Yvette Leeper-Bueno

Vinatería

Yvette Leeper-Bueno owns Vinatería, the charming and beloved Harlem neighborhood restaurant and wine bar at 2211 Frederick Douglass Blvd. A lifelong New Yorker, Yvette maintains longstanding roots in Harlem- from her parents first meeting on 122nd Street in the fifties, to the renovated townhouse on 112th St. she has shared with her husband and sons for 12 years. 

Before opening Vinatería in early 2013, Yvette was already an entrepreneur, opening her own clothing design/manufacturing business and children’s clothing boutique, Leeper Kids. Eventually her entrepreneurial spirit, love for good food and fashion, and devotion to the Harlem community led her to open Vinatería on its up-and-coming strip of Frederick Douglass Blvd. Vinatería was the first restaurant of its kind in this neighborhood, fostering a spirit of inclusivity and offering an accessible but extensive wine program with rare finds, a thoughtful menu of Spanish and Italian-influenced seasonal dishes, a convivial atmosphere and fresh, contemporary design.

Almost three years later, the neighborhood has seen a resurgence that some have compared to a second Harlem Renaissance, and Vinatería remains a pioneer in this transformation. From subtle details like the herbs lining the windowsills, to the art selected for the walls, Yvette’s gift for all things aesthetic and her attention to detail is clearly manifested throughout the space. 

Last year, Vinatería was named by the Financial Times as one of the five best Italian restaurants in New York City. Vinatería has also been featured in the New York Times for its unique design and décor.

Kenichi Tajima

Tastings Social Presents Mountain Bird

Chef Kenichi Tajima was born in Tokyo, Japan, and attended the prestigious Seikei private school but discovered the joys and cooking using seasonal ingredients as nurtured by his mother. 

Ken has mastered traditional French culinary arts at Culinary School in France and Japan. In France, Kenichi cooked at Michelin Star dining and Bistro before he came to New York. Mountain Bird opened in 2013 and gets its name because the menu is all things fowl and poultry related, served in ingenious ways.

The whimsy of Chef Kenichi’s food when mixed with the affordable price and authentic atmosphere makes Mountain Bird a necessary part of East Harlem and to the city’s landscape

Chaiwali

Anita Trehan

Anita Trehan created Chaiwali out of her passion for food, design and wellness. Part New Delhi, part New York, she grew up experiencing a rich tradition of home cooking. Food at home and on the street united rich and poor, just by being tasty. Upon moving to New York, she discovered tastes from all over the world - a global food bazaar! - and she taught herself to cook. After a career in hospitality and philanthropy, Anita decided to create Chaiwali, to combine flavors she grew up with, with new ones she discovered in New York. She wanted to address health through food, but in ways that incorporated wellness without being trendy. When her daughter developed severe food allergies, Anita discovered new ways to cook and to heal, thereby creating a Chaiwali menu that caters to all.

Bevy Smith

Quintessential Harlem girl and life-long New Yorker Bevy Smith is the host of Sirius XM’s “Bevelations” on Radio Andy and will serve as a headlining contributor for Fox Televisions Stations’ “Page Six TV” beginning in September 2017.  Bevy also shared her style insight on BET’s “Wendy’s Style Squad,” and for three seasons was showcased as moderator of Bravo TV’s revolutionary “Fashion Queens.”

Once a wildly successful luxury fashion publishing exec, Bevy shifted her professional goals to pursue “Dinner With Bevy,” a social event connecting VIPs in fashion, style, entertainment and media at chic intimate dinner settings. The New York Times described Bevy as a “socialite and noted hostess.”

A beloved motivational speaker, brand ambassador and pop culture aficionado, Bevy is a frequent guest on an array of TV shows, including “The View,” “Good Morning America,” “The Wendy Williams Show,” “The Real,” “Dr. Oz,” “CBS Morning Show” and “Access Hollywood.”

In addition to Bevy’s TV appearances, Smith has been an annual guest speaker at the National Urban League Conference; moderator for HBO panels at ABFF (American Black Film Festival); a presenter at both the SESAC Pop Music Awards and Alliance for Women in Media Luncheon, a guest speaker at the Urban League of Louisiana Women in Business Challenge and hosted “Unlocking your Superpower Through Vision Boarding” at the 2017 PowHERful Foundation’s New York City Enrichment Conference.  

Bevy is never too busy to give back.  For the past three years, she has hosted “Fashion for Action,” an annual fundraiser for Housing Works, a New York-based thrift store chain and advocacy group that helps find appropriate housing for people living with HIV and AIDS.  In 2017, Smith was the recipient of Soledad O’Brien’s PowHERful Foundation’s Entrepenuer award and was also recently named Community Champion of AIDS Organization Harlem United.  Additionally, Bevy is on the board of Cool Culture, a charity devoted to raising awareness among under-privileged children.