" and André Bourvil's "Salade de Fruits." Upcoming projects? I'm trying to just focus on what we have, although there is a Fat Radish cookbook coming out in the fall. What's the recipe for your success? A great team, a great friendship and that I love what I do. What are the words you live by? Less is more. Ben Towill (left) and Phil Winser BAL HARBOUR 193 WILD SUCCESS IT'S HARD TO PINPOINT WHAT EXACTLY MAKES A RESTAURANT COOL. HERE, WE TALK TO ONE OF NEW YORK'S MOST BUZZED ABOUT RESTAURATEURS, BEN TOWILL, WHO SHARES A FEW OF THE KEY INGREDIENTS. BY ALYSSA SHELASKY PHOTO BY BEN FINK SHAPIRO