Don't leave me hanging on the telephone

PDT (Please Don't Tell) is pretty high up on the list of secretive places in the EV. I mean the place is hidden through an entrance in a telephone booth for pete's sake. It's like you're in the freaking Chronicles of Narnia!


To get to PDT, go inside Crif Dogs (an awesome hot dog joint) at 113 St. Marks Pl. Then look for the entrance to the telephone booth. Go in. Pick up the phone. Ok, now this is starting to sound like The Matrix.


PDT is supposedly a really amazing speakeasy with delicious cocktails. But unfortunately, this is sort of where the story ends for me. Because we tried getting in there on Saturday night around midnight but didn't get a call back until 1:30 am. We were pretty far away at that point, so we didn't go back. But I am really dying to check this place out. I've read on yelp that you can make reservations between 3-3:30 pm daily. So maybe I'll try my luck at that, or try going during less peak hours.


I will make it to the other side. Stay tuned!

Moby, can you hear me?

It's time we ventured to Loisaida, don't you think? We're talking Avenue C here people. Which used to be borderline sketchy, but there's so many bars and crowds there now that I don't think it's true anymore. Avenue D is another story. There are a few once-cool, now turned B&T joints on Avenue C. But one of the ones that remains really cool is Moby's live music spot - Nublu.

Nublu is located at 62 Avenue C. Yes, it's a late-night hipster spot. But in an awesome, not annoying way. Moby is the owner after all and he's pretty zen. It is sweaty though. And a little smelly. There's no A/C. There's also no stage for the bands. But there is something very raw about the environment that makes people want to makeout. A lot. Because they do. I've seen it.

There's no real sign outside of Nublu, so just look for this awning thing with the doorman inside. Oh, and I should mention there's always been a $10 cover when I've gone.

[side note] Am I the only one still not over the whole live band/DJ combo thing? Not that it's any kind of new music revelation. But it's still so cool to me everytime I experience it in a small venue like this. This girl pictured here seemed pretty into it too.

So if you like bumping to the beat, or making out in dark, sweaty places, you should check this place out. Maybe Moby will show up and DJ. He's done it before.

Hip to the hop

Whoa, did I see some crazy dance moves at No Malice Palace on Saturday night. Moves so fast and complex that they cannot be recorded by film or digital media, so you'll have to just use your imagination.

Located at 197 E. 3rd St., No Malice Palace is a great place to get your hippity hop on in a non-clubby, non-pretentious environment. The only real sign, seen below, is on the inside of the bar.


Their DJ is great. I can't remember the last time I got to sing along to "Got your money" by ODB (that's Ol' Dirty Bastard for those less in the know). Actually, didn't he change his name to Big Baby Jesus? I digress.

Some negatives about this bar include: there's no beer on tap. I've been there when there's a line and when it's been too crowded. And in terms of the crowd, it's pretty mixed, but leans to the younger side, so it might not be as enjoyable for ladies 30+. I would say the same thing for guys, except that guys seem to like younger girls for some weird reason.

To find No Malice, look for the green light. It does look pretty sketchy outside of the bar with that black curtain over the window. But inside it's fairly normal. Just a long space with a bar up front and then couches as you head towards the back where the dancing happens. There's also an outdoor space, but it closes at 11 on the weekends.

Next time I get the urge to start a hip hop dance crew (which is pretty much everytime I catch an episode of Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew) I am heading to this spot to bust a move.

Basement of love, part 2

The companion bar to Lovers of Today is Cabin Down Below, also known as Cabin. Also located in the basement at 132 1/2 7th St., Cabin is even harder to find than Lovers of Today.


This is because even when you walk down the stairs to the basement, you can't really see the entrance to Cabin in the back, and you are immediately drawn to the entrance of Lovers of Today on the right.


Cabin is more divey than LOT, but not as divey as you would expect a basement bar to be. The space is also bigger than you would expect, broken up into a few smaller rooms. The crowd is a fairly hipster-y and I did sense 'tude from the doorman. So needless to say don't show up in a polo shirt and running shoes. There is no beer on tap at Cabin, only bottles. One of the biggest pluses (besides feeling really proud of yourself for finding this place) is the good music, though it is a tad loud since the atmosphere is otherwise fairly chill. Overall, this is a good spot to escape from the college/B&T crowd that has been pervading the EV as of late. But not a good place if you have a strong aversion to hipsters.

Basement of love, part 1

At 132 1/2 E. 7th St. there are not one, but two highly inconspicuous bars in the basement. The first one is Lovers of Today.


Which is actually the less inconspicuous of the two. There is no sign from the street. Just the 132 1/2 marking on the gates. When you walk down the stairs, Lovers of Today is the entrance that you can see on the right.


Apparently, LOT used to be the tiki bar for Niagra, (which is the larger well-known bar with an entrance around the corner on Avenue A) until a few months ago when they made the change.

The bar is made up of just one room with dim lighting, perfect for a date. But note, this is a late-night spot. It doesn't open till 10. The crowd, in my experience, is not at all college-y. They have a nice, but not overwhelming list of original cocktails. So if you are looking for fancy cocktails in an especially intimate setting, this is it. There's no table service, so that's a little bit of a drawback. But the place is so tiny that you don't really need a waiter. It's definitely the classiest bar in a basement that I've been to.

Supper for brunch

Supper, located at 156 E. 2nd St (between Avenue A and B) is an EV staple for consistently delicious Italian food.

So you might not necessarily think about going there for brunch. Especially with so many other brunch options and brunch specials in the area. But the french toast at Supper is out of this world. I'm much more of a savory breakfast sort of person, but this stuff is goooood. Thick beautiful pieces of bread with fresh berries and powdered sugar. I have turned many a friend onto Supper french toast and no one has left disappointed.


Since you can't really see into the windows of Supper, it's hard to anticipate the magic that's waiting for you inside. The best way to spot Supper is probably to look for the black awnings as you are approaching from a distance. On the left is the entrance to the restaurant and on the right is the adjoining bar. Once you get up close, maybe not all of the time, but most of the time there is a sidewalk sign that says Supper.

Once you get inside, it's very inviting and cozy. Definitely one of my all-time favorites, and a bit nostalgic since it's on my old block. I don't live there anymore. Sorry stalkers. But really it's a shame for me to be so far from that french toast...

A good hair stylist is hard to find

When it comes to hair stylists in the EV - Ken is the man. That's all you need to know. Ok, you might want to know where to find him.


Ken is the owner of Pirka, a hole is the wall salon at 233 E. 4th St between A and B.


Here are some tips for finding the salon. (I've been to this place maybe 10 times and I still manage to walk past it). Look for the orange. Sometimes there is a chalkboard either on the sidewalk or a chair outside the salon with the name of the salon and the prices.

Ken is an extremely skilled and precise hair stylist from Japan. This man has literally spent 2 hours working on my hair on more than one occasion, just to make sure it's perfect.


Now when I say Pirka is a the hole in the wall, what I mean is that it is tiny. Truly tiny. There are 3 chairs in the salon, and many times you might be the only customer. What this means is you can avoid any of the attitude offered up by so many other salons and that you will always have Ken's full attention. And he's always got cool music playing, which is a bonus.

And for the million dollar question, how much is this gonna cost you? $60 for a women's haircut and $50 for men's. Not bad at all. Actually, quite good for NYC. Especially when you take into consideration that Ken gives you an insanely good back massage at the end of your haircut. And that makes for a very happy haircut.

Aphrodisiacs for everyone!

The first stop on our tour is Desnuda, a new find for me.


Desnuda lives at 122 E. 7th Street between 1st and Avenue A.


Blink and you've passed it by. But if you happen to catch a glimpse, chances are you'll be enticed to take a further peek into the window.

They call it a "Winebar & Cevicheria". And yes, they do have wine and ceviche, but I think the oysters are what make this place really cool. I didn't think I liked oysters at all, but I kept eating these!


And, they're cheap. $1 each on Sundays from 2 to close and Mondays from 6 to close. I'm not making this up. There is a legitimate sign that says so hanging outside.


There are no tables at Desnuda, just a long bar, but it's still comfy. Don't expect a full meal, everything is tapas style. But the atmosphere is spot on. Cool music, but not too loud, interesting crowd, sexy decor, attentive staff, mood lighting, fans simultaneously flapping a gentle breeze and maybe best of all...


POPCORN. Which is also an aphrodisiac, I think.