JoonBlog New York

Venue Review: Le Lupanar - Restaurant & Lounge (NYC - New York City)

Le Lupanar is a just opened Lower East Side French restaurant. Where does the name come from?

One of the most important things about opening a restaurant, we’re told, is choosing a name. Kieter Chan and Ian Brahmstedt, partners at Le Lupanar on the Lower East Side, asked their French friends for help. “We wanted something kind of goofy, something exotic,” says and they wound up with a colloquial word for brothel. (NY Mag)

UrbanDaddy has got the scoop on the menu and more:

There's certainly plenty of action in the kitchen, with French fare like braised oxtails along with modern turns like the orange and rosemary crème brulée so you can finish in metropolitan style. As for the bar, it's BYOB until the liquor license comes in (due this winter), so until then you'll have to find your own absinthe connection.

The orchid-covered walls are lined with cozy tables for Parisian romance, and there's a communal table in the middle for when you show up plus an entourage or minus a reservation. For something more personal, there's the wood-paneled private dining room in the back, or in a couple weeks you can grab a DJ and head downstairs for a lounge that's a little more subterranean...

Le Lupanar
(212) 260-2036
103 Essex St (between Delancey and Rivington)
New York, NY 10002

Venue Review: The Smith - Restaurant & Bar (NYC - New York City)

Recently opened restaurant The Smith serves food late into the night in the East Village. UrbanDaddy dropped in and had positive things to say:

Brought to you by the same people who run the brunch-centric Jane, The Smith in contrast gives you a little bit more of the late night. It's one of those places where you go for the drinks and stay for the food—a collection of gourmet (booze-absorbent) American Brasserie favorites like the Chopped Steak with Mushroom Gravy and the Lamb Schnitzel with Parmesan Crust and the sure-to-be-loved crowd-favorite Hot Potato Chips with Gorgonzola fondue.

Eater has a copy of the menu (PDF).

The Smith
(212) 420-9800
55 3rd Ave (between 10th and 11th Streets)
New York, NY 10003

Venue Review: Gottino - Wine Bar (NYC - New York City)

Back in July Eater previewed Gottino, an at-the-time unopened wine bar in the West Village from Jody Williams of Morandi:

Greenwich Avenue is on the verge of a fairly substantial upgrade as Gottino (awning/logo reveal, above; as of 11/2006, right), a wine bar from Jody Williams and, per the SLA paperwork, Michael Bull, is readying for debut at number 52. The venue, it turns out, is steeped in Plywood history. At one time, this was believed to be a Brian McNally project; now we know better. A look through the increasingly uncovered front window reveals a marble bar the length of the room, with chandeliers of a crystal type hanging above.

So now that Gottino has opened, what can you expect? Great wine and some great pork. Seriosuly, what more could ask for?

Open under the radar this week, Gottino is an unassuming nook of a spot with baskets of fresh fruit on the bar and tins of sardines on the shelves. As you might guess, there's wine (a lot of it) mostly Italian scribbled on a white chalkboard. But where Gottino gets us excited is the two-page menu put together by Morandi's Jody Williams, proof that when a great chef goes into a small wine bar, things get interesting.

So, on a quiet night when you're feeling like a small bite you might opt for, say, the grass fed beef carpaccio with black truffles or maybe the heirloom apples stuffed with garlic sausage. And as always you should keep your eye on the pig. Specifically, the Lardo (aka rosemary and pepper cured Berkshire fat back over toast). The full range of meats and cheese come from as far off as Italy, and as close as upstate, so you won't have to stress about getting too regional.

Read the full review at UrbanDaddy.

Gottino
(212) 633-2590
52 Greenwich Ave
New York, NY 10011

New Year's Eve Cruises in New York City

One of the most popular ways to spend New Year's Eve is on a New York City Harbor Cruise. This year JoonBug is hosting parties on three different cruises. Whether you're looking to depart from the East Side or the West Side we've got you covered:

Half Moon New Year's Eve Cruise
Dance the night away this New Years Eve aboard the Half Moon party cruise. The bi-level Half Moon will have one of Manhattan’s hottest DJ’s spinning a mix of music sure to get everyone up and dancing. Boarding at 8pm, the party will feature an array of hors d’oeuvres to snack on as well as a top-shelf open bar beginning at 9:30pm. Then, enjoy a 3 hour cruise throughout the East River, with gorgeous views of the NYC skyline and many of the island’s famous landmarks.

Paddle Wheel Queen New Year's Eve Cruise
Cruise into 2008 this New Year’s Eve onboard The PaddleWheel Queen. An authentic, Coast Guard certified paddlewheel boat, it will be the hottest spot to bring in the New Year. Enjoy a 4 hour boat cruise through the waters of Manhattan, with incredible views of the skyline and a beautiful display of fireworks when the clock strikes midnight. Indulge in the all-night open bar, while dancing along to the live DJ spinning all your favorite tunes.

The Temptress New Year's Eve Cruise
Setting sail at 10:30 for a 3 hour cruise, The Temptress will whisk you away for a majestic tour along the Hudson River. Through the vessel’s panoramic windows, indulge in the beautiful nighttime views of the Statue of Liberty, South Street Seaport, & Brooklyn Bridge. With the opportunity to meet & greet over 500 people, make this New Year’s Eve “a night to remember.”

To see all of our parties (including these cruises) on a map, click here for the Official JoonBug New Year's Eve 2008 Party Map.

Around Town: Tenjune Team Purchases Lotus

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

• The Tenjune Team Has Purchased Lotus (DBTH)
• Eater Goes Inside The New UWS Mermaid Inn (Eater)
• The Best New York City Airport Food (NY Mag)
• Where To Drink Before Watching NY's Hockey Teams (Metromix)

History Of The Times Square Ball Drop

This year, JoonBug has four New Year's Eve Parties in Times Square. Of course the primary reason to spend New Year's Eve in Times Square is to watch the ball drop. But just how did the ball drop start? (And spawn so many imitators)

People first celebrated New Year's Eve in Times Square around the turn of the 20th century. In 1907 the first New Year's Eve Ball was dropped from the flagpole atop One Times Square. The original Ball was madeof iron and wood and adorned with 100 25-watt light bulbs. It was 5 feet in diameter and weighed 700 pounds. In 1920, a 400 pound iron ball replaced the original.

Since then the ball has seen numerous changes, but it has been dropped every year except for two during WWII.

Wikipedia has a good summary of the different Times Square Balls:

• 1907 – The New Year’s Eve Ball first descended from a flagpole at One Times Square, constructed with iron and wood materials with 100 25-watt bulbs weighing 700 pounds (318 kg) and measuring 5 feet (1.5 m) in diameter.

• 1920 – The Ball was replaced with an iron material Ball and weighing less than the original, only 400 pounds (181 kg).

• 1942 – 1943 – Due to World War II, the descending of the Ball was suspended.

• 1955 – The Ball gets replaced with a lighter Ball weighing 150 pounds (68 kg).

• 1981 – 1988 – Due to I Love New York campaign, there are red light bulbs and green stem in a design of an apple.

• 1989 – The traditional white bulbs again get put on the Ball.

• 1995 – The Ball gets computerized, aluminium coated, rhinestoned, and has strobe light system.

• 1999 – The aluminium Ball gets replaced.

• 2000 – 2006 – The Ball gets an overhaul for the new millennium celebrations with a design from Waterford Crystal and new technology. It weighs 1070 pounds (485 kg), measures six feet (1.8 m) in diameter and installed with 504 crystal triangles, illuminated externally with 168 halogen light bulbs and internally with 432 light bulbs of clear, red, blue, green and yellow colors. Each year there is a theme in the Waterford crystal concept with a particular chunk of designed crystals being called something, and in previous years there have been for example “Hope for Fellowship,” “Hope for Wisdom,” “Hope for Unity,” “Hope for Courage,” “Hope for Healing,” “Hope for Abundance” etc. There are strobe lights and mirrors to create bursts of excitement and special effects for the audience.

• 2007 – The ball is still a Waterford Crystal ball as in 2000-2006 (described above), but is lit by LED lights provided by Philips instead of halogen bulbs for the 2007 edition and the forseeable future. The ball was redesigned by a New York City lighting design firm called Focus Lighting.

2008 Marks the 100th Anniversary of the Ball Drop, so this year we will be seeing a new ball. The Times Square Alliance reports that it will be quite the spectacle:

The new Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball is more than twice as bright as the old one, with enhanced color capabilities and state-of-the-art LED lighting effects.  Waterford Crystal crafted a beautiful new design for the crystal triangles on the Ball. Philips Lighting provided new solid state lighting technology that substantially increased the brightness, energy efficiency, and color capabilities of the Ball.  And Focus Lighting developed a spectacular and unique lighting design for the new Ball on its 100th birthday.

Click here for a Panorama From Atop Times Square.

Venue Review: Radegast Hall & Biergarten - (Williamsburg - NYC)

Sometimes, when you're in the mood for German beer, it can be hard to choose between the city's beer halls and its beer gardens. Now you can have both. How? Retractable Roof.

Opening next week in Williamsburg, Radegast Hall & Biergarten is all your central-European fantasies rolled into one: 24-oz pints, more lagers than you can count, and most importantly, a retractable roof that leaves no doubt that you'll always be imbibing under optimal conditions.

When you step inside, you'll suddenly find yourself in a Vienna beer hall circa 1890, complete with a portrait of two Kaisers overlooking your half-liter of lager. (Never trust a Kaiser.) Sidle up to the twisting wraparound bar, grab a half-liter of Hofbrau (there are 13 lagers on tap) and don't forget the appetizers—luckily, the Austrian version of bar food is steak tartare and roast quail. Auf Wiedersehen, beer nuts. (Urban Daddy)

Thrillist has more details on the beverage selection:

Euro-brewed good times come courtesy of 40 select bottles and 13 taps, including Dentergems Witbier, Hacker Pschorr Weisse, and other brands whose pronunciation will make you sound 10% drunker than you really are.

Besides suds, RB pours 22 wines and a staggering 121 cordials, an imbalanced liqueur-to-beer ratio that almost led Radegast's owners to choose a different name -- 'til they realized no one would trek anywhere for a place called Candypants Schnappsgarten.

Radegast Hall & Biergarten
(718) 963-3973
113 N 3rd St, at Berry
Williamsburg, NY 11211
http://radegasthall.com

Around Town: Post-College Uh-bliteration (PCU)

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

• PCU: Post-College Uh-bliteration (Imbible)
• Thanksgiving Recipies From Around The World (Grub Street)
• Four Williamsburg Restaurant Openings (Eater)
• Karaoke 2.0 (Metromix)

Music: R.I.P. OiNK - Chalk Drawn Memorial Spotted In A Brooklyn Bar

When OiNK was shut down a couple of weeks ago net-savvy music lovers were distraught (read about famous OiNK devotee Trent Reznor on NYMag.com). People vented on the web in music forums, and in the comments of popular music blogs. What about a reaction in the physical world? We snapped this picture in Spuyten Duyvil, an excellent beer bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (The center of NYC Hipster-dom):