30 to Midnight

Fancy J. Crew, Upper East Side

Saturday, 5:45pm

J. Crew Collection Store
1035 Madison Ave. (79th St.), Manhattan

We take the bus up Madison Avenue all the time yet somehow we never noticed this fancy J. Crew that, apparently, sells pieces from their collection. Hee hee. If not for the label inside a window-displayed shoe, we would not have known this store had anything to do with that 1983-catalog-shop. That, of course, is the point.
From the website:

No. 1035 is the exclusive Madison Avenue women's shop dedicated to the Collection label, plus one-of-a-kind products and vintage pieces.

Seems J. Crew's CEO and 30toMidnight have something in common. Here's a quote he gave The New York Times last year when the store opened: The prices of designer clothes were getting to a point that was very unfriendly to a lot of people, and the ubiquity of designer clothes was making them less special. Fashion is the opposite of ubiquity.
We were just saying that. Mickey Drexler, clearly you are Age Appropriate. No wonder you left The Gap.

Sant Ambroeus, Upper East Side

Saturday, 5pm

Sant Ambroeus
1000 Madison Ave. (78th St.), Manhattan

Named for the patron saint of Milan (Ambrogio; isn't that the name of the kid in A Bronx Tale? Nope. That's Calogero, a Sicilian (duh) hermit and performer of miracles)...where was I? Oh...Named for the patron saint of Milan, Sant Ambroeus is an Age Appropriate stop for pasticceria, confetteria and lovely espresso and espresso derivatives. We love the standing-room-only coffee bar, where we had our most recent drink (pictured), but the small tables by the front windows are customer favorites. The booths and tables in the back are for the full restaurant. Note: next to us at the bar were a couple of dreamy Italian guys who didn't notice us at all (though we had a moment of thinking they paid for us; they did not). Otherwise the house was, as usual, full of women, couples, and gelato-eaters of all shapes and ages. 

Gray Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars

Technically the color is called Charcoal, and it's not the color pictured here, but you can find it on Amazon, and everywhere else in the world too, which brings me to my point: Stop Buying And Wearing Gray Chuck Taylors. Seriously.

I remember the time I saw my first pair of Gray Chuck Taylors. I was on the dock waiting for the ferry from a Mets game back to Manhattan. It was two years ago. A girl in front of me on line was wearing the Charcoal Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Low Tops. I Must Have Those, I thought. I've long been a wearer of Chuck Taylors, but something about that noncolor struck me as magical. And then, about a week later, I saw someone else wearing them. Now I can't walk three blocks without seeing those drab gray sneakers. Magic dispelled.

People, Stop. You can be more creative than that. Do you know how many other colors there are? Any color you can think of plus Maroon Arizona State University Mascot, and Multi Eyelet Black/Chili Red, and Zebra Animal Print? The variety is endless. Be an individual.

Why am I, a person who knows nothing about fashion, mentioning this inundation now? Because in the past week two (2!) different people, noticing my faded blueish Chucks, said, "I want those. Are those gray?Where did you get those?" Both times I assured the askers that my Chucks were not gray and that the gray was called charcoal and had reached a tipping point.

In summary, individuality is always Appropriate. Why does everyone want gray on their feet but not on their head?

MoMA MiXX: Art, Cocktails, Music, 30somethings

Saturday, September 26, 2009, 8pm to Midnight
Other Dates Too

MoMA Mixx The Museum of Modern Art
11 West 53rd St. (6th Ave.), Manhattan

The Junior Associates of MoMA (a bunch of thirtysomethings, says the New York Times) are hosting a party to benefit the museum's exhibition fund. Cocktails and dancing start at 8pm in the lobby. 30toMidnight will be in the house, plus musicians and visual artists. We'll most certainly get back to you with a full report, if we don't see you there of course. Buy tickets, $75, here: moma.org/momamixx.

Mr. Dennehy's, West Village

Thursday, 8:30pm

Mr. Dennehy's
63 Carmine St. (7th Ave. South), Manhattan

30toMidnight did not remember that our first trip to Mr. Dennehy's was the birthday party of researcher Annie. That was forever ago. Not that we're calling Annie old, just Age Appropriate, of course. Anyway, we were pleased to see exclusively AAs - some eating, all drinking, some watching soccer - when we entered the bar. Bartender says it's always this way. Annie had another birthday this month, perhaps we'll be back to reminisce.

Buceo 95, Upper West Side

Friday, 7:30pm

Buceo 95
201 W. 95th Street (Amsterdam Ave.), Manhattan

Some of our friends are smart. Okay, most of our friends are smart. We like it when they teach us things like: buceo means diving. And we like it even more when we go to Buceo 95 with them after having $2.50 Miller Lites during happy hour at Dive 75. Get it? We went from Dive to Diving. Okay, we didn't actually drink Miller Lite, though we do often have them at ballgames, but only because we like Milwaukee and hotgirlswrestling. Part of that statement is true.

Anyway, we found Buceo 95 to be both Age Appropriate and enjoyable. The sommelier was all over us for our first round. He generously poured mini tastings before we committed to our quartinos. Then he disappeared, later appearing at the corner of the bar chatting up a woman for the better part of the night; that means hours. A waiter handled our next round. We ordered half our food from runners. What's a title anyway? 

You probably know that Casa Mono alum Brian Parks runs the kitchen here. He was absent the night we ate Piquillos Rellenos con Queso, Pimientos Fritos, Calamares a la plancha y Romesco, Morcilla con Huevos, Jamon Serrano, y tres Quesos, but we were happy with what we were served. In fact, we experienced amor for the charred squid. So bilingual at 30toMedianoche.

Buceo 95 is a find and a keep, but be prepared to spend.
Last thing, though too oaky for us, there's an interesting viura on the current list (López de Heredia). Maybe you know that white grape as macabeo. Either way, this one is unique (not that we're rioja experts).

Zampa, Meatpacking

Sunday, 1pm

Zampa
306 West 13th St. (8th Ave.), Manhattan

If you show up at Zampa weekdays when it opens - 8am - we can promise Age Appropriate-espresso. Weekend brunch, we're told, is mostly AA (completely AA when we visited). Afternoon and evening wine drinking is somewhat mixed. As you know, Meatpacking is tough but this location is thankfully not in the heart. Something to keep in mind, however, service is awkward - friendly but not smart. We don't love that. Oh, and something else too - food is only alright, if they manage to get the avo on your B.L.avo.T sandwich. 

11th Street Bar, East Village

Saturday, 10:30pm

11th Street Bar
510 East 11th St. (Avenue A)

At 11th Street bar we verified our theory that Midnight is the witching hour. When we walked in the general volume was lively but low enough for regular-voiced conversation; Traveling Wilburys gently sang in the background. Karina and a silver-haired Man (not a CNN newscaster) struck up conversation over (literally and figuratively) the barstool between them. When Karina got up to investigate the bathroom she deemed "acceptable" Sara picked up talking to the Man, who'd already called her "fiesty" for teasing him about his interest in said barstool.

Man: This is my first time here. I came because I heard it's a Liverpool bar. I mean soccer, which I call football.
Sara: What's your team?
Man: Barcelona. Do you follow?
Sara: No. But I watch the World Cup.
Man: Have you watched any qualification matches?
Sara: No.
Man: Do you know who is in so far?
Sara: No.
Man: How do you know what to watch?
Sara: I go to a bar and pick a team.
Man: How? Color? What's your favorite color?
Sara: I don't know...blue? red?
Man: You're impossible. Just kidding.

Karina returned and the three continued to converse. The Man was careful to qualify his harmless jabs (you're stubborn; she's got a little fire) with an immediate "just kidding." The Man, it turned out, is about a month shy of 51 (Karina guessed 46; Sara guessed 47).  He was disappointed that  soccer was not on the TVs. But he lingered and chatted with us until we asked him his profession. That's a question he does not like. He'd rather get to know someone first. We said that was a way to get to know someone, but he did not agree. Eventually he succumbed (as soon as we said we no longer cared). And guess what? He's a colorist. How awesome is that? Very. Guess that's why he guessed color would be our soccer-cheering-guide. Then he wouldn't tell us how much it costs to come in and get color. Eventually he succumbed...

B-Side, East Village

Saturday, 10pm

B-Side
204 Avenue B (12th St.), Manhattan

"You know it's AI when you smell cloves," said Karina as we sniffed B-Side from a block away. That was before the fitted-black-t-shirt-dirty-hair situation came into sight. And we thought uniforms were limited to half a million NYC elementary schoolers. Ha ha. We're funny when we compare B-Side's patrons to third graders. 

The Parlour, Upper West Side

Saturday, 7:30pm

The Parlour
250 West 86th Street, Manhattan

Weekend afternoon and evenings can mean post-Zog, which you know skews AI, but happy hours and nights here are mostly AA. The food's decent at this Irish Pub and Restaurant, and it's not impossible to get on a pool table. Why does that sound negative? It's not. Go to the Parlour to watch soccer, baseball, etc and hang with Age Appropriate peers.