September 14, 2011
Tonight is Tuesday, which means we go to a bar and see if we can get a swizzle stick. I’m in the mood to go to some place that’s not too crazy, have a couple drinks and just do like my friend the Chillmaster does and chill the fuck out. I decided I’d look for a hotel bar and I found one that sounds perfect, called Bar on 5th in the Setai Fifth Avenue Hotel. New York magazine calls it, “the quintessential hotel bar.” Let’s go see if they’re telling the truth.
And here we go. It's another nice night out tonight, I like this time of year, you don't need a jacket yet but it's not that hot out either.
Scary window display alert! What the fuck kind of toy is that to give to a kid?
Scary window diplay alert number two! Let's call her, Scary Bradshaw.
And here we are at the Setai Fifth Avenue Hotel. Attention P.D.A. couple to the left: There's a hotel right behind you, get a room already.
The bar is right beyond these doors. Let's go check it out.
Holy fuckballs on burnt rye toast! I'm only halfway to the bar and it's noisier than fuck in here and the place is swarming with after work Yuppie assholes in suits and ties. Time to get out and take that lonely walk elsewhere.
I really don't like this part of the city.
It's all souvenir stands with headless mannequins wearing goofy-ass baseball caps.
Okay, we've made it to the Flatiron area and look at this place, it looks promising.
Let's check it out.
A special "Welcome Tuesday" carpet. Nice.
There's a nice circular bar in here and it's nice and dark, I think this qualifies as an "Al approved bar."
And Ashlee, the pretty and friendly bartender serves up the double gin and tonic. No swizzle stick tonight, but after the long walk I've had, I'm happy to have the drink and Ashlee's pretty smile.
A long shot of the circular bar. It's not loud in here and really relaxing. A nice stop.
Check out the mammoth display of lit up bottles behind the bar, impressive!
There's a nice dining area in the back. It's last call, so the place is pretty well emptied out.
A lounge area is located up front, right next to a window overlooking Madison Avenue.
Obligatory mirror shot in round condiment housing thingy on the bar.
Fire! (It's been a while!)
And suddenly...hat's all folks! Goodnight everybody and see you tomorrow, after dark.
DUO Restaurant & Lounge
72 Madison Ave. (Between 27th St and 28th St)
212-686-7272
Further reading: Jeremiah's Vanishing New York, Eat Big Apple, Open Table, and Urban Spoon.
You Might Also Like: Jelly Rolls, Donut Holes and Dr. Scholl’s.
(Surprise link...click on it...I dare you!)
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Bonus Photo By csp!
MAD commenter csp sent in this photo, which he calls, "CBM variant." Aaahhh!
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Bonus Photos of Cheeseburger Saturday Night!
Britta has posted photos and text from last week's Cheeseburger Saturday Night. Check it out here: Justice Girl After Dark II.
14 Comments
Reader Comments (14)
Mauve is cool, maybe because the way the lights shine on the bar top and those big silver balls. The way those liquor and wine bottles are displayed on that way, well let's just say those bartenders better be sober or its a hard fall. Oh and I am going to refer to the persons that fix cocktails, or beers, or anyone behind the bar as "bartender" and not "mixologist". Not sounding like an old fart I hope,,,but where the hell did mixologist come from. Never heard Sinatra, Dean Martin or Jackie Gleason ever use that word,,,,,my two cents of the day, and not relevant to today's post,,,,just something that was bothering me.
Love the surprise link..."Happy Birthday kid..." - Rodney Dangerfield.
Scary Window Display Man is what happens when Cardboard Box Man gets screwing around with his first cousin. When scary display man isn't out making the family some money to pay for his special care and educational needs by hiring himself out for display, they keep him chained in the attic by his dish and away from the general public and try not to talk about him very much....
I am going to have nightmares for the rest of my life because of that last photo!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!! hahaha! Thanks A LOT csp/Marty!!!
@Al: I'm in total agreement about the "mixologist" word. I don't know where it came from either. And it would sure be scary to have to climb all the way up to one of those top bottles for sure!
@Jaws: "Scary Window Display Man is what happens when Cardboard Box Man gets screwing around with his first cousin" Ha ha ha! Too true and too scary!
@Lindsay: My advice, just like Bluto said, is to start drinking heavily!
That was a pretty scary post. The super creepy mannequin chick and the extra super creepy CBM. Seriously. Yikes! Too bad you didn't get a swizzle but it did look like a nice bar.
Nice bar, what with the lit up bottles and round shiny things. And Ashlee's smile is a doozie! I also like that hat store, and would like to pay it a visit. Although if it's on Madison Avenue, I'll have to win the lottery first.
Mixologist comes from the movie "Cocktail", because it takes science to make a bar shorter then Tom Cruise. Speaking of the '80's, Duo seemed to have a Miami Vice vibe, but they did have big shinny balls. (I resisted stringing together Duo, balls, and the bartender handling things.)
Also, way to end on a hat-trick.
Scary variant!!! I just made a horrible CBM discovery on the stairs to the attic! Will send ...
@Britta: I needed a double gin and tonic after seeing the mannequin woman!
@Biff: To winning the Lottery...and to Ashlee's smile!
@csp: Ha ha ha! God, how I hated that fucking movie! The start of artisanal cocktailing. Are shinny balls any relation to schwetty balls?
@onemorefoldedaunset: I'm scared to look in my email, but I will soon! Thanks...I think!
what a disappointment—after that eye-poppin' wall of booze—that duo didn't offer up a swizzle stick...hope MAD gives bar on 5th another go sometime...place looked promisin'...csp and britta both delivered up a couple great bonuses...
a little off topic...but i caught the following over at eat big apple:
"A waitress informed me of a no-photography policy when I inquired about photography, which was a result of miscommunication."
change in policy?...
Anecdotes are sometimes the best vehicles of truth, and if striking and appropriate, are often more impressive and powerful than argument
~Tryon Edwards
rr
@rr: I know, from the looks of the place I was certain I'd get one. Oh well, I was just happy to get a drink at that point. I'll try the Bar on 5th again, maybe it was just a bad night, but it was wall to wall yuppie and louder than fuck in there. Great quote and very true too!
@MAD: If you haven't heard of shiny, schwetty balls, then you haven't been glistening.
Days of the week carpets, precursor to days of the week underwear? Is that @csp's girlfriend?
@csp: Glowkay.
@kari: Ha, maybe! And only csp's hairdresser knows for sure and she's not talking.