Little Japantown, part 1

Did you know there's a section of the East Village where a bunch of Japanese places are clustered together? Well, I lived there for 2 years and I just figured this out. Little Japantown, as I'll unofficially call it, is on 9th St between 2nd and 3rd Avenue. It also extends onto Stuyvesant Street.

Decibel, a sake bar, is one of the more hidden places in this area. It's located below ground at 240 E. 9th St. Don't let the graffiti-laden stairwell scare you!

In a nutshell, Decibel is a divey, gritty sake bar. I'm not a sake expert, but if you're into it, they've got plenty of it. Of course, they have other drinks too. I was there on a Monday evening, which was pretty low key. But I've heard it can get pretty packed.

When you're sipping on sake at Decibel, you really feel like you've been transported to a far off land. So if Japan is on your list of places you'd like to visit, heading to 9th Street is an easy way to make a quick visit - and a lot more economical!

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.

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.

Let's get real

Scratcher, at 209 E. 5th St (at the corner of Bowery) is a solid choice when you want a drink without the fuss.


It's an Irish pub, but without the green decorations. Unlike so many of the Irish pubs in the Murray Hill vicinity, you won't find the cheesy teeny-bopper crowd here. No top 40 hits blasting.


No fancy cocktails, no hipsters either. Just a bar with beer on tap, free wi-fi and decent prices.


Let's face it. Sometimes the EV can start to wear on you. All the trendy people. The doormen with 'tudes. You certainly couldn't find anyplace cooler. But sometimes you don't want to go someplace uber cool. Sometimes you just want a good old-fashioned relaxing place to chill. Nothing wrong with giving the fedora a night off. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Tastes like death, in a good way

Death & Co. at 433 E. 6th St is a fantastic place for exotic, high-end cocktails.


(That's the door in the middle. Do not be deceived, the metal sections on the left and right are not doors. And those white spots are rain drops in case you were wondering.)


Who knew that their food was equally as amazing. I don't recall being so blown-away by their cuisine in the past. But jeez, this proscuitto flatbread I had with some kind of cheese and grapes and truffle oil was TO DIE FOR!


Literally, one of the most tasty things I've ever eaten ever. EVER. Bravo to the chef Luis Gonzalez. I just checked their website and their old boring menu is still up there with a different chef who will remain unnamed.


This place is pretty upscale. But since it's in the EV, the crowd is quite mixed. It turns out dudes in suits and hipsters can get along, if there are quality cocktails involved.


I think my flatbread cost $12, but it was practically the size of a pizza and very filling so I think it worked out just fine. I also had the Golden Gate brandy/grapefruit juice (and about a half a dozen other ingredients) cocktail. Also around $12 or $13. Also quite good.


So, why not take your date to Death? It's never tasted so delicious.

Cha cha to the rum bar

Is there anyplace better than Cuba? Alright, I've never been. But I have been to Cienfuegos, which is pretty much the same thing in my mind.


From the outside of 443 E. 6th St (between 1st and Avenue A), Cienfuegos sort of looks like a diner, except that there an inordinate number of people hanging around outside, but not many people sitting at the bar.

But then, you look a little closer and realize there's a line in the back to talk to the host.

(This picture above is sort of strange because it's really just of the ceiling. But you can get an idea of the decor upstairs, which really transforms the space.)

Cienfuegos is all about rum, rum punch specifically. I've never put much thought into punch before, but believe me, somebody did. Because the punch list here is extensive. For $14 you can get an individual glass of punch, or you can get as much punch as you can afford in a silver punch bowl to share with friends. My punch was fantastic and worth the splurge.

I didn't know at the time, but the place just opened in April. I would recommend it for anyone who wants to get punch-drunk or for a group of friends who have something special to celebrate.

It's especially appealing for a girl gathering. There's something girly about the colors and all the punch I think. And there are some good areas for group seating that looked like fun. Just please, please don't eat the food. I didn't think you could mess up sliders or cuban sandwiches. But you can. Oh, you can. Let's cut them a break since they just opened. At least they got the drinks right. Sometimes, that's all you need.

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.