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Bar Reviews

Maison Premiere

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It seems like every other bar in Da Burg is oozing mixologists, and Maison Premiere is a welcome addition to the libation craft on par with the heralded Hotel Delmano.


Designed to transport one to French Quarter, NOLA, what with Edison bulbs and old phones and latticed metal work and stressed walls, none of this should distract from its earnest aim at one of life’s simple pleasures: oysters and cocktails. Blues set the mood, the oysters whet the appetite, and the bartenders do the rest, serving from an absinthe station, craft beer in mason jars, or an acceptable icy form of the Hurricane.


Standards are correct and proper, from Sidecar to Manhattan, Julep to Tom Collins. But head bar man Maxwell Britten can advise, especially point you towards a great absinthe list, pure with water and sugar cube, or mixed for your delight. Particularly fabulous are the drinks with sherry, adding real depth and nuance to the ordinary, elevating to the sublime.


It is no secret that there is an extensive happy hour during the week, not for drinks, as that would cause a riot and bankruptcy, but for the oysters, which are not only well sourced and pristine, but a buck a piece for well over a dozen varieties, east and west coasts.


Maison Premiere also highlights like lobster and crab claws (too messy for my taste at the bar), a shrimp cocktail too, as well as a plateau fruits de mer, but after relieving yourself in the facilities with common sink and pull chain wood tank toilet, it would be better to order another dozen for the road, if at least only to keep you company while strolling to your next hipster destination whistling Muddy Waters.

 

 

Little Branch

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Tucked downstairs on Leroy Street and 7th avenue south, what would qualify nowadays as a speakeasy can easily be spotted by the lines waiting to get into this basement underground wonder bar, with fine house cocktails and the bartender's ability to create something just for your mood.  Jazz trio every night adds to the romance of this candle lit homage to Luis grandmother, who one would imagine would have loved sipping and charming the night away in her grandson's very chic and NYC dandy.

Notes:  Avoid Thurs thru Sat if possible, B & T alert

 

EV winebar update

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East Village Wine Bar Crawl

Sometimes a wine bar owner has to get out to check the scene. Here’s a quick review of some bars visited recently on an October Tuesday night.

Terroir

Terroir is just down the street from Pata Negra. Terroir is an entirely different wine bar, corporately stocked and fitted. Terroir offers a great happy hour. Free sherry from 5 pm to 6 pm and six dollar limited selection for glasses of vino. This is a great deal because normally the wines by the glass can be pricy. I used to know the staff here, and since they’ve gone, the feeling is more corporate and less convivial. For food, I sampled the funky beef balls, crunchy without much substance or sauce, and the beet risotto balls, nice with a tinge of gorgonzola. Paul Grieco is an ambassador for Riesling, so if this is your grape, Terroir is your home.

The Beagle

Heard about the Beagle from my fellow JET, el capitan, and decided to give the bar a whirl. Chic wallpaper wraps the wall of this charming space leading to a small bar where there is a serious cocktail program in place. The London Buck was refreshing and El Guero had some elegant weight to it. Opted for the trifecta, duck fat, woodland pork, and rillettes, and a quail to boot. Tasty and proper. Will return.

Edi & the Wolf

This is my second attempt at trying to get into this place. Since it wasn’t amateur hour (Thurs thru Sat, 7 to 11 pm) I mosied right up to the bar. The place is kind of like an Austrian fairy tale winter wonderland. You can be transported. Great selection of zweigelt and blaufrankisch, etc. Really nice service from the bartender and two hefty plates of spaetzle and wiener schnitzel (a bit salted) knocked me out for the night. I did manage to squeeze in an apple strudel. Will Return.

 

 

 

 

Stuzzicheria

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Stuzzicheria                                     305 Church St.                               212.219.4037

September 21, 2010

by Mateo

Stuzzicheria, the Tribeca off shoot of Flatiron Italian restaurant Bar Stuzzichini, is housed in the space formerly held by Province, a bun place on Church Street.  It’s a strip that is gaining momentum, with Petrarca, Macao, B Flat and Il Matto (formerly Arqua).  The concept is simple and it works: a laid back wine bar with familiar Italian small snacks and reasonably priced wines by the glass. There are quartinos as well, but I have yet to understand the value in that gimmick. The décor is straightforward, simple and bare.  There is Edison lighting, a moderate sized bar and varied table heights.

Favorites include crostini, arancini, meatballs and fried artichokes, as well as salumi and cheeses.  There are special main courses every night of the week, from fish to flank steak, as well as soups and pastas.  Some are hit or miss, but are worth order experimentation.

What’s nice about Stuzzicheria is that it seems to fit into the nabe, not trying too hard to be a wine bar that it is not welcome due to price or pretention.

ROOSTER RATING: 

PPP: $40.
 

B FLAT

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B FLAT                       277 Church St                   212.219.2970

February 25, 2010

By R.A.Mateo

Libation spots are few and far between in Tribeca, or Triburbia as I have heard it called.  Bars tend to be run of the mill, unremarkable, nondescript drinking holes, like The Patriot or Raccoon Lounge, and other forgettable parlors where mixology is certainly not practiced.

Thankfully there are establishments such as B Flat, blurring the line between speakeasy and cocktail bar, all the while paying homage to a well known Japanese appreciation for American jazz.

The room has a hotel-clubby feel, clad in dark wood and hushed tones, but the cool tunes distract and transport.  A fleeting glance at the bar set-up and you know you are in a temple for the art of mixing drinks.  The manager, Hashimoto, subscribes to a cool hand Luke style of mixing, utilizing different ice shapes (carved in house) according to the order.  No flashy vigorous shaking, just the right wrist action, controlled and effective.  Some Japanese ingredients are in play, such as sake, yuzu, calpico, lychee, shiso and wasabi, but traditional standards are also expertly executed.  There is a nice sake and schochu list to choose from as well.  Just be careful not to mix too much.

The names of the drinks could be lyrics to a jazz song, such as a “lady in satin” “misty” over a “moment’s notice”, and if you don’t want “stardust” in your eyes, order some food off the short small plates menu, with decent sashimi, fried chicken, and eel spring rolls.  Follow that up with pork belly or duck magret, and you can order another drink or two.

At some point in the evening, either during a delicious sip or after coming up for air emerging from the basement, you realize B Flat is a return to civilization,  with professionals who care about jazz and food and drink, a proper combination of ingredients if there ever was one.

 

 
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