PDT
A month-later and many of us are still reeling from Hurricane Sandy after-math. And you can expect for relief and fundraising efforts to continue well into the New Year. The food and drinks community is one that has really come together to raise funds and show support for at-loss communities such as Red Hook, downtown NYC and East Village’s, Alphabet City.
Tonight, drink for relief at these 2 stellar, sipping friendly, charitable events.
NYC <3’S NYC
Taking place at Chelsea haunt, The Tippler, donate just $10 and enjoy not only cocktails by a slew of boozy sponsors including Beefeater Gin, Appleton Estate Rum, Ilegal Mezcal and White Pike Whisky but also delight in live performances by Diane Birch, Maverick and Ice and a live auction by comedian, Brian McCarthy. Cocktails are an additional $10 and nibbles are also available for $10. The party is from 6 p.m. to midnight. And, 100% of the proceeds benefit NYC victims of Hurricane Sandy.
In New York, restaurants, clubs, and lounges can be a very incestuous business. You’re likely to see the same names overlapping various venues and events because sociality is the name of the game.
Rivalry and bitterness can ensue when it comes to public recognition especially when it come to someone you've spent time mentoring. With any professional field comes a kudos event tailored toward those in that industry. The film industry has The Academy, the internet has The Webbys, and the food industry has the James Beard Foundation.
It’s that time of year again, where the James Beard Foundation announces their semifinalists for the 2012 awards, which recognizes the nation's best restaurants and chefs in the industry. From Best New Restaurant to Outstanding Restauranteur, only five semifinalists from each of the categories will go on to the finals.
It is no surprise to see Danny Bowien from Mission Chinese Food in San Francisco facing Emma Hearst from Sorella in New York City for Rising Star Chefs for an east versus west coast battle. The competition is tight this year and we are unsure on who will make it to the final round. Unfortunately, New York didn’t make it on the Outstanding Wine Program list.
Tuesday, some of the most celebrated chefs from the East Village gathered at the James Beard House for East Village Social. The walk around tasting featured cuisine from Edi & the Wolf, Jimmy’s No. 43, Cienfuego, Death & Co., Mayahuel, Jack’s Luxury Oyster Bar, PDT, Grafitti, Metaphor, and Goat Town.
What for some was thirteen years of prohibition, for others it was thirteen years of clandestine encounters and nightly escapades of booze-fueled gatherings. The USA suffered a dry spell for over a decade after alcohol was banned starting in 1920. But people found their way around Prohibition Law. Oh, did they. Al Capone and Dutch Schultz, amongst other famous American gangsters, managed to supply copious amounts of illegal liquor to underground establishments around the country. These covert establishments, known as Speakeasies, became grounds for nights inflamed by liquor and radical fun. New York being the epicenter of unconventional thought was at the forefront of this new nightlife. Fast forward to 2011 and these Speakeasies are still some of the city's coolest spots! Check out our tops choices:
When GQ decided to rate the 25 top cocktail bars in America this is what they found...
1: Zig Zag Café – Seattle
2: Angel’s Share – New York
3: The Violet Hour – Chicago
4: Clover Club – Brooklyn
5: The Alembic – San Francisco
6: Death & Co – New York
7: PDT – New York
8: PX – Alexandria, VA
9: Comstock Saloon – San Francisco
10: Holeman & Finch – Atlanta
11: Tiki-ti – Los Angeles
12: The Patterson House – Nashville
13: Eastern Standard – Boston
14: Rickhouse – San Francisco
15: Anvil – Houston
16: Arnaud’s French 75 – New Orleans
17: Elixir – San Francisco
18: Columbia Room – Washington, D.C.
19: Cole’s – Los Angeles
20: The Whistler – Chicago
21: Drink – Boston
22: Pegu Club – New York
23: The Edison – Los Angeles
24: The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. – Philadelphia
25: Needle and Thread – Seattle
I’m tired, I have the worst case of man flu ever recorded. My feet hurt, I’ve lost feeling in most other extremities, and the worst bit is – I did it all to myself.
Let’s start from the beginning. Ten days ago, I was having a touristy day in NYC. A good friend from home was in town, and we decided to be geeky and check out the Statue of Liberty. I had, ironically and rather stupidly, worn an old t-shirt that said ‘the city that never sleeps’. I think my social pariah status was up there with people who wear ‘mind the gap’ t-shirts in London. Along our journey, we came to discussing whether New York really is the city that never sleeps. Since I’ve only been living here a short while, and she was only visiting, we had no real answer to the proposed question.
If it seems like I have been off the radar lately, its because....well, I have been. Frequenting the Hamptons only a few times and doing a bit of traveling isn't the reason why. I know during the summer, NYC seems to becomes a desolate place. However, it seems that the trend of nightlife has changed. It's no longer getting past the impossible door, but finding it.
In June I had gone on a date and near the end of the night he brought me to an apartment. I found this to be a bit presumptuous, but when he approached the door and knocked I became intrigued. A lean and long fellow peaked his head through the door and invited us in. Inside was a fabulous bar with the most AMAZING cocktails. I am not listing this speakeasy because it currently is one of my favorites, but this lounge left me craving more. The search began and I began dressing in darker colors and tucking my Lilly Pulitzer dresses away. I ventured to the popular speakeasy "La Esquina" with a group of friends. After some convincing, we were led down through the employees only door, down a few flights of stairs, and rubbed elbows with the busy mexican kitchen staff. Once inside, we sipped on tequila that cost $40 a shot and met men dexterous in name dropping. We ended the night at Southside, which is NOT a speakeasy but since its under the former diner/restaurant Martignetti's we can pretend that it is.
Yerba Buena Perry
Cuisine: Spanish/Latin American
Price Range: Moderate
Greenwich Village
1 Perry Street
212-620-0808
Yerba Buena, currently located on Avenue A, is opening up a second location this week in Greenwich Village. Yerba Buena Perry is taking the place of closed down Matador on the corner of Greenwich and Perry Street. The newest addition will offer high end Latin cuisine as well as innovative cocktails (all $12) designed by Cervantes, previously employed by PDT and Little Branch.
In its Haute Cocktails article, NY Mag has listed a few of the city’s favorite cocktail bars. For superior reporting, read about them here a la Joonbug’s description.
King Cole Bar Lounge - Midtown East
2 E. 55th Street (near 5th Avenue) (212) 753-4500
Hotel bars are often among the best places to indulge and King Cole Bar Lounge at the St. Regis Hotel is no exception. Famous for its Bloody Mary, (an apparent descendant of the Red Snapper cocktail at Harry’s Bar in Paris) this mahogany-paneled booze grotto is a haven for those who like to drink in the old style. After you’ve had 10 Gin Gimlets (and will hence have to pawn those diamond earrings inherited from your grandmother), you can lean back cozily in your comfortable bar stool and summon Dean Martin’s ghost.
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