Quick Hits: Hot, Hot Box, Varvatos Parties Down & More

It's Friday. You're probably a little groggy from going out last night. You're eyes are blurry and blood shot, and they can only stay open for a few seconds to read this. We'll make it fast. Quick Hits! Qui Qui Qui Quick Hits!

1. One of our favorite Little Birdy's checks in to let us know that after all this time, the Box is indeed still going strong, saying "nice surprise performance by Mos Def at 330am...place isnt burnt out yet." Scandalous! Our LB also lets us know that Kiss and Fly is apparently kicking some ass, saying "saturdays hv been hot". Indeed.

2. Some secret things have been going on behind the plywood at the new John Varvatos store on the Bowery. A LB reports, "I saw a gaggle of pretty young things leaving the new Varvatos store (old CBGB) on Wednesday night. It looked like they were having a small party or something." How fun.

3. What's up with Steve Lewis trying to pigeon hole Jayma Cardosa during his gripping 3 part interview? Mr. Lewis repeatedly refers to the co-owner as "the consummate Bottle Host", despite her partners telling him that she is doing a bit more than that. Give the lady some respect. [GNML]

André Balazs' Not Doing 14th Street

Contrary to popular opinion, the three apartment buildings at 320-324 West 14th Street are not being converted into an André Balazs owned hotel. How do we know? Well, because we do. (What's up dude? What's up?) Anyway, a Little Birdy confirmed this, saying "The rumors about the Balazs hotel are completely false. The Icon Development Group said there is no deal for any hotel. They plan to convert them to condos." There you have it. The apartments stay.

· Is This the Site of André Balazs' Next Hotel? [Curbed]

Turf War: MPD vs 27th Street

Run to the store and gather the bare necessities. Put bars on the windows, add another dead bolt to the door and perhaps look into hiring some private security. Apparently, there's a turf war that has broken out between New York City's most important nightlife characters, and they are taking no prisoners! It's 27th Street vs. Meatpacking District, and the winner will take all. How do we know all this? New nightlife blog Goodnight Mr. Lewis brings us this breaking news in an interview with Carlo Seneca, co-owner of Prime and Suzie Wong. Let's go to the transcript:

Steve Lewis: Your competition is really the Meatpacking District. It’s the clash of the titans: Chelsea against Meatpacking

Carlo Seneca: Exactly, we wanna pull as many people as we can out of there. I believe that Meatpacking is becoming too commercialized. The revitalization of this neighborhood is happening with Mansion and us at Suzie Wong and Prime leading the way.

Wow. Thanks for pointing that out. Who knew that the Meatpacking District had become so mersh that 27th Street would be able to bring some real authenticity back? Certainly not us. Probably not anyone. With re-zonings, rising rents, and a general lack of interest, both of these areas will be virtually nightlife free within 5 years.

But for now, please choose a side and keep your head on a swivel for flying lemon drop shots.

[Photo Credit]

Royal Rumble Follow Up

More from the ongoing saga that is the Tenjune vs Stereo battle, with a Little Birdy saying "FYI....mark birnbaum had a restraining order against statsky. it was comical to see the riff in ny nightlife between the Raleigh (noah jason and statsky) and the Shore Club (tenjune). When will these two year olds grow up and run a company. I guess this is why stereo is no more." First, don't say FYI. Second, thanks for the tip. We have heard there was a major battle for Miami real estate for the annual Xmas/NYE pilgramage south. But it seems it all worked itself out. Or did it? This is so dramatic.

Royal Rumble: Tenjune vs Stereo

A wild story just came across the wire. Let's go straight to the Little Birdy, who says:

a very interesting incident occurred right before New Years, and it has failed to receive the necessary exposure. Recently at Houston's restaurant, the entire EM group was eating dinner. Randomly, Stereo owner Mike Satsky entered the restaurant with one of his associates, and upon sighting Mark Birnbaum walked directly up to him and hit him "open-handed" out of his chair. He then proceeded to put him in a head lock. Eugene and the rest of the TJ managers looked on with shock from there seats while this occurred. After some heated words, Satsky voluntarily left the restaurant. There are reports that Birnbaum is now trying to press charges.

The fight stems from the huge beef between Noah/Satsky and Birnbaum, which I'm sure your well aware of- but I could offer some background if your not. The catalyst of this climatic brawl was TJ stealing away DJ Suss One from Stereo, coupled with Birnbaum sending Satsky texts stating "how good the music is now." Both clubowners are represented by the same publicists (Shadow PR), which is why this entertaining story was killed in the papers.

An open fisted slap to the ground. Fierce. We checked in with a source who confirms the entire incident, saying "it def happened. i thought eugene was slapped also." A double slap? Crazy! First question - why are all these guys eating at Houston's? Nasty. Second - did anyone present manage to get a video of this. We predict high comedy. Maybe we can set up a rematch at a neutral location. Does Touch work for everyone? They probably could use the business.

Quick Hits: Weekend Recap

We know you missed it, so we brought it back. It's mofo Quick Hits, where we give you a lot of information at an above average pace. If you are ever in the sharing mood, please let us know. QUICK HITS!
1. In a shocking twist of events, the newspaper has come down from the Good Dog windows. A peek inside revealed what appears to be an espresso machine, so the likelihood of a small cafe seems high. Thankfully, the giant paper maché Good Dog mascot remains.

2. A Little Birdy tells us that Bagatelle, the currently in development French restaurant that will be adjacent to Kiss and Fly in the MePa, has unfortunately been delayed. Our LB says, "Bagatelle plans to open the week of the 14th. Lets see if they plan to open with sawdust still in the air as they did with Kiss & Fly." Let's see indeed.

3. Speaking of French restaurants, we happened upon, Antibes, a new one that has recently opened at 127 1st Avenue. In a shock for the neighborhood, they easily secured a beer and wine license before opening. May we propose checking them out - we love to support the little guy.

Losing the Grain

Just yesterday, one of our beloved commenters asked, "Ok, a bit obsessed with 1OAK, are we? Are you getting paid out of their publicity budget, ha?" Unfortunately, we get nothing for our posts. We have even heard rumors that we are officially banned from 1OAK, but that is neither here nor there. But, the people are interested in more information, so we must provide. A Little Birdy heard that Roy Nachum, the controversial designer of 1OAK, was "posting some pictures from 1oak on his website". It's true. Some very classy shots are available, some of which we posted here. Camera phones really don't give it justice so we are running it again. We really do love this woman kissing bull picture. It's our new background and is so thought provoking.

Kissing a Bull

Besides talent, banging DJ's, and overpriced drinks, what can you really expect when you finally get inside 1OAK? How about some creepy art featuring giant animals nestling up to half naked people. Umm, right. A Little Birdy who tells us they have already been to the not yet open club "a dozen times" snapped a few camera phone images for us, reporting, "Attached are pics of the artwork from the Israeli designer. Bestiality is one way people describe his style, while others find him to be a copy-artist. Ever see that huge Elvis carbon copy in the back of Southern Hospitality? That was painted by none other that Mr. Israeli as well." While a bit creepy, at least they didn't cherry pick the taxidermy vibe. And we bet you always wanted to kiss a bull while his buddy got to watch. It's OK, that can be our secret.

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.

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.

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.