Wise Men closes on the Bowery

After a 5-year-run at 355 Bowery, Wise Men has closed here between Third Street and Fourth Street.

The cocktail lounge wrapped it up after service on Friday, as BoweryBoogie first noted. There wasn't any reason given for the closure. (The space had been on the market.)

Photographer Danielle Levitt, S magazine creative director Christina Chin and hospitality vet Caroleyn Ng were behind this venture. It was modeled after the steakhouse that Chin's parents opened on Mulberry and Bayard in Chinatown after they arrived to the States from Hong Kong in the late 1960s.

Before Wise Men, the space was home to Osaka Vibe/Orange Valve — aka, that kind of weird sushi place on the Bowery.

Previously on EV Grieve:
An appreciation of sorts: That kind of weird sushi place on the Bowery

Former kind of weird sushi place on the Bowery is now home to the Wise Men


[Photo from 2011]

Former kind of weird sushi place on the Bowery is now home to the Wise Men

And at 355 Bowery, we have the former home of Osaka Vibe/Orange Valve — aka, that kind of weird sushi place on the Bowery. We wrote an appreciate (of sorts!) about it back in December 2011, after the kitchen temporarily closed for renovations... only to never reopen again.

Now, a new venture called Wise Men officially opens in the space on Wednesday, according to Grub Street. And three women are behind the space: photographer Danielle Levitt, S magazine creative director Christina Chin and hospitality vet Caroleyn Ng.

As BoweryBoogie pointed out, the name Wise Men is a nod to Ms. Chin's "ancestral connection to the area. When the Chins emigrated from Hong Kong in the 1960s, the family opened Wise Men, proclaimed at the time as the first 'western-style' steakhouse in Chinatown."

Back to Grub Street: "In a bar-heavy area that's all about modernizing, Wise Men's a much-appreciated nod to old-school New York meat and cocktails."

The valve wheel from that kind of weird sushi place remains as the Wise Men doorknob. But there aren't any $1 Jello shots.

Previously on EV Grieve:
An appreciation of sorts: That kind of weird sushi place on the Bowery

DANGER at the former kind of weird sushi place on the Bowery

Here at EVG favorite That kind of weird sushi place on the Bowery ... which has been closed since December... a new sign has appeared...

DANGER!

[Bobby Williams]

Anyway, we kind of lost track what was coming in here... An entity titled Wisemen (355 WM Restaurant Inc) went before the CB3/SLA back in January to open a full‐service restaurant serving meat‐focused small plates ... as far as we know, that was all OK'd. Hope that they mind the Hazardous Gas Cylinders.

An appreciation of sorts: That kind of weird sushi place on the Bowery

Might as well stay on the Bowery... This past summer, I exchanged emails with EV Grieve readers John and Madeline ... the point of the conversation: 355 Bowery, home of Osaka Vibe Sushi. It was more of an appreciation in this day of so many fashionable eateries along this stretch ... There's a lot going on in this photo that John took....

The C grade! Jello shots! The handwritten sign on neon paper! The promise of karaoke! The eternal help-wanted ad! Not to mention the vaguely sketchy fire hose handle attached to the door (see bottom photo for that) ...

Plus, you could usually count on finding someone asleep on the front stoop...

The place eventually got its grade up to an A. Never been inside. No plans on it either. This is an appreciation from afar.

Anyway, we've been meaning to post all this... Meantime (horrors!), we've noticed that the place has been closed of late... a sign appeared over the weekend...

Come back soon, kind of weird sushi place on the Bowery... the 7-Eleven is opening soon next door. We need you.