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.