Sakaya? Sake You!

This small retail space on East Ninth Street seems pretty unassuming. The street is mostly small boutiques with a few exceptions. Veselka being one. MUD being another. But this store may just throw a little wrinkle into that scene. Coming soon is Sakaya, a small retail space specializing in sake. But DBTH, isn't that just a liquor store in rice wine clothing? Maybe. Or maybe it will be a small gem of a store where clerks will be able to help customers match the proper bottle of sake for each occasion. Perhaps the Tinto Fino of Sake. And there ain't nothing wrong with that.

Reduxe: Memorial Day Out East

The big M Day weekend has come and gone. We are still getting our heads around the reports that came in. But if you happened to be in the Hamptons this weekend, it seems the nightlife scene can best be described as shit show. From all accounts, the NYC clubs that have established Eastern outposts were simply not ready for the hordes that descended upon their red velvet ropes. One birdy in the know says, "we heard people with table reservations waited outside Pink Elephant/Tenjune for over an hour because they were not ready at 11:30pm on Saturday night." Sounds like fun. We know it's opening weekend, and only the best doormen on earth could prepare themselves for the attitudes of those who are supposed to be inside and the begging of those who need to be inside, but it's tough to defend service like that.

But that's why we don't go to the Hamptons.

From Russia With Gold

GoldBar made a statement with their location choice and their liberal use of, well, gold. Not to mention their drink prices. It seems obvious that they would also take their door policy next level. So how did they do it? A little birdy who has spent some time in Russia reports, "behind the gold mirrored front windows, GoldBar's host and owners utilize a 'face control' policy where they stare down prospective party-ers from the safety of a trick mirror and let them in based on appearance. Seriously straight out of Moscow. Not that we're complaining, but the club itself was full of old French men with their sweaters tied over their shoulders and their mistresses. Not fun and thumbs down." Old French men? For all that hassle, we would expect just a bit more.

A Call to Arms

Memorial Day weekend. Despite what the calendar says, this is the official start of summer. City residents flee for mostly beachier locals. We know we are. Alas, we can't be everywhere, so we are asking you to be. This weekend, as you cavort with friends and family out East, in the Dirty Dirty or wherever, remember your old friend DBTH. When the time is right, feel free to file a report.

We're always up.

Noah and Jason Head East

Cain's premature exit from the East End left a gaping hole in this summer's Hamptons scene. Luckily for you weekend warriors, Noah Tepperberg and Jason Strauss are there to save the day. Dune, this summer's inhabitant of Jet East, is a Noah and Jason production, which may or may not liven up this summer's social scene. Probably the latter.

Gemma Gets Set

You could say we are excited for Gemma. Or you could say we are just a sucker for little birdy's who go the extra effort with their cameras. Maybe it's a little of both. A weekend peek behind those lacy curtains has birdy fluttering with anticipation, singing, "Gemma is officially ready to open. Furniture is in, glasses line the bar (pictured above), there is even some freshly chopped wood in front of the pizza oven!" Oooh, we love us some fresh cut wood. Makes it good. But we have some bad news for you. We know that Gemma's not quite ready for John Q. Birdy. But it is ready for the privileged. Private parties kick off next week. You know where to find us.

The Week That Was

Friday afternoon. A grey one at that. Not the best way to kick off the weekend. But a good time to reflect on the past few days.

We found something to look forward to.
We hit the Hamptons.
We got apresent.

Try to stay dry and have a great weekend.

Humbly,

DBTH

Photo courtesy of Jawlensky/Flickr

On the Circuit: Microsoft Zune

Welcome to the second installment of the DBTH series, On the Circuit, which chronicles a select few of the many sponsored events held in New York City on any given night. Books, fashion, music, movies or miscellaneous, if you can think of it, it's a pretty good bet that there is some kind of event happening. Usually, if you've been to one, you've been to em all. But some stand out, and DBTH will be On the Circuit to keep you informed. Because hey, free booze.

Our second installment: Microsoft Zune

Apparently not satisfied with Zune's market performance, the folks at Microsoft decided to throw a little party Tuesday night to generate some buzz. Location was the Beatrice Inn, already established as a DBTH favorite. Marky Ramone was DJing. All signs pointed towards a fun, if not interesting, event. We're in.

The party called for an 8:00 start, so we arrived a bit after 9. Of course. After pressing towards the bar, we were amused when Eric the bartender dismissed a patron for trying to add a few drinks onto an already completed order. "That's not allowed here," said Eric, earning him a spot in the DBTH hall of fame. We grabbed our drinks and headed to the back room, secured a table, and settled in.

Zune was the only sponsor. Translation: Open bar, which is never a bad thing. Marky was spinning rock n roll, with a generous helping of his own tunes. We would do the same thing. The event didn't feel like an event. It just felt like a normal evening at Beatrice. LiLo even showed up. Hello.

Alas, it was just an event. At 11:00, it was all over. The bar cleared the party out to prepare for the late shift. Fine by us. Congrats to Microsoft for a job well done. But with the software giant playing host, we were reminded of the quiet nerd from high school who is left home alone for the weekend. Said nerd throws a party and it turns out to be a rager. We even wound up with a free Zune. Now we feel special.

Cain Bails on the Hamptons

Next weekend is Memorial Day. That means it's time for the masses to fight traffic and overpay for a small bed in a crowded house in the Hamptons. Nightlife involves really overpaing to get into the summer installations of Manhattan nightclubs. Uh, no thanks. But for those of you who are into that sort of thing, we have some bad news. It looks like Cain is sitting this one out. An ocean loving birdy on his way north for summer checks in, saying "Cain will not open this summer in Southampton as previously planned. There was talks of sharing space with Pink Elephant, but it never happened." Oh well. For those of you who need a non-Manhattan Cain fix, may we suggest their new outpost at the Cove at Atlantis. It just opened last weekend, and from all accounts, is spectacular.

An Evening At: The Anchor

One great thing about an evening at The Anchor is you never know what you're going to get. We arrived last Friday evening and were promptly encountered by a gentleman at the door asking if we were there for a party. That's always thought a weird thing to ask at a bar. Of course. Once inside, two other oddities were to be found. First, the crowd was thin- or thinner than normal for midnight. Second, they were playing hip hop. Definitely not the norm.

We made our way to the table where an acquaintance was celebrating their birthday. Bottle service, another surprise. But the biggest surprise was still to come. At the adjoining table, cloaked in hoodies, was Bron Bron and the Jigga himself. Lebron James and Jay Z at The Anchor. They were joined by a few girls, bodyguards and the owners of Stereo.

To honor their presence, the DJ played Hova's records all night. Having global celebrities in a down and dirty bar like the Anchor helped get things next level. It's a jolt of energy that even the tightest jeans wearing hipster can feel. And when they rolled out around 1, the party rolled on without them.

And the evening illustrates the potential of greatness of New York City. You can go to a the hipsterist of dive bars and wind up sitting next to a top 5 NBA'er and the biggest hip hop artist around. It's the unexpected that keeps us interested and out. Not many other places can say that.

Sorry Cleveland.

Kiki and Unik Branch Out

Some nightlife news to begin the week. PM's superstar owners Kiki and Unik are moving to expand their empire. A little birdy filed a weekend report (sorry it waited until Monday. We were out.) saying "Kiki and Unik have picked up the lease at the old gay club XL and are opening a new club. Looks like a late 2007 opening." May we suggest naming it AM?


MONDAY AM BONUS: Another little birdy gave us a little tip. It seems that Scott Sartiano and Richie Akiva have taken on some partners for their expansion into the old Plaid Space. Says birdy, "Scott Sartiano and Richie Akiva's partners on the project are Jeffrey Jah (lotus, double seven) and Ronnie Madra (pink elephant)." What a foursome!

Reduxe: 40 Deuce

While the city went gaga over David Bowie and Sting's partnership with Ivan Kane to bring 40 Deuce to Little Italy, we had some other things on our mind. Then we got an interesting email. Says our little birdy, "I am half surprised that it's headed to that neighborhood. i was under the impression it was going to be westside. I knew for a couple of years that they were looking, then a broker i know supposedly found them a space. In fact, there was a thing on it in page six, so I thought it was a done deal." You know something birdy? We remember that too. Unfortunately, the post's archives suck. But we found some text

VAN Kane's Forty Deuce is finally coming from Los Angeles to New York. Seven months after we first reported on the plan to export the burlesque-themed boite, a deal was inked Wednesday afternoon with Sting and David Bowie as partners. Kane is set to take over the space at 539 W. 21st St., which was tacky teen club Crush.

Not that you can blame Ivan and company. We've been trying to tell you that Chelsea is in trouble.

Shake Shack Expansion Plan Derails

Don't expect to see a second Shake Shack location any time soon. A little birdy who lives in Central Park tells us, "Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group entered into negotiations with the NYC Parks Department to put a Shake Shack in Central Park, but a deal could not be reached. The sticking point was the lease term, with USHG wanting a long-term deal, but the parks department not willing to give any more than 5 years. USHG has a 9 year lease on shake shack in Madison Square Park." Those wanting to wait in a ridiculous line for an average burger will just have to go to the original. Let us know how it goes.

A Cloudy Bit of Bubbly

An early morning dinner is the perfect way to wind down a night out. More than pizza or the proverbial BEC, several gourmet establishments serve into the wee hours, catering to those in the service industry and flaneurs like us. It just so happened that after a few cocktails one recent evening, we happened to stop in to one such establishment, Momofuku Ssam Bar, for a mini feast. Since David Chang's skills are beyond established, there is no need to discuss the food (delicious!). However, there was a new libation we happened to try. The kitchen scientists have begun experimenting with Nigori, mixing the unfiltered rice wine with soda water. The result? Cloudy sake soda. But in a good way. You know? A huzzah for pushing the beverage limit. Huzzah!

An Evening At: mm

About a month ago, we got word that there was a secret club throwing rotating dance parties every so often in New York. Invitations were given only upon request, and credentials were needed. It sounded intriguing, so we set out to gain admittance. Upon our request, mm sang our praise, saying "have checked your blog. you witty little lobster." And like that, we were in.

Like underground dance parties of yore, invitations and directions came the afternoon of the party. A group was put together and plans were made. The invitation called for midnight until late, so we knew that things wouldn't really get started until the early morning. Sit back, it's going to be a late one.

After having a few drinks to get warmed up, we piled into a cab and went to the secret spot, a no man's land location on the west side. Through a metal door of a nondescript 2 story building. Give our name at the door, DBTH +3, and we are in.

But just where are we? The space looked like a VFW meeting house in a state of disrepair. Wood paneled, industrial carpet, the whole nine. Two bars were set up, and the scene was laid back. 3 rooms were used as lounges, with the fourth being the dance floor. The system was loud, professionally done, and impressive. House music blasted through the speakers, and a euro flavored crowd was getting down.

By 3:00, the place had filled up. Every room was packed, and the scene was most definitely anything goes. German DJ legend Sven Vath had stopped by, and since he was enjoying himself, asked if he could get behind the decks. Of course. So he went home, got his records and took over. And with that, the party went to the next level.

A bit later and we decided it to call it a night. Some stayed, some went on to the next party, but we packed it in. Serious kudos for anyone who can throw a semi regular event like this. Who could do it every week? Surely not us. But every so often, it's a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of chasing the perfect cocktail. Unfortunately, that's all we can tell you. Some things need to be kept secret.

Some Porno With Your Dogs?

It seems Crif Dog's new secret bar on St Marks has embarked on some kind of disinformation campaign. Luckily, we eat Lucky Charms. Our last box had a secret decoder ring, which we used to crack the code. Just kidding, we just used our Little Birdy Weekend Courier service to dig out the truth. Birdy checked in late night, saying "At Crif Dogs. Drunk and tried to get to the bathroom, but almost kicked down the door to new bar. Pierced counter girl told me it's not called Please Don't Tell. PDT stands for Porno Dog Tavern. Can order dogs at the bar and beers at the dog shop or something. Opens next week. And I just took down a Chihuahua, Spicy Redneck and tots." Damn. That's a lot of Crif Dog for one little birdy to take down. Hope you are feeling OK. Take the Porno Dog name for what it's worth. Definitely an improvement on Please Don't Tell. Color us impressed.

How to Keep A Secret

Welcome to the Down By The Hipster Op/Ed Section, where columnists pen pieces on issues they care deeply about.

By Birdy Rooney

In today's wacky world of interspacewebnotics, it's tough to keep a secret. Every Madison, Pace and Juan Juan is carrying around a camera ready to send it to their favorite media outlet. We know this. We love this. But if you are opening a business, and aspire to keep it low key, there are ways of managing the information. You can stay under the radar for as long as you want.

When we learned of the new, "secret" bar, being opened by Hot Dog titan Crif Dogs, we were intrigued. Access is restricted, seating is limited. Sounds hot. They even named the place Please Don't Tell. And then they launched their PR Campaign. And we don't know why. Why name a place Please Don't Tell and then go out and announce it to the world? A better name would be would "Hey Look Everyone, Small Bar, Good Drinks Available Here!" The logo could be a map.

If DBTH wanted to open a secret bar, we would build the space, hang a small sign, and hire a bouncer. Then we wouldn't let anyone in for 3 months. No press, no customers, no nothing. Then we would roll out the invites. That's how you secretly open a bar.

We are willing to teach any prospective operators on just how to launch secretly. Just drop us a line and we will set something up. Don't worry, no one will know.

It'll be our little secret.

Sexy Cocktails on Avenue B

We've got nothing against a standard drink. Lord knows we've had enough bourbon, whiskey and even vodka (we were just kids, chickies even!) on the rocks to make Norm Peterson gag. But nowadays, we love us some specialty cocktails. Obviously. On that note, behold the East Village's newest specialty cocktail bar, SB3, located appropriately at the corner of Avenue B and Third Street. Let's turn it over to our little birdy, who tweets, "The replacement for the old 3B is finally opened. SB3, short for 'Sexy B 3'. I was walking by and saw the required bottles of fresh squeezed juice so I figured they had a nice cocktail list. It's 2 pages long and looks like a winner. They also serve traditional American food, but I didn't see that menu. They are in soft opening, with grand opening in 2 weeks. It's open late too, with live music coming downstairs." Quite the report little birdy. You are thorough. The name isn't our favorite, but what's in a name?

Paging An Evening At!


The extensive SB3 cocktail menu.

The cocktail list was crafted by Mixologists Marty Vaz and Matty Gee.

Chelsea Gets a Mansion

Despite our warnings, Eric Milon and his Opium Group minions have their hearts set on bringing one of their Miami venues to Chelsea's club graveyard. After our little birdy overheard Milon the model discussing the space, a second, more knowledgeable little birdy (we think Owl's are probably the smartest bird, so we shall call them Hooty the Birdy) confirmed that the Studio Mezmor space will be getting a makeover. Hooty says, "Milon and Opium Group are indeed coming to town. They are turning the old crobar into the New York outpost of Mansion. Look for a fall opening." First time/long time that someone from SoBe has tried to bring their act to New York, but give them credit for taking the risk. This also makes moving Cain and Sacco's decision to relocate Bungalow 8 seem that much smarter.

Thanks to mARky/Flickr!