Barfly's Beat: PDT and The Mafia Table

It was Thursday night and I was in the mood for a real cocktail. I’m talking about one with gin. Maybe some lemon juice, bitters, an egg white in there too, but definitely gin. So I rolled into PDT on St. Marks as the establishment was opening for the night. Well “rolled in” is not quite accurate. It was more like I walked into East Village hot dog institution Crif Dogs, slipped into the vintage phone booth, dialed a white plastic phone, and looked up at the CCTV camera. Then the wall opened up. I was arriving sans reservation but I was not worried. I have often found that in order to enjoy hush-hush speak easies like PDT (short for “Please Don’t Tell”) one has to show up unfashionably early and score a bar seat. 

PDT is reservations only and they must be made after 3pm on the day of your visit. Like other high end cocktail lounges such as Death &Company and Milk & Honey, there is a no-standing policy. Either one has a seat at one of the comfortable bar stools or booths or you cannot enter. I made it through the door and asked the delightful hostess for a bar seat which are first come, first served. I was waiting for some friends to show up but they were coming early, too, so we would be OK.

Don Lee, one of the talented bartenders, sorted me out with a Donizetti (Tanqueray Gin, Amaro CioCaro, Rothman & Winter Apricot brandy, and Moet White Star Champagne), which took the edge off a hectic day at work in a few sips. The cocktail menu is designed by Jim Meehan of Pegu Club fame. The bartenders are seasoned mixologists who know their cocktail history, use the best ingredients and authentic technique to produce exceptional drinks. The menu has old classics like the Old Fashion but reinterpreted, PDT’s Benton Old Fashion has bacon infused George Dickel Tennessee whisky, maple syrup, and Angostura bitters. That’s right - bacon.
 
Cocktail in hand, I survey the room and soaked in the place. The bar area provides most of the natural light for the room. The lack of windows adds to the secret hideaway feel. There is taxidermy on the walls, low lighting, and the striking wood ceiling transports you to a bygone era. Then I saw it - the best seat in the house. I was at at the end of the bar near the WC. To my immediate left there was a circular booth with a round mahogany table illuminated by a single Edison light bulb. There was also a black velvet curtain that could enclose the table creating a private area. I asked Don about the table. He called it the “Mafia table” and it is reservation only.
 
My friends arrived and additional delicious cocktails were ordered. One of the perks of PDT is that you can order hot dogs and hamburgers off of Crif Dogs menu. The food is delivered through a rectangular slot in the wall. And let me tell you, their “New Yorker hotdog” actually goes well with an Aviation!
 
The Mafia table’s party of four reservation arrived but only stayed for one round of drinks and left. I asked the waitress if we could have the table until the next reservation arrived and she told us no problem. So we snagged the table and continued to enjoy the PDT experience. More cocktails followed and before I slipped out of the clandestine phone booth I grabbed one of their cards. Next time around, we’ll be sitting at the mafia table. 

More good news: The proliferation of Prohibition-era styled speakeasies has now crossed the East River. Since January, two classic cocktail lounges have opened in Brooklyn. Weather Up on Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights and Hotel Delmano on Berry Street in Williamsburg. In April, the JakeWalk, part enotecca, part cocktail lounge opened its doors on Smith Street in Carroll Gardens. Next month, the eagerly awaited Clover Club, from the folks behind Manhattan’s Flatiron Lounge, is due to open on Smith Street, too. This spring, expect gin blossoms to be blooming for New York barflies.

- Fredo

A Jet Set Cocktail Party in Seven Steps

by Fredo

(Fredo bartending at a recent cocktail party)

Once upon a time in America people used to entertain guests in their homes and the cocktail party was the Rolls Royce of a social call. In the bustling suburbs, bars were set up on patios and theme parties like Tiki Night were commonplace. In the cities, Home Bars were a dime a dozen and ranged from a hidden away liquor cabinet with service utensils to a full-on bar built into someone’s basement. One could escape the ills of every day life and visit with friends in an intimate and sophisticated environment. The local cocktail lounge provided that outlet for many, but the cocktail party brought socializing to the safe confines of the living room.

A cocktail party’s success began with the hosts. The Host and Hostess made sure their guests were comfortable by setting the mood, providing hors d’oeuvres, and keeping them well-imbibed. People dressed up for the occasion. Generally, one put on their best duds to attend a cocktail party – women in sleek cocktail dresses, men in jacket and tie. This didn’t just happen on Park Avenue, getting dressed up when visiting another’s home used to be the norm! The gentlemen drank Rob Roys, Side Cars, Old Fashions, and Martinis – they knew how to make them from memory. Better yet, so did their wives and dates. My maternal grandmother continued to bring a pitcher of her famous Manhattans to family parties well into her eighties. I credit her for my own love of the classic cocktail and inspiration to keep the tradition going ...

(Read the rest of Fredo's article at THE CAD)

Viva La Musica: Amie Amis are Strictly Serene

by Fredo

(photo credit John Li)

I rarely go above 42nd Street unless the joint is called Lenox Lounge or my local pub Conker Hill. Mine isn't your typical downtown snobbery,it's worse - Brooklynese. See I'm from there, live there, and play there so these days I don't have to go to the "city" unless work is involved. For more on that meet me next month at the Clover Club. But a serene siren's call lured me north, into the Times Square area, through the crowd of rabble, gawking tourists, and skells. The lovely Amie Margolis and her Amis were celebrating their CD release of "Strictly Sirene" and Amie's birthday at the Producer's Club.

The Iluras Lounge in the Producer's Club is a tight room and intimate setting - 10 x 11 caberet stage and full bar. The place was friggin packed too. So I grabbed a Tanqueray and tonic and held up the wall in the back of the room to get the whole picture. Tin ceilings painted red, hardwood floors, plush couches, the dark walls, red curtains, and low lighting gave the sense of back room in a private club or boudoir. I made my way to the bar as the band got started.

Amie Amis are an eclectic band that perfoms a variety of jazz infused music with French pop undertones. Their range of influences include Stereolab, Tom Waits, Edith Piaf, Cibo Matto, Django Reinhardt and a list of jazz artists too long to list in this blog. Amie Margolis front the band and alternates between vocals and the French Horn. Her Amis include Ben Cassorla (guitar), Ryan Cavan (drums), Brad Maestas (bass), Mike Irwin (trumpet), with Nick Kadajski and Kevin Russell on the saxophones.

They performed some of my favorite songs on their old album, Parfum No. 5, include Pour Degas (vocals in French) with a great horn selection, Cockatoo Vow - a poppy melodic crowd favorite, and also debuted their newest number from the self-named album Strictly Serene which showcases Amie's vocal range.

The show was outstanding and well worth the trip. I enjoyed the energy and diversity of the band's music. I had a good time all around, ran into some old Loungers (ciao Chiv and Zahra), cut a rug, and met new friends too. I even scored some delicious cake. Merci beaucoup Amie Amis!

To find out more about this up and coming band visit: Amie Amis on myspace

Check out their next gig at Spike Hill in the glorious borough of Brooklyn on May 15th!