<em>It's been quite a year, and we couldn't let it go without summing it all up for you one last time. Tothat end, here is a modest list of the highlights of 2007, with all its wondrous highs and hope-crushinglows.</em>
Dropped into the wasteland of lower Tribeca, this cozy—all right, tiny—unmarked bar played off industrial and immigrant nostalgia, along with some tasty vintage cocktails, to create one of the freshest and most interesting spots of the year.
Hype, delays, more hype, and a long line of reservations kicked off Ann Burrell's "spiritually Italian" entry into the West Village scene. Six months later, the crowd has yet to die down.
It's not for the uninitiated, but this small sushi spot got better all year, winning over non-believers with the freshest ingredients and the most sublime omakase. At least, for those who knew better than to order a Diet Coke.
A perfect storm of nightlife and sport brought together basement savants, bored hipsters, eclectic bankers and the usual Tribeca minglers for one of the most reliably fun nights in the city. The nudity, unfortunately, remained metaphorical.
Love it or hate it, the site changed the shape of eating out in New York this year. And the people who love it are probably better-fed.
…AND THEN THE MISSES
A fashion-themed club with a catwalk. By the third week, an escalating walkoff feud had most thinking runaway instead of Runway.
Founded as a haven for guyliner and pop-punk. To be fair, Sinatra Night sounded promising.
They started out with a plan for a full multimedia playground, with walls that could change from arctic wilderness to Tuscan villa with the click of a button. Unfortunately, not enough of a distraction from the not-so-New-York crowd.
