The West Village Foodie Frolic
Not since the Beatnik days of the San Remo ’60s (the original genesis of cool New York) has the West Village vibe felt so hipster relevant. Back in the day, the original notion of West Village ‘cool’ was the twenty-something Andy Warhol hanging out with Ondine, Danny Fields, and Robert Rauschenberg at the original temple of cool—the gay boite at the time—the San Remo right in the heart of the Beatnik West Village, where MacDougal merges with Bleecker. Pop historians regard the San Remo as the beginning of NYC calm and the counter-culture notion.
Now, some 60 years later, that nexus of the West Village once again feels like the a place to be. This time, though, the cool element is being led by the lively restaurant culture that again makes the Manhattan West Village the new global culinary mecca. Only in the West Village can one eat well on virtually every street and corner. This part of the city is suddenly awash with new restaurants on every corner, where food and frolic are embraced and seem to go hand in hand. And nowhere is the revival more evident than at the juncture of MacDougal and Bleecker Streets, where blue-chip restaurateurs.
Stratis Morfogen is about to launch his next mega-foodie complex, Pappa’s Tavern, which will be a homage to his family’s Greek roots. Down the way, you have the still-legendary élan of Caffe Dante near the newer classic, the hopping Brit spot Dame, and another chic café in Figaro.
But none of them matches the coolness of the hippest fashionista-foodie hot spot right now. Nat’s on Bleecker Street by Sullivan Street fills that slot. This is where the 21st-century version of Warhol would be the CFO of an elite fashion brand such as Saint Laurent, taking over the back room of Nat’s for a raucous dinner party with his team. Nat’s on Bleecker has been an instant hit with the most astute fashion insiders. It couldn’t have been lost on the Saint Laurent kids that taking over the back room of Nat’s virtually assures the possibility of an Anna Wintour sighting with her Manhattan home almost next door to this buzzy kitchen, where one of the most accomplished chefs in the West Village is parsing out the most delicious, elevated comfort food anywhere.
Chef Jonah Eagan is the real-life version of that nerdy-sexy Netflix chef played by Jeremy Allen White on The Bear. Seriously, Chef Jonah is a true craftsman still all-in on the nostalgia for classic
Americana comfort food.
If Dame Anna Wintour wants to order in from up the street, she must start with the transformative take on the simple deviled egg—perfect cue to introduce the devil who wears Prada next door. The reimagined deviled egg is just the start of the symphony from Chef Jonah. Small Plates you simply must order include the Fluke Crudo and the Razor Clam Ceviche. And indulge the unctuous comfort food coma of the Big Plates: Short Rib Pot Roast, the always-sold-out Nat’s Chicken Cacciatore, and the yummy house classic, Gnocchi Escargot—divine! Even his take on the traditional Waldorf Salad is sublime. “We care about all the finer touch points. Elevated comfort food is what we do best.” Thank you, Chef Jonah.
And how to account for the deft hand at creating a foodie frolic vibe, which owner Nat Freihon seems to wield so effortlessly? “Great food and a first-rate curated playlist,” she quipped as Lisa Stansfield—a true ’90s pop diva—amped the room’s retro-festive mood. “I like things that don’t fit into any box,” the West Village foodie mogul confidently chirped. “It’s just how we are at Strange Bird Hospitality, a fun, let-loose vibe serving amazing food.”
When Nat herself makes an appearance in one of her colors, clang one-of-a-kind, the entire room lights up just as it did when Andy Warhol used to walk into a room. And her original Nat’s on Bank is unquestionably the Village insider spot for Sunday brunch.
Nat’s on Bleecker
170 Bleecker Street
347-773-1737
Nat’s On Bank
51 Bank Street
347-897-5343
Nobody could twerk like Josephine Baker back in the day. Just like the arbiter being distracted by the video montage jumping out from the vast LED screen, you can’t help but notice the minute you swish into yet another buzzing hot spot in the West Village named after its address at 9 Jones Street. That, and the gorgeous, statuesque, exotic host who greets you (Holly) looking like she just stepped off the cover of the newest L’Officiel Morocco. This is 9 Jones Street, the creation of yet another hospitality wunderkind, the London ex-pat to Manhattan, one Richard Wheeler (partners Josh Angel and Yiannis Vasilas), and the garrulous Greek chef partner in the kitchen, Chef George Lambracos.
Richard Wheeler, the suave, British-born former superstar model booker at Next, primed with the requisite stints at all the best hot spots from 1 Oak to Somewhere Nowhere, has utilized his bold vision to create “a savvy supper club” and an instantly fabulous hot spot in 9 Jones. Think Nells or Omars back in the day, for those who remember, and get the idea of the exclusive air of Manhattan’s most authentic insider spot. It’s the 9 Jones waft the minute you enter the room. The glamorous oak bar insists immediately you take up pride of place with that first-time Raya date.
The night begins with a superlative list of top-shelf concocted cocktails, for which this moody, intimate, exclusive salon serving up high-end Greek-trained cuisine is already famous. The mixologist’s range of cocktails here deserves its own reality show! Indulge in The Dirty Disco or the Aston Martini, or better yet, kick the date night off with the house special Bumps & Bubbles. It’s best “served naughty” by the bespoke house mixologist, Brad Carnation. Start with the 3 grams of Kaluga caviar and flutes of champagne chasers and wait to see which hunky professional athlete will ball in and head to the enclosed, private dining enclosure with the Greek marble tables from Chios in the back.
The vibe at 9 Jones Street suggests the perfect spot for that mysterious, clandestine, illicit rendezvous where you fall in utter lust.
The eye candy offerings emanating from the bustling kitchen of the accomplished Chef George Lambracos is already well known for his show-stopping presentations. He sold his last restaurant in Turks and Caicos and came back to NYC to be part of creating the best Mediterranean-style kitchen/speakeasy in the West Village. As the arbiter refers here, Adorable Chef Georgie is an export from Sparta (Greece) via the Brooklyn turnpike. And his detailed precision is very much on full display at 9 Jones. “I take great pride in my craft, and attention to every detail is incredibly key.” By that, Chef George means from the sea salt to the fish to the marble furniture, they arrive from all corners of the Greek islands, all imported. The sea salt and spices (thyme and oregano), even the capers here, are sourced directly from Athos in the mountains of Northern Greece. Call it haute-couture Greek-inspired cuisine here at 9 Jones. From the must-order Tuna Tartare with the 24k edible gold leaf to the yummy giant lamb chop lollipops. But nothing matches the showstoppers here—the dynamic and delightful presentation of his Slow-Roasted Seafood Tower brimming with the almost pounds of lobster from Nova Scotia, slow-roasted and grilled and the colossal shrimp from the waters off Madagascar . . . or is it Nigeria? (It’s somewhere exotic.) Below that lies a succulent batch of clams and mussels “bathing lovingly in lemon butter, my imported herbs, garlic, and white wine,” chirps the divine Chef Georgie.
The other must-order showstopper is The Lobster Pasta dish for two. Please order two, even if it’s only for one. You’ll want to take some home. There is also the expertly cooked Bronzino and many other fine offerings from both sea and land at 9 Jones. It is one of the new face foodie spots to pull out the perfect little black dress and comingle where the coolest-of-the-cool in-the-know crowd come to eat, drink, and be very merry.
A night out at 9 Jones effortlessly evokes the context, “Baby, we’re in the right place at the right time, and I can’t wait to have you for dessert!” Grace Jones, next time you’re in town, there is a caviar champagne celebration waiting for you at 9 Jones, my dearest hunny bunny.
Instagram – @9jonenyc
Yet another Manhattan foodie-world-wunderkind that everyone is talking about is Kyle Hotchkiss-Carone. And his newest Holiday Bar is the poshest, buzziest, and most instant classic of them all
and a must-must-must if you follow #gwsays West Village Foodie Frolic. “Hospitality Hitmaker” is how Guest Of A Guest tabs this rising impresario who climbed the hospitality ladder devising genius at Lambs Club and American Bar before debuting the gorgeous new jewel in the crown, his festive Holiday Bar.
It’s a Saturday night, 8:45 pm in late December, and every table of Holiday Bar is taken. There’s not a nook to perch in either at the jam-packed Travertine marble bar with the girth of maybe the signature neon of “a boy from Patmos,” Hotchkiss Carone whispers vaguely in that oh-so-very White Lotus sort of way. It’s the room’s subversive statement piece. The bar scene here is just gorgeous 24/7. If you want to feel the vibe of Manhattan snobismo on full display this spring, then you better Resy that Thursday night table at Holiday Bar.
Is the decor here greige? G.W. pondered to himself the first time he settled into the perfect perch to dine and people-watch (Table 33). Order everything from the Raw Bar of Holiday Bar when you go. You won’t be able to resist. The razor clams, the king crab, the Hamachi, the shrimp ceviche, the divine lobster salad—everything! The Raw Bar is the flavor bomb. Sip and slurp down the entire Raw Bar menu and call it a night, you sybarite. There is a reason there are thirteen different types of sake alone to refresh the palate constantly, four different types of Rosé, and something like seventeen different types of mezcal and tequila! And yes, Chef(s) Marc Howard and Dina Fan bring you the umami on all levels. Bold, spectacular flavors abound, most so from the standout Raw Bar.
And the glamorama setting of Holiday Bar is definitely greige. A grey, beige post-Mod-Scandi, as in Scandinavian chic. A sleek, linear feel that exudes ’90s glamor. It all feels very Hollywood on the Hudson at the Holiday Bar. It’s a mood set to, yes, another highly curated playlist; this time, Larry Levan’s mixtapes from The Garage define this buzziest of foodie frolic spots on any given night. And now that spring is in the air, those vast sliding doors have been reeled in to allow Holiday Bar to flaunt its va-va-voom to the max!
It’s time to make that reservation, Darlinka. Holiday Bar is where you first want to flaunt the new spring coat from Proenza Schouler. That’s the mise-en-scène from this most fabulous part of Greenwich Village.
Holiday Bar
10 Downing Street
