30 to Midnight

Bars in Madison Square Park on a Sunday Night

If you happen to be wandering around, thinking of grabbing a drink and a snack at a restaurant bar in Madison Square Park - SD26 (left picture) and Eleven Madison Park are closed on Sundays. Tabla is open. If that leads you to an uptown subway, please note that The Mark Restaurant (below picture) is currently open only for brunch on Sundays (that will change in the upcoming months).

Molly's, Gramercy

Friday, 11pm

Molly's
287 Third Ave. (St.), Manhattan

Fireplace! Age Appropriates! Beer! The feeling that you're not in Manhattan! (should that have an exclamation point? but it's pretty, the sequence). History: Opened as a bar in 1895. Operated as a grocery during Prohibition. Named after an Irish folk song in the 60's (Molly Malone's). Renamed in 1991 (Molly’s Shebeen; a shebeen is an illegal drinking establishment). That was the year Sara graduated from high school. Also the year Seinfeld debuted. Also the year Elizabeth Taylor has her eighth wedding. 

Japonica, Union Square

Saturday, 9pm

Japonica
100 University Place (12th St.), Manhattan

One of our most favorite people has officially become Age Appropriate. Actually, two of our favorite people. So many 1980 friends we have. Wow. Happy Birthday. Welcome. And thanks for getting us out to Japonica, home of sushi that's fresh and not cheap. Perfect. It seems today is the day of one word sentences. Great. So what did will experience on our celebratory night out? Age Appropriates. Tourists. Parents of students. Cocktails. 

Gramercy Park Hotel Roof Club and Garden

Sunday, 11pm

Gramercy Park Hotel Roof Club and Garden
2 Lexington Ave. (21st St.), Manhattan

We had a sick meal at Mialino (also in the Gramercy Park Hotel) then elevated and walked up to the Roof Bar, which was mostly empty and completely lovely, as evidenced by this captivating photo. If they can manage to keep it mostly empty and completely AA (which it was) we'll be back. You can reserve sections for group gatherings, which could be nice if, again, the rest of the space is not jam-packed. Because we like our jam a little thin. We like jelly. 

Jade Bar, Gramercy Park Hotel

Sunday, Midnight

Jade Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel
2 Lexington Ave. (21st St.), Manhattan

Someone who is not allowed to have liquor, particularly after an afternoon of Bloody Marys, got involved with Pineapple and Ginger Margaritas at the Jade Bar. That someone was hungover for three days. That someone now remembers why she is not allowed to have liquor. That someone was 13,425-days-old at the time of the consumption. The forgetting about the not allowing seems to happen about once every 500 days, which means watch out May-June 2011.

We did not need to make a reservation to enter the cozy Jade Bar, but sometimes that is necessary. It's always necessary at the adjacent Rose Bar. E-mail them if you want to try to get in. We're into that exclusivity because we like the way it keeps out the AI's (the majority of guests at this hotel are AA). We also like the way it promotes forethought. Someone needs to get back on that program.

Rye House, Flatiron

Tuesday, 1pm

Rye House
11 W. 17th St. (5th Ave.), Manhattan

During lunch at Rye House the camera, as sometimes happens, did not make it out of its case. Neither did the phone (which may be a blessing though day shots generally work out). We're rationalizing our lack of photog instincts by telling ourselves we could not have decided what to shoot - the appealing space, the assortment of rye-bourbon-whiskey-sugarcanesyrup, the juicy burger, the crunchy chips, the long communal table in the back that would be more approachable sans pre-set glasses? Or how about anyone in the place since they were all AA? Bartender says evenings and nights are livelier and mostly in the appropriate age range. Excellent. We have to say one more thing: scrumptious. Now we'll use it in a sentence: Though we were unsure of what to expect, and our expectations were low, the mac&cheese croquettes were scrumptious. Thanks to Randee for the treat.  

SD26, Flatiron

SD26
19 E. 26th St. (Madison Ave.), Manhattan

Unlike our usual commentary, here we refer you to someone and something with 30toMindight-like sentiments: Sam Sifton's review of SD26. Have to say, based on our attendance at the San Domenico closing lunch, we saw this coming.

We'll update with our own words when we have them.

Pure Food and Wine, Gramercy

Friday, 6:15pm

Pure Food and Wine
54 Irving Place (17th St.), Manhattan

Raw Food sounds like a reality our pre-fire ancestors suffered, or a snack a schoolchild can make unsupervised, or a trend come and gone. Yet, as Pure Food and Wine demonstrates, Raw Food can be a gorgeous, delicious, fine dining experience, missing only the scent of cooking. Literally; nothing but the perfume of the woman at the next table in a restaurant without baking, blanching, braising, browning, burning. We're not suggesting you fill your stomach with difficult-to-digestibles on a regular basis (or that you can afford to, or that anyone physically close to you wants you to), but we do think your aged body deserves the treat (yes, it's not about deprivation here). And, most importantly, the scene is most always AA. 

Old Town Bar, Union Square, take two

Saturday, 4pm

Old Town Bar
45 East 18th St. (Broadway), Manhattan

It's been many months (five) since we wrote about Old Town Bar, which doesn't mean we've not been back, just now we have a small story to tell. We're re-designating the bar to Age Appropriate Before Midnight because, well, school is in session and we want to protect you (lower your expectations).

Anyway, what happened on a recent afternoon is this: Sara was both accused of being a cougar and hit on by her accuser, a 23-year-old bartender.
23: I'm a cougar magnet.
Sara: Why?
23: I haven't come up with the right answer to that. But...once I got cornered by these two cougars who were at a party on my roof. I had a slip + slide going.
Sara: Does that mean something, or did you have an actual slip + slide?
23: (Winking) An actual slip + slide.
Sara: (Sure she's missing something) So, you're into it? The older woman thing?
23: Well, yeah. Shit. My first real relationship, I was 19 and she was 27.
He held Sara's eyes on "27", like the age was significant. Funny because from about 19-25 Sara also thought 27 meant something. She thought about 23's trimmed beard and unclean hair. There was an attractive face, wide smile, and pretty brown eyes underneath. But none of it tempted her, not even after he bought her next beer. Sara wondered how old she was when she first drank at Old Town. Maybe 24. Wow.
Sara: Lots of kids in here now that school's back?
23: Yeah, but older people too. You know.
Sara: I know.
23: So, you gonna come see my friend's band?
Sara: I'm meeting a friend.
23: Another time?
Sara: Another age.
23: (Smiling, understanding, and not.) You should try Harefield Road (769 Metropolitan Ave. Brooklyn). They have a Sunday brunch that's 30+, and a great old wood floor, but don't wear heels or drop anything.
Sara: (Appreciating the advice, thinking he was sweet, and not dumb, sensing that's what makes him magnetic) Maybe I'll see you there.

2/27/2009 Update: AA into the post-Midnight hours, including a couple on the cusp (maybe 31) who spent an inordinate amount of time in the bathroom, half an hour after the male half fell off his barstool, we're thinking whatever went on up there was messy.

Veritas, Flatiron

Wednesday, 11:00pm

Veritas
43 East 20th St. (Broadway), Manhattan

Late night (meaning after dinner hours) at Veritas the restaurant is empty (closed) but at the bar are (including us) seven Age Appropriates and three bottles from the massive (190,000+) inventory. Bartenders and sommelier talk with us about travel and wine and common friends, and encourage us to take our time, and enjoy. We appreciate that and will of course be back.