If you’ve been partying since the ’80s, chances are you’ve got some significant wear and tear, which is why it’s straight crazy that Corey Feldman looks so youthful and vibrant. It takes courage for an ’80s child able to admit it needed a complete facelift. Drop by Sidewalk Cafe, give it a high five, down low, but not too slow.
Originally opened in 1985, the home of the city’s longest-running open mic night recently overhauled itself and has returned as a three-part party barn, blowing out the stage room to accommodate better views, dropping turquoise banquettes in the dining area, and filling out the bar with a large distressed mirror and cagelike fixtures. With only two dishes left over from the original menu, new “homestyle” fare includes brown butter and sage croquettes, pulled pork ciabatta sandwiches topped with red cabbage and jicama slaw, and all-day breakfast including chorizo, queso fresco, and cilantro on top of baked eggs. Drinks have also been amped up, with a fresh beer list sporting drafts like Goose Island and Kelso, plus Sixpoint cans (Sweet Action, the Crisp); there’s also a selection of spiked milkshakes for getting fat, er, cooling down, including a bitters-aided Bourbon Old Fashioned, and a mash of bourbon, bananas, PB and chocolate called the Monkey Business.
Live acts will remain a mixed bag of everything from “anti-folk” to stand-up comedians to Michigan’s Drunken Barn Dance, which Corey Feldman can apparently do a million times over without showing the slightest sign of aging!
– Thrillist is a free daily e-mail that sifts through the crap to find the best of what New York’s hiding. Get on the list at www.thrillist.com/metro.
