Inside Sasha Petraske’s Mercury DimeA couple of weeks ago the magazine offered a peek into the Mercury Dime, Sasha Petraske’s latest venture in the East Village. A year after the community board shot down its bid for a wine-and-beer license (not even the proprietor of ultraquiet Milk and Honey can get a liquor license in this town), the venture is now up and running as a coffee shop — and though we’re dismayed to know we won’t be able to enjoy a nice cava here anytime soon, some strong gourmet coffee should perk us up. Anyhow, seems time to take a closer look inside.
In the Magazine
This Week: New Fusion, New Coffee, Repurposed Water
The city’s newest food-fusion trend is Latin American and Italian cuisines, says the Underground Gourmet in this week’s magazine. Miranda in Williamsburg and Matilda in the East Village are leading the charge, and Rob and Robin alternate between calling it “Mex-Italian” and “Tusc-Mex.” (Our pick: “Mexcellente.”) Outside of our regular reading route, Intel has a dishy item about David Bouley — apparently, his Tribeca neighbors aren’t so thrilled about his proposed Brushstrokes restaurant. Back in the food section, it’s a difficult time of year for the Greenmarket, but that doesn’t deter Damon Wise at Craft for offering up this week’s “In Season” recipe: pan-roasted salsify. Gael Greene visits Smokin’ Q on the Upper East Side this week and enjoys the ribs and the thin-cut fries, though she could do without the owner’s jokes. Rob and Robin introduce us to three new restaurants this week, and we can’t wait to visit Terroir, the latest from Marco Canora and Paul Grieco. Also in “Openings”: an East Village coffee bar co-owned by Sasha Petraske and a new burger spot in the financial district. If a recession breeds good $4 burgers, it can’t be that bad. Finally, if you want to reduce bottled-water waste, we found four restaurants with a DIY approach to filtration and carbonation.
Openings
Weather Up Brings Petraske’s Presbyterians to Prospect Heights
After a few weeks of preopening buzz, Weather Up has opened and owner Kathryn Weatherup (as you’ll recall, an original partner in East Side Company) tells us that by the end of the week there will be eleven classic cocktails on the menu (including an old-fashioned, a Brooklyn, a Florida daiquiri, a Presbyterian, a honeysuckle, a Sazerac, an aviator, and a bee’s knees) plus a weekly pick from bartenders Eliza Rose (formerly of Veritas) and James Arnold, who were trained by Milk and Honey’s Sasha Petraske. Hours of operation: Tuesday through Sunday, 7 p.m. till 3 a.m. Will this reliquary get mobbed as quickly as the Hotel Delmano did? For anyone planning to go there, we hope not.
Weather Up, 589 Vanderbilt Ave., nr. Dean St., Prospect Heights, Brooklyn; no phone yet.
Earlier: Prospect Heights Cocktail Den Promises Back Garden, Oysters
