Author Topic: Status of Swim Two Birds Restaurant (Read 94367 times)

Stew · « **Reply #165 on:** June 06, 2017, 08:53:21 PM »

Quote from: amsci on June 06, 2017, 10:45:52 AM

I've tried but could never get into Campari. :-/

That would have made you quite the rebel during the Sex and the City/Cosmopolitan days.

In Guastavino's heyday (Terrence Conran's bar/restaurant under the 59th Street bridge), a Cosmo was de rigeur.

Stew · « **Reply #166 on:** June 06, 2017, 09:55:18 PM »

Quote from: Cassat on June 06, 2017, 10:29:08 AM

Quote from: Stew on June 05, 2017, 08:39:59 PM
I really enjoyed meeting the people who dropped by yesterday during the Pride parade.

The green "shed" at the entrance will be gone this week and replaced with the new storefront.

Can't wait to see the new storefront. Let us know the next time you'll be there - I was out of town or else would have come by. By the way, personally I prefer no music in restaurants...

Hi Cassat,

I'll post here and/or send you a personal message.

Our craftspeople told me today that they are starting with the wall finishes (wallpaper and paint) as well as installing the new storefront, so I'm inclined to give it a few days.

amsci · « **Reply #167 on:** June 06, 2017, 10:44:27 PM »

I don't care for vodka either, so that rules out cosmos altogether.

Quote from: Stew on June 06, 2017, 08:53:21 PM

Quote from: amsci on June 06, 2017, 10:45:52 AM
I've tried but could never get into Campari. :-/

That would have made you quite the rebel during the Sex and the City/Cosmopolitan days.

In Guastavino's heyday (Terrence Conran's bar/restaurant under the 59th Street bridge), a Cosmo was de rigeur.

Ro · « **Reply #168 on:** June 07, 2017, 09:49:45 AM »

Love a good creative cosmo.

Quote from: Stew on June 06, 2017, 08:53:21 PM

Quote from: amsci on June 06, 2017, 10:45:52 AM
I've tried but could never get into Campari. :-/

That would have made you quite the rebel during the Sex and the City/Cosmopolitan days.

In Guastavino's heyday (Terrence Conran's bar/restaurant under the 59th Street bridge), a Cosmo was de rigeur.

Stew · « **Reply #169 on:** June 10, 2017, 07:31:12 PM »

Quote from: Ro on June 07, 2017, 09:49:45 AM

Love a good creative cosmo.

Quote from: Stew on June 06, 2017, 08:53:21 PM
Quote from: amsci on June 06, 2017, 10:45:52 AM
I've tried but could never get into Campari. :-/

That would have made you quite the rebel during the Sex and the City/Cosmopolitan days.

In Guastavino's heyday (Terrence Conran's bar/restaurant under the 59th Street bridge), a Cosmo was de rigeur.

You're laughing

Guastavino made Cosmos with vodka both without Campari and with Campari. Probably the trendiest bar in New York at the time (they did host at least one Sex and the City cast party) it sold an extraordinary amount of Campari, which probably hit the peak of its popularity.

Guastavino also claimed to have invented the Cosmo, although that is definitely questionable.

It was an amazing space. The bar was great, the restaurant less so. When it closed, the space became a rather pedestrian, semi-upscale shopping mall. Don't know what it is now.

amsci · « **Reply #170 on:** June 11, 2017, 02:01:53 PM »

It's a Michael's craft store now.

My company used to host holiday parties there, but I have an aversion to "mandatory fun" so I never went.

Quote from: Stew on June 10, 2017, 07:31:12 PM

Quote from: Ro on June 07, 2017, 09:49:45 AM
Love a good creative cosmo.

Quote from: Stew on June 06, 2017, 08:53:21 PM
Quote from: amsci on June 06, 2017, 10:45:52 AM
I've tried but could never get into Campari. :-/

That would have made you quite the rebel during the Sex and the City/Cosmopolitan days.

In Guastavino's heyday (Terrence Conran's bar/restaurant under the 59th Street bridge), a Cosmo was de rigeur.

You're laughing Guastavino made Cosmos with vodka both without Campari and with Campari. Probably the trendiest bar in New York at the time (they did host at least one Sex and the City cast party) it sold an extraordinary amount of Campari, which probably hit the peak of its popularity.

Guastavino also claimed to have invented the Cosmo, although that is definitely questionable.

It was an amazing space. The bar was great, the restaurant less so. When it closed, the space became a rather pedestrian, semi-upscale shopping mall. Don't know what it is now.

Simka · « **Reply #171 on:** June 11, 2017, 03:29:16 PM »

Quote from: Cassat on June 06, 2017, 10:29:08 AM

By the way, personally I prefer no music in restaurants...

Me too. Or at least keep the volume down so people can talk without competing with it.

dssjh · « **Reply #172 on:** June 11, 2017, 04:49:14 PM »

as long as wish lists are being compiled, i hope that your initial plan to have a smattering of elements from your own heritage in the mix - i remember mention of Maritime dishes at one point

Stew · « **Reply #173 on:** June 13, 2017, 06:59:47 PM »

Hi Simka and dssjh,

We're going to do the soft opening without music and see whether guests are happy with it.

We will indeed have a number of maritime dishes on the menu. After all, we are living on an island

The crew were putting the finishing touches on the new front today. The green shed will come off as soon as they are ready to get rid of it. As mentioned previously, there will not be an awning/box sign above the entrance. The idea is to keep the front in tune with how the building was originally designed.

dssjh · « **Reply #174 on:** June 13, 2017, 08:13:41 PM »

music/sound is a very interesting element in this mix - kind of like lighting (although *no* lighting is really not an option).

i'm sometimes hesitant to go to one favorite place - Osteria Morini - because of management insistence on ramping up decibels to the point where everyone needs to shout. haven't noticed that at Michael White's other places, though.

"energy" is organic. it's there or it isn't. and the *kind* of energy you want to have in the space is a consideration, too. hope you find the mix you need there.

Stew · « **Reply #175 on:** June 13, 2017, 08:29:35 PM »

A small insight into creating a restaurant...

This week, our crew will be working on wall finishes.

Today, we held up some wallpaper against a wall to judge how it will look.

We immediately realised that it looks amazing with the floor tile.

We also immediately realised that it will put us well on the way to a space that some guests, especially young people, may find outside their comfort zone.

Given that we want this to be a neighborhood, somewhat casual restaurant, this is a real issue.

We spent some time talking about how important staff will be in how the restaurant is seen/welcomed if we continue on our current road on finishes.

In the end, we decided to go ahead with the wallpaper.

We will find out after we open whether this was the right decision.

Stew · « **Reply #176 on:** June 13, 2017, 09:37:37 PM »

A more direct version of my last post...

Today it hit home that we are way offside how restaurants in the area are done.

If we are successful, others will follow.

If the food and service are good and we fail, we will lose our shirts and learn that we should have stayed with our original intention to do this in Manhattan or Brooklyn or Long Island City, all of which we considered in detail before deciding on Jackson Heights.

Our designer, who is in his mid-twenties, and in whom we have great confidence, believes that the design will work for young people as well as older people, and won't be seen as too formal/fancy. But he lives in Manhattan via Key West.

We'll know soon enough

stevn · « **Reply #177 on:** June 13, 2017, 10:44:49 PM »

I'm glad we got an insight from a person who has taken 2+ years to open a tiny restaurant.

When you fail, blame the wallpaper.

lalochezia · « **Reply #178 on:** June 13, 2017, 11:04:27 PM »

Quote from: stevn on June 13, 2017, 10:44:49 PM

I'm glad we got an insight from a person who has taken 2+ years to open a tiny restaurant.

When you fail, blame the wallpaper.

Do not feed the newly-registered troll.

MrPlaza · « **Reply #179 on:** June 13, 2017, 11:32:55 PM »

Quote from: lalochezia on June 13, 2017, 11:04:27 PM

Quote from: stevn on June 13, 2017, 10:44:49 PM
I'm glad we got an insight from a person who has taken 2+ years to open a tiny restaurant.

When you fail, blame the wallpaper.

Do not feed the newly-registered troll.

Word. There's good wallpaper and bad wallpaper. Not sure if that's going to be a deal breaker for people of the food and vibes are good. And for the record, ambient music would be preferable.

Signed,
20-something year old

Jackson Heights Life

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Author Topic: Status of Swim Two Birds Restaurant (Read 94367 times)

Stew

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Stew

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amsci

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Ro

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amsci

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Simka

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dssjh

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Stew

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dssjh

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stevn

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lalochezia

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