NYC's Milk and Honey

[beans]

Unfortunately, this e-zine does not archive, so at one point this article link will no longer be available.

 

Milk and Honey is located in a really seedy part of downtown Manhattan where every shop is boarded up and all the buildings are littered with graffiti and rubbish and very run down.

 

Upon arrival we were quite concerned. The most dismal entrance (pictured above) was hardly inviting. No signs, no window, no indication whatsoever that there was a bar inside. Just a simple "134" marked the locked door.

 

Chris told us that he had made reservations earlier and that this was the only way you could visit the bar. Reservations have to be made on the day of your excursion only. There is however a one day advance exception for people traveling from abroad. Apparently if they don't answer the phone they are full and you may not go in a group of more than four.

 

* * * * * * * *

 

After seating us, our waitress, Christie, informed us that all drinks are made with fresh seasonal ingredients only like berries, ginger, mint, egg, and squeezed fruit juices. No specialty cocktail menu here. You simply let Christie know what base spirit you would like in your cocktail and Joseph the bartender would create something magical just for you.

 

The bar is stocked with rare and unusual Liquors surrounding an old fashioned cash register.

 

We drank all sorts of awesome concoctions from Bronx Cocktails, a Gin Daisy, an XYZ, and Mint Gimlet, to a Vodka Sugar Plum, a Honeysuckle, a Cherry Vodka Fizz and a Brandy Smash.

 

The drinks were nothing short of phenomenal.

 

I had the opportunity to chat with the owner, Sasha, and asked him if it would be cool for us to do a review on Flairbar.com. He graciously said yes but asked me not publish their address or phone number. He told us that every time Milk and Honey receives publicity the wrong people end up there, their regulars stop coming and the landlord tries to increase their rent.

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

This is truly one of New York's best kept secrets.

 

 

 

http://www.flairbar.com/Frames/And_Finally_MF.htm

 

 

 

Anyone ever been to this jewel?

[Lippy]

Haven't been there, but here's a link that has the address and phone number.

[Kikujiro]

There's a branch in London. Time Out or the Observer or someone keeps giving them awards (mind you, they did the same for Loungelover, which is awful) so they're hardly a secret. The one time I tried to go it was oversubscribed and not taking reservations from non-members (which is how you get in -- call in advance).

[Vanessa]

There's a branch in London. Time Out or the Observer or someone keeps giving them awards (mind you, they did the same for Loungelover, which is awful) so they're hardly a secret. The one time I tried to go it was oversubscribed and not taking reservations from non-members (which is how you get in -- call in advance).

A favourite of the Slapper if I remember rightly. Same ownership as Match/The Player.

 

v

[S.C.S.]

He graciously said yes but asked me not publish their address or phone number. He told us that every time Milk and Honey receives publicity the wrong people end up there, their regulars stop coming and the landlord tries to increase their rent.

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

This is truly one of New York's best kept secrets.

 

Ahem.

[beans]

He graciously said yes but asked me not publish their address or phone number. He told us that every time Milk and Honey receives publicity the wrong people end up there, their regulars stop coming and the landlord tries to increase their rent.

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

This is truly one of New York's best kept secrets.

 

Ahem.

???

[S.C.S.]

He graciously said yes but asked me not publish their address or phone number. He told us that every time Milk and Honey receives publicity the wrong people end up there, their regulars stop coming and the landlord tries to increase their rent.

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

This is truly one of New York's best kept secrets.

 

Ahem.

???

Since this is a public board with a very rapidly growing membership, I consider positive restaurant & bar reviews to be free, unsolicited publicity. So if an owner of an establishment made it clear that for them, publicity had a negative result on their business, I guess I'm just wondering why someone would go on a very public board & talk about it?

[Orik]

errr... the phone number and address is on nymetro and other guides, so I don't really see the issue. It's not as if they're really trying to avoid publicity.

[Wilfrid1]

This issue cropped up on eGullet with respect to that wacky West Village bistro (the name of which escapes me as I haven't slept for several day). The amusing proprietor had vehemently insisted to one of the site managers that he did not want details of his business published, and there was some discussion of whether he was entitled to make this demand. But the discussion fizzled out when people indicated how easy it was to link to the address on regular web-sites like City Search.

 

I would be in favor of respecting Milk & Honey's policy, but agree with Orik that if the correct details are so prominently published the point becomes somewhat irrelevant

[Cathy]

This issue cropped up on eGullet with respect to that wacky West Village bistro (the name of which escapes me as I haven't slept for several day).

Shopsin's

[Wilfrid1]

Ah yes, I wanted to call it Kenny's, but I knew that was wrong. Kenny Shopsin's eponymous Shopsin's. Ugh, what food.

[Cathy]

But such a wonderful Bud Trillin essay.

[Orik]

there was some discussion of whether he was entitled to make this demand.

I guess it's more a question of courtsey than of entitlement. I remember reading that the owner of the secret (and not very good) Japanese resto on 41st st. supposedly got very upset about a review that listed their phone number and address, but they were never upset enough to refuse reservations...so...

[omnivorette]

I would be in favor of respecting Milk & Honey's policy, but agree with Orik that if the correct details are so prominently published the point becomes somewhat irrelevant

I completely disagree. If somebody opens a business that is open to the public - indeed, makes its money from the public's consumption of its products and/or services, they have no "right to privacy." And give me a break. They want business.

 

If they want to be a private club, and limit attendance to the people they don't consider the "wrong" type of people, they should go ahead and be a private club. Until such time, too bad.

[Tamar G]

no errant Zs, omni. you must be back stateside. welcome home.

 

Totally agree! Any place that is a public establishment but tries so hard to be secret is doing it for the status of being secret. It's PR to attract certain people, pure and simple.

 

And even if you buy into their secret-shtick, then the whole point would be to pass around info on the bar by word of mouth to potential like-minded patrons, which a board (mostly) devoted to food and drink would be anyway.