HYLAND
Theron with a bottle of $1800 a pop Salon champagne,
the ambiance is what the New York Times calls "oligarchic
chic." A slice of Juan-les-Pins , it's also an unpretentious,
not-to-be-missed haunt to flaunt your frequenting nearby
de Grisogono or Jimmy Choo—and to enjoy the bonhomie
of conviviality, an eatery where life is constant Bellinis.
Never modest ("I have fed everyone who's anyone, Jolie,
Denzel, Clooney, the Clintons, everyone
except Queen Elizabeth"), Nello has
had a transformative impact on this
limousine-clogged area. Attracting
the well-heeled to his "clubhouse"
has meant a spillover effect on such
neighboring boutiques as Leviev
(diamonds), clothier Tincati Milano,
and Vera Wang—a fact that doesn't
escape him.
"I envisioned the boundless future
of this street, and helped make it what it is," adds Nello.
"How? This is fun place. I treat people like a king. I know
it's expensive. But I give them truffles, I'm known for that.
Now I have more worlds to conquer. I have more American
Dreams to fulfill."
If anything, Madison Avenue radiates that sense of fulfillment,
an insatiable quest to enjoy the ultimate best. That could
mean imbibing on a $10,000 bottle of Petrus at Nello, or
lingering over a heavenly grilled octopus grenobloise at
Below: Graff