Time Out New York Eat Out Awards 2007

[Megan Blocker]

Time Out NY announced the recipients of its annual Eat Out Awards last night...highlights include:

Readers' Picks

- Best Splurge: Per Se

- New Bar of the Year: ReBar

Critics' Picks

- Best Changing of the Guard: Daniel Humm, Eleven Madison Park

- Best Place to Stalk the Chef: Degustation

- Most Hypeworthy: Momofuku Ssäm

You can see the full lists over here.

Our own discussion of Momofuku Ssam's hypeworthiness has been going on for quite some time...any other thoughts about these picks? Anyone else upset that Death & Co. didn't get a nod for best new bar?

[Sneakeater]

Actually, for purely selfish reasons, I'm HAPPY that Death & Co. didn't get more publicity.

You know, a girl I know was getting her hair cut a block or two away from there last night, and with great trepidation, I suggested we meet there at 8 PM, right after her appointment. I was astonished to see that we were able to walk right in, and it wasn't even crowded. I'm sorry for them, I guess, but happy to see that Death & Co. is becoming a place you can actually go.

Edited April 10, 2007 by Sneakeater (log)

[oakapple]

The best one is: Best Re-Opening, Russian Tea Room, beating out Le Cirque, Picholine, Tasting Room, and The Waverly Inn.

[Megan Blocker]

The best one is: Best Re-Opening, Russian Tea Room, beating out Le Cirque, Picholine, Tasting Room, and The Waverly Inn.

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You're meaning "best" as "most puzzling," Marc? Count me in on that one. It's certainly a notable re-opening, but Best seems a stretch, I agree.

[Megan Blocker]

Actually, for purely selfish reasons, I'm HAPPY that Death & Co. didn't get more publicity.

←

Fair enough!

Has anyone been to ReBar? Is this a justified snub? Or are TONY's editors pulling a Sneak and trying to hide their booty, as it were?

[Nathan]

its some Grocery style episode. (it was a readers' pick)...

ReBar is some tapas joint in brooklyn with free wifi.

Edited April 10, 2007 by Nathan (log)

[oakapple]

The best one is: Best Re-Opening, Russian Tea Room, beating out Le Cirque, Picholine, Tasting Room, and The Waverly Inn.

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You're meaning "best" as "most puzzling," Marc? Count me in on that one. It's certainly a notable re-opening, but Best seems a stretch, I agree.

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Yeah, that's what I meant. It was probably the worst choice of the five candidates, as it's the closest thing to a clear failure.

[Megan Blocker]

its some Grocery style episode.  (it was a readers' pick)...

ReBar is some tapas joint in brooklyn with free wifi.

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Ah, good point. Silly readers.

Re: ReBar...interesting. Looks like it's a multi-purpose spot, with coffee, a bar, music, wifi...maybe we should send johnder for a scouting mission.

[slkinsey]

Anyone else upset that Death & Co. didn't get a nod for best new bar?

Well, we have to understand a few things. . .

1. Death & Co. has just barely been open for three months, and they were closed for a significant chunk of that time. It's unlikely that too many Time Out readers went to D&C given it's diminutive size and relative newness.

2. The catgory is for "new bar of the year" not "best new cocktail bar" or "best new cocktails." Different people have different reasons for liking a bar and the majority doesn't have a preference for cocktailian temples. ReBar (which is upstairs at a multipurpose space) seems to be a place that has a decent wine list and lots of good beer on tap in a nice room, and it has live music and DJs. That's the kind of thing for which a certain segment of the bar-going public is looking.

3. It's interesting to note that all of the places under consideration (ReBar, Beatrice Inn, Death & Co., Marshall Stack, Union Hall) offer food. Actually, I'd hardly call some of them (Beatrice Inn, Union Hall) "bars."

4. The "new bar of the year" was selected by Time Out readers, who I have to believe were biased more towards "scene" when thinking about bars. I wonder where D&C would have ranked in critics' picks.

[Nathan]

the new Beatrice Inn is most certainly primarily a bar. in fact, it's only about the scene. edit: I've never seen anyone eating there. not since the reopening. it's hipster central though.

the problem is ReBar doesn't seem to classify as a scene.

and Manhattan bar-going folks aren't traveling to Brooklyn just to hit a place that appears to be a cross between Lotus (not the MP club) and 1492. I likened it to Grocery cause I find it highly likely that it's simply a similar case of ballot-stuffing by people in its neighborhood.

Edited April 10, 2007 by Nathan (log)

[Megan Blocker]

the new Beatrice Inn is most certainly primarily a bar.  in fact, it's only about the scene.  edit: I've never seen anyone eating there.  not since the reopening.  it's hipster central though.

the problem is ReBar doesn't seem to classify as a scene.

and Manhattan bar-going folks aren't traveling to Brooklyn just to hit a place that appears to be a cross between Lotus (not the MP club) and 1492.  I likened it to Grocery cause I find it highly likely that it's simply a similar case of ballot-stuffing by people in its neighborhood.

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I was going to say...maybe it's that Brooklyn is represented well in the TONY Eat Out pool of voters.

Good points, Sam, above...

[Nathan]

I wouldn't be surprised to find that ReBar initiated a campaign for votes amongst its regulars.

[Mayur]

Actually, for purely selfish reasons, I'm HAPPY that Death & Co. didn't get more publicity.

You know, a girl I know was getting her hair cut a block or two away from there last night, and with great trepidation, I suggested we meet there at 8 PM, right after her appointment.  I was astonished to see that we were able to walk right in, and it wasn't even crowded.  I'm sorry for them, I guess, but happy to see that Death & Co. is becoming a place you can actually go.

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On a Monday, I've never seen it crowded. Try going in tonight...