New York is eerily quiet now, the usual bustle and clamour of the bars silenced. You can even hear birds chirping in the trees; a peaceful juxtaposition to the collective despair currently facing New York City’s service industry. Hundreds of thousands of hardworking servers, cooks, bartenders, co-ordinators and baristas are suddenly stranded without any source of income. Because of the nature of their jobs, those in the service industry cannot work from home and have had their hours cut or eliminated for the foreseeable future. Many are reliant on tips to survive, with thousands of food servers and bartenders otherwise earning under the standard minimum wage with no access to health care. As New York’s hospitality industry wrestles with the COVID-19 crisis, public, private, and non-profit sectors are striving to ensure that the city’s 321,000 food and beverage workers maintain some economic security and access to healthcare.
These are people holding up the fabric of our society. This crisis affects literally everyone who has ever eaten in a restaurant, gotten their hair professionally done, had a mani-pedi, ordered a cup of coffee, or gotten a drink at a bar.
Ivy X, a law student who works for a major talent industry, immediately organized Tips For Kicks NYC, a GoFundMe focusing solely on tipping service industry workers.
“Think about how much you tip for a coffee, a meal, a haircut, or a live band playing at a bar,” she says. You donate however much you want. It goes into a pot and is divided among applicants who have been immediately impacted.”
Tips For Kicks has almost met their initial goal of $1000, but more is encouraged and everything goes straight to the recipients as a regular tip jar would.
HOW SOON TO DONATE:
The campaign will run through Saturday, March 28th to ensure that workers can get their tips ASAP.
HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:
You must be an NYC resident who relies on tips to supplement your income. You must apply by Monday, March 23rd to be considered.
Email the following to tipsforkicksnyc@gmail.com :
• Proof of employment
• A short description of the nature of your work
• Your Venmo handle
All applicants will be notified whether they are approved through email.
Santigold — Photo: Getty Images / Brian Ach for Ketel One Vodka
Late last week, Ketel One Vodka adorned the walls of the NeueHouse Penthouse space in Madison Square to celebrate the brand’s new campaign, “You Don’t Understand, It Has To Be Perfect.” The campaign highlights the brand’s commitment to time tested, 325-year-old distilling expertise and the history of the distinguished Nolet Family Distillery, the household of Ketel One Vodka.
Once off the elevator into the space, guests were immersed into the Ketel One Vodka world. The room, filled with over 300 guests, displayed three vignettes for guests to interact with, each purposeful for learning the brand’s heritage and efforts in crafting each batch of Ketel One Vodka. The vignettes included a virtual reality tour of the Nolet Family Distillery, which guests — Downtown included — were excited about.There was also a Ketel One Vodka Heritage Wall, and Ketel One Artisanal Flavor Bar. One of the cocktails served was the refreshing Ketel One Lemongrass Fizz with Ketel One Citroen, citric acid, carbonated water and lemongrass garnish.
Photo: Getty Images / Brian Ach for Ketel One Vodka
Guests enjoyed bespoke Ketel One Vodka cocktails crafted by some master bartenders. British DJ Lion Babe played sounds throughout the evening, and later guests enjoyed a performance from Santigold. Other guests present at the event were PAPER Magazine Creative Director and America’s Next Top Model judge Drew Elliott, model David Howland, Chelsea Leyland, singer and performer Kreesha Turner, and fashion stylist Ty Hunter. Renowned bartender and mixologist Dale DeGroff was there as a guest and bespoke the cocktails for the evening.
Event goers were able to partake in the festivities of Ketel One’s brand launch, while celebrating its rich heritage and legacy that makes it the premium vodka spirit it is today.
The Eddy and Wallflower — sister restaurants in Greenwich Village — both recently launched new cocktail hours and bar menus. Wallflower now serves its “Punch, Classics & The Burger” menu daily from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM, while The Eddy’s “Classic Cocktail Hour” launched on Oct. 21 with the same hours. Both The Eddy (located in the East Village) and Wallflower (located in the West Village) are also open on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Eddy chef Brendan McHale has an $85 five-course tasting menu planned for Christmas Eve and a $95 six-course tasting menu for New Year’s Eve, while Ezra Lewis at Wallflower has an $85 five-course meal ready for Christmas and an $80 four-course on New Year’s.
Downtown had the pleasure of speaking with the head bartenders of both The Eddy and Wallflower. James Lomardino spoke on behalf of Wallflower. Luis Hernandez represented The Eddy. Both James and Luis offered up great answers that offered insight into life as a craft-conscious bartender, while also sharing some recommendations inside and outside of their establishments.
How would you describe your establishment to someone who hasn’t yet been there?
James Lomardino: Wallflower wears its name well. It’s the secret spot that has been there all along, waiting for you to discover it. We serve French-American fare alongside a carefully curated wine list and a cocktail program that is interesting and far from pretentious. We have a small, succinct menu and our chef, sommelier and myself work hard to ensure every inch of our tiny space is utilized to an extreme degree. Come for cocktails at the bar before dinner — no matter what you like to drink, there will be something exciting for you to try.
Luis Hernandez: We are a restaurant, from cocktail bar to kitchen, that focuses on the freshness of product and seasonality.
What is your favorite item on the menu there?
JL: Cocktail-wise, I’m really excited about the Root Down. It’s a killer drink at Wallflower — Linie Aquavit and fresh carrot juice work together beautifully in this drink. Food-wise, the tasting menu is where it’s at; we call it, Let Us Cook For You. Let the kitchen send out dishes to you the way they would a good friend or other industry professional. Sit back, relax and let the food roll out. They do not mess around!
LH: From the kitchen, it has to be the chicken liver pate with miche toast and Concord grape. It’s a very old-school preparation and an example of what a traditional pate is.
The Eddy’s Luis Hernandez / Photo: Erin Kestenbaum
Any specials or events coming up there?
JL: We have recently started a cocktail and bar food menu from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM for our neighborhood regulars and the after work crowd. We offer French 75s, Sidecars, and a punch that our bartenders create for the day. We have definitely made some new fans of the Sidecar.
LH: We just started a new happy hour menu that focuses on classic cocktails and some modifications. We also make it a focus to show the versatility of certain spirit categories and how they fit into classics and out of them as well.
What do you like most about your job?
JL: Honestly, just making people have a relaxed, good time. I am also a person who enjoys going out to bars and restaurants, so I work largely with empathy and intuition. I think, “What would I want my experience to be like?” Then I aim for that.
LH: I have the ability to create, teach, learn, and innovate at this bar. It’s great to have the chance to match the cocktails to the food and ensure harmony between the two. Having a kitchen that works at such a high seasonal level makes it easy for me to be seasonal as well and allows for imagination through the restriction of seasonality.
Cocktail Hour selections from The Eddy
What is your drink of choice?
JL: It depends on the time of day! I enjoy most spirits, beer and wine, and the more I taste and try new things, the more I realize there is a time and place for everything. With that being said, if you put some sort of Rum Swizzle in front of me, I’ll be thrilled.
LH: I am not drinking alcohol anymore, so it’s tea. The versatility of tea cannot be understated. It’s an ancient drink that I hope will garner more adoration in Western culture.
Your establishment aside, what is your favorite restaurant in New York?
JL: This is a tough one. As New Yorkers we have an infinite number of options. It’s starting to get cold here, so there is nothing more soothing than a big bowl of ramen from Chuko.
LH: Without a doubt it has to be Raku, right next to us. All the food is great without any pretension, delicious, fast, warming and affordable. Definitely worth a visit.
The Eddy’s I’m Sorry Ms. Kahlo / Photo: Asia Coladner
What is the first bar or restaurant you ever held a job at?
JL: Rue B., many years ago in Alphabet City in New York. Cocktails there may have not been ground-breaking at the time, but they gave me the chance to learn how to work in a busy and lively environment.
LH: Ciro and Sal’s in Provincetown, Massachusetts. It’s as old-school as it gets, looks like an old Italian cellar — intimate and great for a date!
When not busy with work, how do you like to spend your free time?
JL: All summer long, I ride my bike down to Coney Island to watch the Brooklyn Cyclones play. It’s a blast.
LH: The little time I have off I always spend with my wife. We like to go out to eat, go to museums or anything else interesting in the city. If I am not out with my wife, I am either playing basketball or reading comic books and manga.
