New Restaurant & Bar Radar: Felice, NoBar, Bearded Lady
<strong>Felice Ristorante & Wine Bar: </strong>Italian wine is the focus at this new Upper East Side bar and restaurant. Owner Jacopo Giustiniani moonlights as the wine buyer for Casa Lever and Sant Ambroeus, as well as for the original location of sister-restaurant Felice on East 64th. Among the 100-plus bottles of Italian wine on the list you'll find two that are produced on Giustiniani's family estate in the Tuscan town of Lucca. <br/><br/>The Italian wine should be a nice complement to the "rustic and authentic" Tuscan menu, which features such selections as Fritto Misto di Calamari e Verdure, an assortment of lightly battered and fried calamari, zucchini, carrot, eggplant and asparagus; Tagliolini AllâAragosta, homemade spinach tagliolini tossed with lobster, fresh tomatoes, chickpeas, scallions, basil and thyme served on a bed of puréed chickpeas. Those with bigger appetites might find them whetted by the 35 oz. Creekstone Farms dry-aged, bone-in New York strip and herb-roasted potatoes. And favorites carried over from Felice's first location include the Pappardelle Con Salsiccia, pappardelle pasta with sweet sausage, fresh porcini mushrooms, endives and truffle oil.<br/><br/>The 65-seat restaurant is a blend of rustic and contemporary, with a half-height wall separating the 12-seat bar area from the dining room, which is furnished with booths, custom-made tables, and wood and leather bench seats that can be adjusted to accommodate groups of varying sizes. <a href="http://www.felicewinebar.com/">Felice</a> also features a 34-seat outdoor patio that serves dinner nightly, as well as brunch on the weekends. <br/><br/><em>1593 1st Avenue at 83rd Street; (212) 249-4080</em>
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Felice Ristorante & Wine Bar: Italian wine is the focus at this new Upper East Side bar and restaurant. Owner Jacopo Giustiniani moonlights as the wine buyer for Casa Lever and Sant Ambroeus, as well as for the original location of sister-restaurant Felice on East 64th. Among the 100-plus bottles of Italian wine on the list you'll find two that are produced on Giustiniani's family estate in the Tuscan town of Lucca. The Italian wine should be a nice complement to the "rustic and authentic" Tuscan menu, which features such selections as Fritto Misto di Calamari e Verdure, an assortment of lightly battered and fried calamari, zucchini, carrot, eggplant and asparagus; Tagliolini AllâAragosta, homemade spinach tagliolini tossed with lobster, fresh tomatoes, chickpeas, scallions, basil and thyme served on a bed of puréed chickpeas. Those with bigger appetites might find them whetted by the 35 oz. Creekstone Farms dry-aged, bone-in New York strip and herb-roasted potatoes. And favorites carried over from Felice's first location include the Pappardelle Con Salsiccia, pappardelle pasta with sweet sausage, fresh porcini mushrooms, endives and truffle oil.The 65-seat restaurant is a blend of rustic and contemporary, with a half-height wall separating the 12-seat bar area from the dining room, which is furnished with booths, custom-made tables, and wood and leather bench seats that can be adjusted to accommodate groups of varying sizes. Felice also features a 34-seat outdoor patio that serves dinner nightly, as well as brunch on the weekends. 1593 1st Avenue at 83rd Street; (212) 249-4080
Gothamist
<strong>NoBar:</strong> The first thing you'll notice about the latest celebrity-owned establishment in town is that it is in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, rather than the typical Manhattan locale. The second thing you'll notice is that the bar, owned by <em>The Hurt Locker</em>'s <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1107001/">Anthony Mackie</a> takes its beverage program very seriously. Mackie, a New Orleans native, is adamant about bringing a dash of his hometown to his new town and as such the 25-seat bar has a solid 25-drink cocktail list (which he aims to change twice a year) and a whole slew of specialty beers in bottles. You want beers on tap? Try elsewhere. <br/><br/>The funky bar (Mackie says he <a href="http://www.diylife.com/2011/07/20/anthony-mackie-nobar/">built everything but the chairs himself</a>!) is meant to be a neighborhood hangout, a place to watch sports, and <a href="http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2011/07/anthony_mackie_will_personally.html">aims to be</a> "the opposite of those multimillion dollar, basement nightclubs, filled with 'whoâs who' type places." As for food, expect New Orleans-style fare ("Red Bean Delight"), including a few dishes from Mackie himself, like barbecue meatballs in pita pockets ($5).<br/><br/>Oh, and if you were wondering about the name, it is a play on the bar's street (Nostrand Avenue) and Mackie's home town. If all goes well, the actor hopes to open a speakeasy-style wine bar and performance space called InTheNo <a href="http://www.papermag.com/arts_and_style/2011/04/raising-the-bar.php">across the street</a> soon enough. <em>(Garth Johnston)</em><br/><br/><em>608 Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn</em>
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NoBar: The first thing you'll notice about the latest celebrity-owned establishment in town is that it is in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, rather than the typical Manhattan locale. The second thing you'll notice is that the bar, owned by The Hurt Locker's Anthony Mackie takes its beverage program very seriously. Mackie, a New Orleans native, is adamant about bringing a dash of his hometown to his new town and as such the 25-seat bar has a solid 25-drink cocktail list (which he aims to change twice a year) and a whole slew of specialty beers in bottles. You want beers on tap? Try elsewhere. The funky bar (Mackie says he built everything but the chairs himself!) is meant to be a neighborhood hangout, a place to watch sports, and aims to be "the opposite of those multimillion dollar, basement nightclubs, filled with 'whoâs who' type places." As for food, expect New Orleans-style fare ("Red Bean Delight"), including a few dishes from Mackie himself, like barbecue meatballs in pita pockets ($5).Oh, and if you were wondering about the name, it is a play on the bar's street (Nostrand Avenue) and Mackie's home town. If all goes well, the actor hopes to open a speakeasy-style wine bar and performance space called InTheNo across the street soon enough. (Garth Johnston)608 Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn
Gothamist
<strong>The Bearded Lady:</strong> Prodigiously hirsute females will feel right at home in this mod new Prospect Heights bar, which co-owner Patrick Britton (Gowanus Yacht Club) <a href="http://prospectheights.patch.com/articles/the-bearded-lady-to-open-on-washington-this-week#photo-7117746">says</a> got its name "as a joke." The Bearded Lady (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeardedLadyBrooklyn">Facebook</a>) soft opened last week, and they've got plans for eight tap lines, but for now they're just serving bottled beer and fancy cocktails in the $9 range. Small plates and sandwiches are also on the horizon, and we're assured the kitchen staff will all wear face nets. <a href="http://ny.eater.com/archives/2011/07/bearded_lady.php">Eater has some superb photos</a> and a copy of the cocktail menu, which includes such options as the Mr Howell, made with Single Malt Islay Scotch, Aged Rum, Lime Juice, and Cane Syrup. <br/><br/><em>686A Washington Avenue, Brooklyn </em>
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The Bearded Lady: Prodigiously hirsute females will feel right at home in this mod new Prospect Heights bar, which co-owner Patrick Britton (Gowanus Yacht Club) says got its name "as a joke." The Bearded Lady (Facebook) soft opened last week, and they've got plans for eight tap lines, but for now they're just serving bottled beer and fancy cocktails in the $9 range. Small plates and sandwiches are also on the horizon, and we're assured the kitchen staff will all wear face nets. Eater has some superb photos and a copy of the cocktail menu, which includes such options as the Mr Howell, made with Single Malt Islay Scotch, Aged Rum, Lime Juice, and Cane Syrup. 686A Washington Avenue, Brooklyn
Gothamist