OMG, People! My inner being sobs for you if you are unable to transport your body to the East Village ASAP to wallow in joys of Moscow 57 - Restaurant & Entertainment. I discovered this place last night with many thanks to my genius/pal Don Rauf, who - wearing a Joey Heatherton wig - performed his genius songs there (including Easy Eggs, in honor of my big sister Lyn Walfish) with his genius band Life in a Blender. But that was just the beginning. Then came a delightful jazz guitarist and sulky singer (who used to perform at the East Village haunt 8BC back in the hey-hey-heyday); a nutty Russian accordionist accompanied by a Nico-like Russian singer with chartreuse hair; then a beautiful recent Julliard grad (joined by her hipster Julliard cohorts) playing sax as if she were John Coltraine reincarnated. Because the place is decked out like a crazy Russian jewelry box and small enough for the performers to be right beside you, it feels the way a 1920s European café might have felt, at least in my imaginings. During all this, we were served beautiful Russian food: tiny blinis with crème fraiche and caviar, beef stroganoff, smoked salmon on black bread sandwiches, cherry-chocolate pudding, and other things that looked super-good. The staff - dancing around and chatting with us - acted if our arrival brought unspeakable joy into their lives. The owner Ellen Kaye - whose parents owned the Russian Tea Room (thus, Moscow 57) - told us that she opened the place in February with a college pal from Sarah Lawrence. Then she jumped up on the bar and belted out a rendition of Love Me Like a Man that made Bonnie Raitt seem like a wimp - as in the attached clip. (Apparently, Ellen was permanently banned from New Yorks annual cabaret show at Town Hall for a performance that was too provocative.) Im telling you, People, happiness resides here. Even the bathroom was super-clean and smelled good. Susan Martin - do you hear the call from across the country, asking you to bring Janie Poo and her entire entourage? Jon Stone - how could you NOT perform here? Steve Cohen and Arthur Chino Ludwig - I should be shot for not forcing you to attend with me last night. Walker Stevenson - cant we introduce this place to Rachelle Garniez so I can walk home after hearing her perform? Harmon Leon - a secondary story-telling venue? Sonali Pathak and Cara Maresca - horseradish infused vodka shots! Cant we drag Jen here? Oliver H D Horsey - you went west too soon! Allie Mandeville- alert your Milton-scholar cousin: Paradise has been found! Details: 168.5 Delancey Street, at the corner of Clinton - just 6 inches or so from the entry to the Williamsburg Bridge on what, apparently, is still the coolest side of those giant suspension wires. Wednesday to Sunday nights. Brunch on weekends.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 18:33:53 +0000
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