Celebrity’s a bitch. Season two “Top Chef" runner-up Sam Talbot (yes, he's hot, settle down) unexpectedly pulled out of his commitment to Spitzer’s Corner, a new joint from the
Fat Baby crew, just months before the LES restaurant was to open. Although his defection cost the place its celebrity buzz, it may have served all parties for the best. Beyond the gigantic windows to the front and side of the venue, Spitzer’s is an understated beer bar masquerading as a restaurant. The food, as prepped by Michael Cooperman (Le Bernadin), is nice but not overwhelming; despite the awesome view, this isn’t a place to be seen, but to drink and (gasp!) have a conversation or two.
Food: “There’s a lot of meat here!” was all our (lovely) bartender told us on opening night. She was, sadly, talking about the menu, and not the handsome Metromix writer standing in front of her. But give her credit for calling it like it is—this is a meat/pork-friendly place. Hell, even the popcorn here is cooked in pork fat (and, honestly, makes for the best bar snack we’ve tried in the last 10 years). Carnivorous or not, the dishes lean toward the safe side (there’s an actual “Meat & Potatoes” dish, featuring skirt steak and fingerling spuds), while the small plates and raw bar offer a mild respite from the usual bar offerings. But you don’t come here to eat…
Booze: … you come here to imbibe the 38 tap beers, presented on a menu with “helpful” descriptions attached. While the St. Bernardus 12 ($8, 10.5 percent alcohol) suggested “huge complex flavors,” we simply found it overpowering and almost salty. We also failed with the Southampton Double White ($6, 6.8 percent alcohol), which hinted at a lemony zing, but not in a good way—think citrus-y floor cleaner. After some more hits or misses, we stuck with the Dogfish Shelter Pale Ale (buttery smooth goodness). Confusingly, the drafts all have descriptions, but the bottles don’t. Prejudice, it seems, takes all forms.
Digs: It’s all about the view. Spitzer’s features several wall-sized windows that open out into the street, suggesting more of a multi-car garage than an indoor establishment. The interior, however, is all-new woodwork, save for a zinc countertop in the main room’s bar. While the communal tables and wide open space up front give Spitzer’s the vibe of a beer hall, a smaller back room (with more open windows/walls) offers up some tiny tables and a more relaxed eating vibe. In other words, dine in back, party upfront.
Vibe: Diverse. On two visits, we encountered everything from a cute group of twentysomething women out for a good time to 40-year-old locals in cargo shorts looking for an early evening wind-down. Early on, it’s mellow: One person in our group suggested they’d actually come here to read, or, worse, “get some work done.” While this relaxed vibe might change in the near future, Spitzer’s is certainly quieter than the average LES haunt, even on weekend nights.
Random: Just two hours after our first visit to Spitzer's, while further imbibing at
Fontana's, we somehow met a sweet young woman who was good friends with Sam Talbot. Except for a vague "he's doing something big, and secret," we were unable to gain any knowledge on his current whereabouts. Hey, we voted for Marcel anyway...
Net results (what people are saying online):[
Restaurantgirl] “There’s a doozy of a raw bar…”
[
UrbanDaddy] “Approach Spitzer’s Corner like you would any run-of-the-mill European beer chalet on the LES…”
[
Eater] “Given its location fronting the very center of Hell Square, this place is going to need some serious crowd-control…”
[
RareDaily] “They call the menu ‘New American gastropub’. We call it delicious.”
Spitzer's Corner
101 Rivington St.at Ludlow St.
212-228-0027
Hours: Mon.-Sun. 4 p.m.-4 a.m.
(Kitchen open until 2 a.m.)
Small plates: $8-$14
Entrees: $12-$19
Drinks: $6-$9
