Neighborhood Notebook

March 17, 2003 Neighborhood notebook from a gorgeous evening... Clinton doings: Tonight's the opening of Salt Bar (Clinton @ Stanton), a cool looking new joint from the woman behind Soho's Salt. The idea here is a pared-down menu in a paired-down space. The dishes are ambitious... Also somewhere on New York's hippest three-block stretch, we hear another new restaurant in the works will feature cuisine from LES suppliers and carry the name Local... Italian on Orchard: Opening between Houston and Stanton is a homey Italian joint called Basso Est that means "Lower East" in Italian. NYMetro has the scoop... Garage rock: On Attorney between Houston and Stanton -- one of the most unique area blocks, in that it's all garages -- word has it that the owners of Arlene Grocery are converting one of them into a new live music venue. Alas, our poking around didn't turn up anything. What's the scoop?... Reader mail: Toby L. emails from London: "I used to live in New York. I'll be there to visit for just a few days in April, and the one big question I have to ask before I get there is: Will WD-50 be open by then?" Well, obviously, it missed its March 15 opening date (beware the ides), and frankly it looks nowhere near done. May? June?... Puma-forsaking Felix Salmon emails, "Why is Chico replacing his Selena mural on Houston & B with one of the Pope? Does he know something about JPII's impending demise that we don't?"