JoonBlog New York

Venue Review: Scarpetta Restaurant (NYC - New York City)

Everyone has been commenting on the opening of a new Italian restaurant in the Meat Packing District, but NYMag.com gets your mouth watering right from the start…

“Roughly translated from the Italian, fare la scarpetta means to wipe your plate clean with a hunk of bread—a practice that, depending upon the culinary circles you travel in, is considered either a sign of bad breeding or a compliment to the chef.”

Now that’s something we certainly like to try. And that must be considered a compliment at Scarpetta, especially given the pedigree of the chef behind it… [from UrbanDaddy.com]

“The chef behind it, Scott Conant, was previously the chef-owner of L'Impero and Alto, so he's someone we like to have feeding us.”

We agree wholeheartedly. And the space sounds just as tasteful as the food… [from DailyCandy.com]

“The space is split into a buzzy patio, a cafe/bar, and a dining room. We’re guessing it’ll be hopping but relaxed, elegant but not fussy. In other words, molto bene.”

Scrapetta
355 W. 14th St. (Between 8th & 9th Aves.)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 690-0555

JoonBlog Concert Picks For 05-12-08

Kanye West (click to purchase tickets)
5/13
Madison Square Garden
7th Avenue btwn 31st and 33rd streets
New York, NY

“…West's "Glow in the Dark" tour is the rapper's latest ploy to prove that he is creatively without peer. It's a wildly conceived one-man musical…” [more from the Washington Post]

Joan as Police Woman (click to purchase tickets)
5/14
Mercury Lounge
217 E. Houston St. (corner Ave A & Houston)
New York, NY

“Before striking out on her own as a singer-songwriter, Joan Wasser was a violinist, gigging and recording with Lou Reed, Tanya Donelly, and Antony and the Johnsons…” [more from Rolling Stone]

Kid Rock w/ Lynrd Skynrd (click to purchase tickets)
5/15
Madison Square Garden
7th Avenue btwn 31st and 33rd streets
New York, NY

“Kid Rock announced today that his "Rock And Roll Revival Tour" will continue on through the summer. The first two legs of the revue-style tour -- which has featured guests including Reverend Run, Peter Wolf, and Dickey Betts...” [more from Market Wire]

Venue Review: The Pooldeck at The Empire Hotel (NYC - New York City)

Is  it summer already? No, unfortunately not. But that doesn’t mean that the new  Pooldeck at the Empire Hotel isn’t ready for it. Here’s some info for all you  Upper West Side-ers. [more from UrbanDaddy.com]

“Built as an exclusive 150-capacity  Vegas-style pool with cabanas, … cocktail service and the requisite eye candy  that naturally flocks to rooftop pools in Manhattan, the Pooldeck is set to be  your new favorite UWS pool scene (actually, it's the only UWS pool scene).”

More  on the cabanas and nightlife [more from NYMag.com]

"Should you want to escape the glow of the Empire Hotel sign, there will  be five reserve-able cabanas, each equipped with a plasma-screen TV, a  telephone (because we don’t have cell phones?), wireless, and daybeds. There  will be food and cocktails, too, but remember that the Empire is where Jeffrey  Chodorow's steakhouse, Center Cut, is poised to go into the twelfth floor. Just  keep in mind what they say about swimming after a heavy meal.”

Now  let’s not forget, The Pooldeck is only open to GUESTS of the hotel only. So…  [courtesy of Urban Daddy]

  “…don't let that intimidate you.  You can get in the old fashioned way...with cash. Get a room at the hotel and  you'll have access to the pool, the roof deck for cocktails and those cabanas…”

The Pooldeck @ the Empire Hotel
44 W. 63rd St.
212-265-7400

JoonBlog Concert Picks For 05-05-08

Flight of The Conchords (click to purchase tickets)
5/6 – 5/7
The Town Hall
123 West 43rd Street
(between 6th Avenue & Broadway)
NY, NY

“… Now, less than a year later and hot on the heels of a new record, it looks like the Flight of The Conchords will be playing a handful of dates across the US…” [more from BrooklynVegan.com]

Panic At The Disco! (click to purchase tickets)
5/7 – 5/8
Roseland Ballroom
239 West 52nd Street
(Btwn Broadway & 8th  Ave.)
NY, NY

“Panic At The Disco's "PRETTY. ODD." Is Pretty Huge; Critically Acclaimed Second Album Debuts at #2…” [more from Marketwire.com]

Bruce Springsteen (click to purchase tickets)
5/7 +
Count Basie
99 Monmouth St
Red Bank, NJ 07701

“Bruce Springsteen is currently touring arenas, and will present three shows at Giants Stadium this summer. But fans -- the lucky few who are able to get tickets, anyway -- will be able to see him up close and personal at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank on May 7…” [more from NJ.com]

JoonBlog Concert Picks For 04-28-08

Feist (click to purchase tickets)
4/29 – 4/30
Hammerstein Ballroom
311 West 34th Street
New York, NY

“Like her 2005 breakthrough Let It Die, Leslie Feist's latest shows how this critics' darling also woos regular folks. She has a sexy, slyly powerful, charmingly…” [more from Entertainment Weekly]

Chris Rock LIVE (click to purchase tickets)
4/29-5/4
Wamu Theater at Madison Square Garden
7th Avenue btwn 31st and 33rd streets
New York, NY

“… He is the Rock who makes people roll - out of their chairs laughing. The "Chris Rock: No Apologies Tour," his first in more than three years, starts a five-night run at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday…” [more from LoHud.com]

Jay-Z & Mary J. Blige (click to purchase tickets)
5/2-5/3 - 5/6-5/7
Madison Square Garden
7th Avenue btwn 31st and 33rd streets
New York, NY

“With a combined 70 million albums sold worldwide and 12 Grammy wins between them, Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z are taking over New  York City at Madison Square Garden… [more from TheGarden.com]

The Five Breakout Bands Of Coachella

So, unbeknownst to me, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts  Festival gets underway today, in Indio, California.  Being that my job (and bank account) restricts my attending this annual  collective of who’s who in the music industry, (literally, most of us ask will  ask, who?) I figured I could keep us all ahead of the curve and let you know  about Style.com's “The Five Breakout Bands Everyone Will Be Talking About Monday”. So take  a gander and then jump on iTunes and give these bands a listen.

1. Name: Santogold (myspace.com/santogold)
  From: Brooklyn
  Playing: Friday
  Sound: Like M.I.A., but  catchier and less political. In other words, way more   commercial—not necessarily a bad thing.
  What people will be saying: Those are some real tight tights. (Also not necessarily a bad thing.)
  What you're missing: "Unstoppable," live in NYC

2. Name: Black Kids (blackkidsmusic.com)
  From: Jacksonville,   FL
  Playing: Friday
  Sound: Soul-powered indie  rock—or as singer Reggie Youngblood puts it in one song, "I get angst in  my pants."
  What people will be saying: That they've had the free download Wizard of Ahhhs EP on their iPod for  months. (Liars.)
  What you're missing: "I'm  Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You," live on Jools Holland

3. Name: MGMT (formally,  "The Management") (whoismgmt.com)
  From: Brooklyn
  Playing: Saturday
  Sound: Tragically hip  psychedelic pop with a sweeping, inspirational tone that's been married to  jaded lyrics. Yes, they're cool kids—you don't learn to write verse like  "I'll move to Paris, shoot  some heroin, and fuck with the stars" by playing Guitar Hero.
  What people will be saying: Wayne Coyne called. He wants his shtick back.
  What you're missing: "Time to Pretend," live on Letterman

4. Name: St.   Vincent (a.k.a. Annie Clark)   (ilovestvincent.com)
  From: Dallas
  Playing: Saturday
  Sound: Jazzy, densely layered  tracks that are seductive even if, on paper, descriptors like  "neo-Feist" and "Björk-inspired" make you gag.
  What people will be saying: That they intend to turn Ms. Clark into the former Ms. Clark.
  What you're missing: "Now, Now," live in Minneapolis

5. Name: Holy Fuck (holyfuckmusic.com)

  From: Toronto
  Playing: Sunday
  Sound: Lo-fi, high-energy  dance that provides an organic alternative to the French robots currently  ruling the genre. We're looking at you, Daft Punk.
  What people will be saying: Toronto:  the new Paris? (Or, as Spin once asked, ecstasy: the new beer?)
  What you're missing: "Lovely Allen," live in Toronto

Read more @ men.style.com

Around Town: East Village Yacht Club Closes

Food & Nightlife News From Around The New York City Blogosphere:

• 4 A.M. Last Calls Could Be Headed The Way of Smoky Bars (NY Sun)
• Gowanus Yacht Club 2 Days Out (Eater)
• Rose Bar Has The Best Looking Ladies In Town (DBTH)
• East Village Yacht Club Closes, UES Prepsters Sullen (Imbible)

Venue Review: Bowery Wine Company - Winebar (NYC - New York City)

The Bowery has seen a lot of openings lately (Antik, Bowery Electric). Here's one more - The Bowery Wine Company, a new wine bar with some celebrity backing. But first, let's get the details (courtesy of Time Out NY):

Partners Lenny Linar and Chris Sileo, once a beverage director at The Plaza, scooped up the ground-floor space of the luxury apartment building Avalon Bowery Place for this 55-seat wine bar. The pair seems to embrace gentrification—their mission statement expresses their desire to “help bring the Bowery into the 21st century”—but the offerings are surprisingly inclusive.

So who else is involved?

BRUCE Willis could be distancing himself from his reputation as a shot-and-a-beer guy. The Post's Braden Keil reports the action star is a partner in the Bowery Wine Co., which opens to the public this weekend at 13 E. First St. "It's upscale and loungy," says owner Chris Sileo, formerly beverage director at The Plaza. "We'll have high-end, light fare that will include paninis, salads and desserts." Willis and his pals, "Sopranos" regulars Vincent Curatola and John Ventimiglia, already christened the place at a private party last week, where the "Die Hard" star took his place behind the bar. (Page Six)

Bowery Wine Company
212-614-0800
13 E. 1st Street
New York, NY 10003