The Premium Life

The bright lights of Times Square – to visitors it’s considered heaven in the center of Manhattan – to locals it’s hell on earth. Tourists from every part of the world congregate in the land of adult Disneyland to stare at stupid shit, chow at chain restaurants that turn rats into sushi and buy knock-off handbags from men who convince you it just “fell off the back of a truck.” Real or fake, nothing screams visitor louder than a Coach bag! I’m not going to completely diss the square – I’ve both lived and worked there and I honestly think Herald Square is a bit more maddening (I currently work here and break out into hives on an hourly basis) – but the trick to the square is to know where to go and when!

Stroll down Broadway at 7pm on a Friday and run the risk of getting arrested … you’ll eventually lose your mind and shove someone out of your way and into the path of a speeding cab. If you walk down that same street at midnight on a Monday night in January you’ll own it (aside from New Year’s Eve – I’d rather be in jail), but you’ll also turn into an ice sculpture. I lived in Times Square for four years, not exactly on Broadway, but I was so close that I would have to show proof of residency in order to get into my apartment on New Year’s Eve and one year the cops STILL wouldn’t let me in at all so I went to a local bar on 9th Avenue and drowned my “I’m never getting married” sorrows in a Grey Goose martini with my roommate. We eventually picked ourselves up after that never-exciting ball came crashing down and walked over to our favorite little hole in the wall on 52nd street and 8th Avenue, the Russian Vodka Room.

I’m not sure who introduced me to the Vodka Room – might’ve been one of the 8,000 men I’ve dated in NYC (and I’m still single) – or we might’ve simply stumbled upon it in a drunken stupor one evening when we were dodging out-of-towners. Either way, it’s pretty rare that anyone ever seems to remember leaving the RVR. This diamond in the rough, no-frills bar/restaurant is a bit reminiscent of someone’s basement, equipped with a piano player. The dark entryway leads you into a world full of Russians speaking Russian – guaranteed you’ll feel like a foreigner in your own country. Russian mobsters, wannabe supermodels and suits escaping the office line the mahogany bar to drink Batika 3 beer while slurping on delicious borscht and sucking down vodka shots. As someone with a Ukrainian background I’m embarrassed to say that I had never tried borscht before the Vodka Room and now I eat this beet soup every time I go there. It makes the dead-of-winter chills a little more bearable. Read more »

It seems like every week I get calls and emails from our clients and friends wanting to know what the new “hot spot” is and where they should grab drinks after a hard days work. I start going down the list of places and locations (mostly in the West Village, Meat Packing District or Lower East Side) and the reply is always the same. “Sounds like a great place but I don’t feel like going all the way downtown, are there any cool places in mid town?”

Well after my second excursion to the new Monkey Bar last week, I am happy to report there are. The revamped Monkey Bar is located in the Elysee Hotel on 54^th between Madison and Park. It was previously owned by The Glazier Group until Graydon Carter, the editor of Vanity Fair and an owner of the Waverly Inn in Greenwich Village, and two other partners, Jeff Klein, owner of the City Club Hotel, and Jeremy King of The Wolseley bought it and decided it to overhaul the cuisine and overall feel.

The Monkey Bar reopened in May and still has the same swanky feel of a 1930’s Supper Club – rich red-leather banquettes, brass trimmings, monkey lamps and a 65-foot mural of New Yorkers along the walls. Most of the servers wear white steward jackets with long tails and striped patches on the shoulders. The dining room has balcony and orchestra-level seating.

I did not sample the food the first time I was there, but there was plenty of eye candy to make your mouth water. It is a pretty looking crowd, mostly coming from their midtown  office right after work and many staying until very late in the night. I quickly became friends with one of the main waiters (Pete) who took care of me and my clients for the rest of the night. We sampled various cocktails and sat around chatting and enjoying the talent.

I decided to go back a second time and sample the food. After a few Martini’s we ordered the oysters of the day (with lime and Tabasco, of course) and also sampled the Peeky-toe crab cakes and the soft shell crab. All of the food was delicious but let be clear about one thing–the main attraction here is the scene.

It certainly helps to get there on the early side to secure one of the few tables near the bar. Or if you prefer, you can always make a restaurant reservations and take a table in the restaurant area. Whatever your choice maybe, just be happy to know that you no longer have to schlep to all four corners of the city to find a good after work hangout. As always, if you need help planning your next experience let us know at www.premiumlg.com. Bottoms up!