On Thursday morning at 9:30, I was at a wine bar in Manhattan. I didn’t wake up there, nor did I go to sip Pinot Noir for breakfast; instead, I was there with JCK’s art director, Todd Gast, and photographer, Erik Ekroth, to interview and photograph one of Luxury’s Personality profiles for the spring issue.
Daniel Assaf is a partner in Kashkaval wine and cheese bar, as well as The Tsavorite Factory, an importer of top-quality colored stones, and Studio 19, a jewelry design business featuring the imported gemstones.
A ring by Studio 19 that features imported rubellite from The Tsavorite Factory.
I met Daniel at a cocktail party two years ago during the AGTA GemFair Tucson, where I learned about his gemstone business. He mentioned that he also owned a restaurant in New York. Even though we only chatted briefly, I never forgot that interesting tidbit of info.
Kashkaval is named for a type of cheese that is popular in Europe.
In fact, I jotted it down on the back of his business card, thinking that he could be the subject of a future Personality profile. Imagine Daniel’s surprise when I phoned him, quite out of the blue, a few weeks ago to inquire if he still owned the wine bar. He did.
The front of Kashkaval is a small cheese store.
The rear of Kashkaval features cozy corners to sit and sip wine.
Now it’s one day after his big photo shoot with our gang, and Daniel is poised to grace the pages of our spring issue of JCK Luxury (this will be the book that is at the JCK Las Vegas show).
Oy vey! It’s early for me, folks. I travel from Philadelphia to get to New York. Thankfully, Pando makes a strong latte.
Daniel Assaf strikes a pose for the cameras.
You’ll read all about his entrée into jewelry and the world of wine and cheese. Want to know more? Sorry—that’s all I can say for now; you’ll have to wait until May, when the book is out.
Daniel tells me about himself and his businesses. I’ll write his Personality profile for the spring issue of JCK Luxury magazine.
However, I will leave you with a little “taste” of Daniel’s world: the address to Kashkaval. We recommend the Goat cheese and baguettes.
856 9th Ave. between 55th and 56th
(212) 581-8282
Partners Pando Andonopulo and Daniel Assaf at Kashkaval. [A third partner, Cori, isn’t present.]
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