Review: Public (w/Bonus Neighborhood Notebook)
November 20, 2003
Awoke this morning to 13 new messages on the Sprint PCS assphone that had somehow piled up over the past 48 hours. Several were from
JL, the original Boy of Summer, who's making a special return appearance to his old hood,
Nolita, this week. Though technology prevented us from dining together, JL was kind enough to phone in his review of new Nolita hottspott
Public (Elizabeth @ Prince/Spring) from
within the restaurant: "Let's see... it's a formulaic 'new,' 'cool' restaurant," he opined, the air quotes dripping from his lips, "that's not that cool and not that new." We dined there a week back. Our analysis was not as harsh, but we've struggled to come up with a take other than "decent," which doesn't really make for the most scintillating review. We'd say that it's definitely worth seeing once, though the last place we said that about was
Suba, and, well, that doesn't quite seem fair. Let's hope Public's food proves worth the prices being charged as they get in the groove.... Elsewhere in
Nolita—which B14 correspondent
John H. informs us finally gets its own section in
Zagat this year—we hear that work on the old
M&R Bar space (Elizabeth @ Houston/Prince), slated to become a multi-level something, has halted due to neighborhood activism; i.e., denial of a liquor license... Here's a recipe for success: change a decent local bakery into a crappy tavern. Sit empty for a year. Rechristen bar as "lounge." Sit empty for another six months. Stick a few potted palms outside in the November rain to draw in the kids. Yes, let's hear it for Spring St. Bakery > Nolita Tavern >
Nolita Lounge!... Back on the good ol' LES, fans of soccer and extremely narrow spaces will enjoy
Maradona's (Allen @ Houston/Stanton), an interesting looking bar as horizontal as a 2x4. With a soccer ball emblazoned with the
number 10, it's downtown's answer to
Michael Jordan's... The proprietor of new LES comedy club
Laugh Lounge NYC (Essex @ Stanton/Rivington) emails, "I'd like to formally invite Below 14th readers to our official opening on Friday night this week." You heard the woman! Hit it!... Unconfirmed rumor has it that the downstairs space at
105 Rivington (@ Ludlow/Essex, our home block) will soon be renovated for a new restaurant. Owner?
Neil Klienburg of
Clinton Street Baking Co. fame. Our tipster reports, "I think he mentioned something about serving
fish."... Finally, everyone and their wanky uptown friend are asking for the scoop on superchef
Patricia Yeo's migration to the LES. Next week, kiddles, next week.
Citysearch gives them a 7.5 rating and they are not even open yet.? Also they list no names of comics on their phone message.
Lets start the Jerry Sienfeld rumor going...
Posted by: Buddy Hackett at November 21, 2003 09:31 AM
I walked by the Laugh Lounge last nite about 9:30 pm and it was totally empty. Not a soul inside (at least upstairs). I think they need to employee that "close the drapes, make it look mysterious" thing. Or hire that Buddy drag king comic.
Posted by: Buddy Hackett at November 22, 2003 09:45 AM
I am a NoLIta resident and I have seen places come and go around here for years. I am not sure how long JL has been out of the hood but he seems like he is basically ignorant. I have been to Public twice since it opened and we haven't seen anything like this here yet. First of all its not pretentious and so heavily commercial driven much like the "New" "Cool" places he mentions. The decor is cool but also kinda of cozy and personal too and the food is some of the most amazing and truthfully NEW concoctions I have seen in a while. The cooks seems artistic and invested in what they are doing (based on what I have eaten) as do a lot of the staff and the owners who I have personally met and seen both times I have been there. Your reviewer doesn't have to agree with this assessment but he doesn't even have his facts right.
Posted by: sheila at November 22, 2003 11:09 AM
Also...I miss the Spring St Bakery. I loved the cupcakes there when they first opened and was a regular for tea, cake, etc. After the first 6 months of being open the desserts started to dry out, the service waned and suddenly it was a bar and burger joint...and then they tinted the windows!!!!
Posted by: sheila at November 22, 2003 11:16 AM
I think Nolita Lounge on Spring and Mott is the most comfortable and most pleasant in the neighboorhood.
Posted by: rich at November 25, 2003 02:49 PM
