The guys: PDT and Sake Bar Decibel

Both these places were recommended to us by friends. A coworker of mine at my summer internship brought PDT up immediately after I mentioned that I was going to NY. Sake Bar Decibel was recommended by a San Diego friend, who simply said that we had to go. Their recommendations were enough for us; none of us pressed them for details. My experience was probably better because of it.

We arrived at the address for PDT and wandered around where a secret entrance was supposed to be. Allow me to clarify. The model that PDT is based on is a prohibition-era speakeasy. As such, there is a secret entrance which requires you to buzz in and the person on the other side will let you through if you qualify. No, you don't need to be part of a secret society to get in; a simple reservation will do. Eventually after some aimless wandering, we saw what appeared to be the entrance. We picked up the buzzer, and after some hesitation, a false wall opened. An attractive doorwomen curtly asked, "Vince? Let me lead you to your table." Rules on the door explained that no photography or videotaping was allowed, so please forgive me as I attempt to explain the atmosphere.

The room was narrow, with sets of booths and tables pressed against the length of the wall. The result was a narrow space in between the seating with just enough room for a person to walk in between. A long bar was also anchored against the wall, with two bartenders managing alcohol distribution. Both wore outfits suitable for a Bogart film, and worked in silence and with fast hands. The strict crowd control policy ensured that everyone had a seat, and every seat was filled. Your voice never needed to be above a normal conversational tone. The drinks were extremely intricate and used rare ingredients - while this combination is often an oxymoron, the result in this case was quite delicious. Theis atmosphere did not happen by chance...a visit to the bathroom had a detailed list of rules which served to explain how such an ambiance could be achieved.

The three of us sat at a small table next to the bar. We mulled over a list of drinks we never heard of, with descriptions more suited for a whimsical fiction novel than a bar menu...explanations included stories of departed friends, inspiration from travels, and tales of refinement that took years. I settled for a drink partially composed of absinthe and egg whites, Joe ordered ______ (I don't remember because it was quite exotic), and Hiro ordered a special beer by Brooklyn Brewery. We had a side of waffle-cut fries topped with cheese and jalapenos which caused Hiro to insanely state "I don't even want carne asada fries anymore! I always want this!" We also split a bacon-wrapped hotdog topped with David Chang kimchee. Both were perfect accompiments to our drinks.

During the course of our consumption, we spent our time refining our system, talking about our trip, and discussing how great it would be to live in NY. A place like this will do that for you.

After a second round of drinks, we bid PDT adeiu and walked to Sake Bar Decibel. We almost passed the bar entirely; the place was marked by a small sign maybe one square foot in size, with a bottle of sae taking up 90% of it and the words invisible if further than three feet away. Surely only locals would know of such a place (or educated yelpers), since no passerby would make the effort to climb down the narrow steps resembling the entrance to a basement rather than a restaurant.

Menu shot.

The only necessary explanation of this place is that a quick glance at the menu caused Hiro to say "this place has the best sake selection I've seen outside of Japan."

We then left and called it a night.

Chillin.

Awesome walls.