Pre/Post Prandial Libations?

[Sneakeater]

She had a much better figure than the sculpture would lead you to think.

[slkinsey]

Okay, folks. Let's drift this back on-topic.

[phlawless]

what about milk and honey?

Is it impossible to get in?

Do you need a number?

[phlawless]

also, any suggestions for afternoon snacks? (not sweet)

[Noodlebot]

You need a # to get into Milk & Honey. The same owners also own Little Branch in the W Vill and East Side Company Bar on the LES.

[Sneakeater]

You need a # to get into Milk & Honey.  The same owners also own Little Branch in the W Vill and East Side Company Bar on the LES.

←

Which latter two, to be clear, DON'T require that you have the phone number.

Edited September 20, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[daisy17]

Little Branch is awesome. So are M&H and Pegu.

Late afternoon on the weekends I love the bars at the Spotted Pig. Starts to get crowded, but not too much. They serve part of their brunch menu throughout the day at the bar (here's where your non-sweet snacks come in), great vibe.

Freeman's has fantastic cocktails. Even Frank Bruni thinks so.

[raxelita]

I live and work in Williamsburg, have been known to wear white belts and/or Benatar Boots and don't listen to any music that has a chance of being heard on the radio.. However, I lack any financial support whatsoever and hate shitty beer so take with grain of salt my recommendations of:

Von on Bleeker for great (affordable) wine and a post-post-grad scene

Pastis for afternoon people watching

Odessa on "A" late at night for $5 call martinis, an all-punk rock playlist and the sweetest partied out bartenders ever

And if you want to catch a show with your drinks, Mercury Lounge on Houston has been hosting some really great bands (of the type you describe) lately. They tend to not be sold out, cost around $15 and the bartenders there make stupidly strong cocktails.

P.S. I echo Flatiron/Pegu if your looking to get down to some serious, thoughtful cocktails.

[LPShanet]

Most of the best suggestions have already been made (e.g. Pegu, Brandy Library, Employees Only, East Side Company, Little Branch, etc.). However, I thought I'd mention that I've heard good (and similar) stuff about the recently opened Gin Lane. Anyone been? Also, the Blue Owl in the E. Vill, and if you know a member, the scene at Soho House can be a good call for 30-somethings, especially if you don't mind lots of foreign accents, some of them fake.

Edited September 23, 2006 by LPShanet (log)

[Sneakeater]

Despite it's Dale DeGroff-designed cocktail menu, the drinks at Gin Lane are NOT well made.

And on at least one late Friday night, it was the same post-frat-boy scene that the Village Idiot had.

[Nathan]

The Blue Owl is a good choice.

Gin Lane sucks. Its the typical MP b&t crowd and the drinks are not well-made. DeGroff took his money and ran. (I'm not blaming him...I'm sure he designed the cocktail menu for a fee and that was the extent of his involvement.) The rest is just their PR firm.

[phlawless]

I wanted to thank you guys for all of your suggestions...we had a great time ( a little too great actually) and unfortunately didn't make it to as many places as we would have liked. Our week end went like this:

friday: lunch at Momofuku, sweets at Chocolate Bar, beers at Spotted Pig, Tabla for dinner, then to Room for Dessert, Milk and Honey for drinks

saturday: hangover breakfast at some corner diner I don't remember where, snacks at City Bakery, late lunch at Casa Mono, sweets at Cupcake Cafe, dinner at Jean Georges, drinks at Pegu

sunday: major hangover brunch at Balthazar and snacked on Balthazar bakery goods till we flew home

only bummer: we were so wasted by the time we left Jean Georges (cocktails, 4 bottles of wine, port) we couldn't appreciate Pegu. it was pretty loud and kinda crowded, not really what we were looking for.

the apartment where we stayed was a shit hole right above Mercury Lounge... needless to say, I'm going to be catching up on sleep for the next few days.

Edited September 25, 2006 by phlawless (log)

[daisy17]

I am so impressed - you squeezed a lot in there. Your Friday was more than I do most weekends . . .

Pegu is so much better earlier in the evening or during the week. You'll have to come back.

[BryanZ]

That's a pretty sick trip.

[Cathy-Ann]

(Is it taking over a thread if the event is already over? If so, my apologies.)

I have a similar question: I've somehow talked myself into hosting a very loosely defined "shower" for a friend who's getting married in two weeks. Her wedding party are all from overseas and not in a position to plan something from afar, so I've taken it upon myself to throw her a pre-wedding shindig.

I've pinpointed Otto for our dinner plans, but am now trying to choose a place for drinks for those who can't make the dinner. We're planning for a week from Thursday, so I don't have much time to scope out places. On my short list: Blue Owl, based on recommendations in this thread and proximity to Otto, and Rouge Wine Bar (located inside Paris Commune in the west village) based on I'm not exactly sure what.

My parameters: enough space for 14 plus people to be comfortable, reasonable noise level, and ease of accessibility to Otto. Somewhat less important, but still major factors: decent quality wines and cocktails, a minimum of rowdy college kids, and reasonable prices.

I've considered Pegu, but am a little hesitant because I suspect there's not enough room (plus the cocktails are, albeit quite delicious, a bit pricey, And, since I've never met most of this crowd, have no idea if they enjoy a good drink as much as I do).

Sorry for the lengthy query, but I'm hoping that someone here will have a recommendation that I hadn't thought of.

Thanks for any help!

[Noodlebot]

I haven't been to Paris Commune, but I have been to Blue Owl a few times. The place is pretty small, but I have never been when it was overly crowded or when I couldn't find a seat. There are comfy chairs in the lounge, and the drinks are good.

[Nathan]

Actually, Pegu Club is easily as close to Otto as Blue Owl. Ditto for Employee's Only.

[LPShanet]

(Is it taking over a thread if the event is already over? If so, my apologies.)

I have a similar question: I've somehow talked myself into hosting a very loosely defined "shower" for a friend who's getting married in two weeks. Her wedding party are all from overseas and not in a position to plan something from afar, so I've taken it upon myself to throw her a pre-wedding shindig.

I've pinpointed Otto for our dinner plans, but am now trying to choose a place for drinks for those who can't make the dinner.  We're planning for a week from Thursday, so I don't have much time to scope out places.  On my short list: Blue Owl, based on recommendations in this thread and proximity to Otto, and Rouge Wine Bar (located inside Paris Commune in the west village) based on I'm not exactly sure what. 

My parameters: enough space for 14 plus people to be comfortable, reasonable noise level, and ease of accessibility to Otto.  Somewhat less important, but still major factors: decent quality wines and cocktails, a minimum of rowdy college kids, and reasonable prices. 

I've considered Pegu, but am a little hesitant because I suspect there's not enough room (plus the cocktails are, albeit quite delicious, a bit pricey, And, since I've never met most of this crowd, have no idea if they enjoy a good drink as much as I do).

Sorry for the lengthy query, but I'm hoping that someone here will have a recommendation that I hadn't thought of.

Thanks for any help!

←

As I recently planned a birthday party and looked into many of these places, I can tell you that Pegu often has trouble with large groups, since their space isn't really designed for it. You should definitely call ahead and make sure things will work out. My observation has been that the Blue Owl varies hugely in how crowded it is, so it might be perfect, but will depend on your timing, etc. You should also note that cocktails at Blue Owl (or any decent cocktail bar in NYC, for that matter) aren't going to be notably cheaper than at Pegu, maybe one buck or two. None of these places particularly specializes in wine, but have a few selections. Also, don't overlook Flatiron Lounge, even though it isn't quite as close.

Edited October 3, 2006 by LPShanet (log)

[Sneakeater]

Flatiron Lounge might have trouble accomodating that many people, too: those few big booths they have look they wouldn't seat more than maybe 8 people apiece (and they're not contiguous).

I've never been in Employees Only's dining room, so I don't know if they have any big tables. But then again, I don't know if they let you sit at the tables if you're just drinking and not ordering food. I don't think 14 people could comfortably be accomodated in the bar area.

[alacarte]

I'd take Pegu off your list, it's not set up for large groups.

You might be better off at Dos Caminos next door...and then the last stragglers left can take the party over to Pegu.

Edited October 5, 2006 by alacarte (log)

[daisy17]

I've done a large group thing at Flatiron - there's a front area that's pretty good for groups if you don't mind standing and not being at the bar. I would call ahead and ask if you could have that space. When EO gets crowded it's just not fun, espec with a large group. You could call ahead there too and see if they have a space you could use . . . .

[Cathy-Ann]

I've never been to EO, but have enjoyed Flatiron - what a beautiful place!

Thank you all for your suggestions. As it stands now, we're planning on staying put at Otto, and just continuing our drinking at the bar area. I'm not thrilled at having to stand (unless we can snag bar stools), but it'll make it that much easier for everyone to join us.