Bright Star: A New Musical

I went with my friend Daniel to see this the other night. His boyfriend is in the ensemble and Steve Martin made a musical...you've got to be curious about it. I didn't know what to expect as Daniel didn't want to spoil anything for me as he has seen it half a dozen times. He literally was singing along the whole time! We were front row. Which was kind of crazy because we were legit in the spotlight during some of the scenes. 

As I don't want to be the spoiler, I can disclose very few things about the play itself. However, I can tell you that it is a MUST SEE! The music is fun and catchy. There are a few songs that you totally want to add to a playlist. It is a lot of casts Broadway Debut which is insane as you would like these cats were vets just from how they have such a presence on stage. 

During the show, you will laugh, you will cry, you will be surprised and almost shocked at some points. You will want to join in on the hand jive moments and jump up and start dancing during others. 

If anything I would suggest seating a few rows back and off to the left side of the stage or front row mezzanine. 

This show is going to be a classic and I am so fortunate to meet the cast and see if first hand. Bravo to Bright Star! Now go buy your tickets and see it immediately! 

Raclette

Last night I joined some friends at this tiny little nugget of a restaurant in the East Village. Mind you all of my friends that were there are Swiss or have lived in Switzerland, speak multiple languages and then there was me! The entertainment! 

I have never eaten raclette before. Fondue, yes, I do have a lot of Swiss friends but never raclette. All I knew was it was melted cheese on top of potatoes. What doesn't sound good in that equation? One thing that is funny is that I am the only person out of the group that keeps Swiss Time. Everyone staggered in 10-30 minutes after our reservation. I was concerned as this place literally has 12 seats and we were a party of 6. The waitress told every other table that she had reservations coming in afterwards so I was worried they need to turn our table. Thankfully they didn't because we stayed there for 3.5 hours. Slowest wine drinkers ever! We had 4 bottles and literally were just hanging out drinking wine after our 1 course meal. I would've hated us! 

According to the Swiss kids, the raclette was just okay. They fried Yukon potatoes instead of boiling red potatoes. A big no-no I guess. Personally, I thought it was pretty good but not mind blowing by any means. It also came with a side of arugula, proscuitto di parma, cornichons,  pickled onions and a slice of baguette. I made a little sando with the bread, arugula (rocket salad), proscuitto and raclette. The potatoes were the best part but I do agree they would've been better if they were boiled instead of fried. Somewhat of a mashed potato with creamy cheese momentito. 

Overall, I thought it was good but nothing super fabulous. I think the service lacked. They were pending a grade from the health department. Our plastic water cups weren't the cleanest. One of them, I gave back as it had lipstick marks all over the rim. Since it was BYOB, to get them to replenish the bottles  along with water that were in the fridge was a constant battle. The music was a little random. It included "Girl from Ipanema," "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "Nice and Easy." Jazz moments for sure. The waitress seemed to be more involved with the Ipad than her guests. The bathroom was the tiniest thing ever with a makeshift mirror and paper towel dispenser. 

It was cute and I think if you are in the mood for raclette it will satisfy your craving. But if you are going for anything more than a craving you can skip it! 

High Street on Hudson

My friend Laura and I went to this little gem the other night. I have heard some really good things about this place from some friends in the industry and wanted to check it out. Me being the punctual one arrived at 7:30PM for our 8:15PM reservation. There is NO bar area here at all. There is a tiny counter up against the window that literally can seat 4 people tightly. I grabbed a stool and ordered a glass of reisling.  Laura showed up around 7:50PM and I was still waiting for my reisling. They have only been opened for dinner for a month or so and I don't think were prepared for it. With no bartender, no bar to sit at, the host is expected to do a lot. I think that that it was this girl's first job and she doesn't know what she was doing. 

The manager brought Laura over a menu and realized I still didn't have my glass. She brought it over immediately and in her apology we started talking about the industry. (This is always a good way to let people know you are in the know...if you know what I mean!) Within a few minutes we were seated at a large table. I think a perk about being in the industry and letting people know who you are. We always try and hook up our own kind. Only we know the shit we deal with on a day in and day out basis. 

I actually knew the chef from The Standard days many moons ago. He was a sous chef there and worked with my previous executive chef at another restaurant. It is a very small world to say the least. 

Laura is a pescatarian and eats very little dairy. I hate dining with people that have dietary restrictions as it restricts what I order. Especially if I am sharing my food. Which, if you ever eat with me, it is all about trying a whole bunch of different things. I actually picked this place to dine with Laura because it has a ton of vegatarian options. 

High Street on Hudson is orignially from Philly and mainly does breakfast and lunch. Think egg dishes with fancy breads. However, we were doing dinner and excited about it. 

We took our cues from the waiter and ordered pretty much everything he suggested. As ready with everything is how it came out. 

ANADAMA· smoked eel, spicy radish, parsley 

CRISPY BROCCOLI· pickled wood ears, chow chow, scallion

GRILLED NEBRODINI MUSHROOMS· wild rice, chestnut & sunchoke, mustard apples

RAZOR CLAM STRIPS· habanero buttermilk

GRILLED ARCTIC CHAR·crispy potato, mustard greens, pickled egg gribiche, black olive

LAMB TARTARE· burnt celery root, sunflower, cultured cashew, malted rye (This was complimentary)

My favorite dishes were the razor clams and the crispy broccoli. I had looked at the menu prior and knew I wanted them.  I can't get enough of razor clams. They were lightly fried and perfectly crispy. They looked like chicken tenders if you didn't know any better. The habanero buttermilk was creamy with a great heat. The served them with 2 lemon wedges. Think fried calamari but not as heavy. 

The broccoli had been fried with a tempura batter. The chow chow with it was vinegary in a great way. It was not over down. Just little pieces of fried broccoli on top of a little salad. Simple yet special. For anyone who isn't a fan of broccoli, they would be after eating this dish. 

The Anadama (From the Hearth) was average. The only thing that I found really good was the spiced radish. The smoked eel was mediocre. 

The Artic Char was again average. I am not a super fan of artic char anyways. So if you want to wow me on it, you have to do something pretty outstanding. Laura seemed to really enjoy though. Different strokes for different folks. Same goes for the mushrooms. Not a super fan. 

Now for the lamb tartare. As soon as I saw it I thought, "FUCK! I am so full already and now I have to eat all of this by myself cause Laura wont eat it." Girl got her fork and dove right in. There was no way I was going to tell her that it was lamb. "OMG!!! This is sooo good!" Laura said like 9 times. I laughed inside and still have yet to tell her that it was lamb she was eating! I am a bad friend but I like when people eat stuff they normally don't and like it. See...MEAT is GOOD! As for me, I thought the dish was good. However, after recently eating at Low Life and loving theirs makes it hard for me to say that it was "soooo good." 

The food was great, the service was perfect and overall it was a wonderful evening. Nothing over the top or out of this world but it was good. 

Low Life

I have been dying to go here since they opened in the Fall. I love that there has only been murmurs about it in the industry but everything I have heard was positive. I made a reservation for a party of 3 at 8:15PM. I am always early and 90% of my friends are always late. I got there around 7:45PM and bellied up at the bar. They wouldn't seat me until my complete party was there. 

As I ordered a glass of reisling, as it is the winter of reisling (for me), I started sizing up the space. It was huge compared to what I thought it was going to be. I was thinking a tiny little hole in the wall solely based on location. I mean how much space can you get on Stanton between Clinton and Attorney anyway? A lot apparently. The decor was a mix match of random items. It appeared as though 2 guys who know food and wine really well but nothing about interior design put some stuff on the wall, selected a very strange chandeliar and called it a day. 

The girl next to me at the bar lives upstairs and said that this was her first time in there to dine. "A little too rich to be my regular haunt." We remenscecned about the neighborhood and how different it is today. She had lived upstairs for 8 years, while I had lived around the corner about 6 years prior. Its amazing to see in such a short period of time how gentrafied a neighborhood can become. 

As my friends arrived and we were shown to our table, which was tucked into the corner right in bird's eye view of the pass. The kitchen is the size of 1 bowling alley lane and open with a few bar seats in front for single diners or guests no reservations. It was the perfect spot for us because we were able to see all of the dishes coming out! 

The menu is tiny. Literally there are 13 items on the menu. We ordered almost all of them! 

http://www.lowlifenyc.com/menu/

We started with: 

Borscht, Trout Roe, Raw Cream

The borscht was outstanding. Literally one of my favorite dishes of the entire meal. And yes, it is this tiny. 2 spoonfuls max per person. The pureed beet mixed was earthy mixed with the salty pops of the roe and the cream were next level. You got everything you could want in one bite perfectly done. 

Fluke, Hackleback Cavair, Coriander

The coriander was the star here. It was not anything I have tasted before. The bite in your mouth tasted a little like BBQ. Which sounds totally weird I know but that's what came to our minds. 

Lamb Tartare, Mint, Shrimp Salt

The crisps that come with this dish are unreal. I have had lamb tartare several times and no one has done this good of a job. It's fresh, bright and savory. The lamb is of very high quality and you can taste it. The crisps have butter and salt on them and once you put the mix of lamb and meat on it....yummy! This was the boys favorite dish of the night. My second favorite! 

SIDE NOTE: The bread and butter they give you is ridiculous. You will order another round of it so be prepare to get your carb load on! 

Second Course:

Guinea Hen, Bread Sauce, Baby Carrots, Mustard Greens

Not what you would expect when you order guinea hen right! It was broken down, ground up and put back in a casing made of its skin. Doesn't sound as good as it actually was. It was unique. The carrots were cooked perfectly and the sauce everything sat in was rich but not heavy. 

Poached Lobster, Tarragon, Salsify

I am not a super fan of lobster due to horrifying memories of having to breakdown what seems like a 1,000 of them one night at a restaurant I worked at in Nantucket. Ever since then, I just can't do it. Literally, just can't. I think they are the cockroach of the sea. Eww! 

Hokkaido Pumpkin, Maitake, House Made Tofu

This is winter produce on a plate. Chicories and squash are always delicious in my mouth. The creamy, meaty texture of the pumpkin next to crisp endive can never go wrong. The tofu acted almost like a cheese component to the dish. Which I would never complain about. 

Third Course:

Black Bass, Mussels, Matsutake

The skin on this was perfectly puffed. I am not even a super fan of skin on fish. That goes back to a bad experience when I was a kid of when my "aunt" made a whole fish, eye balls and all. My sister and I were not prepared for that moment. We were used to fish sticks with an occasional tuna fish sandwich mixed with Fritos. The bass was simple and cooked perfectly. As were the 3 mussels that came along with it. 

Chicken Yakatori, Scallion, Smoked Cabbage

The chicken is the most talked about dish. It's all about the chicken they say. However, the was the least interesting dish to me. It was good but nothing as creative, tasty or special as the rest of the dishes were. It's chicken. 

Rib Eye Cap, Bagna Cuada, Nettles

Unfortunately, I was unable to capture an image of this dish because as soon as it hit the table, we devoured it. Photos came as a second though. This is hands down one of the smallest pieces of meat I have ever seen. At $44, I wanted so much more. I see Rib Eye and I am thinking a huge piece of beef. However, this tiny cut of meat was so tender and juicy. It was gone in 2.5 seconds. This cow had to be feed some really good milk and never touched the ground. We were so full at this point but could've easily taken down 22 ounces of this goodness. 

Dessert:

Raw Milk, Cranberry Compote, Black Lime

We were so full at this point, we had no desire to eat anything else however...Raw Milk? Black Lime? Come on now. That sounds too interested not to try. It was definitely a palate cleanser and something different. I wouldn't order it again but I am glad I got to taste it. The black lime was weird and I wasn't the biggest of fans compared to the cranberry compote that tasted like Thanksgiving goodness. 

I almost forgot to mention there extensive wine list. If you are at all into wine, there selection is way better than Rebelle or Pearl and Ash by far. Now go there soon before it's impossible to get in! 

Overall:

Good For: Dates, friends catching up and people who are really into food.

Atmosphere: Minimal but the food makes up for it. 

Food: Next level on all fronts. 

Noise: 4/10

Jazz Singer

Recently I watched "An the Oscar goes to,' a documentary on the history of the show. I became a little obsessed with watching some of the "Best Picture" winners. The Oscar's started in 1927, the year the Jazz Singer came out. For those of you who don't know, the Jazz Singer was the first talking picture. 

It wasn't up for Outstanding  Picture however, it did win for Best Technicological Achievement. Wings, the World War 1 epic, won Outstanding Picture. They didn't call it Best Picture until 1962. 

I have watched singing in the rain about 3,024 times and never had seen The Jazz Singer. So, I went on Apple TV, found it and pushed play. The preludes in old films are daunting almost. It's like here a picture of a top hat and the initial credits are running with big band jazz music in the background, which seems to take a least 5 minutes. Today, I feel like movies go straight into the action. Lights down, curtain up, boom something is happening! Our attention span is way to short these days to have something that drawn out. 

To be honest, I thought the whole movie was going to be a talking film. However, it isnt for those of you who haven't seen it. I think I take fore granted how far we have some in technology in the past 100 years. It is a good flick and I think anyone that has an appreciation for the classics would enjoy it. The story line is there. Well, as much as it can be with no one really talking.  Spoiler Alert: I can't believe they did black face. It was normally for the time but in this day and age, OMG! i was surprised by it is all. It wasn't until 1939 when Hattie McDaniel, won for supporting role in the "Gone with the Wind." that a black person won an Oscar. Followed by Sidney Poitier in 1963 for his role in "Lilies of the field." Interesting facts is all. 

Thank you Jazz Singer for your breakthrough! 

Edi and The Wolf: For Vegetarians and Carnivores Alike

Edi and The Wolf has been around for a few years now. My friends used to go all of the time but I never made my way to this Avenue C gem until just the other night. No one ever says, "Hmm, Austrian food sounds really good for dinner tonight!" 

My friend Kat, who is a vegetarian had her birthday last week and I missed her birthday dinner so this was a make up bday dinner celebration. I wanted to go somewhere on the in the East Village or LES and the only requirement was it had to have a lot of vegetarian options. I eat everything but when I go out with friends that have dietary restrictions, I hate going places were they can literally have 1 or 2 things. I looked over their menu and thought it would be a great spot for us to go. Especially since my friends that used to go all of the time are vegetarian/gluten free/super namaste nonsense. 

I got there promptly like I always annoyingly do. Kat was about 20 minutes behind me. I started chatting up the bartender about really nothing in particular. She was from Poland and has been living in Manhattan Beach. Which is the furtherest point on Coney Island. I was like, "Why the fuck do you live out there?" She simply replied, "I like living by the beach." We talked about Hurricane Sandy and our current weather and how much damage she has experienced living out there. She is over it and is moving to Colorado. My thought was well at least she can get good weed now! HA! 

Kat arrived and the restaurant was filling up so we decided to take over a corner area of the bar space. All of their white wines were Austrian. Which since it is the Winter of Reisling for me, this was great! Kat wasn't a super fan of any of their whites so she got their version of a Moscow Mule. We glanced over the menu and made our selections. 

Romaine Wedge:  Pickled Fennel, Olive Crumble, Charred Cucumber Dressing

Lentil Stew: Tomato, Creme Fraiche, Chili Oil

Flatbread: Fresno Chili, Radish, Butternut Squash

Spatzle: Roasted Corn, Poached Egg, Zucchini  

The Wedge was fantastic! The Charred Cucumber dressing was inventive and delicious. The fresh bite to the fennel brought all of the flavors together. Paired with the stew, which was probably my least favorite thing but it still was flavorful and the warmth of it felt good in my tummy. The flatbread was great and perfect for sharing. It was creamy, slightly spicy and not heavy like some flatbreads can be. But the real winner here was the Spatzle. Fucking next level. It was creamy, warm, fresh with little crispy onions on top. Delicious is an understatement. Rich goodness. 

I have found my new spot to take any vegetarian friend! Service was good. It didn't need to be great. The food though was definitely better than expected. 

Overall:

Atmosphere: Downtown Hip

Good For: Dates, Catching up with friends or Causal business meetings 

Food: Better than you would expect! 

Noise: 6/10 

               The Bar Area at Edi & The Wolf 

Brodo: What's in a broth?

With this broth craze going on right now, I need to experience it first hand to see what it was all the fuss was about. My sister and made our way down to 12th and 1st Ave on a cold Monday afternoon. I had no idea what to expect. It was a window next to Hearth is all I knew. It being freezing outside, the window was closed. I, at first, thought it was closed because there was no line but as soon as I popped my to look inside, a very hip girl opened the window and asked what would like. I glanced at the menu and asked for suggestions. She said that the combinations were really good. Me being in love with ginger, I went to with the Marco. I figured if the owner named it after himself that it had to be good! My sister got the Tum Yum cause she is into coconut milk. 

After we placed our order and the girl was mixing magic, I looked into the kitchen space and saw an old friend in his chef whites walking by. I yelled out, "Is that Grant?' He did a roundabout and came to the window. We caught up for a hot second discussing his wife, who is also a good friend of mine, to what we ordered. He approved of our selections, we said our goodbye's and went on with our day. Which for us including mousing around the East Village while we enjoyed this warm cup of goodness. 

My sister thinks it the darnest thing that broth is all of the rage right now. She cant believe that you can just walk up to a window and get a cup of it on the go. It's another reason why I love this city some much. You can get or do anything here. Even a cup of water that has been boiled with ginger, tumeric and the bones of an animal. 

My Marco was delicious. I thought it kind of tasted like mustard...which I love! My sister loved her's as well! Oh a cold day in the city aka November-March, I am always up for a cup of broth! Its simple, delicious and everything anyone would want. Plus, I find a cup of broth more satisfying than a Latte from Starbucks. 

www.brodobroth.co

Marco

Hearth broth, ginger, turmeric

$7.50 10oz • $10.75 16oz

Tum Yum

Chicken broth, coconut milk, chili

$6.75 10oz • $9.00 16oz

Vandal

It's a Friday night in the Lower East Side. For anyone who know what the LES looks like on the weekend's knows what I am talking about when I say it was a scene. I felt like I was in the twilight zone. There was so many Eastern European women, one could've thought they were in the USSR. If you weren't speaking Russian, you were gay or black. It was very random crowd to say the very least. 

I was with two of the gays and a pseudo straight model. It was Men's Fashion Week an all. It was only fitting to have a model with us. We had a 9:15 PM reservation and showed up closer to 9:40 PM. They gave us this pager circa '97 and told us it would buzz when our table was ready. "WTF! Are you at TGIFridays?" - was my internal dialogue. Seriously! A fucking giant ass pager! Granted this place is huge but there is a thing called technology and texting when your table is ready. This pager thing was a mind fuck! 

We walked over to the bar, which was pack but we found a spot to get up to order drinks from. Since there was 4 of us, we decided to just get a bottle of bubbles to start. Why not right? Los ordered a bottle of the Billecart-Salmon Rose. The poured the glasses and put the bottle in front of us very lackadaisical like. We had to ask for a bucket to keep it in. Fucking amateur hour. We just bought a $175 bottle of champagne dip shit, show some respect for the bottle and us! Gees! We realized that this point what level of service we were going to get. 

We were seated around 10 PM in a prime people watching spot. However, the people watching was more bizarre than entertaining. Like Harlem meets St. Petersburg. The fashions weren't even that great. I am sorry, I was not about to wear heels knowing I was going to be walking around a lot. These girls in the micro minis and faux Herve Ledger banded dresses...ladies its 30 degrees outside! In the restroom, you have me wearing a tight Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon" t-shirt that is tucked into black wide leg trousers and my laced up boots standing next to a wafer thin Serbian girl in a beige bat-wing micro mini dress and her tan patent leather heels. You couldn't tell where her legs ended and her feet started. Horrible! Hot beige mess! 

Upon sitting down, we ordered a few things right off the bat as we were all famished. The Juicy Lucy sliders, sea bass tacos and the pressed New York style pretzel along with a bottle of Meursault. The waitress, who was lovely, jotted everything down and went to put everything in the POS. Our food arrived shortly after but still no wine. She came back and said she had been informed that they didn't have this bottle. We asked if the Somm had suggested anything else in replacement. She kind of looked stunned that we would ask that questions. She simply replied, "no." So we went ahead and ordered another bottle that was half the price. She was like, "okay, which bottle?" We pointed it out to her and she had to write it down! Granted this girl is probably 22/23 years old and obviously doesn't know a lot about wine but if you have a wine list that is only 4 pages....you NEED to know this! You look like a fucking joke otherwise! 

We ordered the rest of our menu and the wine came out shortly there after. The first course of sliders, tacos and pretzel was hands down the best thing we ate the entire night. The Juicy Lucy's that are served in a bamboo steam box tower thing is cute, creative and knee bucklingly delicious! Like sex in the mouth good! The pickle that is on the bottle of the was bright, crisp and full of flavor. Everything anyone wants from a cheeseburger and the only reason why I would go back ever again. The pretzel tartare is a very creative way of doing steak tartare. However, I dont see steak tartare as a "street food." 

Onward to our next course which included Banh Mi, Red Snapper Toastadas, Thai Papaya Salad, Peruvian Ceviche and Crispy Bao Buns. None of these dishes are seriously anything to write about. The Banh Mi was made with an arepa as the bread. Which isnt a Banh Mi! It's actually an insult to the Banh Mi in my opinion. The Red Snapper Toastadas was drenched in lime that's all you can taste. The Thai Papaya Salad, again not a "street food," was basic and nothing to write home about. Lemongrass toasted peanuts. Please! That sounds so contrived and borderline offensive. The Bao Buns were bland, flavorless. The brisket tasted like it was leftovers from the previous week's Sabbath. The ceviche was strictly red onion and leche de tigre. That is all you could taste. 

Dessert wasn't anything special either. We got their version of a s'more. The only thing that I actually enjoyed was the graham cracker ice cream. That was delicious and spot on. The marshmallow fluff shit they put on top of dry semi sweet chocolate ganache was horrible. I would've preferred a Honey Maid Graham Cracker with 2 squares of Hersey's Milk chocolate and a melted marshmallow for a 1/4 of the price any day of the week! 

Presentation was spot on with all of the dishes along with the concept. However, the flavors missed the mark by a long shot. I think this place is suppose to be for those people who don't know or appreciate food and just want to be in a cool environment. Which is exactly what Tao Restaurants are good for. However, for someone that actually wants to get really well, you can skip this place and go to Uncle Boon's around the corner. They have a cool space and delicious food! If you have to go here, just get multiple orders of the Juicy Lucy and you will be happy! 

Juicy Lucy served in bamboo 

Overall Rating: 

Environment: Trendy 

Noise Level: 8/10

Food: Mediocre

Good For: Large groups, being up in the scene and for people in their 20's or having a midlife crisis 

After Mr. Purple and the Tenement Store, we made our way down to the Dimes. I have been hearing so much about this place and have been wanting to check it out for awhile however, I am so not into crowds and I am not about to wait a hour plus to eat somewhere. Sorry, I am past that point in my life. We got there somewhat on the earlier side around 6:30 on a Monday and just walked right in. We were great by a too cool for school millennial which ended up being our server. He was lovely but the whole "I live in Brooklyn, look like I haven't showered in 2 days and I cant be bothered" look I am so over that. That is another story though. 

We decided to sit in the cubbie under the window, which gives you a great view of the tiny but charming space. The decor was slightly contrived with what I felt looked like vintage school chairs from the 60's with some fake plants here and there. They consider themselves "an airy cafe with health conscious fare." None of that I found true. Its tiny not airy. The arched popcorn ceiling does not make it feel airy! Health conscious...why cause you have cous cous and salads on the menu? I don't think so. Its a kitschy space with a nouveau american cuisine. 

The food was good but nothing to write home about. Moreover, nothing to wait more then 20 minutes for a table for. Perhaps I am a wee bit too harsh. Don't get me wrong, I like the concept but it all seemed contrived and not organic. It might have checked all of the boxes off on what it is to be a cool new restaurant in Manhattan however, it lacked soul. The dates filled with cous cous were good, not amazing. It need fat and/or another texture. The pulled pork bowl felt like something I could grab off a food truck for half the price. It was good but just lacking the jus no se qua. Again, maybe I am to picky when it comes to this stuff but I work in the industry, know how much stuff costs and flavor profiles. 

I will say this though, they might be lacking the jus but I do LOVE their website. I think its charming and full of life. The website makes you want to go to to the place. Now only if they can inject that whimsy and pizzazz into their food they would be killing it and would have the potential to be a fixture in BelDel for years to come. However, I feel like it will have a similar fate as Northern Spy Food Co. and close after 5 years. 

Overall: 

Environment: Kitschy 

Noise Level: 6/10

Food: Mas o Menos 

Good For: Small parties and are in BelDel Monday-Wednesday 

I love going to eat out the beginning of the week. You never have to deal with the crowds or lines and I feel like you are getting the authentic experience. After living in SF for a hot minute, New Yorkers are the only people who will wait hours for a table at a restaurant. Or people visiting New York for that matter. I never understood why people would wait literally 3 hours for a table at the Spotted Pig when I was working the legendary "list" there. People would though. But that is another story. 

Monday night after Snowmaggedon 2016 aka Storm Jonas hit the city, my sister, who was visiting from SoCal, and I decided to brave the slushy streets and make our way downtown to the LES. I had a game plan of hitting up a couple of different spots to show her the best and/or new LES. First stop was Hotel Indigo on Ludlow. I have heard of Mr. Purple on their 15th floor before via Eater or Thrillist or something. Once the elevator doors opened, there is one of the best views of BelDel (Below Delancey). I think i just made that up! New Hot neighborhood BelDel! the bar which has 2 patios one including a pool that is actually heated in the winter! Can we say "chic!" The only people in the bar were 3 of its employees and one random European guy. He kept moving around the space. A little sketchy to say the least. Anyways, we bellied up to the bar and were greeted by Jeremy the bartender. He looked bored to shit and happy to have customers. I noticed they were "on trend" with having pre-batched cocktails. Not that I am a super fan of them and think they are a sort of lazy but good for a super busy bar. I ended up trying the ...

BOTTLED USUAL SUSPECTS

pyrat xo rum, falernum, pineapple juice, lime juice, angostura bittera

Jeremy sold me on it because he said it tastes like you are on an island and since I had just gotten back from Puerto Rico and there was 3 feet of snow on the ground that I might as well relive that moment. It was pretty good. Kind of like a grown up Cactus Cooler. Janice got a glass of bubbles. Very boring.  We checked out the space and started chatting up Jeremy about when is it busy and what not. You know the casual conversation you have with your bartender type of stuff. Allegedly the place is back Fridays and Saturdays which is par of the course. I kind of loved being pretty much the only people there to be honest. We were talking about the storm and he told us how they had been down to the skeleton crew over the weekend and shit got weird! I loved it. It reminded me of my days at the Standard. Late nights stripping down and going for a swim, sabering bottles of champagne and you dont want to know what was happening in the dark corners. Ah! To be young, dumb and full of cum again! Those were the days.