3:33 am in NYC
By Chef Paul Gerard
There's something satisfying about sipping an egg cream outside Gem Spa at 3:33 in the morning. The East Village streets are dead and it's just me and the ghosts. New York hasn't entirely lost its crisp edge, it just doesn't taste like it did as a kid.
Gem Spa has been an institution here in the East Village forever. One of the iconic photos of the New York Dolls is shot outside of Gem Spa and they still make real egg creams.
GEM SPA
131 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10003
Chef Paul Gerard is a partner of E's Bar on the Upper West Side and Belle Reve in Tribeca
E's Bar
We created E's to be like the dive bars we grew up in...for grown ups. It's a beer-shot-burger neighborhood joint that isn't hung up on trends. My partners are Erin Bellard, and Ethan Hunt. We're all New Yorkers that came up in hospitality and pool halls, and with that industry comes many late nights. So just as we have our pedigrees in service, we have extensive experience in being served. Our fond (and a bit fuzzy) memories of places like Scrap Bar, Max Fish, Mars Bar, and late-night burgers at Corner Bistro are part of who we are, but we appreciate that as times change, so do we. As much as we want to see our favorite band, we'd rather do it from a comfortable seat in The Beacon Theater rather than the pit at The Palladium. We created a place that allows us to incorporate all we've lived and learned on both sides of the bar.
When you come to E's, try it all! It's not your typical bar food, but we're not trying to reinvent the wheel. Grab a beer, get a burger, play a game/jukebox, and enjoy. Most beers and drinks are 10 bucks or under.
E'S BAR
511 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10024
T: 212.877. 0961 | e-barnyc.com
Belle Reve
It's a bar and restaurant with American food, live music, and spirited atmosphere. It's a distinctly downtown den that encourages light eating, and endorses heavy drinking!
BELLE REVE
305 Church Street, New York, NY 10013
T: 212.680.0101
To get chef Paul Gerard's eating and drinking recommendations in New York City download the Find. Eat. Drink. iPhone app.
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