BY BRADLEY HAWKS
“I could write a book,” Gigi Dzidzovic says. “No, I could probably write two.” In truth, the brilliantly talented and modest artist could most likely fill an entire bookshelf with fascinating tales of his journey from Eastern Europe to New York City and the salons and restaurants he has opened along the way. With his newest endeavor, Blu on Park, getting ready to open later this month in Manhattan as a Gatsby-esque steak and seafood house echoing the style of the 1920s, it seemed like the perfect time to touch base on his eponymous salon on 30th Avenue, as well as his romantic date spot and gourmet pizza oven, DiWine Restaurant and Wine Bar.
Gigi Salon & Styling Studio
One of the greatest facets of this spectacular studio is that I can simply flip open my laptop, fill out a few fields, and in most cases, have my hair cut that very same day. I always feel safe choosing “any stylist” as an option, and trust that whoever cuts my hair will give me something I can wear proudly. Hair is one of the first things someone can see, and says a lot about who you are. Are you tidy, clean, adventurous, artistic, conservative, traditional, brave or daring?
I have been going to Gigi now for the better part of five years, and have had 10 different stylists—each one making me feel like a rock star. I absolutely love the cuts, am enriched by the conversation, and when I return, someone’s face always lights up to see me. The salon is a place that helps make Astoria truly feel like my home.
It’s a salon of men and women who are extremely confident in their talents, listen very carefully to what their customers want and then deliver precisely what the customer needs. It’s a studio of artists who actually love and care about the work they produce, as well as the client who will wear that work out into the world.
I have always marveled at how the salon manifests a green ideology in everything from energy to waste management, sending hair clippings to be used in the cleanup of our oceans.
As an Aveda salon, employees regularly engage in continued education, from on-site seminars to courses at the Aveda Institute in Manhattan.
“You can see from the moment they take someone’s hair into their hands that they see something from outside of this world—something the average person doesn’t even think about,” studio manager Miki Bodlovic says. “They each have a ridiculous amount of passion.”
While Gigi personally serves clients in the salon, he also styles models for high fashion events and photo shoots. After leaving the studio, you will always feel like a professional spent time artistically designing a personal look just for you.
Gigi Salon & Styling Studio
34-17 30th Ave., Astoria, NY 11103
718-777-7755
www.salonspagigi.com
DiWine Restaurant and Wine Bar
From drape-partitioned booths and pillow-harnessed banquettes to a wine guillotine, DiWine is always a sexy destination. Pair morsels from the brick oven—like the lobster pizza with sherry cream and asparagus—with a selection of more than 20 wines offered at $9 for a glass or $32 per bottle. Beyond inspired cocktails and martinis to a carefully edited beer and wine selection, you will want to return again and again to share small plates and tapas like the gorgonzola fondue, sample charcuterie and cheese, or indulge in heartier fare like an oven-roasted filet mignon.
DiWine
41-15 31st Ave., Astoria 11103
718-777-1355
www.diwineonline.com
