Raines Law Room

Step 1: Ring door bell

Step 2: Indicate your importance to the Maitre-D when he only cracks open the door to decide whether you will be one of the chosen ones that will enter this new speakeasy.

Step 3: Stand around the island in kitchen as you watch the baristas make you a Negroni

Step 4: Snag a seat in one of the cozy tables (complete with drapes for privacy

Step 5: Press the button in your nook to get the attention of the waitress. With this feature, you'll never be forgotten.

Step 6: Continue drinking...

That's all you'll need as you make your way to the newly opened "Raines Law Room" where the clandestine atmosphere mimicks an exclusive members-only club. As you mingle with the other lucky guests in the kitchen, you feel like you are in the home with your closest friends as you watch the mixologist stir up a drink. I had been eager to try out this new lounge, but when I did last weekend I was not dissapointed. Sure, the cocktails are a bit pricey, but the star treatment makes you forget that your pocket's empty as you stumble out. Although there was no seating at the tables, half an hour later the maitre-d kindly came into the kitchen to escort us to the available table. He had not forgotten us with all the people waltzing in trying to snag the few free seats.

Unfortunatly, this little-known gem is already becoming exposed. After my evening here, I opened up the New York Times Dining section Wednesday only to see a huge photo of the hush-hush lounge. I give it a week before I may have to alter Step 2.

Raines Law Room

48 W 17th Street

New York, NY

No Phone

Mayahuel

Mayahuel: a new booze-den located in the heart of the East Village. Mixologist Phil Ward, from Death and Co, has just opened a tequila-based bar, therefore the cocktails will inevitably to die for. What looks like a tiny rancho from the outside, transforms into a plush upstairs lounge complete with burgundy velvet benches, tiled-tables, and valentine-red walls. Downstairs you can settle in a wooden booth and enjoy a cocktail with some a small selection of tapas, including tortillas, plantanos, and palomitas. With over fifteen different cocktails to choose from, I was overhelmed! Being my indecisive self, I pondered for a while, but once the waitress came over I figured I’d ask the pro. You know, sometimes you get those really obnoxious serves that, when you ask “what drink do you recommend?”, answer with “everything is great!”. I hate that. But, at Mayahuel, I couldn’t have asked for a better waitress. She was very personable and truly gave us honest answers about the cocktails. I was in the mood for a bitter cocktail, so she led me in the direction of the Pilot Punch: blanco tequila, Jalapeno, yellow Chanteuse, and a hint of cucumber and mint. Delish. An amazing spicy aftertaste (not overwhelming though). My friend ventured towards one of the Tea-Killa cocktails, the Raspberry Charade to be exact: Raspberry tea infused Tequila with citrus and Cava. Equally as amazing!

I highly recommend Mayahuel if you want a cozy place to relax with a deadly tequila-cocktail . It has just opened, so check it out sooner rather than later.

SWAG it! Rating: !!!! (four exclamations out of five)

Mayahuel

304 E. 6th Street
at 2nd Avenue

http://nymag.com/daily/food/2009/04/phil_wards_tequila_bar_mayahue.html

Cabin Down Below

You would think that this recession would have taken a toll on New York nightlife and that perhaps, it would be easier to get past the bouncer. Better yet, shouldn’t the drinks be more reasonably priced? Unfortunately for us bargain-hunters, this hasn’t seemed to be the case lately…that is until my bar-find last night. Strolling along Avenue A in the East Village, Cabin Down Below epitomizes the term ‘hidden gem’, as it is cleverly placed below the space of a pizza joint. After my party of seven, majority of which were boys, was already rejected at an haute-bar earlier in the night, I was crossing my fingers that the Cabin Down Below was still laying low and that the likes of Kirsten Dunst the previous weekend hadn’t already revved up the security at the door. The stars were aligned for us last night as the slightly unintimidating bouncer let into the dimly lit den, where the drinks were moderately priced and the music was appropriately indie. Cabin Down Below turned out to be an ideal place to chill with friends and fellow east-villagers without a fuss and without hours playing aggressive-New Yorker just waiting for one drink at the bar. Even Chloe Sevigny nonchalantly sipped a drink, clad with a red toque, blending in with the rest of the crowd. So low-key, so utterly fabulous! This basement bar is literally a tiny basement, so get there early to avoid the lengthy line at door…or wait, maybe the line was for the pizza? Either way, this nook won’t be a secret for long so make sure to get there before the bridge and tunnel crowd start reading about it in US Magazine and becomes just another place with an impossible doorman.

The Cabin Down Below

110 Ave A(at 7th St)

East Village

New York, NY 10009