Blondie

If you're referring to butterscotch's comment about the owners harassing the tenant(s), then Eater was correct. It did happen, and the owners appear to have admitted as much.

Actually the owners addressed this issue at the CB3 meeting. During the renovation they added multiple layers of foam, sound proofing boards and plywood to the ceiling and walls. Furthermore from what I understand the chief opponent who lives directly over D&C has lodged noise complaints with the NYPD only to have them dismissed by officers who came into his apartment as were unable to hear any noise. I don't doubt that they did some soundproofing during the renovation, but they couldn't have known whether it was done correctly until after opening. Is it not possible that they turned the music once they saw the police arrive? I wasn't directly comparing E 6th Street to Ludlow, but saying that people do congregate outside bars to smoke and talk since the smoking ban. Ludlow *is* a particularly extreme example (I lived there until last year), but it only takes 2 or 3 people who have been drinking (and tend to not modulate thier voices) to cause a problem for someone whose windows front on said street.Have you been in any of the apartments to be so sure that the tenants are lying? As I said, I know one of them for many years, and he has no dog in this fight aside from getting a good night's sleep Time Out listed Death & Co. in their 2007 survey under "New Bar of the Year". Citysearch lists them under Bar/Club, not restaurant. Eater describes them as a cocktail lounge. So, clearly, just because they call themselves a restaurant, it doesn't mean they're not actually a bar.

If the space isn't properly soundproofed (and they have not apparently made any moves to improve it), then the sound leakage can be substantial, even if the music isn't very loud. ← Ella Fitzgerald? ← It doesn't matter what sort of music they are playing. If it's too loud for people to sleep, it's a problem. ← it was impossible to hear their music from outside ← That is no indication of what it sounds like inside. Sound travels through cavities in the walls, etc.. Unless you've been in one of the apartments above it, you can't extrapolate that they are lying because you can't hear the music outside.

If the space isn't properly soundproofed (and they have not apparently made any moves to improve it), then the sound leakage can be substantial, even if the music isn't very loud. ← Ella Fitzgerald? ← It doesn't matter what sort of music they are playing. If it's too loud for people to sleep, it's a problem.

If the space isn't properly soundproofed (and they have not apparently made any moves to improve it), then the sound leakage can be substantial, even if the music isn't very loud.

The fact that NY has a paucity of places for a good cocktail (and I agree that's the case), doesn't mean that they should be allowed to open anywhere they want, regardless of the law and the community in which they seek to do business. It seems as if they had applied for an application as a bar, they would have been turned down. IMO if they lied on their application to get around it, they should be shut down. Ok, so the people who live nearby should just what? Not sleep until the B&Ters go away?

According to Eater it was more like 4-1. It's really hard for you to believe that patrons congregate outside a bar late at night? Have you ever been to Ludlow Street? Ever since the smoking ban, it's a given. I have known one of the "opponents" for almost 15 years, and he is as solid and community-minded a person as I've ever known. Casting aspersions on them is not helpful. As far as I know none of them have anything to gain but a good night's sleep in their own apartments - which they are entitled to. I'm not impressed by the behavior of the owners and would take anything they said with a very large grain of salt. If they got the license under the condition that they would operate as a "restaurant", then it seems like they may have been dissembling on their application. In your first post you even called it a "cocktail place", and it's repeatedly referred to as a "bar". That doesn't sound like a place whose primary business is selling food.

I don't recall when I heard it, sorry. I also didn't see the F&W thing, but Ilan is such a bullshit artist I think I'd only take the other guy's word for it.

It was adressed, albeit briefly. Ironically, as I understand it, Ilan was fired from Craft because he couldn't get along with the Chef de Cuisine.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Several of Ilan's recipes (or elements thereof) were cribbed from Andy Nusser's menu at Casa Mono, so I bet you could have done as well if you'd executed those dishes hundreds of times too

Thanks for the link. I had missed that interview. I came to really appreciate Marcel this season. He's talented and creative, and despite the outright hostility from the other cheftestants, he seemed to handle it well. I will be very disappointed if he doesn't win. I'm starting to warm up to Sam again after seeing him show some class in the preview of the Finale Pt. 2 (on Yahoo). Ilan and Elia are another story. After the hair incident, I would have expected anyone with some sense to pull back and be a bit more mature. I wouldn't darken the door of an establishment that would hire them.

For NYC, Tarallucci e Vino (First Ave @ 10th St.) is my favorite.

I'm in!

My friend and I had a great lunch at Melt yesterday too – we must have missed you, ejebud! We tried the two specials (I should have written it down – correct me if I’m wrong, Glenn): Cherry Wensleydale with ham and cherry chutney, Rosemary Manchego with tomato and red pepper pesto, and buffalo cheddar with peach chutney, all on that outrageously good multigrain; lovely spicy fries, excellent coffee and a Very Special Coke, followed by a scoop of Bassett’s. I couldn’t even pick a favorite as they don’t compare to any other grilled cheese I’ve ever had, and even put my own cool concoctions to shame. It’s a nice, light-filled space with a sweet garden out back, and Glenn has gotten every detail right, from the variety of cheeses and condiments to the coffee cups and choice of beverages. It’s very easy to get there from Manhattan via PATH (closer than Brooklyn or Queens if you’re on the West Side), and more than worth the trip. Congratulations, Glenn!

Thanks, Glenn

Tempted as I am to drive over and fill up on that cheap Jersey gas, we’re planning to come to Melt via PATH. Sorry if this has been covered previously, but which station is closest and what are the directions from there?

Consider the source, but apparently this guy from Maxim got his hands on a few bottles... Full disclosure: I know one of the guys who participated, but keep forgetting to ask him about it.

Are you from Ireland, Jenny? I used to live sort of between Gubbeen and Durrus down in West Cork. Murray's has stopped carrying both of them because apparently the small production means they can't get consistent supply. I did score some Smoked Gubeen and a dote of Milleens around Paddy's Day though. The Milleens was perfectly aged and the best cheese I've had this year. If you are going to Artisanal, why don't you call them in advance and let them know what you're looking for? Based on my experience, they'll try to accomodate you. And if they do have Milleens, please let me know and I'll be on the 6 train uptown in a flash.

Belated welcome, buddy Neal's right. Late lunch is the best time to go. I must have been lucky with the service. Once I stopped in for a late lunch of cheese plates with wine pairings at the bar. As we perused the menu I mentioned that I didn't see my favorite Irish cheeses. The bartender overheard me, brought over a comment card, and asked me to write down the ones I liked. He walked off and came back with nice wedges of 2 of the 3 I had named (Gubbeen and Durrus, for the record).

Rush Hour, a burger place on Ludlow St., carries them. 212-979-9211.

Dean, it's absolutely gorgeous. Not only did you do a great job in the planning and execution, but it was very generous (and brave) of you to document the process for us. Bravo! I guess now we'll have to assume that any butt-bumping at the Second Pig Pickin' is purely intentional

Is that the place on Central Park North? If so, I had a great German Chocolate Cupcake there when we went to see the Gates around Harlem Meer. I still love Sugar Sweet Sunshine best, but I thought this was nearly as good and far better than Magnolia or Billy's Bakery.

In addition to the previously mentioned Babbo, Lupa and Celeste, I like Basso Est on Orchard Street (between Houston and Stanton).

I like the Ikea glasses for the price too. We use them outdoors for BBQs and haven't broken one yet. There's also an Ikea on Long Island, just south of the LIE in Hicksville.

I became a mise convert when I lived in rural Ireland where the entire commercial center of the village was four pubs and 2 small shops (one of which was open until 9pm). Improvising worked occasionally and the shop saved my butt a couple of times, but the fact that a proper grocery store was a half hour away forced me to be more organized. Now that I’m back in Manhattan and have a tiny kitchen, it has served me well. I can get a vast array of ingredients on a 24-hour basis just a few blocks away, but being organized is the only way I can prep and cook in such a small space. I recently found a shop in Chinatown that has a great selection of small porcelain bowls and dishes, perfect for mise, at 35 or forty cents each.