No Mojo

September 23, 2003 Last night, after sake at Angel's Share (whose backroom is the definitive post-Lost in Translation venue for those desirous of capturing a moment of the movie's flavor below 14th), we tried to take MB's advice and hit new East Village southern comfort food restaurant Mojo (5th St. @ 1st/2nd Aves.; formerly home to Monk). Mojo is from the kids behind Suba, which normally would give us pause, but MB sounded so... enthused. Uncharacteristically so! "A great feel to the place, tasty mac and cheese, an enormous burger, sea bass tacos, blackened shrimp with a corn-feta relish, that kind of thing," he wrote. "They're working on the liquor license, so for a while it's BYOB." Feeling smugly in-the-know, we stopped further down 5th Street at is-wine, where the proprietor talked up Mojo, recommended the empanadas, then sent us on our way with a pinot noir. Punchline: Mojo is closed Mondays. So it was off to Lil' Frankies with the bottle under our arms. May your timing better ours.

mojo is the friendliest joint on the block, and all of the menu is to die for. it is run by the nicest guys below fourtheenth. . . even the bartender smitty will fix your sketchy-looking byob booze into glasses with a smile, while they wait for their liquor license. the duck epanadas with yummy dipping sauce must be tried... chipotle flavors... juicy burgers... fries in a paper cone... yummy...

Posted by: ro fifi at September 25, 2003 01:00 AM

closed on mondays?! i left san francisco to get away from such lunacy.
i'm looking forward to hearing your report when you make it there... it's right up the street for me. hopefully something with staying power has settled in - that spot is a cursed one. SO many restaurants have gone in and out of there since the lamented "fifth street thrift shoppe" (aka gary & wanda's) decamped for 4th st. (and later closed).

Posted by: Jen at September 25, 2003 01:12 PM

All I can say is: I like Mojo. Duck empanadas, good. Short-rib tacos, good. Friendly owner Phil, who listened patiently to my BYOB-fueled tales of romantic distress, good. The only reason I haven't been back since my first two visits is so they won't think I'm stalking them.

Posted by: MG at September 25, 2003 01:20 PM

I disagree with your post-Lost in Translation venues. While I love Angel Share as much as the next girl with a hankering for frozen lichee martinis, we were in the mood for shabu shabu post LiT, like at Shabu Tatsu but we were with freaking Pete Rojas and had to settle for sushi at a place so good I'm too selfish to post on your highly trafficked site for fear of it being overrun by comers.

Posted by: Jen at September 25, 2003 07:12 PM

Explain the urge to obsessivly link the obscure references. Just say no. I know it's hard, but with the right 12-step program you can build a new life without the crutch.

Posted by: Sy Klopps at September 27, 2003 05:49 PM

That's interesting; when I left Lost in Translation, the place I thought to head to was on 9th as well, except Decibel struck me as the idea 'south of 14th' venue. Before I could suggest, my movie companion turned to me as said 'Have you been to Decibel?'

Posted by: +0 at October 3, 2003 09:30 PM