Immaculate Infatuation

There was a time when this was the only restaurant anywhere near the Upper East side that we would make a trip for. J.G. Melon’s is one of the better burgers in New York City, and it had it’s 30th anniversary long before Shake Shack and Five Guys started opening up locations around town like Duane Reade. Nowadays there are a few more culinary bright spots in the area (namely Cascabel and Flex), but it seemed nessecary that we give J.G. Melon’s it’s due respect.

If you haven’t been, there are a few things you should know: it will inevitably be crowded, you need to drink beers by the bottle (not from the tap), and the service will not be friendly. But before you go running to Yelp to tell all your “friends” about how mean they were to you, consider this – it’s a New York institution that’s been serving burgers since TGI Friday’s was nothing more than a swinging singles bar down the street. Respect your elders and eat.

Photo Credit: Nick Solares/A Hamburger Today

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The owners of Spitzer’s Corner are smart. They have a formula. They know their clientele. They pay attention to detail and they’re probably rolling in money at this point. Their LES takeover continues with Los Feliz, a cozy taqueria upstairs that opens up into a raucous fiesta downstairs. Located in the old Suba space, the entire place has been impressively (and expensively) re-worked resulting in a sprawling tequila cathedral. Think La Esquina for the common folk where the vibe and the drinks are the stars with stellar food to boot. We tried just about every taco on the menu, some were better than others but, in general, they were all tasty and affordable. With Los Feliz about to be crawling with popped collars and American Eagle button downs, you might want to check this place out before it becomes unbearable.

We understand that opening week isn’t easy, especially when it’s a taqueria/night club hybrid with multiple levels, rooms and bars to tend. Because we went two days after it opened, we’re going to judge Los Feliz on its potential and won’t fully hold them accountable for their suspect service and unfortunate hostess. A hostess who, when we asked for drink menus, responded with something to the extent of, “Yeah, people always ask me to do stuff like that, but I don’t get tipped out by the waitresses so I don’t do that.” Ok Crazy. Thanks for the info. A simple, “We don’t have drink menus.” would have sufficed. Although, considering Los Feliz carries all kinds of top shelf tequilas, drink menus might be a good idea.

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Finding quality sports bars in NYC isn’t easy, especially when you don’t run in the backwards/upside down visor wearing crowd that thinks Brother Jimmy’s is the greatest place on earth. We love our sports here at Immaculate Infatuation and hold the sports bar to the same high standards we expect from our favorite sports teams. We realize that food is not the top of the pecking order, but some solid pub grub isn’t asking too much.

Expectations are as follows: We expect flat screens, everywhere, all in HD. We expect ample seating and enough personal space in the bar area to breathe. We expect game audio during big games, not “Living on a Prayer” on full blast. We expect a just say yes attitude as opposed to just say no (Ever been to Croxley Ales? You now understand). In addition to these obvious parameters, a fun crowd (even if that crowd includes a couple Philly or Boston fans, good for shit talking), a nice selection of beers on tap and most importantly, memorable food is what we’re looking for. Hot bartenders/waitresses always a plus.

The Blue Seats thrives off their obsessive attention to detail. Cushy booths that you need to reserve ahead of time house five personal screens, perfect for following all your fantasy players on Sundays. The bar area doesn’t get overly packed and big screens consume every available inch of wall space. Their private back room and skybox make for excellent large group hangs in case any given Sunday just so happens to be a special one worth splurging for. What keeps me coming back aside from the fact that the Jets seem to fare pretty well every time I go? Magic Hat #9 on tap (thankfully, not that rare in NYC anymore) and their sesame glazed wings which are ridiculous.

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Last weekend, we went out for a buddy’s 30th birthday and wound up at the friends and family opening party at Rye House. Awesome. A timely new review sitting and waiting to be written without having to go out of my way. Perfect timing too considering both UrbanDaddy and Grub Street blew this place up that same morning.

The recent movement in NYC nightlife away from red ropes and bottle service might actually make this city fun to ‘go out’ in again. We’re huge fans of these new school drinking establishments that deliver the goods with their beer and cocktail repertoire, but also make sure the kitchen plays a big role in defining what they’re all about. Rye House is a perfect example of this trend. It’s not fancy or trying too hard. It’s the kind of place ideal for grabbing beers and grub with friends after work on a Friday night. When I think about bars in this city I actually enjoy hanging out in, Rye House definitely fits the mold.

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You know that friend of yours who was really crazy in her twenties and went out clubbing every night, but then she got a boyfriend and sort of went off the grid, but now she’s single again and looking to party? Yeah, that girl goes to Double Crown like, all the time.

Double Crown is a bar and restaurant where people who have outgrown the club scene hang out. At least this crowd knows it and doesn’t still wait in line outside of Greenhouse on the weekends. Or maybe they do, but they just eat here first. Either way, the place is a scene, but one with pretty good food. The short description of the menu at Double Crown is that it’s Colonial Asian, meaning the cuisine that resulted from British expansion into Southeast Asia. We’ll go ahead and just call it Pan-Asian, and we had some dishes that were very good. It’s a bit on the pricey side for sure, but the cheaper things on the menu tend to be the better choices, and the $35 Sunday Nyonya Dinner is a good deal. As for the atmosphere, the room basically looks like a west side mega-club with better lighting, but it’s tasteful and doesn’t feel too kitschy. I’m pretty sure this restaurant is exactly what Shang was supposed to be, just with customers and food that doesn’t taste like poison.

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