30 to Midnight

Bar Carrera, Greenwich Village

Tuesday, 8pm

Bar Carrera
146 West Houston St. (MacDougal St.), Manhattan

Is this our worst picture yet? We're seriously considering a photography class, but that means seriously considering a new camera, which we'd like to do after said class, which is the dilemma we find ourselves in every few months for the last few years. Which should come first - the camera or the class? Anyway, this location of Bar Carrera is dang close to the Holland TUNNEL. Get it? Particularly if it's a weekend. It's pretty well AA in here, which bartender says is usual, but your new relationship might take place across the Hudson, which means really great views of Manhattan. Really. Did you ever see how amazing midtown looks from, say, Weehawken?

Park Avenue Winter, Upper East Side

Sunday, 8pm

Park Avenue Winter
100 East 63rd St. (Park Ave.), Manhattan

In twenty days (that's March 14th) Park Avenue Winter will shut down after brunch. They'll reopen on March 16th for dinner as Park Avenue Spring. Everyone knows that means a complete transformation - menu, uniforms, wallpaper - and almost everyone enjoys Spring best (unless it's Autumn). But we think you should stop by each reincarnation because the food is good and the company is great - almost exclusively Age Appropriate. Don't believe us? A Sous Chef tells us it's a veritable ghost town 'round midnight. It's true. We saw it happen. Packed house near 8pm; empty in the 11's (bar empty before that). Bed by 12. Perfect.

Italian Wine in NYC, Happening Now

It's Italian Wine Week in NYC.
30toMidnight is going to start an education column, everything from Art to Wine. While we work on that we have to tell you about a variety -pun! get it, varietal? funny because it sort of means the opposite thing. hmm- of wine promotions at bars, restaurants and shops throughout Manhattan, until February 10th: Flights, Pairings, By-The-Glass specials on wines from Apulia, Calabria, Tuscany and Veneto here:

Bull & Bear Steakhouse (Lexington Ave at 49th St., Manhattan)
Le Cirque (Bloomberg Building, 151 East 58th St., Lexington Ave., Manhattan)
SD26 (19 East 26th St., Madison Square Park, Manhattan)
Salumeria Rosi (283 Amsterdam Ave., 74th St., Manhattan)
Serafina (29 East 61st St., Madison Ave., Manhattan)

Click to check out the complete Vino 2010 list.

Wine Bar at Pizza 33, Murray Hill

Saturday, 9:30pm

Pizza 33
489 Third Ave. (33rd St.), Manhattan

Pizza 33 is a mini chain with better than average 'za. It is Not a Wine Bar. We're intrigued by the sign, which is only on the side awning, above the service entry, but not on the front awning. Why? Because they thought they'd have a bar when they opened, years ago, but it never came to be.

So, stop in for a sobering slice (the bright lights help in that arena too) but not for a glass of vino. Your dining companions will be whatever age the time warrants.

Cavatappo, Murray Hill

Wednesday, 9:30pm

Cavatappo Wine Bar
347 Third Ave. (26th St.), Manhattan

We finally made it down to the Murray Hill outpost of one of our favorite places on the Upper East Side. What a great addition to a part of an Avenue generally overrun by Age InAppropriates. That's their thing, huh? Cavatappo is an Age Appropriate oasis. Nice. Thank you. Next they'll be opening on the Lower East Side (that's a joke).

Vero, Midtown East

Wednesday, 8pm

Vero
1483 Second Ave. (53 St.), Manhattan

Maybe it's because it's also a restaurant, but this wine bar in a potentially bad neighborhood is mostly Age Appropriate, and they have decent panini too. 

Via Quadronno, Upper East Side

Tuesday, 8pm

Via Quadronno
25 E. 73rd St. (Madison Ave.), Manhattan

We're not sure why it's taken us so long to write about this cozy (read: small) Age Appropriate panini and wine place (and real food too) on a lovely Upper East Side block. It's a favorite. And we're not sure what happened to our pictures. Maybe it is time to move to a more camera-like-phone. Nah. One note: the do have some not-great wine on their list, particularly by the glass. Be careful. 

Barbone, East Village

Saturday, 10pm

Barbone
186 Avenue B (12th St.), Manhattan

Miserable hostess standing in the doorway to welcome us. We left her out of the picture (though it was hilarious to see such a greeting) because we're not in the business of exploiting people who are clearly amidst a bad day. There's nothing particularly dynamic about Barbone but it's a good place to hang with Age Appropriate peers, probably because things start to shut down around midnight.

Sojourn, Upper East Side

Wednesday, 8pm

Sojourn
244 E. 79th St. (2nd & 3rd Aves.), Manhattan

Before anything else we must say that Soujourn is consistently Age Appropriate; any night, any time. And you know that's our primary criteria. So, stop reading now because we're about to seriously divert from the usual.

Bartender says he's never seen anyone under-28 in the place. But this is the guy who, on our bill, miscalculated the number of glasses of wine we ordered. We're thinking he's not the best ageician-mathematician. Dining room almost empty but bar full, and many people eating the mostly delicious (yes) food: perfectly balanced arugula salad (from blue cheese to vinaigrette), outstandingly light gnocci (in overly complicated and incohesive sauce) by ex-Felidia chef (supposedly he made it every day there; practice does seem to make perfect pre-sauce). Uncomfortable and untouchable barstools (we hate velour). And did we mention the bill miscalculation? Round two, we mean. The number was still incorrect after a re-ringing of credit card. Sheesh.

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).