Happy New Year

Go get em kids.

The Year That Was: 2007

Well, this is it. Our final post for 2007. We are taking a well deserved break from the scene, the computer, and all that malarkey. Don't we deserve it? Of course we do. We think we brought the thunder and the lightning to you all year long. If you don't, well, then maybe we need to try harder next year. And we promise we will. Let's recap some of our biggest stories, achievements, and favorite things of 07.

Number of Posts: 265
DBTH Income: $0.00 (we do it for the love)
Story of the Year: Upstairs - Secret location, crazy emails on how to get in, Diddy Fights - it was the gift that kept on giving.
Non-story of the Year: 1OAK. BTW, they are officially open.
Favorite Nightspot: Tie - Beatrice Inn and Rose Bar. Hate on if you want, but we have fun whenever we go. That's what counts.
Most Potential for 2008: Socialista.
Best Event Space: Bowery Hotel
Favorite Drinks: Freemans
Dream for Next Year: More down and dirty margarita bars.
Most Important Person(s) in Hospitality/Nightlife: Down By the Hipster

Not to go on a rant here, but what we hear from you, our readers, is how much you enjoy this thing of ours. We enjoy it even more. So our promise to you is to come back even stronger in 2008. More posts, more parties, more pictures, more rumors, news, coverage, more everything. If we do that, then we think we may just win it again in 2008.

Happy holidays and have a great new year.

Humbly,

DBTH

Passover in December?

Breaking out the unleavened bread in December can only mean one thing. Matzo Ball! Here's one at Stereo, but they happen in most major cities. They even have their own little group. Good for you Matzo Ball. Good for you.

The Shockey Shake & Break

Too bad for Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey and his gal corralling buddy Bruno Fierce. Or is it? The Shockster and his pal went the craigslist way to round up a pack of ladies to "surround his guys with the city’s hottest girls." Unfortunately for everyone involved, #80 broke his dancing leg. Fortunately for everyone, that means he has no NFL responsibilities left, which means he can take his NYE party to the next level. We just hope you ladies know how to cheer up a man with a busted wing.

[Photo credit]

Trading a Nachum for a Starck

Want to know who designed 1OAK - the new super club by the super friends? Well, A Little Birdy knows and wants to share it with us. Isn't that sweet? From the LB: "the designer of 1oak is Roy Nachum. He is Israeli and he is a hack. Most of his designs are Phillipe Starck 'inspired' ripoffs. You can see on his website... oversize lamp shades, golden guns, interior ivy walls. There is nothing original. All taken from Starck." Tell us how you really feel Birdy. So much for some holiday Birdy cheer. We would hate to have to fight you over a piece of bread. Scrolling through the pictures on his site does demonstrate he loves those big lamp shades and our other Little Birdy did say the club seems to cherry pick other hot spots from around the city.

Color us unwilling to pick a side, because one Birdy's Starck is another's Roy Nachum. We think there is room for all of us in this nest.

Goode and McPherson Buy a Riverview

After some joint work by DBTH and our friends at HotelChatter, the HC crew comes in with the final blow. Eric Goode and Sean McPherson, the hottest boutique hotel company this side of Jason Pomeranc, have apparently come to terms on the Riverview Hotel. According to an HC tipster:

The Riverview Hotel was purchased by Sean and Eric for approx $33.0 Million recently. The Hotel is an SRO (Single Room Occupancy), which means that none of the rooms have their own bathrooms, sinks, kitchens or even basic amenities.

The reason they are not accepting any reservations is b/c they would like to begin the process of removing any and all long term residents, most of which are homeless, drug addicts and drunks---similar to those you would find in the Whitehouse on the Bowery.

By not allowing any new "guests" they limit their risk and exposure for new problems. They will have a very difficult time removing most of the long-term stays, especially since there are strict laws prohibiting the harassment of such individuals.

Excellent point. But when there is a financial will, there certainly is a physical way. May we suggest hiring the Pinkertons, who we hear have been slowly rebuilding their forces somewhere in the mountains of West Virginia, waiting to be called on once again.

CONQUEST! Norwood

Last night, DBTH stormed the gates of Norwood to check out the lay of the land. No, we are not a member. No we don't consider ourselves to be trespassing thieves either. We were what most people you see inside a private club are: an invited guest. So what did we find? Not much. But not in a bad way. Confused? We are too. Basically Norwood is a converted townhouse on 14th Street. There are four floors.

· First floor is check in, lower lounge and drawing/parlor room, and out back is a traditional English garden.
· Second level is the restaurant, empty when we got there, empty when we left. The menu was full of hearty winter dishes, very similar to what you may find at the Waverly Inn these days. We would eat there.
· Third floor is the upper parlor room, with a bigger bar, more couches, and a piano. A band was set to start a bit later in the evening to entertain the small crowd.
· Fourth floor is the screening room, a very small place that seemed quite utilitarian. There were screenings of the new film Entrepreneur last night.

That, dear readers, is all there is to it. Why we were there? Well, that's none of your bees wax. However, it did involve absinthe and that's all we're going to say. We learned there are about 380 active members so far with the hope to grow the list to 600 over the next year. The place is apparently quite busy during the week and over the weekend is used as a meeting place before going on to bigger and better things. The members we talked to are happy they have joined, but wouldn't all members say that? At least as first. The rooms were warm and cozy, and the bar selection was choice. Consider us willing to go back, but undecided on accepting a membership.

First Responder: 1OAK Part III

Finally, our Little Birdy checks in with a final update. After telling us all about the entrance, dance floor, bar, smoking patio, and the sexed up Bolivian bathrooms, our final installment deals with a more leisurely feature. We'll let our LB take it home, "I just talked to a friend who was at the opening, and aparently they put in a pool table, a la Rose Bar. I can't figure out if these guys are good, or just glorified promoters/posers." Ah, the eternal question. Do any of you have any thoughts? Comments are welcome.

On the Circuit: Holiday Loft Party

We are usually sick of the holidays by December 1st, so by December 15th we had really had our fill. After doing everything in our power to not attend another holiday party, a friend managed to snag our company at a little loft party going down in a choice loft in the heart of Soho. For that, we thank them. There really are few things better than a well thrown loft party, and this was right up there with the best of them. We are talking 3 stocked bars - 2 for alcohol and 1 for sushi. That's right, they had a full on sushi bar with fish provided by Nobu. Don't like fish? Get yourself a slice of Lombardi's pizza and saddle up for the entertainment, which in this case was a little person elf stripper (above) who was hired, we are guessing, to spread holiday cheer and expose himself. Fascinating. Despite the unwanted nudity, we had a smashing time, reminding us that holiday parties aren't all bad. Especially this one.

First Responder: 1OAK Part II

Below is the second part of a special 3 part expose on the newest crapspot to open on NYC's far West side. According to a Little Birdy who was there on opening night:

The room with the fireplace overlooks the dance floor which is in front of the bar. The DJ booth is at the head of the dance floor, and as expected, is elevated over a small dance floor. The DJ was very good, and you could tell he wanted to play some really serious shit, but had to tone it down because of the finance crowd (80's rock and all). The dance floor has a few small tables, likely for VIPs. On the side opposite the letter wall there is some artwork of a boy with a crown blinding him on what looked like a canvas with lego bumps (same art as in Cafe Bari) I can't remember the artist's name, but he is a French guy (by way of Israel, I had a chance to chat with briefly). Beautiful artwork, and the main room has a double barreled vaulted ceiling that made you feel like you were in a doublewide version of Gold Bar. Boothes line the wall opposite the letter wall, and the U-shaped bar continues to wrap around to the floor that looks like a paino keyboard on ecstasy (as featured in NYT piece). The oddest part of the bar was a stadium style seating of Versialles style upholstered chairs that went up, probably 5 levels....I had heard they applied for a cabaret license, so I don't know if the idea was to rip off The Box and do shows, but that is to be seen. If you walk underneath the stadium seating. you can get to the back where you can go downstairs to the bathroom, which is a very cool part of the club. The wall looks like a Louis Vuitton bag because it's done in that type of brown with very fine gold pinstripes. The bathrooms are like hidden passages becuase it's hard to tell where to push on the wall to get it to open. The bathrooms are like being at Gold Bar. Single person bathrooms with locks which are great for bumping a line, or banging some girl you meet there. The faucets and sinks are gold, and there is a James-Bond style gold gun on the wall. Weirdest part was that there was Method soap dispensers (seemed out of place and may not be permanent). The VIP room was still under construction, but it looked pretty cool with a small bar and lounge area. The hallway leading to the VIP room has a wall that looks like they stacked burlap bags of U.N. rice to make the wall.

I guess that's about it. It will definitely be a great place and tough to get into. But with everything moving out of MPD and into FiDi/TriBecca, I wonder what made them choose that location. It truly is in the middle of the projects.

We don't condone the illicit drugs or public sex, but maybe that is what the fearsome foursome had in mind. Only time will tell. Coming up, the exciting conclusion to our Monday mini-series. Do stay tuned.

First Responder: 1OAK

Reports are trickling in from 1OAK, the new Meatpacking spot that some said wouldn't open until January. A Little Birdy was there last Thursday for the opening event, that's a December Thursday mind you, and filed a lengthy and complete report on what the set up is

So I went to 1OAK on Thursday night because the hedge fund I work at uses Bass Trading as a broker. . . the group of guys inside was the biggest bunch of finance geeks, although they tried their hardest to bring in the hottest girls from their firm (HR girls, Investor Relations, Admins). I'm a complete architecture and design freak, and my girlfriend always gets mad at me becuase I point out that one designer was trying to reference Gehry's guggenheim in Bilbao and shit like that.

That being said, 1OAK is very well designed and I have no doubt it will be a huge success....it has some unique aspects, but it really takes the best features from the best places around the city. Richie and his crew clearly did their research.

You walk in from the outside (which has been photographed a ton) and there's a qhaki colored rug on the floor feels almost like a golf green. There's a desk in front for reservations and the curtains separate the first room from the next room where the coat check is (on your left.) Then you walk into the main room. To your left is the infamous wall of (gold, although they didn't look gold leafed (yet?)) which was a very cool effect. It looked like there were about 10 layers of letters tacked on top of each other, and below that is about 3 booths. The booths were half moon shaped and could easily hold 6-8 people, looked like suede tan/brown leather and very comfortable. To your right is the bar, which is a U-shape and looks like it pays homage to Death and Co. because it has cursive carvings in the bar, and also overhead. A cool feature of the bar (which I think has been reported) is that it looks like there are piano legs on the corners. If you walked straight with the lettered wall on your left, and the bar on your right there is an elevated area with a fireplace in the corner and some chairs and couches. The coolest part of the place (in my opinion) was clearly taken from Buddah Bar. If you walk onto the patio, which is directly off the room with the fireplace, there is an alley in the back which has been mirrored to make it appear larger. This is there solely for people to smoke without having to go outside, the patio couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 feet deep and 10-12 feet long, but feels very large because of the mirrors).

Mind you, this is just part I of III. Additional notes are on the way. But let it be known that 1OAK is ready to accept your hard earned ducats. It's going to be a big day.

1OAK Private Event Tonight

It's Friday afternoon and we are still posting about 1OAK. It just opened last night and we already hate this place with a passion. But when we get the news, we share the news. And this is news. Another little birdy lets us know that the 1OAK crew is having themselves a private opening event tonight - invite only of course - that will be starting right as the 1 Model Management party is starting to wrap up. Our LB says, "they are piggy backing on top of the model party to invite people to a private opening. That way it will be full of models since their party is early. Oldest move in the nightclub book." So a place called One of a Kind is using the oldest trick in the book? All of our illusions are shattered. Kids let this be a lesson in the cold hard facts of nightlife life. Just go be a banker or something. The nightclub business is all a farce. A farce!

1OAK Already Financed Up

Yeah, 1Oak hosted an event last night. And which company, pray tell, holds the honor of being able to say they christened the club? A Little Birdy checks in, saying "it was a private corporate party for BTIG Trading. Hence, no models. I know this because my friend is the office manager at BTIG and she worked the list for the party-….cheers!" There you have it. The traders have already staked their claim. We hope they all were given hats.

Like We Said. . .

1OAK held it's first event last night. We'd like to thank our friends at Imbible for the photo, and we would like to thank fogul Barry Diller for building that alien sailboat on the West Side Highway, otherwise JG from Imbible wouldn't have been able to report:

Seeing as how our fancy offices at the IAC building are just two blocks away from 1 Oak, I did a quick walk-by after work last night and snapped the above photo. Granted, it was early (around 7pm), but from what little I could glean, the first guests to christen the new bar were, well, dudes--and not male model dudes, but like average, unglamorous, finance-type of dudes. Maybe the models were stuck in traffic, or maybe I just happened to walk by just as One Model Management's accounting department was arriving--you know, so they could get in before the door became selective. Lucky for them, at least this early in the evening, it was not.

Now, since they are hosting events in return for money, we are calling 1OAK officially open. January our blogging ass. Just because the public can't get in to dance to hip hop doesn't mean anything. Have a good weekend.

Tenjune Wishes You a Happy Holidays

Because it wouldn't be December without Tenjune. Happy holidays to Eugene, Mark, and the whole Tenjune crew. Make money money go shopping guys.

D Bag Thursday Part III: Trumping Them All

Nothing says D Bag like Donald Trump and Pete Wentz. While the two aren't very much alike, they are both pretty big D bags. At least that's what we we're going with today. Sorry myspace. So to have the two of them team up for one terrible promotion - even if they have absolutely nothing to do with it - is too lame for us not to mention. A Little Birdy forwarded us some news of a new promotion going down at Angels and Kings, Wentz's little bar in the East Village. Ladies, please pay extra special attention, as this one goes out to you:

I'm the PR person for Angels & Kings (Pete Wentz, Fall Out Boy, Gym class Heroes, Panic at the disco own it) We are starting a promotion with Trump Vodka were the ladies get comp. trump 8-9 mon to sat.

Free Trump vodka for an hour a night! Who is the ad wizard that came up with this one? Probably a D bag. We have already called CB 3 to let them know there may be a riot on East 11th Street 6 nights a week. Anyway, one of you fine ladies please order a Trump & Tonic for DBTH. Gratzi.

D Bag Thursday: Part II

It's time for Part II of our very special D Bag Thursday. Because this place is full of D Bags.



DBTH also went to the Box last night for the Hugo Boss event. Cool space, especially if you don't like being able to sit. But standing is OK if you don't mind a bunch of D Bags bumping into you. Unfortunately we do. Then the show started. Wow. And we don't mean in a good way.

That's it for part 2. Please stay tuned for part 3.

Photo courtesy of New York Magazine

DBag Thursday: Part 1

Hey everyone! Today is D Bag Thursday, a very special feature brought to you in at least two parts? Why today? Why not. Part 1.

It's Wednesday night. You (or DBTH) is at the oh so swanky Rose Bar enjoying an $18 cocktail or two, and a group is seating at one of the side tables. And in this group, you notice many of the gentleman wearing the same hats. That's when you realize it's Scott Sartiano and his Butter posse, all wearing Butter hats. To the layman, it may seem they really just love butter. But we know it to be some kind of D baggy gorilla marketing campaign or whatever. And if you are going to wear a hat with the name of your restaurant and lounge on it, wouldn't it be 1OAK, your new space that's poised to open tonight? Those hats probably never made it back from the glitter factory so they went with the standby.

In anther twist, we travel in the way back machine to the last time 1OAK was set to open. Well, they had to cancel their events and put the hype machine on hold for a bit. Our Little Birdy said at the time, "saw Richie Akiva at Rose Bar last night. . . Anyway, I was expecting Richie to be doing something else when his new club is supposedly opening tomorrow night. I'm putting my money on December... if they're lucky." Ditto LB. Ditto.

Photo from NY Times

1OAK Ready to Go Live

Remember when we first told you about 1OAK, the new west side club that was to be owned and operated by a mega nightlife collective of partners. Well, it's ready to open. A much trusted Little Birdy tells us, "I was speaking to a person closely connected with the club. They are ready to open, for real this time. The first event is tomorrow [Thursday] night, lock stock and smoking barrel. The owners and promoters are very excited about it." And why wouldn't they be. They put a lot of time, effort and sweet moolah into it. That doesn't mean that we are looking forward to going anytime soon. Have you been to Butter lately? Heh. Onward.

An Original Classic

A little gift came our way this week from another original classic. Read em and weep. Thanks JW.

Shake It For Shockey

He had had zero catches this past Sunday, but Jeremy Shockey is bound to catch something while hosting his New Year's Eve Party. Ladies, if you don't have plans, may we draw your eyes to this craigslist ad:

Manhattan’s hottest, newest nightclub is hosting Jeremy Shockey’s New Year’s Eve Party and we want to surround his guys with the city’s hottest girls. If you think you can dress, dance, and drink the part, then please send one head and one body shot, as well as your name and contact info, to brunofierce@gmail.com. Free entry and open bar all night long to the ladies we select.

Nice. So ladies, if you are a triple threat, please do send Bruno Fierce an email. And bcc us. Because we need to know more.

The Way to Get Upstairs

So do you have New Years plans yet? No? That's OK, you still have time to figure everything out. What's that? You want some suggestions from DBTH? Well, we don't play favorites, but may we suggest Upstairs? You heard us. Upstairs. Now, we've had our fun with the not-so-secret lounge above Cafe Bari. And they've made it pretty clear what they think about us. But it's cool. It's cool. New Years Eve is a different animal - especially in this town. And if you are going out, you want it to be big, and you want it to be great. The problem is so many people try to head out of town to avoid the masses that flock here.

But we've been told by the Upstairs folks that just won't be the case at their event. They are predicting the regulars, and they are guaranteeing a good time. We kinda believe them. We don't know why but we do. So give them a chance. If we didn't already have plans, and if they took down our Wanted poster, we may consider it ourselves. If that's not your seen, maybe one of these will be.

Got something else in mind? Do let us know.

Hello Sakaya

Just because we broke the story, we may as well take you all the way home. Specialty sake shop Sakaya is poised to open tomorrow. We'll let owner Rick Smith bring it home. "It has been nearly two years since we returned from our first trip to Japan together with the commitment to our dream of opening NYC's first shop dedicated exclusively to sake. Tomorrow that dream becomes a reality." Kanpai Sakaya. Kanpai.

A Socialist(a) Hotel!

Tis the season for sharing, so we were excited when our friends from HotelChatter checked in yesterday with a rumor they had heard a month back, saying "we hear that some undercover construction work has started at the Hotel Riverview at 113 Jane St." They also wonder if the Riverview is "Eric Goode and Sean MacPherson's new project." Oh, you mean this new project? What the HC team missed is that a certain doorman opened a certain Cuban themed bar and cafe in the Riverview basement. We're talking Socialista, and if this is true then we have found a mega project. It would fit with Goode and McPherson's penchant for rehab projects, but losing out on the bar/restaurant space with an already established operator is a tough sell for hoteliers that thrive on food and beverage service. Calls to the Riverview were met with expected gruffness, but we hope to learn more in the coming days. Happy Friday.

Breaking News: PM Lounge Shut Down!

Continuing our Super Scoop Thursday, a Little Birdy forwarded along a little afternoon shocker, saying "Thought you'd want to be the first to know that PM Lounge will be shut down by the State Liquor Authority during January 2008." Little Birdy speaks the truth, according to this notice issued by the overlords of night at the State Liquor Authority. A quick perusal lists underage drinking, building code violations, noise, fighting, and much much more. That's no good. Especially when your Community Board and landlord already have a collective hard on to see your operation dissapear.

May we suggest going to PM for New Years Eve, we think it could become a massive going out of business bash!

The rest of the complaint is below.

Breaking News: Goode and McPherson Strike Again

Breaking news from boutique hotel land. We have long heard rumors that Eric Goode and Sean McPherson, stars of such projects as the Bowery Hotel and the Lafayette House Hotel, were working on deals for additional downtown hotel properties. Well, great success. The boys have apparently settled on their next project, with a Little Birdy who is most definitely in the know reporting, "Sean McPherson and Eric Goode have closed the deal on a new hotel. It will be 'boutique-y' and in the West Village." That's it? Nothing more? Well, not yet, because the project is a wee bit sensitive. We expect to learn more soon, or have one of the so-called reporters from a major paper just steal our headline and go snoop around for answers. Because that's how they do. Happy fing holidays.

On the Circuit: Ciprianis

Due a previous engagement, we had to skip the final night of the 2007 Cirpriani Music Series. Luckily, we had a very special Little Birdy on hand to follow a very special report. Without further hesitation

The fabulous and the fabulously wealthy were in attendance tonight at the final edition of this season's Cipriani Condert Series at Cipriani Wall St. After dinner and before performances by George Michael and Aretha Franklin, the annual live auction was held to raise money for for UNICEF and the Sarah Ferguson Foundation. Fergie herself (the original Fergie, Dutchess of York) presided over the auction. After an introduction by Jeff Gordon and between witty exchanges with the lewd, but oh-so-entertaining Hugh Hildesley of Sotheby's, Fergie took to calling out those in the audience, such as Harvey Weinstein, Sir Richard Branson, and Ron Pearlman, who hesitated to reach into their deep pockets. Guests bid on a Masarati Granturismo ($130K), a walk-on part in Harvey Weinstein's next film ($105K), and tea with the Dutchess ($80K), among others raising $840K.

Imagine paying $100K to walk on in a movie that probably won't gross that much. Boom. Anyway, our LB tells us that George Michael brought the house down with his performance and that it was a great way to wrap up the year. Good for you Cipriani. Good for you.

Can Ian Buy a W?

Yesterday, a little story made the rounds that Ian Schrager had purchased a building on Canal Street with plans to construct a W Hotel. Now, that's just umpossible, with the reason being Schrager has recently entered into a very long term deal with Marriott to jointly develop properties. Guess who owns W? Not Marriott! Scratch that idea. However, we do believe that this hotel could be a Schrager and Co. target. Why? Well, his old partner Morgans Hotel Group is bringing Ian's baby the Mondrian just to the West. Wouldn't it make Ian happy to grab a slice of the Chinatown pie and stick it to his old foes? DBTH says yes. But Morgan's definitely wins the locational battle, unless Ian's potential customers book rooms based on a need to catch the Chinatown bus. We're sticking with this one.

Double Dose of Brooklyn

Those crazy kids at Sixpoint have done gone and done it again. A company rep dropped a line, informing us of a new specialty ale they are rolling out for a limited time. This particular brew was created with a little help from Park Slope's Gorilla Coffee. To the release, which says:

Gorilla Warfare Porter is a silky smooth porter made with 40 pounds of Park Slope's Gorilla Coffee Ethiopian Yirgacheffe blend, a Fair Trade and Organic Certified coffee roasted in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The coffee has winey, spicy notes with hints of baker's chocolate. Combined with patent malt, the signature of many great English-style porters, this is one silky smooth, coffee-rich porter.

Chrondo! The Porter will be available around town for about 6 weeks so you best act fast. Oh, and there is a kickoff party tomorrow night at Gorilla Coffee at 8 PM. Enjoy

A Little Jossip

The folks at Jossip asked us to sit down for a little interview. We gladly obliged. You can check it out here. Please excuse the Danny Tanner image they used to represent us.

A New Year's Special

Via our friends at HotelChatter, we come across the Gramercy Park Hotel's New Year's Eve special. Per the GPH's website, the offer includes

Enjoy unique luxury accommodations, dinner for two at Wakiya, champagne and truffles, and guaranteed access to the Rose Bar.

This package starts at $975, but we can't tell if this is some kind of deal or not. Even though the hotel is sold out for New Years, we assume it's mostly tourists. Even if you live in the city, are you and a mate want to really live it up, is a crappy meal at a crappy Chinese restaurant and being shoved around at Rose Bar the way you want to do it? We guess no. Is guaranteed entry enough? Still probably no. But to each their reach. We expect a full report on 1/1.

Norwood In Action

Norwood, that bastion of high society members only club on West 14th Street, inspired a bevy of comments last week. But more on that another time. Another Little Birdy, also not a member, stopped by this weekend and snapped this dark, blurry photograph from inside the joint. Honestly, we can't really tell what we are seeing here. It looks kind of empty in there, with a lot of guys wearing sweaters. Kind of like that club that Dan Akroyd was banished from in Trading Places. But isn't that what you are paying for when you join? It is, it is.

On the Circuit: Ubuntu Loft Party

What: Ubuntu Loft Party
Where: 446 Broadway

On a chilly Saturday night in an old loft building way down on Broadway, the Ubuntu Education Fund held its annual loft party. Ubuntu develops education and health programs for the children of and around Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Today, they reach over 40,000 children with life-saving health and educational resources and services. No only are they making an incredible impact in South Africa, they can throw one hell of a party. We rang the buzzer and the door to the elevator suddenly opened. We stepped into the freight and went up several levels, walking into a well appointed loft and a party that was just getting started. The bar was open and stacked, and the food was good and plentiful. Rumor has the Blue Ribbon boys provided it. Nice. We danced, we drank, we caught up with old friends, and at the end of the night we tried to help out. Tis the season, no? Yes it is.

Tis the Season

It's December. Yay! Despite the pending recession, New York's company's and corporations have already booked their company holiday parties and it's too late to cancel them or scale them back. Joy. So our question to you is, where is your company throwing down? Please give us all the details, either in the comments or over the squawk box. No phone calls please.

Tossing the Boss

It's here. The folks from the Sunburnt Cow and Bondi Road have unleashed the time honored Aussie tradition of Toss the Boss on Lower Manhattan. To celebrate, they threw a little kick off party at both locations. We chose the Cow to coincide with out later plans, and indeed, the boss was tossed. They event went out and got themselves an ice slide for some overly-phallic ice shots. No thanks. We drank, we sampled some food, and at the end of the night, the barkeep ripped up our bill. You know why? Because we chose Coat of Arms. That's why! Good on ya.

An Evening At: Socialista

Last night, we were invited by the good folks at Radar to a little shimmy at Socialista, Armin's little commie outpost on the edges of the West Village. It was our first time being there, and we have to say we were quite taken with the place. Downstairs is for the food, and upstairs is for the drink. You know where we're heading. To the doorman, where we rolled +1, and we bound up the short flight of stairs and to the main level. There was quite a crowd waiting to check their coats, obvious rookies when the skies turn gray, but pushing through led us to paydirt.

Socialista does look like a fantasy version of Havannah. High ceilings, slow turning fans, loose strewn chairs. They hit some nice design touches. We grabbed a drink and grabbed a leather couch by the DJ booth. Comfy. The music was chill, the crowd was chill, the vibe was good. After a few hours, we snuck out the door and into the chill. There were still people maneuvering to get in, but the going was tough. Oh well. We stopped off at a local jaunt for a nightcap and called it a night.

We would love to show you some pictures, but they were not allowed. Spy-tech is on the way.

Rio in Space

First Jason Pomeranc. Now Space. Harrah's Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas is on a deal making spree, poised to sign an agreement with Space, Ibiza's long running dance club to become the anchor nightlife tenant in the off-strip pink and purple tower. Semi-genius and semi-risky, as Rio is definitely at the bottom of destinations for twenty somethings that flock to Vegas to destroy themselves, but will the name Space bring any cachet this far from the Spanish Islands? Doubtful, but it may not matter. Rio needs a first class operator who knows how to produce on a large scale, and Space certainly fits that bill. Expect Carl Cox, Pete Tong and the rest of the Mega DJ set to start calling the Rio their home when they make their appearances in the desert. Just make sure your glow sticks are fired up.

Norwood? Norwood?

Speaking of crappy private clubs - we check in on Norwood, the "private members club providing a stylish and comfortable meeting, eating and drinking haven in the heart of New York City to a sophisticated and international clientele of influential opinion-formers in the creative arts world." Right. Set to open in the Andrew Norwood House (get it?), the anticipation for this club hasn't been building since New York ran an item about it in April. Hoping to rival the very successful Soho House model, Alan Linn, an ex-manager of a London club, has quietly opened his West 14th Street club. First reports are quite negative, with a Little Birdy telling us. "Went to Norwood on Saturday. Not cool. Lame. Dead Empty." Pow pow pow.

We're cheering for Alan and the entire Norwood team, but we have our doubts about this one. Besides the obvious douchebaggery of private clubs in general and their lack of a full service hotel and pool, this is just a place where the public can't come in and spend money. But it is a place where you can pay a membership fee to sit in a room and chit chat. Who wouldn't want that?

His Name is Rio

Jason Pomeranc is at it again. New York, LA, Toronto, Washington DC. JP and his Thompson Hotel group are busy expanding like crazy, replacing Morgans Hotel group as the new hot boutique company. So we ask ourselves again: What's next? Well, Las Vegas of course. A Little Desert Birdy, a black necked stilt perhaps, checks in, saying "Jason Pomeranc has inked a deal with the Rio Hotel to develop a boutique hotel inside the Rio tower." Interesting Little Stilt. Very interesting. You would think that Sir Jason would avoid lending his name to a second rate Vegas property. But, dealmakers need to make deals, and getting business this close to the Strip takes more capital than the Thompson Group could put together. A shrewd play by a hotelier who is quickly emerging as a national player in this here game.

Developing.

Super Supper Club?

Yesterday, Page Six the Magazine had an article by our good friend and contemporary .Joshua David Stein peering into the oh so exclusive and utterly boring realm of the Supper Club, the new members only party circuit put together by London socialite Tamsin Lonsdale. Once every so often, these private little groups pop up, and like clockwork quickly go away. You know why? Because they are utterly unnecessary. You may think its big, but socially, New York City is quite small. Everyone knows most everyone (excluding yours truly), and when you travel to LA, London, Vegas or Miami, its more of the same. Adding Facebook, ASmallWorld and the rest of the so-called social networking communities to the mix just makes these private clubs irrelevant.

So why do they continue to exist? Because corporations see them as the perfect luxury marketing tool. Tamsin explains so herself. Get 1000 rich people on a list, invite them to parties, and hope your brand catches on. Does it work? No. But it is impressive that this counts as work for some people. More power to you. But after paying your membership fees and being seated at a table at Nobu with 12 guys from UBS for a Supper Club event, you will probably wonder what happened to the exclusivity you were promised. Our guess is back in London, having champagne coolies at Boujis and laughing about it with the old world folks on the other side of the pond.

PrimeTime Tables Hits A Snag

Speaking of tough tables, it looks like PrimeTime Tables, the service that provides members with "hard-to-get reservations at leading dining venues" has run into a problem with their business model. It seems members are bailing on their reservations. A Little Birdy sent along an email that PTT sent to its members, saying:

We are aware that at this time of the year you have a lot of events ,cocktails and dinner parties to attend and are trying to be at more than one place at a time. We also know that this is the time of the year where dinner reservations are the most difficult for everyone to get and using PTT to secure that reservation is a smart way to go. However asking for a reservation or securing a reservation from the website and NO SHOW will not be accepted as it simply destroys the business and the relationship we have built with a lot of restaurants over the years. This email is sent to all our members and is not meant to attack anyone in particular, but we have received calls lately from restaurant that our Member did not show up. Each time this happens it affects our relationship and the capability to accommodate the next member to that restaurant

As PTT is a web community, and its business is based on trust. You trust us when we confirm your reservation, we need to trust you that you will show up once you acquire a reservation.

To try to stop from happening again we need to implement a rule that will maybe stop the NO SHOW and affects every other member. The rule is as follows:

1 No show = 2 months no access to the website

2 No show= membership cancelled.

We thank you for your time and understanding.

Boom! Threatening your own customers - we like your gumption PTT. But if your clients are such busy, important people that they can't bother making their own reservations, why would they bother to cancel either? Answer: They wouldn't. If you are willing to buy a table, than surely that fee includes the right to bail without notice. Apparently not.

On the Circuit: Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino

What: Opening of Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino,
Where: Las Vegas, NV

When we told you we were out of town, you knew it had to be for a good reason. This past weekend, Planet Hollywood founder Robert Earl opened his Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on the site of the old Aladdin. Of course DBTH was invited. The opening party was supposed to be in the Opium Group's new Prive nightclub, but since it wasn't finished, the Fire Marshall nixed it and Friday's night festivities were canceled. Bummer fer sure.
To make due, Saturday's party was moved to the Opium Group operated Living Room lounge, which meant jam packing all of the celebs in attendance into an area that held less than 150 people. Samantha Ronson dj'ed and Mickey Avalon performed. Also in attendance: Kevin Spacey (hammered), Emmanual Lewis (!!!), Sly Stallone, Elaine Lancaster, Anthony Michael Hall, David Hasselhoff, Gene Simmons and Nick Kroll (star of Cavemen). A-List all the way around.

Due to the small space, the party became more of a free for all then a normal pack a room kind of thing. This wasn't a seen and be seen. This was a drink and get drunk. Which we and everyone else did. We can't venture how this place will do, but we aren't too worried about it. Vegas is Vegas. Adding a dose of Hollywood won't change that.

Smith Slings the Bubbles

Early reports from The Smith, the new Third Avenue restaurant from Glenn Harris and Jeffrey Lefcourt (Jane), are giving the word that it's all bubbles. How's that? Yes, the restaurant is going green by not serving bottled water, and for those that want some gas with their H2O, Smith is serving up a house blend free of charge. How nice. The rub? The water is not very good. The mix of CO2 and water is off, giving you a drink that isn't quite bubbly and isn't quite flat. Not to critique, because we appreciate the effort, but it is hard to mess up water. But it is free, so you get what you pay for. Drinks from the bar were above average, with beers coming in a $5 a pint, and bartenders still trying to get a handle on how each specialty cocktail was made. One member of our party ordered the same drink 3 times, with it coming up twice and on the rocks once. The food was very solid. May we suggest the schnitzel? We just did.

Obviously, The Smith is brand new. Kinks are being worked out. It doesn't mean The DBTH can't tell you how it is.

Tequila Goes Old Fashioned

What are we thankful for? The helpful and crafty bartender at Freemans who whipped us up a Tequila Old Fashioned, a tasty twist on a classic cocktail. Made with Don Julio and a smoky punch, it certainly added a pleasant cheer to our already rosy fall disposition. Two or three of these Benito Juarez's (as we have dubbed it), and you are feeling no pain. But remember, everything in moderation. Right? Right.

DBTH Sent You

Although we were out of town this weekend, a friend who was visiting New York Saturday night asked us for the location of Upstairs. Naturally, we quickly sent it over with a bit of advice. "When you approach the door, tell Wayne DBTH sent you." Now, when we suggested this, we had a feeling it would not help. But we wanted to test it out. Below is a transcript of what happened.

So, I showed up at the front door of Upstairs and asked for Wayne. He said, "I'm Wayne". I said "Hey man. My friend DBTH told me to come by and ask for you". He immediately started freaking out. "What? You're kidding right?" I started smiling thinking that he was
excited that I used DBTH's name and that he was going to let me right in. Lets just say that it was the complete opposite of what I thought.

"You know DBTH?"

"Of course I know DBTH, a great friend and a genius."

"He's a genius" he said obviously heated. "a genius?" He's not a genius, he put my phone number up on his blog. Do you know how many phone calls I received from that, do you know how annoying that is? I have been opening private clubs for years now and never has anybody done this"

"Yeah, but any publicity is good publicity right? Also, they didn't post your full number. I just want to check it out to see I can tell them something good about this place."

"No, I'm sorry, you should leave."

"OK then man. Nice talking to you."

Wow. Just wow. It's funny because we didn't post anyone's full phone number. We would never do that. What's more funny is we have been to Upstairs and were let in by Wayne himself. And while we appreciate our friends sticking up for us, we don't consider ourselves a genius by any stretch. But everyone enjoys a compliment, including Wayne, who we know is doing a heck of a job.

On the Circuit: You're My Boy Blue

What: Johnnie Walker Blue Label Tasting
Where: Atrium at the Time Warner Center

Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Otherwise known as the Good Stuff. Last night, to celebrate the season and the opening of its own engraving studio, the Johnnie Walker family and Diageo Spirits held a little tasting event at the Time Warner Center. Oh hell yeah. DBTH +1 and in we went. They had tented off the 2nd floor atrium in the mall and created their own little lounge. We headed straight for the VIP couch section and settled in for a few hours of "tasting". Blue Label neat. Blue Label rocks. Blue Label mojito. If it was Blue Label, it was DBTH. The area was littered with HBO celebs, including Jamie Lynn Siegler, who for some reason was drinking white wine. Lame. Then some master whiskey man came over with a $27,000 bottle of whiskey and led a small tasting event. Wild stuff. After a few hours, our heads were swimming in Blue. It's that special kind of buzz that re-affirms that life really is good. Especially when you are DBTH.

Golden Years

Do you work at GoldBar? If no, that's too bad. If yes, then we hear that someone has an early holiday gift for you. Izzy Gold, the bad ass clothing makers and sometime DJ's at the swanky spot on Broome, has created a special t-shirt just for GoldBar staff and friends. Swanky. So if you are a GoldBar Elite, congrats. You get a t-shirt. If not, you can stop by the new Blue and Cream store on the Bowery to peruse some of their other goods, none of which are as special as this t-shirt.

The Toughest Table in Town

Pictured above is the smallest, yet most exclusive table in town. People wait for up to 30 minutes just to get their turn. Notice the graffiti? The view is crappy, the chair uncomfortable, and man is it loud. Yet people wait and wait for it every night. Give up? It's the table inside the Beatrice Inn's bathroom. Now do you see? Ah.

On the Circuit: I'm Not There

What: I'm Not There
Where: Upstairs at the Bowery Hotel

It sure was a busy night on the circuit. Normally we don't double book, but for this we made an exception. The Bowery staff cleared out the riff raff from New York's Look Magazine party to prepare for the A list bash that was scheduled to arrive at 9:30. Harvey brought the entire hit squad from his company's latest film, I'm Not There, the Todd Haynes Dylan biopic. Players included Harvey W., Heath Ledger, Richard Belzer, Todd Haynes, Adrian Grenier, Christine Vauchon, Val Kilmer, and DBTH. You know how we do.

The scene? The crowd was in high spirits after the screening. Most made a bee line for the small buffet. We went for the bar, as is our wont. Our selection? Limited. Belvedere, Heineken, Red/White or Champagne. Uh? Is this 1997? We struggled with our choice, but finally managed to make a selection. We know that Belvedere paid good money provide the booze, but this was unacceptable.

Again, the sheer size of the space makes this our favorite venue in the City. There is just so much room and so many rooms that a party can really go every which way. This one was very mellow with an upbeat twist. The backroom started to get a bit cloudy towards the end of the night, and we decided that we had had enough. Doing double duty sure does take its toll.

Pictures of the party and venue embedded below. Enjoy.

On the Circuit: Microsoft Zune II

What: Microsoft Zune Originals
Where: Skylight Studios

A bit of Deja Vu for you. Skylight was white, bright, and filled with people who corporations think can influence your shopping habits and preferences. Ah, trend setters. Certainly, you wouldn't normally notice these, the pretty mixed in with the beautiful. But there they all were, patiently waiting in line for a free Zune while Peter and Bjorn (sans their triplet John) spun the Stones.

We were there, too, cradling our scotch and later our gin, enjoying the BLT passed hors d'oeuvres and chatting up the girl beside us who was working on a book about breast satisfaction. We didn't have the heart to tell her that if heard one concept on breast satisfaction, you've heard them all. Regardless, we felt enamored with the four-sided open bar and the robot-inspired art lining the walls that we had engraved on the back of our shiny new Zune. Delivery expected in 7-10 days. How nice.

On a bleary November Tuesday, Zune and the gang certainly threw us a good party. We were full, we were tipsy, and we walked away with a shiny new toy. The music was good, the people were lovely, and we had an all around good time.

Stereo Turns Two Tonight

OMG OMG OMG OMG! Stereo's second anniversary party! OMG OMG OMG! Fall Out Boy! OMG! Pete Wentz. OMG OMG! Plastic cups and getting bumped into. OMG!

Happy Anniversary.

Love,

DBTH

Six Point - On Point

We love Six Point Ales. The beers are tasty, and they are local. Last night they introduced a new flavor - 8 Days of Wheat - at the Whole Foods Beer Room, and stopped by for a taste test. We have to admit, it's pretty darn good. In the press release, Sixpoint brewmaster Shane C. Welch says "Eight Days O’ Wheat’ features a soft, tart wheat flavor and a mild hop bitterness. At a relatively low 5.3% ABV, this beer was brewed to be shared both among friends and for those times when you want to kick back and enjoy a few beers in one sitting.” Whatever, drink enough and you will get drunk. Fact. Supply is limited.

UPDATE: Jeff from Sixpoint checks in, saying "The Sixpoint Craft Ales 8 Days of Wheat will be made exclusively for Whole Foods for a good long while, not a "limited time". So, yea, get it while it's hot, but there will always be more made for the procrastinators."

Jigga Goes 40/40 Again

Not to be outdone by their cross town rivals, it seems that after a bit of embarrassment, Noah T. and Jason S. are getting back to business. This time, they are sharing the spotlight with the Jigga himself, Jay Z. A little birdy files a report from the desert, saying "Jay-Z's 40/40 is opening at the Venetian's new Palazzo Resort Hotel and Casino on December 20, 2007. What isn't known is that Jay will be sharing the nightlife spotlight with a two-story restaurant and lounge (maybe NY's Stanton Social) run by Tao managing partners Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg of Strategic Group, as well as with a full-scale nightclub and live music venue." Talk about a stacked lineup. We imagine that investors have been desperate to get the Strategic boys involved with another Vegas spot, especially since Tao is the most profitable establishment in the country. The Palazzo was a natural fit. However, we aren't sure if the Stanton Social brand is strong enough to make it on a Vegas level, but Strategic certainly has the weight to pull it off. We shall see.

Gild Hall Comes Out Swinging

It was the place no one knew about. Well, except for us. But Gild Hall, the former Holiday Inn in the Financial District, is getting ready to make its debut. You can be there to experience it all. For a not so small fee of course. The Thompson Hotel group's newest location is taking reservations for December and the rates are far from introductory. For the weekend of December 14-16, a standard room at the Gild can be had for $429 a night, not including taxes. Hoochie mama! But if you are going for it, we suggest the King Suite for an even $800. Description below:

Bright 12 foot high ceiling corner suites with oversized living area and wet bar. The spacious living room has smoked glass pendant chandeliers. Elegant designed wooden furniture inspired by the French Fashion House Hermes. Suspended from the ceiling hangs an elegant, custom designed chandelier. The separate bedroom features a luxurious leather headboard, a king size bed. Suspended from the ceiling hangs an elegant, custom designed chandelier.

You had us at headboard. No word on when Todd English's restaurant will open, but you can get some lunch at Backyard Chicken. It's just around the corner. Don't forget a napkin - we wouldn't want you getting grease on the Hermes furniture.

Scenes from a Party

Tao Las Vegas celebrated its 2 year anniversary yesterday. And what a few years its been. Some of their friends stopped by. Sure looks like everyone had fun. Happy birthday.

BREAKING: Tenjune Takes Lotus

A Monday morning shocker. Just days after christening the pool at the El San Juan, Eugene Remm, Mark Birnbaum and the gang have struck a major deal, agreeing to take over David Rabin's Lotus and giving it a full Tenjune style makeover. Our Little Birdy tells us that the plans include using the ground floor - street level space into a restaurant and maintaining the basement as a club space. This is a major shakeup in Meatpacking land, as one of the area's pioneers packs it in and officially passes the torch to the new kings of NYC nightlife. We just hope we aren't getting STK 2. As for Rabin, well, even he admits it isn't what it used to be. It sure ain't.

Toss the Boss

Those of you in the know surely know about Toss the Boss, the Aussie version of Flip Night, that has achieved legendary status from its origins at the Coogee Beach Palace. Never been? That's a damn shame. We suggest making a trip. But we have some good news. Toss the Boss is coming to NYC. Huzzah! Aussie bars Bondi Road and the Sunburnt Cow are going to unleash TtB as a Happy Hour specialty. Rules are simple: order some drinks, bartender flips a coin, and if you call it correctly the drinks are on the house. Make ours a Toohey's and we will be all set. Starts December 1, so do feel free to check it out.

That Blue Ribbon Sound

Have you been practicing music with your wanna be band at home, thinking that you are ready to make the plunge and record your first demo in an actual studio? Of course you have. Don't lie. You could very well be the next Justice. Or Hootie. So when choosing where to record, there really is only one option. At least to us. That's Blue Ribbon Sound. It's not the equipment, engineers or equipment that makes it our choice. It's the availability of Blue Ribbon catering during your sessions. Uh, Duck BLT's and oysters all around. Now your living like a rock star, even if you don't get signed.

Wrap Up: Tenjune in PR

Information is starting to trickle in from Tenjune's throwdown in that beacon of luxury, Puerto Rico. As we start to put together what really went down, may we please direct you to the fuzzy photos, half sentences and general nonsense of Jennifer Birn's blog, Simply Jen, on OK Magazine's website. It's a great way to catch up on some of the hottest events going on all over the globe. Or better yet, in New York and Puerto Rico. Jen drops Nick Lachey's name at least 5 times in her recap of the weekend, who's name was so widely attached to the event we wonder why it wasn't called Nick Lachey's Wild Puerto Rican Nightclub Adventure Weekend. That's got a nice ring to it. Jen's weekend involved champagne, staring at Nick Lachey, losing some money, winning some money, sponsored Grey Goose drinks and of course Nick Lachey, including this memory:

I ended up back at the blackjack tables where I played sitting between a TV writer and Nick Lachey until they closed down the tables at 4am - but this time I was at the table before Nick joined - and the minimum bet was only $15. Nick’s great. He’s sweet, fun and knows how to play blackjack (even if we did all get our money taken away by the casino’s less than sympathetic dealers).

Aww, that sucks. At least you got to spend more time with Nick Lachey. More details to follow.

Bad Dog

Late night hot dog lovers can officially begin shedding some tears. St. Marks second and obviously less popular hot dog joint, Good Dog, is closed.

The Dog is dead. Long live Good Dog.

A Long Time AGO

Date: February 18, 2007
Location: Downtown

It was at that time and place where DBTH first made it's entrance to the world of rocking your face off. We announced that Robert De Niro had lured his good buddy and business partner Agostino Sciandri from SoCal to open a branch of Ago in his new Greenwich Hotel. We also told you some poor sap would be jamming a bunch of wine corks into a ceiling panel to accentuate the design. Fun stuff right? We think so too. The world picked up on it and the rest is DBTHistory.

Well, the whole shebang is getting close to opening, and we are proud to unveil some quality shots from inside the space. Please pay special notice to the arched ceiling and old world masonry work in the top image, as well as those corks both in the panels and then installed high above in the proceeding frames. Those hand crafted bricks look real good. And for the panels, a Little Birdy has an update, telling us "there are only 100,000 corks and they were gotten from a branch of the Canadian girls scouts that collected and sold them for charity." Naturally.

Donovan Gets a House

Jason Pomeranc and his band of hotel building family members are in the midst of a major expansion. They just opened Six Columbus, the Gild is coming soon, and they are now pushing into other cities. Including Washington DC. That's where the name Donovan comes in. As in Donovan House. That's the name of the new hotel Sir Pomeranc will be opening on 14th Street in our nation's capital. Wonderful. The project, which is a converted Holiday Inn (sounds familiar), is partly financed by LaSalle Hotel Properties with the design work being done by Studio Gaia, the design force behind Tao Vegas and the now shuttered club Light. We are proud to present you with a first look at what the Donovan will look like. Think classic-post mod with a nod to the shagadelphic era of hotels past. You get what we're talking about. Expected opening is Spring of 2008, but with so many new projects coming on line at the same time, we think you can expect some delays.

Throwdown at the Bowery

In a stunning surprise, we ended up at the Halloween Bash at the Bowery Hotel's event space. This place was operating at its Full Monty. How can they have a space this big? How come it's never open? So many rooms, so much outdoor space, so many bars. It was packed with people, so many many people, all in costumes and seemingly enjoying themselves. Some fuzzy memories:

· Multiple bars in multiple locations - short waits
· Whiskey on the rocks - $11
· Heineken - $9
· Yes, there is something wrong with that
· Paul Sevigny's band has some work to do
· Too many Amy Winehouse costumes
· This bar needs to be opened

Photos will be coming soon. Just not now. DBTH is tired and needs to recharge. Egggh. We can tell you one thing for certain - we're happy that Halloween is over. Fa Real.

A Noble Play List

Noble Food and Wine has been making a go of it since this summer. The restaurant game is a tough slag, so you have to do anything and everything possible to differentiate yourself from the competition. It seems that Noble has gone and commissioned a fancy play list from Producer & DJ du jour Mark Ronson to set the music mood. How do we know? Their publicist told us, saying that "with . . . custom play lists by Mark Ronson, NOBLE exemplifies New York’s downtown-chic style." Now, Ronson's play lists may in fact exemplify the crapiness that is downtown's current style. We're not sure. But we do know that having a CDJ make a mix for you is not going to make or break your restaurant. We suggest saving the money and knocking a dollar or two off those $9 glasses of wine. But unlike this PR campaign, our advice is free. Keep the change.