Little Branch Has a Second Branch
Down By The HipsterThe End of the Elephant
After the double dip of staff departures, a former Pink Elephant insider who recently abandoned the club after being involved over the past 4 years to tell us what's up. To sum it up - shit show. According to the Pink Birdy,
Place is a mess. Struggling to survive really. Everyone who made the venue a success over the last 4 years has left from promoters to staff to partners. Nosediving right into 2009
This mass exodus shouldn't stop you from giving your favorite promoters at least $225 to buy a New Years ticket - it may be the final fiesta at the Pink.
Pink Elephant Exodus Continues
Is it over for Pink Elephant? After Shawn Kolodny announced his departure late last night, DBTH has just received word that Pink's Director of Events Timonthy Fried has also left the company, saying:
I wanted to take the time to let everyone know that I will no longer continue working with Pink Elephant or any affiliated properties as the Director of Events.
That's two key players in one day, leading us to believe that it's curtain for Pink Elephant. The club, which just celebrated it's fourth anniversary, appears to be on death's doorstep. Will 27th ever be the same? Of course. But it's still sad.
On the Circuit: Fishing on the Upper East Side
Photo courtesy of Eater
Last night, DBTH ventured way uptown to check out Fish Tail, David Burke's new sustainable fish focused restaurant on East 62nd. The reason? The invite promised free food and drinks, and in this economy, that sounded like a pretty good deal. The place was jammed to the gills (get it?) on our arrival and stayed that way throughout, with Upper East Siders literally jumping out of their seats at the first sight of a waiter with any morsel of food on their tray. At one point, we saw a woman in a fur coat (one of many) grabbing garbage from a bus boy, confusing a napkin for a scallop. Stay classy, y'all. Just when we were ready to give up and head back downtown to normalville, we managed to snag a space at the raw bar and were treated to a cornicopia of oysters and sashimi that made the whole night worthwhile. Thankfully. We departed soon after and walked into a crowd of about 30 uptowners who were standing in the cold, hoping to be let in. David Burke certainly draws a crowd.
Pink Elephant Shakeup: Shawn Kolodny Heads South
I wanted to let you know that I will be leaving Pink Elephant.
It is with great sadness that I have to leave Pink Elephant, a company I founded and built into a international nightlife brand over the past 4 years. Therefore, it is with great excitement that I am joining the Kiss and Fly, Bagatelle, and RDV family. I look forward to seeing you at my new home. Please let me know if you want to come to the club, restaurant or the lounge. I can help you with any of your needs, whether it is for a table reservation, a special event, or our new private dining. My new email address is Shawn@kissandflyclub.com and my phone number has stayed the same, 917 208 2072. I look forward to sharing all three venues with you!
Does this spell additional trouble for Pink Elephant, a club which had its sights set on international expansion but not appears to be facing upheaval on the home front, first with a bankruptcy filing and now losing a key team member. This hire seems to also cement Kiss and Fly's position in the scene, where is has quietly enjoyed an outstanding run in an area that most considered way past its prime. It's going to be a wild 2009.
Death and Co. Yolks it Up For Fall
Death and Company has released its fall cocktail menu [PDF], and is featuring a full section of Flips. If you have $13 burning a hole in your pocket and a desire to drink a frothy, egg based cocktail, head on over to East 6th Street. [GS]
Flyer Follies: The Return of Britney
It's Britney's bday, and to celebrate that and the release of her new album, she will be throwing down at Tenjune. How fab! How 2006!
Ecco Shows Greenhouse Green
From DBTH West Coast comes Ecco, a new and totally green nightclub in the heart of Hollywood. Owned by Danny B, David Stratton, Sean Muniz and Matthew Portnoff, Ecco ain't just buying wind credits. Instead, the club's power will be supplied by the LA Department of Water & Power’s Green Power resources. How green! And a Little Birdy tells us that this place is going to be big, saying they are having "huge opening night party this Wednesday and it sounds like the real deal (although based on the pics, the design isnt as baller). The whole launch of the show apparently will be documented in a Discovery Channel show hosted by Adrian Grenier. Greenhouse did it first, but Ecco gets to be closer to the celebs, aka all the press you could possibly want." It seems that the celebs will flock to anything green, it just may be Ecco, and not Greenhouse.
Know Your Blow
For those who dabble in the white world, it may be time to think twice about what is really in your $50 baggie. Officials in Alberta have discovered that Canadian coke heads have been exposed to tainted blow, and seven people have been diagnosed with "agranulocytosis, a condition that makes the immune system incapable of fighting off infections." This is something a flu shot will not prevent people. Apparently, "officials have linked the cases to cocaine laced with levamisole, a chemical compound developed to treat intestinal worms in humans and animals." And now people are snorting it for fun. What a wonderful world. [CBC]
Weekend Wrap Up
- Two State Liquor Authority commissioners who voted to approve Ciprianis liquor licenses, despite their being convicted of tax evasion, were recently given State owned vehicles for unlimited use. Usually, only the SLA chairman get use of a car, and this perk was granted just weeks after the SLA let the Cipriani family stay in business. This disovery is another sign of some serious back rubbing to make sure the Cirpriani family kept their valuable venues in operation. [NY Post]
- Ever have doobie in your funk? What about smoke in your drink? Smoked ingredients are becoming a staple in bartenders recipe books, finding their way into cocktails as spirits, mixers, syrups or garnishes. Our favorite of the moment is a Smoky Rob Roy, which is a great comedown after a hearty meal. [NY Times]
- For those still nursing a holiday hangover, head over to Times Square at 11:30 to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Bloody Mary. What a happy day! [DBTH staff]
Breaking: Plax Shoots Self At Latin Quarter
After learning that Giants star Plaxico Burress had shot himself late Friday night at a New York nightclub, DBTH has learned that Plaxico spent the night at Prana (79 Madison Avenue), attending what was billed as "the NY Giants Post-Thanksgiving Party". A Little Birdy filed this report, "i imagine it was prana since the giants had their party there but i left at 4am and didnt hear no gunshots so...really i cant confirm. i remembered seeing him...wearing red..with some girl all over him in the vip section. maybe it was an after-hour?" Maybe indeed. We were guessing the Eldridge. We will continue to update the story throughout the day. Stay tuned.
Update: Espn.com is reporting that the incident happened at the Latin Quarter, a restaurant, lounge and nightclub in a midtown Radisson. Say wha? We are sticking with our LB who saw Plax at Prana during the Giants post TG but pre Saturday departure for Washington for their weekend game. Anyone know a bookie? We think we smell a Redskins win. [ESPN]
Update #2: The Post confirms that Plax indeed shot himself while at LQ, reporting that Burress
admitted to the guards that he was carrying heat. He then allegedly moved over to a secluded area away from the club's velvet rope with a guard and started taking the gun out. It's not clear exactly what happened next, but Burress apparently started trying to unload the bullets from the gun and bobbled it. A shot went off accidentally, ripping through his leg.
The man obviously knows his way around a pistol. The moral of this story is, of course, never go out in Midtown. Consider this case closed.
The tip line is open!