3/27/2002: Rivington Pub Crawl: The Magician. Surely the worst-named bar in downtown Manhattan, The Magician (Rivington between Essex and Norfolk) offers a pleasant respite from the overcrowded pubs of the neighborhood... At SA's birthday party there Saturday night, the bar got crowded, but never too crowded. On a typical weeknight, there may be less than a dozen people in the spacious confines. Don't spread the word; this neighborhood desperately needs a go-to bar that never overflows... A bartender confides that the place "hasn't really caught on yet" in part because the bar opened during the week of 9/11... Another plausible explanation: no listing on Citysearch... One Saturday partygoer referred to the place as " The Magic Stick," a far superior name... Solid jukebox, though another partygoer, on hearing "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" and, later, "Babylon," got visibly upset: "Who comes to a bar on the Lower East Side and puts on goddamn Paul Simon or David Gray? It's offensive."
3/26/2002: Rivington Pub Crawl: Infrared. The pub crawl was to have kicked off last night at Infrared, a DJ-infused bar at the far east end of Rivington Street. When Josh and I arrived circa 9 p.m., we found the place closed up. Is it gone for good? If so, the LES will survive the loss of bar #99. I never loved the place -- music a little too loud, vibe a cross between the velvet thing and a dance club, a combo less than the sum of its already meagre parts... I do fondly recall walking in about a year ago and seeing a nearly-nude woman, done up in a pagan goddess outfit, posing for a photo shoot. Paper Magazine, apparently... Josh and I did not stop to ponder this. We walked back down Rivington, past the flashy retro facade of Alias, and headed up Clinton to the Lotus Club, where a full 50% of our four rounds were on the house... Called the Infrared phone number on Citysearch today but got a gruff-speaking guy's voicemail and hung up. About an hour later, there was a message waiting on my voicemail. He'd seen my number on his caller ID and was calling to "follow up." Who does that?
3/25/2002: Rivington Pub Crawl: Introduction. Today's New York Times tells the tale of angry residents of the Lower East Side -- my neighborhood! -- griping about too much nightlife in the area. The article offers the fun fact that "there are 99 businesses licensed to sell beer, wine or liquor for consumption on their premises within the 10002 ZIP code, an area bordered by the East River, the Bowery and East Houston Street. Sixty-one licenses were granted in 2000 or 2001. In its neighboring ZIP code, 10009, which extends north from East Houston Street up to 20th Street, 153 businesses have liquor licenses, many issued within the past few years"... Indeed, it cannot be denied that the Lower East Side is a bar haven. In the past six months, four establishments have opened within a half-block radius of my Rivington Street apartment, including one downstairs. (Emphasis mine.)... Genuflect on this quote in the Times story from State Senator Martin Connor ("who recently wrote a letter objecting to the issuance of a liquor license on Ludlow Street, where there are already 12 bars within 500 feet of one another"): "When you have a dozen bars close together, you attract big crowds who literally bar-hop, create noise problems and urinate in public." (Emphasis mine.)... In honor of Senator Connor, Below 14th will embark on a series of Lower East Side Literal Pub Crawls, beginning this week with Rivington Street. Please: join us. First post: tomorrow.
3/21/2002: Spent the Eve of the Equinox at Blue Smoke (East 27th / Park), the much-hyped barbeque-and-jazz-joint from Danny Meyer... Mr. Meyer chilling at the bar, which features a house brew concocted by Brooklyn Brewery... Waited about an hour for a table. Service uneven, food (beef brisket, chili) served lukewarm... Waiter kept using the word "Awesome." Example: "Would you like another beer?" "Yes." "Awesome!"... Loved the vibe, though. Totally packed in only its second week of operation.
3/14/2002: Invited to a special sneak-peek dinner at Fiamma (Spring St. at 6th Ave.) last night... Upscale Italian cuisine from restauranteur Steve Hanson... I ran into Steve while descending from the second-floor dining room to the basement bathroom. He was busy checking the lights in the stairwell. Moments later he joined me in the bathroom, telling his staff via walkie-talkie to dim the lights. (Suddenly the mood felt much more romantic.) I offered him some advice: "There's no toilet paper." "Really?" He was pissed... On the way out, he shook our hands. "Thanks for the advice about stock issues," he told me.
3/12/2002: Sat down at the bar at new East Village celebzone Smith (1st St. between 1st and 2nd Aves) tonight. Asked the bartender to recommend a white wine. "The Sancerre is nice." He pours, I take a $10 bill out of my wallet. "Um, sir. That will be $12."... Later investigation of the bar menu showed no wines by the glass priced higher than $9... Obligatory celebrity sighting: Charlie Rose, three tables down... My pasta entree, rabbit ravioli, would have been small for an appetizer.
3/11/2002: AKA Cafe (Clinton St.) half-empty at 7:30 PM tonight despite continued media hype. Slightly revamped menu (since my last visit in December) now features "Larger Plates" consisting primarily of pork-related products... Soup excellent as always, room crowded by 9-something departure... Soon to try: Alias, another 71 Clinton spinoff one block down.
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