Death and Company

[Sneakeater]

Obviously a mouth-watering list.

But I have to say, for myself, that if this turns into the kind of place that you can't get into without waiting or strategizing (like the original Momofuku, say), I'm just not gonna go there.

I don't know what to hope for. Wild success, for their sake -- or not, for mine.

Edited January 10, 2007 by Sneakeater (log)

[Nathan]

well, as anticipated, they've raised the prices to the standard level.

interesting to see the Pink Lady reappear. that and its very close brother, the Clover Club were once considered quite "manly"...before eventually shifting to a different demographic.

the Wicked Kiss is a simple riff on the Widow's Kiss -- another drink I'm surprised to see return.

any bar that makes a Bobby Burns is on my good side. the Fancy Free looks very interesting.

I can't wait until this whole ginger beer fad goes away though....

[johnder]

Here are a couple of photos from last night.

[Eatmywords]

per above menu, I don't see the egg white in my Tenor. Did the BOH pay them a visit?

[Nathan]

no one gets in trouble for putting egg whites into cocktails...you'd demolish 25% of the classical repertoire.

I was in last night....the Fancy Free is quite nice.

Asked for, and got, an excellent Red Hook.

Then they suggested the East Point, an excellent variation on the Red Hook...substituting chartreuse for the maraschino.

it became packed at 9:30....several large groups....all young and female.

what's clear is that there are already two groups of people at D & C: people there for the cocktails and then people there for the buzz -- they're generally ordering wine or beer. the second group will largely dissipate pretty quickly....D & C doesn't have the geographical placement that Flatiron Lounge does (which for some reason has a massive afterwork crowd completely uninterested in the cocktails)

[weinoo]

I was in last night as well - rather early and left just as it was getting crowded...didn't see you Nathan, or I would've said hi.

Started with a Jovencourt Daiquiri - really nice and refreshing. Moved into a sazerac just for the heck of it and had Phil make me something delicious for my third drink...I know it was rye based, just don't know exactly what it was!! At that time, I decided it would be good to leave.

They have a nice beer selection as well for those so inclined.

[Nathan]

I note that, like the Pegu Club or M&H, D&C is an excellent place to try new variations on a familiar classic (or "new classic" like the Red Hook)....just ask.

[phlip]

nathan a few things. one it was a greenpoint not an eastpoint. second there was one large group of young girls not a few. also "standard" drink prices are not unacceptable when places are putting things like el tosoro reprosado as base ingredients in drinks. Also I think its a little early to say anything is clear about anything such as there obviously being two groups of people when the place has only been officially opened nary a week. And just for the record I wouldn't go so far as saying the wicked kiss is a SIMPLE variation on the widows kiss. its a variation but i think simple is a bit undermining.

[Sneakeater]

FWIW, I completely agree with you about the prices. You'd be giving stuff away if you charged less than standard prices. Don't read what I'm about to write, but many of us would probably pay a premium for drinks of the quality you make. (You didn't read that, right?)

Edited January 11, 2007 by Sneakeater (log)

[Nathan]

relax dude. I didn't criticize the prices.

if it was just one group they were using two booths...but anyway, who cares? I'm all for a ratio in my favor.

and of course you're going to get a buzz crowd that's not interested in cocktails for a while. that's the way this city works.

nothing that I said was intended to be a criticism. when I find a legitimate criticism I'll make it. I haven't as of yet.

[phlip]

Point taken Nathan. Sorry for the scrutiny. Your next drink is on me.

[johnder]

For those that want to see the best picture I have seen so far of the bar, there is a micro-review of Death and Co. over at Urbandaddy, here.

[Megan Blocker]

Had a great time at Death and Company with my friend Faith. We got there right at 7 and snagged a couple of seats at the bar. We were there for seven cocktails, and enjoyed all of them thoroughly. Sadly, my camera died before I could get a photo of our last round, but here's a sampling...

I started with a Mig Royale (top right), and Faith went for a Company Buck (top left). For our second round, we had a 19th St. Special and a Lucino's Delight (bottom left). I went for a Fancy Free (bottom right) while Faith finished tackling the Lucino...

For our last round, we had a Pink Lady and an Oaxaca Old Fashion...fantastic, though at that point the tequila was a bit much for me.

All around a really good time. The crowd evolved over the few hours we were there; started out a little older, more cocktail-focused, became younger, though not rowdy, as the night wore on.

Edited January 13, 2007 by Megan Blocker (log)

[johnder]

A recent New York Times article "Come to Our Club. Or Not. Whatever." had a few paragraphs on D&C, including a mention of eGullet and a eGullet reader.

Death & Co., a shadowy cocktail lounge, seats 54 and is unmarked except for a name written in script on the pavement at the door. “We want a clientele that is curious in the direction of what we’re doing,” said David Kaplan, an owner. “We don’t want to take a party from N.Y.U. and shift them away from Jäger shots.”

Relying on word of mouth and dining blogs, it opened to the public on Jan. 2, Mr. Kaplan said, and within three days, patrons were facing a two-hour wait.

Jared Bassoff, 27, a chef from Greenpoint, Brooklyn, who stopped in on Monday night, said he had been following the lounge’s progress on dining Web sites like eGullet. “People like to think they are the first ones to discover the jewel in the rough,” he said.

I heard from Dave Kaplan the owner that they will have a host at the door that will be taking names and numbers at the door when they are at capactiy and will do callbacks as seats become available. They host will be at the door 6 nights a week.

Also they are changing the hours of operation to open again at 6pm until 2am and in the next few weeks will be adding more seats in the form a a drink rail by the last booths and a second bathroom.

john

[johnder]

Seems word is getting out. Big article on Gothamist this morning.

The cocktails at Death and Co., a new watering hole in the East Village, are as serious as a heart attack. Here they are not just pushed out in sweatshop fashion to the herds of thirsty folks that crowd the bar. At Death and Co., the cocktail is treated with respect. From the two inch double-freeze ice cubes to the highest quality spirits and ingredients, it's carefully crafted with that perfect balance of skill and whimsy that leaves you patiently, or not so patiently, waiting for your first sip.

Forgive us for jumping straight to the booze. The atmosphere at Death and Co. is certainly worth a mention. From the imposing, ornate wooden doors to the sophisticated, traditionally dressed interior with kerosene lamps and chandeliers that harkens back to the early 20's, there is an air that fills the tiny space with a feeling of grandeur. Is it slightly pretentious? Bordering on it, but what keeps it from crossing the line goes back to the cocktail. Their sense of purpose is clear. You come to Death and Co. to drink, and drink well. Prepare to pay for it (cocktails are $12) and wait for it (don't even think of rushing the bartenders), but for us New Yorker's that's nothing new.

...

Death and Co. is on to something. Their focus is where it should be, the drink, a trend emerging in several new establishments popping up throughout the city. Fine cocktails are very much alive and well. Which is a great thing, because we are dying for another one of those Jersey Tenors.

The annoying thing about this blurb is they skew the review to make it seem $12 is a lot to pay for a drink and you have to wait a long time for that privilege. If $12 is expensive, what is $15 at a club for a vodka tonic?

[Sneakeater]

I agree with you that it's ridiculous to present $12 as an expensive price for cocktails. But I think they're actually doing everyone involved a service by noting that you have to wait for your drinks at places like this. For whatever reason, Death & Co. is getting mass attention. And you have to understand that mass market bar patrons are used to getting drinks made by tossers. They aren't used to waiting for a drink to be prepared properly, and it's probably for the best that they be warned of that before they go to Death & Co. I don't think it does anybody any good for Death & Co. to filled (and, based on the reports we're getting, I mean FILLED) with people with inappropriate expectations.

(I mean, if a busload of people used to eating at Olive Garden got taken to Le Bernadin, it might not be amiss to warn them in advance that the food takes longer to come.)

Just to pull out one possible example among many, go to Gin Lane some night and watch the bartenders toss out those cocktails, quickly. That's what people expect. (Too bad that the cocktails aren't very well made.) But that's not what you get at Death & Co. -- and thank God for it.

[Megan Blocker]

I agree with you that it's ridiculous to present $12 as an expensive price for cocktails.  But I think they're actually doing everyone involved a service by noting that you have to wait for your drinks at places like this.  For whatever reason, Death & Co. is getting mass attention.  And you have to understand that mass market bar patrons are used to getting drinks made by tossers.  They aren't used to waiting for a drink to be prepared properly, and it's probably for the best that they be warned of that before they go to Death & Co.  I don't think it does anybody any good for Death & Co. to filled (and, based on the reports we're getting, I mean FILLED) with people with inappropriate expectations.

(I mean, if a busload of people used to eating at Olive Garden got taken to Le Bernadin, it might not be amiss to warn them in advance that the food takes longer to come.)

←

I agree, Sneakeater. I brought three friends with me on Sunday, and they were getting impatient about their drinks (and these are people who are used to fine dining, not Olive Garden, so it's not like they're completely uncultured). I did a little quiet explaining about the fact that ordering a cocktail at D&Co. is like ordering a dish at, say, Degustation. It's going to get there, it's going to be good, but we're not talking immediate gratification here. Five minutes is a worthy price to pay for such delectable creations. If you're worried you'll go thirsty, order your next round while you still have a few sips left, and calm down.

[slkinsey]

For what it's worth, one should note that the tenders at D&C are some of the most expert in the business at banging out specialty cocktails quickly at volume. These guys cut their teeth at places like Pegu and, more to the point when thinking about speed and volume, Flatiron Lounge. They're not "taking their own sweet time, and you'll get it when it's ready" like a cocktail equivalent of Dom at Di Fara. This is not to say that Dom is thumbing his nose at customers, but rather that we're not talking about bartenders who aren't concerned with speed.

However, as noted, it takes longer to make a Jersey Tenor than it takes to make a vodka soda. So if some customers who are there for the buzz are complaining about the wait, well... that's part of the price to be paid for a location in hipster central. Once the "new bar buzz" wears off and D&C finds its real clientelle, no on will say anything about waiting 90 seconds for a proper drink.

[Sneakeater]

I brought three friends with me on Sunday, and they were getting impatient about their drinks (and these are people who are used to fine dining, not Olive Garden, so it's not like they're completely uncultured).

←

That just shows how much farther there is to go in developing an educated constituency for cocktails. (It's exciting, really.)

[Megan Blocker]

I brought three friends with me on Sunday, and they were getting impatient about their drinks (and these are people who are used to fine dining, not Olive Garden, so it's not like they're completely uncultured).

←

That just shows how much farther there is to go in developing an educated constituency for cocktails. (It's exciting, really.)

←

Exactly! I consider myself lucky to have this opportunity to teach. Booze is usually a pretty good inducement, so there's not a lot of arm-twisting involved.

[johnder]

Today seems to be press day for D&C, giving them a trifecta of coverage:

Eater.

Death & Company has come onto the scene with blazing speed, from Plywood to Sunday Styles in an unheard of 11 days. But said buzz isn't unwarranted: the venue is built faithfully to NY cocktail lounge specs, complete with Prohibition Era naming inspiration; carefully conceived and crafted cocktails; an understated yet decadent exterior; dark wood, chandeliers and a marble top bar; and a few choice booths that allow for a certain degree of privacy. The owners are Dave Kaplan and Ravi DeRossi (of the Burgious Pig), with small plates by chef Jacques Godin. The head bartender, the man you want to know in this type of establishment, is Philip Ward (of Pegu and Flatiron). The venue has been in soft open for a few weeks and opens officially this week.

And Grub Street

There’s been a bit of intrigue about who’s behind the imposing wooden door of Death & Co., the two-week-old cocktail lounge and restaurant recently mentioned in the Times’ piece about not-so-secret secret bars. Though already slammed by a Friday-night crowd that has forced them to keep a waiting list, first-time owner David Kaplan and his partner Ravi DeRossi (who told us he was tripling the size of his other bar, the Bourgeois Pig) were perfectly willing to do roll call. No, the Reaper is not a partner: Head bartender Philip Ward of Pegu Club and Flatiron Lounge is joined by dapper drinksmiths Brian Miller (Pegu), Jim Kerns (Pegu and Freemans), and another chap who currently works at two high-end restaurants known for their cocktails (no truth to rumors that a Milk and Honey alumnus is involved).

....

[daisy17]

Finally made my way to Death & Co. (after an amazing dinner at Momo, those brussel sprouts rock my world) for a couple of cocktails last night. Place was hopping for a Sunday night but we snagged two seats at the bar near the door. Yana made us some outstanding cocktails - I started with a perfectly balanced Lucino's Delight (I have a weakness for amaro (not to mention vermouth and gin) and predicted correctly that I would love this one) and then a Pink Lady. He had a Wicked Kiss and a Monongahela Mule, my second favorite of the night. Loved the vibe too. Damn those hipsters. I'd be there very often if it wasn't so crowded.

[johnder]

So New York Press did a review of Death and Company this past Tuesday, it can be found here.

The touched on the food briefly and gave well deserved kudos to the drinks:

My liquid happiness flows from the daiquiri-like St. Matilda (mainly tequila and pear juice) and Death’s now-signature offering: The Jersey Tenor, a mating of maple syrup, cognac and applejack, finished with a cinnamon stick.

The part that was bizarre about the review though was:

The drinks are tasty, that’s immutable. But the Rubik’s cube–size ice hunks mostly fill the tumblers, leaving little space for liquid. That’s akin to covering a dinner plate with parsley and dropping filet mignon slivers on top. The other cocktail glasses are prim, though paltry chalices.

Crave quantity over quality? Bumble down the block for Cherry Tavern’s $5 tequila-and-Tecate special. Death & Co. is for romantic nightcaps, after-work stress relieving, conspiratorial tête-à-têtes. Once the buzz seekers flit to another lounge, seekers of rarefied buzzes can imbibe on cloud nine.

I am not sure I would want more than 2 oz of 100 proof rye in my glass at any point anyway. I may have wanted a goblet of Jack when I was 18, but I have since moved beyond that.

[dietsch]

Okay, my wife and I are planning to meet somewhere tonight for a drink after work. We'd love to try out Death & Co., but if it's still mobbed by scenesters, we're happy to continue waiting. What's it like there now? Anyone been in the last week or so?

[Nathan]

last Wednesday was pretty mobbed.

if you can get there right when it opens you should be fine.