On a beautiful Saturday night in April, we celebrated the birthday of my husband’s barber(and close friend). It was a looonngg night…Ha!
The night started at Cafe Wha? (www.cafewha.com ) in the Village. After getting by the doorman you walk down the stairwell to the main floor(don’t fall). It appears to be a basement like “intimate” atmosphere. You are in CLOSE proximity to everyone. But, you soon forget about your seating arrangement when the band begins. Everyone was up and dancing in the isles. I had to dance with everyone I walked by, just to get to the bathroom. The house band (who is available for private events) played that night with a special guest who turned the place upside down. Little to say there was not any skimping on the talent. We had finger foods, beer, and sangria. The food was tasty…nothing extravagant though. The beer was bottled…you can’t mess that up. BUT, the sangria (…or kool-aid) left a lot to be desired. Little to say, I won’t get it again. Cafe Wha? is open 7 days a week. There is no cover on Wednesday and Sunday.
After Cafe Wha? we went to the Brandy Library(www.brandylibrary.com ) in the Tribecca section of NY. It is a laid back lounge setting, with low lights and bottles of spirits lining the wall like library books. I managed to snap a couple of pictures before the host informed me of the “no picture-taking” rule(oops). There is a wealth of spirit information in this establishment. You can order flights of various spirits or you can attend one of the classes that are offered in their “Spirit School”. I ordered a Bostonian, which was very appealing to the Gin drinker in me. I did not eat, but the birthday boy had an appetizer that’s like duck in blanket. I wasn’t too adventurous that evening (or morning) to try it…But he liked it…and others may too. The Brandy Library is available to host, and coordinate, private events. This establishment is a MUST DO, especially for brandy and cognac drinkers. Sorry. Cigar smokers have to puff outside.
As we left the Brandy Library, we searched for a little dive bar, that we fell in love with some time ago. We couldn’t find it, but we stumbled upon Bubby’s Tribecca (www.bubbys.com ). Bubby’s is a restaurant that offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Bubby’s serves American fare of which many of “the recipes are handed down for generations…or stolen” (their words ,not mine). We weren’t very hungry, but a little snack with another drink didn’t hurt anyone. I had an espresso martini. It was ENERGIZING! The bartender, Josh, made a masterpiece and topped it off with some espresso beans. It’s one of the best that I’ve had. My friend had a chocolate chip cookie, that I just couldn’t stop talking about. It was so sweet and it was the perfect complement to my martini. According to the birthday boy, the cake that he had held its own award. Bubby’s has locations in Brooklyn(Dumbo section) and in Tribecca. Bubby’s Tribecca is open 24 hrs a day(12am on Monday). It is a nice little compliment to the area.
…Until our next outing…Smooches!
Out With Ang 