The New York Diet

Tony Nominee Justin Bond Has Cucumber Cocktails With Tilda Swinton

“I could have fries three meals a day — they’re my favorite food.”haha Photo: Melissa Hom


Performance artist Justin Bond is perhaps best known for playing half of Kiki and Herb — their show, Kiki and Herb: Alive on Broadway, is up for a Tony on Sunday. What will he be prowling for during the after-party? “I’m a connoisseur of crab cakes,” says the Maryland native. “I haven’t really found one that’s completely satisfying.” He’s also a lover of oysters, prosecco, and dropping the names of his dining companions Rufus, Maggie, and Tilda — or so we discovered when we asked him about his recent meals.

Thursday, June 7
I have my breakfast delivered from the Hudson Diner almost every morning. I had fruit salad, coffee, unsweetened lemonade, and bacon, egg, and cheese on toast — my daily ritual.

Wednesday, June 6
I performed at this Ridykeulous performance at the Kitchen. At the Park with Tilda Swinton, we had oysters and cucumber margaritas for dinner. Then we had these spicy cucumber drinks sans the tequila. I think I preferred them without the tequila.

I had lunch at Blue Ribbon Bakery with my best friend, DJ Sammy Jo. I love the pulled-pork sandwich there, but I was trying not to be so indulgent. I had a BLT and fries and a salad and an iced coffee.

Tuesday, June 5
An artist and a friend of Tilda’s was in town and wanted to do my portrait. I ordered in from the Hudson Diner. I got a fruit salad and bacon, egg, and cheese.

I performed with Rufus Wainwright at the Gramercy Theatre. Afterward we went for steak-frites at a restaurant on Park Avenue that Rufus goes to a lot. I think I was drinking old-fashioneds that night. Maggie Gyllenhaal was there because she was at Rufus’s thing.

Monday, June 4
In the morning we taped a segment for the Tony broadcast. I ran into a deli on 42nd Street and grabbed a bacon, egg, and cheese, and an iced coffee. I ate it in the dressing room at Don’t Tell Mama.

I snacked on pita chips and hummus at home.

Later I had dinner at the Zipper Factory. I performed there last week. It’s got southern comfort food — they have barbecue and great burgers. I had fluke seviche and fries, and I was drinking Maker’s Mark and water (I’m a bourbon drinker). The seviche was really fresh.

Sunday, June 3
I’ve been having gay brunch at Goblin Market. I like to get the mozzarella-and-sun-dried-tomato omelette. The food is great there — the brunch is usually not too crowded, and they have really great Bloody Marys. And it’s bright without being so bright that you regret your Saturday night.

I had dinner with Ian Falconer, the author of Olivia. At BLT Fish we had fried oysters, which we shared, and this really delicious garlic bread. Then I had Manhattan-style clam chowder as a main, and beer.

Saturday, June 2
I was in Bushwick because it was Open Studios day, and my friends Charles Herman-Wrumfeld and Jason Bushman had an installation in their loft. We had apples and cheese and wine for lunch.

After I performed at the Avant-Garde-Arama at P.S. 122, we went to Mermaid Inn, where I usually go for my oysters and prosecco. They have a really good lobster roll there, and they season their fries with Old Bay. I could have fries three meals a day — they’re my favorite food. I try to compensate by eating a lot of fruit. It’s a finely balanced gastronomical seesaw I live on.

Tony Nominee Justin Bond Has Cucumber Cocktails With Tilda Swinton