Getting to Know Matt Abramcyk

Matt Abramcyk sits down for a little one on one time with the Observer to talk Beatrice, Chelsea and everything else, and boldly states the Beatrice Inn has "become one of the best places in the world of all time". You've got to love the moxy on this one. Plus, the author got some quotes from a familiar face, so please give it a read.

· Baron of Beatrice Inn Branches Out [Observer]

FDNY Hits the Beatrice Inn - Again!

What's the FDNY's favorite bar in New York City? Why, the Beatrice Inn of course! If it wasn't then why would they spend so much time there? A Little Birdy was there Friday night when New York's bravest stopped by yet again, and apparently this was more than just the old in and out. "They came on Friday night when it wasn't crowded at all and were there for a long time, checking the sprinklers and floorplans," our Little Birdy tells us. That's not a fun way to spend a Friday. Until this blows over, we expect the City's tightest door to be even tighter. A slow Memorial Day weekend might just be what the Beatrice's doctor ordered.

McNally Not Buying Beatrice

Radar Online "broke" a story today that Keith McNally was looking to buy DBTH favorite the Beatrice Inn. Thankfully, Eater put the kaibosh on this rumor, with McNally telling them "I've barely heard of this place, let alone considered buying it! An absolute NO to the rumor, but I'm flattered (if that's the word) that I should be someone reckoned to be in the running." This one should have never gotten off the ground, since the space simply lacks the capacity to do enough business to justify McNally's time. We feel dirty doing a post on it, but it is our business.

Beatrice Inn Shut Down Again

Straight from the beak of a Little Birdy who was on the scene, we get word that the Betarice Inn was visited by the cops again last night. Take it away LB:

I was at the Beatrice Inn last night and something was going down. Around 2 they stopped playing music and the dance floor cleared out. When I left a little while later, there were cop cars outside and the doorman was talking three cops. Maybe they got busted for not having a cabaret license again?

Except for running Manhattan's coolest bar, running the hospitality operations at a new Atlantic City resort, celebrity friends and possibly opening new bars on both coasts, these Beatrice Inn guys can't catch a break. We aren't sure why the cops continue this monthly game of saying hello late at night, unless they really want to see MK. And let's be honest, who doesn't? But the Angelo and the crew do a good job of keeping the street clear and we have seen the neighbors drinking at the bar. Just leave Beatrice alone!

The Rules of the Beatrice Inn

It's not just lewd behavior and illicit drugs that are banned at the Beatrice Inn - it's dancing and smoking too. Are you listening MK? That means you!

On the Circuit: Chelsea Hotel's NYC Kick Off

What's the best way to lure New York City's weekend escape artists to your brand new, non-gaming hotel in Atlantic City? Hire some well established New York City nightlifers to run the clubs, and throw a party in New York to show what your new hotel is made of. That's exactly the strategy that the Chelsea Hotel AC followed last night, throwing a little how's your father soiree at the Beatrice Inn. Wonder how they chose that. The party started at 7 and ended on the early side, but somehow when you step into the upstairs room, it can be any time of the day.

The crowd was mixed, with employees from Cape Advisors and the Starr Restaurant Organization mingling with other suits, publicists and high and mighty nightlife insiders. Ahem. The best part besides the open bar? It would have to be the catered menu from the nearby Morimoto, Stephen Starr's temple of sushi here in NYC. Dungeness crab, rock shrimp, yellowtail and the like went down oh so smooth. Oh yeah, they also gave out towels.

Although it was crowded, the party was a nice way to kick off the night. If the rest of the Chelsea's hotel and service operations go this smoothly, we predict big things there all summer long.

Dear DBTH: Female Talent

A reader says:

A friend recently told me that in his opinion, rose bar attracts the most beautiful women, out of all the NYC nightlife venues. It will be interesting if you guys asked the readers' for their thoughts on the places with the highest quality female talent.

Great topic for discussion. So great that we have created the first ever DBTH reader poll. Just look to the right and you will be able to cast your vote(s). The bars were selected randomly without much thought, so if you have another selection, throw it in the comments. The winner gets nothing, participants may get something. Probably not.

Flyer Follies: Wednesday Night Winner

A reader asked, and our readers answered. Bunny Chow at Cain is apparently the hottest thing going right now, with GoldBar, Upstairs (late night), and of course, Beatrice Inn all getting mentions. Now go out and drink!

Beatrice Boys Heading West?

We got some interesting gossip from a Little LA Birdy. Even though the contracts aren't finalized on their much hyped Atlantic City deal, the Beatrice Inn gang may be looking to the coast for their next project. Our LLAB says, "Been hearing that Paul is looking to open a new spot in Los Angeles. Don't think it will be a Beatrice, but similar vibe." There you have it. We really doubt that it will be another Beatrice, which of course takes the name of the old restaurant that occupied the same space. And as a wise and successful operator once told us, "your brand is your brand, and never do anything to jeapordize that". Very wise words that everyone should take to heart.

Beatrice Goes Atlantic City

In a stunning move, the owners of the soon to open Chelsea Hotel in Atlantic City have tapped Paul Sevigny and Matt Abramcyk of the Beatrice Inn to oversee the nightlife operations at what they have dubbed "The Fifth Floor". If the parties can come to terms, the downtown duo will be "booking D.J.s, making a menu of specialty cocktails and bringing 'a vibe'," [EN: Heh], while also being asked to bring some of their celebrity friends. The Chelsea is certainly reaching for the gold ring, but will bringing the operators from the downtown club bring hipster success to AC? Opinions vary, from "of course" (Chelsea Hotel Owners), "Maybe but it's not really hip because they are duplicating their flagship" (AC Expert) to "It will be successful, but only on the weekends" (Hotel Expert).

So what do we think? Well, when Allen asked us to comment, we responded that while Atlantic City is certainly headed in the right direction, there is just too much competition to bring it to the pinnacle of the hipster mountain. Even more important, if the Chelsea ever wants to see a return on their investment, their plans better be more developed than getting hipsters to come and drink. These guys need a dynamite hotel product, excellent service, and a way to get bodies into the beach town's only new hotel that lacks gaming all 12 months of the year.

Unfortunately, our quotes weren't used. Too bad for us. But maybe we could've helped get the reporter past the Beatrice's bouncers.

· Soho Meets HoJo in Atlantic City [NY Times]

Catfight at Beatrice

Here's the most blatant example of why hipsters may not be so bad. Captain Nick Denton has the scoop on a super catty cat fight from the Beatrice Inn, featuring Hud Morgan of Men's Vogue and Spencer Morgan of the Observer. According to Nickita, the argument went like this:

Spencer: "Dude, why didn't you respond to my email?" (He had apologized for the insult to Hud's teen girlfriend.)

Hud: "Do you want me to drop you?"

Spencer: "Yeah, sure. That's a good idea."

Hud walks down the stairs. Spencer follows, slaps him, later telling friends: "He needed a dose of reality."

Hud: "He punched me!"

Bouncers escort Spencer to the side room to the right of the entrance, with the couches. Close scene.

How utterly lame! So when you see a group of tight pants'd, blow dried, parakeet toting hipsters drinking a West 12th and dancing to Hall and Oates, remember, anything's better than uppity journalists.

[Photo Credit]

Developing: Beatrice Inn Raided

Hot off the rumor mill, we are hearing that the Beatrice Inn was raided last night and shut down. We are still trying to get 100% confirmation.

UPDATE:The Bea was closed down from Midnight until 2:00 AM last night, and was allowed to reopen. Everything is back to normal and you can now come down off the ledge.

Beatrice Inn - The iMix

Have you been hearing about this Beatrice Inn place, but somehow never been able to break through the iron velvet ropes? Today may be your lucky day. A Sherlock Holmes esque Little Birdy passed along this little nugget of Joy - The Beatrice Inn iMix, saying "so im not sure where this came from, but the there is a beatrice inn playlist on itunes that you can buy. it's an imix under the name beatrice w12 & 4th. . . honestly, it looks like its reached a saturation point if you can create the "experience" in your own home thanks to itunes. i guess all you need to do is download the album, lower your ceiling, and have everyone smoke in your face!" Exactly. It does seem to encompass the entire 2:30 - 4:00 AM playlist, including the sure to please Rich Girl. We hear that's MK's fave.

Quick Hits: Let Us In

There are some really tough doors in this city. Two of the toughest just happen to be two of our favorites. In this very special edition of Quick Hits, our faithful readers ask for advice on breaking through the iron velvet rope.

1. Went to rosebar last mth & they've told me that i need a reservation! I've never made a reservation before (well, they had d&g party that evening and that had something to do with it?) well, anyways.. one of my gal wanted to go & she emailed but never got a response.. so.. what's the secret?

2. Any tips on scoring a reservation at rose bar? They never seem to respond to emails.

3. The only thing that I am irked about is that I have not been able to get access into Beatrice Inn- maybe it's because I've shown up at 2:30 or 3 in the morning the two times I went-but both times me and my two (attractive) girl friends were turned away! What is the secret to that place?!

We hate to see our readers not being able to enjoy themselves. However, not gaining entry to Rose Bar means you are saving some serious scratch. Drinks were going for $21 a pop last Friday. Ho-lee. But as always, it tends to be who you know. Go early on what may be an off night and try to sweet talk the doormen, be nice, and ask if you can stop in for a drink sometime. If that doesn't work, you can always try the direct approach, but we predict a rough time. Do you have any advice? Comments are open.

Photo Credit

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.

Quick Hits: Weekend Recap

It's Monday morning. YAY! Time for another edition of Quick Hits. You're probably pretty tired so we will make it quick.

1. It's tough to be the new guy on the block, especially in the East Village Hot Dog war. Good Dog, the upstart newcomer on St. Marks Place, may be done for. A Little Birdy says, "walked by Good Dog late Saturday night, there is newspaper covering the glass door and wall." It was going to be an uphill battle to beat the neighborhood statesmen Crif Dog, and it looks like Good Dog has lost the good fight. Thankfully, their large dog mascot still remains.

2. A very special Little Birdy filed a report from Max Fish, saying "I was just walking out of one of the nasty bathrooms at Max Fish when I overheard a guy in the bar say: 'I would never fuck a girl who peed in that bathroom'. Too bad for me." Yes too bad. Too bad.

3. Finally, a tale from our own weekend. As we ambled home after a evening of food and beverage, we were approached on the street by a cheerful young man from Chile, who was looking for the Beatrice Inn. In his best English, he explained he was with also with a Brit and a Spaniard, and if they would have fun there. We told him yes, you probably would enjoy yourself. Then he asked what kind of music. Rock and roll mostly. Their faces lit up and after a hearty hand shake, they were on their way. How lucky we were to have met new friends. How lucky they were to happen to stop everyone's pal, DBTH.

Quick Hits: Weekend Recap

It's Monday, time for a Weekend Recap edition of Quick Hits. Did you feel that? We just hit you.

1. More tales from Upstairs, no one's favorite exclusive club above Cafe Bari. A Little Birdy reports, "My friends and I were walking past Upstairs at 2:30 Friday morning and decided to see what it is all about. We approached the bouncer, who asked what party we were with. I replied, 'we are the party', which set the bouncer off on some crazy rant about something or other. After going on for a few minutes, he offered to let us in if we agreed to buy a bottle - for $1600! We laughed at him and kept walking." Jesus Wayne! $1600 is by far the most expensive bottle of anything in NYC. And we know he was talking Absolut here.

2.We aren't afraid to pass along this report from Scoopy's Notebook in the Villager, saying "that Mannahatta bar on the Bowery may be moving out soon and that the operator who hopefully will take over the space has a great record of running community-friendly establishments in the ’hood." That's bound to be an improvement.

3. A Little Birdy was at Beatrice Inn on Friday night, one night after being shut down, and seems to have had a bad time, reporting, "the place was way overcrowded, very hot, and every guy in there was rocking skinny suspenders. Awful." To each his own, we guess.

4. Finally, yours truly walked past the San Loco on Avenue A recently, and we are proud to report that they are serving booze once again. Viva San Loco! Viva El Guaco Loco!

Trekkies Welcome on the West Side

It's been a tough stretch for our readers at the Beatrice Inn. Late last night, we received the following:

Just got back from a failed attempt to hit the Beatrice Inn for the first time. There was no line, there were no outside smokers, just a small door man(SDM) with a bad haircut and a bouncer type. It looked easy enough. When my friend and I approached, the following happened.

SDM: Which party are you with?
Me: Actually, we aren't with a party.
SDM: Sorry, can't do it.
Me: Can't do what?
SDM: Let you in.
SDM (looking down): And you are wearing flip flops. That goes against our dress code.
Me: What's the dress code?
SDM: No flip flops.
Me: Well, ok, what if I had a Star Trek symbol on my shirt right here, would that help?
SDM: Maybe.

We walked away after that. What a douche.

Ouch. That is a terrible experience. One bad evening can be random, two in one week reeks of a pattern. Love the Star Trek comeback though. Definitely some weekend food for thought.

Dear DBTH

We love getting mail from our readers on any topic. Even if they happen to disagree with us. Writes one reader,

Hey DBTH,

After your glowing review of the Beatrice Inn, my friends and I decided to check it out. What were you thinking? There were so many hipsters with ray bans and fedoras and lots of new order playing, it was laughable. Oh, and they had no AC, so it was just a bit warm inside.

We sure are sorry you didn't have fun. But we must point out, our report was from March, and it is now July. You know how fickle the scene is, don't you? Fedoras are a sure sign of the B team. Most kids are dressing like the Iron Sheik these days. Plus, the summer season is upon us. What were you still doing here this weekend? We chalk this up to poor timing, and will make a return trip to the Beatrice in the fall.

Got some a tip, news, gossip, or a questions. Please let us know. The Hipster Phone is never low on batteries.

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.