Café 81: Can we survive with one less Ukranian watering hole? (OK, perhaps this question answered itself.) Much to the chagrin of aging ex-pats, newbie Café 81 has filled the void of East Village institution Verchovyna Tavern, demolished to make way for this spanking new boozerie. While some would like to give decrepit bars status as endangered species, this replacement has a lot to offer. The bartenders are friendly and outgoing, the kitchen puts out real food instead of stale pretzels and beer nuts, and the crowd is young locals instead of aging winos. If that's not enough to win you over, they also pour shots of snazzy cocktails like Sex on the Beach. Er, on second thought...not sure where we stand on those. Maybe the Old World wasn't so bad after all. |
