New York Restaurants

one time i was on the bowery in one of those 2am traffic jams yelling why dont you fuckers just go back to jersey then i realized thats what they were doing

This seems to be the nature of major city centre drinking at the weekends. I'm not sure if this would pan out for new york but I am getting into hotel bars somewhat at the moment, partly because lots of London hotels are really raising their game in this regards and partly because the experience is more relaxed.

i like hotel bars cuz u always meet people

fuck hotels their bars and their tedious sealed little worlds

M&H is just trying to turn themselves back into a place with some sort of community feel - it's kind of been overrun by out-of-towners, food board douches, etc. That said, if you have to implement some kind of tiered membership structure and priority lists it's already too late. Having a good doorman takes care of all of that.

fuck hotels their bars and their tedious sealed little worlds

lol please describe how hotel bars are 'sealed little worlds' vs. local bars where you see the same people every night.

i was describing hotels fyi - utter convoluted enviroments

I would say having a membership policy is no guarantee of that, take the zoo that the soho houses are. I can see what M&H are trying to cultivate and I feel very comfortable in it whenever I have been to the London one. Nice thing about M&H is anyone can buy a membership from their website but it is implicit in that that you buy into the culture that they are aiming for when you do.

if i had a bar no one w/dreadlocks would be allowed inside - thats the only rule

if i worked at that bar i would constantly book reggae acts and then lol heartily

The London Hotels are really trying to throw open their bars and restaurants to the wider world. OK so it started a while back by getting celebrity chef's to take on the restaurants but the bars are an extension of this. they have a more neutral space kind of a feel but that makes them easier to slip into I think.

so more importantly: where am i taking friends for dinner?

Are they rich friends who are picking up the cheque?

old bartenders at old hotels are pretty much the best bartenders in the world - great personalities, good drinks, total tenure and no hesitation to talk shit.

good question - how is the AUS$?

thats not a dollar THIS is a dollar!

not so hot, they could buy a dollar for a dollar in the summer but now on of theirs buys only 69 of your cents

Not-boyfriend, coming though in the clinch, wanted to do something nicer than take-out last night...so he said "Meet me on the west side after work" and it turned out we were going to Becco! Which was great, and I so seldom eat out except for neighborhood joints that just being waited on by someone who speaks English and carries a pepper grinder is a luxury to me.

That said, the food seemed like a good version of whatever it was, but nothing outrageously new or amazing. I'll order more adventurously next time, my pork scallopini rolled with pistachios and bacon, served over radicchio and cippolini onions was too breaded for me and too...samey-tasting...seemed like something "safe" on the menu so that's prob my own fault. But the gnocchi with wild boar ragout, which I was prepared to be KILLED by, was just...good. Better than "okay" but not what I hoped in terms of all-day taste and essential meatiness.

the food seemed like a good version of whatever it was, but nothing outrageously new or amazing

it's basically a pre-theatre place; that's their steez

steez

buggerme, I hate this word

stfu england

steez nuts

i hate it too, but it works

what was wrong with schtick?

too jewish

steez is one of the best most useful words ever /childofthe90s

what was wrong with schtick?

A shtick (Yiddish: שטיק) (or schtick) is a comic theme or gimmick.

people also use the word schtick to mean style or motif or what have you

hey, is anyone else going to the Vendys tomorrow?

i volunteered last year as a bartender, but i can't do it this year. my advice would be to go early.

thanks. i have to leave early anyway.

Coworker recommends I'll bagatto for dinner. Anyone been?

not in years, but it used to be really good. piadina, gnocco, and perbacco are a few other good italian places with similar price points in that area.

went to no 7 last night--starters were fantastic, gf got this broccoli tempura-type thing with a black bean sauce and i got some good pork with these amazing fried eggs... entrees werent quite as amazing but still way enjoyable--salmon with scallion pancake and vegetarian lasgna. also not too amazingly crowded. spent most of the night staring a dude who we think we went to college with.

i feel like i kind of own that place - so im glad you enjoyed it - next time try the cod its fn awz

i went to m shanghai - ate a bunch of bangin dumplings and rice cakes and bok choi n mushrooms - luv that place

bagatto was alright... i had the saltimbocca which i found a little salty, but with nice use of sage and my friend said his tagliolini di mare was excellent. as i was walking out, i noticed that 90% of tables had the same 2 dishes! almost went for a halibut special with beans and broccoli rabe, but i'd had a lot of fish this week.

joe if thats ur building thats pretty sweet what with the good restaurant/bar literally inside and also the subway entrance like right f-in there

its true i am blessed

i just passed your house on my way home the other night. i mean i pass it all the time but on this particular night, the corner was especially bouncin.

i am jealous of ice cræm's life.

is ice craem jhoshea

that is what we are led to believe....

i don't know who any of you people are ever.

If you like M Shanghai, a good night to go there is Halloween, because after eating juicy pork buns and morning glory you can dance it off at the Night of the Living Dead Disco Halloween party downstairs, then come back upstairs and eat more soup dumplings.

gf got this broccoli tempura-type thing with a black bean sauce

had this tonight, pretty good

the bestest was the kimchi dumplings that came with the hangar steak omg

That 7 place was written up in the new yorker last week and they specifically mentioned the broccoli tempura

i am having the single worst coffee of my life at a place called grounded on jane st

u_u

Genuinely bad coffee is so unforgivable, for real

on this i think we can all agree.

ate at james on saturday--crowded, i guess from the ny times & new yorker reviews last month, and we had to wait 45 minutes for a table for 2 even tho we were there at 7, and $$$...

but. i thought it was great. delicious crispy sweetbreads and loin of lamb, gf had amazing ravioli, excellent ricotta beneigts for dessert. i had a good cocktail too. i have to say it may have just been one of those nights where that kind of dinner is exactly what im in the mood for & so it makes the food even better, but i left 100% satisfied and eager to go again