Marian Kurpanov

Galavante: Marian, the Hamptons is kicking off in a few weeks. Will we see you out there?

Marian Kurpanov: What do you think? Of course you will. I leave right before Memorial Day and you can expect me to be at Bilboquet a lot this summer.

Galavante: So how impossible is it this summer to get a table?

Marian Kurpanov: You know the answer to that too. We are already fully booked for Memorial Day. Generally we’re booked out at least 2-3 weeks in advance for dinners.

Galavante: Is there anytime that is easier to get a table?

Marian Kurpanov: During the day it’s a little easier as a lot of people are at the beach. But you never know; sometimes we get large group, or if the weather isn’t good, people come to us.

Galavante: Now I have two questions from that. For those who do get past you with a coveted reservation, what should they order?

Marian Kurpanov: Now we’re talking. I am a big foodie. My favorites are the veal – on the New York menu it’s the L’Escalope de Veau Au Citron. Of course there’s also our signature dish, the Cajun chicken. We used to have a salmon paillard which was really my favorite. I also love the escargot when we have it on the menu.

So what’s your second question?

Galavante: You mentioned the beach. Where do you hang in the Hamptons?

Marian Kurpanov: Honestly I am always working when I’m out there. You all come out for your leisure time and weekends. My schedule is opposite. When I’m in the Hamptons I work non-stop, and when I have any time off, I come back to the city. I love being in the city, meeting friends and going out to dinner. Kanoyama for sushi is one of my favorites in the East Village.

Galavante: We’ll have to put Kanoyama on the list. But back out East, all work and no play in the Hamptons is no fun. Don’t you kite surf out there? Yes, we stalk your Instagram and know you are a big kite surfer.

Marian Kurpanov: Actually, I don’t kite surf much in the Hamptons. Sometimes I’ll take friends to Napeague Bay to teach them to kite surf. I was recently in Montauk at Gurneys on a photo shoot though and I really liked it out there.

And now thinking about it, in the little time I do spend my time off in the Hamptons, it’s usually for a birthday of someone in my Bilboquet family. After work we’ll go to celebrate at Murf’s. I know for sure you have never been there. It’s a local dive bar that has a liquor license that’s open until 2am in Sag Harbor.

I do also like to go to Sant Ambroeus in Southampton. When I’m there I like to drop into the designer Eleventy. They make a lot of my suits.

Galavante: Actually your suits are one of the first things we noticed about you. Your clothing is beautifully tailored. We actually thought you were Italian when we met, as you speak it fluently. But then we learned you were Bulgarian, and liked you more. We pride ourselves in knowing a lot of Bulgarians, who are like family.

Marian: Yes, I am Bulgarian. I grew up in Bulgaria. And yes, people do mistake me for Italian. However my day job is fashion, so I’ve lived and worked in Paris and Milan, and traveled all over the world. Travel is one of my passions.

Galavante: So wait, before we get into travel, how many languages do you speak?

Marian: Bulgarian, Spanish, Italian, Russian and English. Five languages fluently.

Galavante: That’s impressive. So with all those languages, where are your favorite places to travel, and what’s on your bucket list?

Marian: I love to kite surf. I go to Cabarete in Dominican Republic several times a year and store a lot of my equipment there. One day I’d love to kite surf in Mauritius, Australia, Fiji and Maui.

During the winter, I snowboard. Snowbird in Utah has become my favorite place; I leave New York in the morning and I’m on the slopes by noon. On my list one day is Aspen, though the timing so far has never worked out. I’m also on the mountain to snowboard, and go hard all day. By the evening I’m usually wiped and just up for a good meal.

Whistler is on my list too. I love to travel. And race motorcycles.

Galavante: (As Marian shows us his motorcycle videos). You kite surf, snow board, and ride motorcycles. Um yeah.

Marian Kurpanov: (Laughs.) Um yeah is right. I don’t play golf. Though I heard it’s a nice way to socialize.

Galavante: We won’t hold that against you, though I’m betting you could pick golf up pretty quickly. But now we’ve opened up this door on how you spend your time, we’ve heard you’re currently non-exclusively attached.

What are you looking for in a woman? (Asking for a friend).

Marian Kurpanov: Ha. Well, honestly, I’m looking for a partner. Someone who is driven, knows what they want and just goes for it. A woman who has goals in life, and is drama-free and independent. And while I admire a woman who is focused, I’m also looking for someone who doesn’t take herself so seriously. A woman who has a sense of ironic humor. Of course I appreciate a beautiful woman, but I find that confidence is very attractive.

Galavante: Well, if we come across anyone who meets that description, perhaps we’ll send her your way. In the meantime, we’ll look forward to seeing you at Bilboquet in the Hamptons this summer.