DARIN RUBELL
Success in the arts and hospitality comes naturally to Darin Rubell, indeed it runs in his blood. His father and grandfather were both restauranteurs, and his cousin Steve Rubell was the man behind the seminal disco mecca Studio 54. A native of New York City and graduate of Marymount Manhattan College, he first entered into the restaurant industry as a manager and mixologist at Chango. There he met chef Patricio Sandoval with whom he mapped out his own venture, a reasonably priced spot for creative Mexican fare called Mercadito that came to fruition in 2004.
Rave reviews poured in, providing momentum that would allow Rubell to step into nightlife. Along with former Chango colleague Josh Boyd, he built GalleryBar which faithfully served as a hybrid nightclub and exhibition space for eight years. Next was Ella, a lounge and music venue that brimmed with the spirit of Hollywood during the roaring 20s. A foothold in the East Village provided Rubell the opportunity to start making some memorable artistic contributions. He started with Art Around The Park, an annual GalleryBar collaboration with the Howl! Festival that commissions the work of 150 artists at Tompkins Square Park. He also brought Howl! into the fold for his Free Films in Tompkins series that continues to bring top quality cinema to the public every summer.
As time progressed, Rubell’s talent for original and resourceful concepts continued to yield bigger and better projects. His partnership with chef David Rotter has been met with bountiful success; the bustling Boulton & Watt is enjoying widespread acclaim for bringing top quality victuals and brilliantly whimsical décor to the Lower East Side, while Forrest Point and 983 are outposts for exceptional food and drink on the Bushwick frontier. Darin Rubell has time and time again proven his ability to turn simple ideas into unforgettable experiences, and thanks to his unrivaled originality and execution, his trajectory continues skyward.
