Opening Friday, Booker & Dax, where you can find a red hot poker in your drink

Diner's Journal has more information on what is taking over the former Milk Bar space attached to Momofuku Ssäm Bar on 13th Street at Second Avenue.

The place is called Booker & Dax, a collaboration between Momofuku's David Chang and David Arnold, the director of culinary technology at the French Culinary Institute. (The bar is named after Arnold's two sons.)

Here's a passage from the piece:

You may, however, want to put on a lab coat, and perhaps some goggles, when the bartender sticks a device called a Red Hot Poker, heated up to 1,500 degrees, into a mixing glass of Pernod, lime juice, sugar and water. This results in a libation called the French Colombian. “The burning takes the ingredients to a new place,” Mr. Arnold said. The poker, which he custom-made, is modeled after the hot irons early American innkeepers would stick into customers’ cups to heat up their drinks.

The place opens Friday. And, according to Diner's Journal, "the debut menu will feature 16 cocktails, each at $14."

The good, the bad and the Ugly Kitchen

Sorry, a little early for that headline...

Here on Restaurant (turnover) Row on First Avenue, Grub Street noted that Ugly Kitchen is likely Soft Opening this week at the now-departed Veloce Pizzeria space.

This past weekend, a Very Special Tipster© caught a glimpse of Ugly Kitchen's exterior ...

...and here is the Soft Opening drink menu ... starting with an $11 Cucumber Peach Martini described as "Organic Cucumber Vodka and peach."

... and the food menu.

We rather like the reflection of the Golden Arches in the menu.

P.S.
Anyone know what happened to the tree in front of this address?

Coming next week to First Avenue: Ugly Kitchen

Speaking of Restaurant (turnover) Row on First Avenue ... Grub Street's Jenny Miller has the scoop on what's opening at the now-departed Veloce Pizzeria on First Avenue... something called Ugly Kitchen, from people who run the Blue Ribbon restaurants. Per Grub Street: "the eatery will serve lots of grilled meats, such as Argentinean-style dry-aged steak ... Ugly Kitchen will serve Asian and South American–inflected cocktails, including a mango margarita and a cucumber-pear martini."

And the people apparently want signature cocktails

From Fork in the Road at the Voice:

What's this city coming to when even dive bars have to start serving signature cocktails?

"Well, we don't have to," says Mike Stuto, owner of Hi-Fi. "It's just about giving people what they want."

Noted

"Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch and Marc Jacobs have applied their creative savvy to a new kind of line: Local 138's summer cocktail menu. Fashionistas will be flocking to the LES bar this summer to sip Lauren’s Ralph Raspberry Rum Punch, made with crushed raspberries, rum, lemon and lime juice, and Tory Burch’s Tory Tikki Tini, made with grapefruit, mango, strawberry and pineapple. Jacobs — ever the classic — created a modern spin on the timeless mint julep: the Marc Mint Martini." (Gatecrasher via The Cut)

Slow news day in Kansas City?

The Kansas City Star today picked up that Times wire service article on cocktail geeks of the LES that we mentioned Dec. 3.

The Star's headline: Amateur cocktail connoisseurs form brotherhood over ice.

More trendspotting! Fancy cocktail bars for serious drinkers

The Chicago Sun-Times today has an article titled "Pouring on the charm: New York's latest trend takes the old private club and mixes in a new twist." It's written by a New York-based freelancer and examines "haunts for serious drinkers" such as PDT, Death & Co., Tailor, Pegu Club and Doc Holliday's (OK! Again, just checking if you're still with me...)

Hmm...So, who's pushing this serious cocktails trend? In the previous post, the writer discloses that he was a guest of NYC and Company.

More fancy $12 cocktails coming to "the Lower East Village"

Eater brings news of Ella, the newest nightspot on the "Lower East Village," as its owners are calling the area. The bar will be at the site of the former Julep at 9 Avenue, next door to the Library.

A list of $12 specialty cocktails, such as the Plum Gin Fizz (Muddled sour plum, 2oz Gin, splash of simple syrup, splash of lemon juice, shaken in a Collins glass) will be served nightly. Bottles of beer are $7 and glasses of wine will range from $10 to $20.

"The Ella staff will fit the theme dressed in classic sexy and sophisticated 1920's attire."