taste

care to sample a little "chocolate and leather" the next time you're in soho? you know.. just to remind yourself what "guilty" tastes like.

no?

then how about some "fresh soil" to perk up your palate? or "jet fuel and metal"? perhaps "sea spray and sweat" is more to your fancy?

anyone?

between now and march 3, stop by the visionaire gallery, 11 mercer street, and you can taste the flavors that the perfumers of iff (international flavors and fragrance, inc.) believe evoke such concepts as "youth", or "mommy", or "orgasm."

here's how it works...

you stop by a table up front and pick up a bottle of voss water.

trust me, you'll need it.

then you go to any one of twelve windows, each dedicated to a different concept. for example, the "luxury" window. here you help yourself to a "taste film" from a plastic container, (think: those listerine fresh-breath strips) and, as you're staring at a photograph of a honey-coated tongue, you put the film in your mouth and experience an intense burst of... pine needles.

see. i told you you'd need the water.

ok, this is definitely cool and all, and they do clearly label what you're about to put into your mouth, but really?... talk about queasy! (btw you can buy the book with all the art and taste film packets for $175). the "fresh soil" totally did me in... dglass never really got past "glue"... her daughter m was pretty brave, but took home the nastiest-sounding ones to give to her sister!

my advice? if you do check it out, make sure your next stop is marie belle, on broome between west broadway and wooster, for some excellent hot chocolate and even better cookies.