Wild Ivy

In Gramercy, Wild Ivy is a stylish new bar and restaurant that's ideal for a first date, happy hour with coworkers, dinner with friends, or a night out on the town by yourself. Mick O'Sullivan, proprietor of Bell Book & Candle in the West Village, and Peter O'Connell, owner of Molly's and Malones on Third Avenue, brought Wild Ivy to life.

Start with some Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings, Crispy Deviled Eggs, or Mini Meatballs with Chimichurri. The 16-oz grilled ribeye, the grilled cheese and truffle sandwich, and the chicken cordon bleu sandwich are among the larger dishes. Pizzas such as the Italian Flag, which has buffalo mozzarella, tomato, and basil, the Old Stand By, which has Ezzo pepperoni, and the tasty Spicy Meatball with Serrano chile are also available for guests to enjoy. Order a traditional Caesar, a stone fruit mixed green salad, or an heirloom tomato salad for a lighter choice. A comprehensive brunch menu will also be available at Wild Ivy starting at the end of October.

A cocktail menu that honors Wild Ivy's Gramercy location was created by bar director Kelly Jakobs. The color-changing Poison Ivy, which is made with Grey Goose, lemon, and lavender infused with butterfly peas, dill, gin, and ginger; Ruggle's Choice, which combines vodka, Kahlua, espresso, and pumpkin spice; Booth's Hooch, which combines gin, lime, ginger, and beet; and Irresistible Irving, which combines rum, lime, peach, cinnamon, and angostura. Weekly specials include $4 off specialty cocktails, $7 house wine, $6 beers, and $1.50 oysters during happy hour, which runs from 4 to 7 p.m.

All the walls at Wild Ivy are covered in the breathtaking Abstract Expressionist artwork of the late New York City artist Rick Librizzi, who resided at the Chelsea Hotel. Librizzi's art alluded to his contemporaneous relationships with Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The area has large booths, a stunning bar, and sultry low lighting. It has 74 indoor seating capacity.

The bar will be open from 4pm till late, 7 nights per week. Happy hour will be offered on weekdays from 4pm-7pm

Cobble Fish's Seasonal Reopening

Cobble Fish, located on Pier 16 in the South Street Seaport, is a new seasonally open dining and drinking destination that serves up fantastic seafood, summer cocktails, and terrific vibes. In a world of sophisticated cocktails and the desire to broadcast everything on Instagram, Cobble Fish takes a different approach, focusing on the foundations of why people gather to dine and drink together. The al fresco restaurant and bar aim to create a local vibe while also incorporating everything we liked about NYC in the 1990s. It's a great place to catch up with friends over a tasty lobster club, refreshing beverages, and sea views. Weather permitting, Cobble Fish is open every day from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Cobble Fish welcomes both families and pets (as long as your four-legged buddy is on a leash).

The special preview party featured an array of refreshing drinks and delicious bites, along with music from DJ Chris Willard that kept the atmosphere lively and upbeat right on the water.

Highlights of the drink menu include the Impossible Girl with Grey Goose Watermelon, Cintronage, fresh lime, and cranberry. Guests also indulged in Dark n’ Stormy cocktails and  Skinny Margaritas, with the perfect amount of tequila and a citrusy kick.  Delicious bites included Battered Fries with garlic aioli, Fish Tacos with Mahi, jicama slaw, and cilantro lime aioli, and the new menu item, Beef Sliders with Gruyere and Caramelized Onions.

Images courtesy of Daniel Kwak

Review: Patent Pending + The Lab

I think it’s safe to say that, at this point in the year, a drink or two just might be the thing we need to keep us going. Luckily, with the city slowly and safely reopening, we’ll have more than a few options for an alcohol infused night out — starting with Patent Pending + The Lab, a steampunk esque bar at the foot of the legendary Radio Wave building. An intimate addition to the New York night scene, Patent Pending + The Lab is an upscale yet inviting space serving delicious bites and indulgent drinks that are inventions all by themselves. 

Walking to Patent Pending, the first thing you’ll notice (gratefully, I might add, as the months get colder), is the presence of an outdoor dining area that includes five weather proof canvas huts. Inside, you’ll find the Lab portion of the bar, which features a second bar with stools, as well as banquet style seating ideal for private group gatherings of up to 40. Pending city guidelines, the combined spaces can be rented for groups of up to 100. But logistics aside, the space, both indoors and out, is beautiful, with 19th century basement arches, restored penny tiles, and fresh, fragrant greenery. Especially intriguing is the menu, which, presented as an inventor’s sketchbook, is accompanied by painstakingly hand drawn illustrations that are nothing less than works of art. 

But, of course, the most stand out features the bar has to offer are its many delicious yet eccentric cocktails. From Currents & Coils (Venezuelan & Guyanese Rum, Malted Milk, Coconut, Banana, Patent Coffee, Pineapple Lime) to the Impossible Idea (Chichicapa Mezcal, Navazos Rum, Blackened Banana, Luxardo Maraschino, Oloroso Sherry, Nardini Amaro), each of the bar’s high end drinks are infused with an almost scientific spirit. Imaginative yet luxurious, they juxtapose well with Patent Pending’s easygoing yet gourmet bites: three types of grilled cheese, a creamy crostini, and several boozy, delectable desserts. 

But if you aren’t necessarily an alcohol person, you’ll be happy to know that, during the day, Patent Pending + Lab undergoes an electrifying transformation in order to emerge as Patent Coffee, a specialty grab and go coffee shop where you can pick up a S’Mores Latte (Housemade Cinnamon Chocolate Ganache, Espresso, Milk, Garnished with Toasted Marshmallow and Graham Cracker), a Spicy Boy (Mike’s Hot Honey, Cayenne, Ginger, Espresso, Oat Milk), or, if you like a little kick in the morning, spiked Apple Cider or Bone Broth.

So if you’re looking for something a little off the grid, something a little unique, and something that pushes the boundaries a bit, Patent Pending + The Lab might just be the place for you. Whether you’re a cocktail connoisseur or coffee loving fiend, you’re sure to find something to satisfy your pending cravings. 

Check out Patent Pending + The Lab on their instagram, @patentpendingnyc, or on their website, https://www.patentpendingnyc.com/.They are open from 4pm - Midnight daily, and have takeout and delivery available via phone (212-869-4002).

Special thanks to Rachel Vanni for photos.

Sir Henri Penthouse Rooftop- The Perfect Winter Escape

On December 2nd, in the midst of the first snowfall of winter, Sir Henri Penthouse Rooftop & Lounge introduced a new winter food and drinks menu designed to warm the body and soul. Upon arrival, guests were greeted with Moet & Chandon champagne and encouraged to try the seasonal cocktails (Margaretha Franklin, Gin Martin, Sweet and Sour Voughan, Nina Cinnamon Old Fashion, Cold Porter, Nut King Cole). The signature drinks featured ingredients such as jalapenos, spiced pear liqueur, cinnamon, spiced rum, and other ingredients known to keep you warm as the temperature drops in NYC. However, if you prefer a more classic drink, Sir Henri has you covered with their Old Fashion, Manhattan, French 75, Cosmopolitan, and select wines and beers.

Cold Porter: Scotch, Elderflower, Luxardo, Passion Fruit

Nut King Cole: Spiced Rum, Frangelico, Fernet Blanca, Amaro, Honey

Old Fashion

French 75

Now of course, what are drinks without food? As guests mingled and took in the cozy ambiance, platters of Sir Henri’s new dishes were brought out for sampling. Chicken and shrimp tacos, barbeque chicken wings, Sir Henri Mini’s sliders, calamari, and a trio of dips (Tzatziki, Hummus, Spicy Feta) with warm pita bread were served and they paired amazingly with the drinks. The chicken wings, calamari, and shrimp tacos are highly recommended!

As the temperature drops, it becomes more difficult to go outdoors, but Sir Henri’s Penthouse Rooftop (37 W 24th Street) is definitely worth the trip. Located on the 18th floor of Hotel Henri, the venue exudes vibes of a Jazz Age speakeasy but brings it back to our time with modern mixology. It is insulated in the winter and open-aired in the summer, making it a great place year-round for views of NYC and good food and drinks.

A Feast to Remember at D'Artagnan's Fifth Annual Cassoulet War

At 7 p.m. on February 18th, lovers of French cuisine packed into the Kimpton Hotel Eventi for D’Artagnan’s Fifth Annual Cassoulet War. People circulated around the upscale hotel space to taste thirty competing chefs’ takes on the classic dish cassoulet.

A cassoulet is a French casserole dish whose main components are creamy white beans, various flavorful meats and tasty pork skin. The savory flavor and milky texture of the beans mixed with the sweet, hearty meats make the dish extremely tasty. During the Cassoulet War, each chef’s cassoulet is  judged by French chefs who were experts on the dish -- although the job couldn’t have been an easy one -- all of the cassoulets were so delicious, people were often holding two or three cups of cassoulet in their hands while they made their way around to as many chefs as possible.

As attendees mingled through mouthfuls of cassoulet and sips of red wine from the open bar, everyone was jovial throughout the night. D’Artagnan’s Fifth Annual Cassoulet War was a night to remember.

Samples of cassoulet made by Gramercy Tavern’s Kyle Goldstein.

Slate NY

One of the most recognizable faces in Flatiron just had a face lift. Slate, which has been a staple in Chelsea since 2000, just had a $2 million-dollar renovation, which was cause for recent celebration. 

On Thursday, September 27th, The Lure Group's CEO Aristotle Hatzigeorgiou welcomed over 500 guests to take in Slate's all-new look during a massive carnival themed bash. Drinks were flowing as revelers rediscovered this massive 16,000 square foot adult playground, which now boasts three bowling lanes, a secret karaoke room, a BYOB (Be Your Own Bartender) pouring station with 20 adult beverages on tap and a 20-foot slide to get partygoers from the top to ground floor without having to lift a foot.

Real Housewives of New York Stars Dorinda Medley, Ramona Singer and Tinsley Mortimer, Summer House Stars Lindsay Hubbard and Lauren Wirkus and New York Mets Hall of Famer John Franco were among the notable names in attendance who took in a performance by Jazz Vocalist Hannah Gill and danced into the night with music courtesy of DJ Kasey Berry.

Guests also got in the action at the ping pong and pool tables, Skee-Ball, pinball and at Slate's new 8-player foosball table.  Shot-skis were poured by the team at Club Getaway who were on hand to raffle off a weekend away at their adult sleepaway camp in the Berkshire Mountains.  Executive Chef Darryl Harmon also showcased some of his new signature dishes at the party and guests got to indulge in cotton candy on glow sticks. Slate came alive with vaudeville-like acts occurring throughout the night featuring mimes, contortionists, clowns and even a human disco ball, many of which will return regularly for Slate's new weekly Magic Monday party. 

To check out Slate's new look, visit www.slate-ny.com