NYC Nightlife: Everything You Need To Know Wednesday

The Darby is loud and overcharges, Upright Citizens Brigade looks like a bordello, and the outer boroughs are starting the party. Plus, LCD Soundsystem, a dash of Charlie Sheen, a side of Obama, a list of where to eat near Yankee Stadium, and more. Today's nightlife roundup is delicious.

1. The Darby Charges $2 For Ice, $25 For Entertainment [Eater]

Ever notice how in New York iced coffee is so much more expensive than regular coffee simply because it has ice  (which is water which is free!!!) in it? Well your local deli isn't the only one jacking up prices for frozen cubes of the stuff that comes out of your faucet. A reader send this in to Eater:

"First of all, at the bar my friend ordered a Grey Goose on the rocks. In addition to the $13 they charge for a small glass of vodka, they actually had the audacity to charge an additional TWO DOLLARS for ice, separately!

A) Shouldn't a $13 cocktail absorb the cost of ice? B) OR, couldn't they have just made the drink $15 to avoid such a ridiculous and insulting charge? C) In what universe are 3 ice cubes worth $2??"

They also charge $25 for entertainment, though that makes much more sense.

2. Is Kastel Bumping Up Prices? [GofG]

Speaking of jacking up prices, we got a tip from a reader that Kastel, the Bar & Lounge that rents space from the Trump Soho on Spring Street, has been hiking up prices.

"They have been making deals over the phone to bring in the cool kids only to slam them with hefty charges at the end of the night. What's their method? Multiple party goers noticed they use the "standard procedure" of holding a credit card and bringing it back with, let's just say, more than just gratuity charges."

Any one else notice a extra charge for nada on their tab? Let us know.

3. A List of the Most Wanted Tables in NYC [Eater]

Eater made a list of the most wanted tables in New York - "right this moment." First place was Torrisi Italian Specialties, a two star restaurant (what?) and right behind it was the West Village's classy spot Babbo. Others on the list? La Esquina, Il Mulino, and the Red Rooster.

4. Just how loud is that restaurant? Zagat tested eateries using a decibel reader [Zagat]

The loudest?

The Darby: 100.3 dB - To be fair, we measured the noise level during this supper club's floor show (see above). Seeing that it's only slightly less loud than an ambulance, there is pretty much no hope of talking to your fellow diners while the show is going on.

The quietest?

Per Se: 65.1 dB - By far the quietest in this round, only slightly louder than our office.

5. Take me out to the ball game -- where to eat near Yankee Stadium [SeriousEats]

From Ghanaian to Dominican food, they represent the changing demographics of the borough. While there are a handful of decent vendors at Yankee Stadium, why not skip the lines for a $7 Nathan's hot dog or $8 garlic fries and venture a little further afield?

They suggest Fauzia's Heavenly Delights, Bate African and American Food, Eye Adom, to name a few.

6. Mulberry Street Bar Shuttered For Health Code Violations [NYC the Blog Via DnaInfo]

Mulberry Street Bar, the 103-year-old tavern near the corner of Broome Street was closed last week after a notice from the Department of Health appeared in its window, NYC The Blog reported. They failed a march 22 health inspection with a disgusting 47 violations points for possible contamination of food and evidence of live vermin. They plan on opening soon, minus the rats.

7. System Club and Jaguar Get Ready To Rock Outer Boroughs [Eater]

While Park Slopers concentrate their efforts on stopping Prime Six from opening and bringing hip hop to their indie-rock friendly neighborhood,  two other new bars are opening in the boroughs.  The 8,000 square foot Club System will greet customers in April in Long Island City.  The space has been gutted and rehabbed by the construction team that has previously worked on 1OAK and Goldbar. The 20,000 square foot Jaguar is primed to open in just a few weeks and will offer food, music, dancing,and strippers.

Be sure to check out GofG's coverage of Prime Six and Jaguar:

[Rap Club In Park Slope? Neighbors Revile, Want It To Be "Indie"]

[Jaguar Prepares Brooklyn Launch: The Future Of Nightlife In The Boroughs]

8. Forthcoming Upright Citizens Brigade Looks Like A Bordello To 66 Year Old Neighbor [DnaInfo Via EVGrieve]

The Upright Citizens Brigade's new venue being opened near East 3rd street is already pissing off neighbors. They recently hung red drapes in their windows to cover a "Hot Chicks Room" sign after residents complained that the babe-inspired billboard, meant to be a joke, would draw hordes of rowdy bar-goers.

"Now neighbors are taking issues with the theater's rose-colored curtains, claiming they make the venue look like a house of ill repute. "They look like red velvet, like you would see in a bordello," said Felicia Caggiano, 66, whose window looks out onto the theater and who previously planned to start a petition against the "repulsive" Chicks sign."

9. The vacant Amato Opera house is getting tagged up by graffiti artists, plans are still unclear for the building [DNAinfo]

The Amato Opera house on the Bowery was the home to the celebrated opera company for nearly a half-century before its closing in 2010. Now, the building is beginning to deteriorate as it waits for a new tenant to take over the space. Last July, a plan to reopened the venue as a dinner theater was publicized, but no work has been performed on the building. In the meantime, street artists have commandeered the space, such as Katsu - who was behind a recent fake-ad campaign on the LES.

10. Hotels Give Charlie Sheen The Cold Shoulder [NYPost]

Charlie Sheen's new show comes to Radio City on his "Violent Torpedo of Truth" tour April 8th. But sources have revealed the manic star may have problems checking in to a hotel-- especially in to The Plaza, in which the famous prostitute in a closet incident took place. Other hotels that have banned Sheen's presence? The Waldorf-Astoria and the Trump Soho.

11. Noooo!  Nate Hill Is Retiring Free Bouncy Rides & Punch Me Panda [FreeWilliamsburg]

Trips on the train just got a little bit less bizarre and a lot less funny. Nate Hill, the performance artist responsible for Death Bear and the Chinatown Garbage Taxidermy Tours, is retiring Free Bouncy Rides, in which he dresses in a dolphin suit and lets passengers sit on his lap. He's also retiring Punch me Panda, a “safe place to punch someone.” He'll be donning the Panda suit one more time, today at 6pm at the Lexington Ave/53rd St stop of the E, M subway platform.  Go and deck him because nobody like a quitter, and because you can.

12. President Obama Dines At Red Rooster In Harlem [PageSix] [Image Via Eater]

President Obama was toasted last night at a fund-raiser at Red Rooster in Harlem. Reservations to the event went at $30,000 dollars a head, but plenty turned out. The Secret Service blocked the doors, and Chez Lucienne next door was empty.

Chez Lucienne's owner Alain Chevreux told Page Six:

"The Secret Service blocked his entrance. "It's im possible for my customers to get in the door. I have over 80 reservations, and I have an empty restaurant right now," he fumed. He said Obama's motorcade and the White House press corps were also in the way. "If the White House had only told me five or six days ago, OK, I would have shut down the reserva tions," he said. "But he is rais ing mil lions next to me, and I'm trying to make my ends meet next to him."

13. Interview With DJ Louie XIV [DowntownDiaries]

The DJ goes into his inspirations, daily routine, his favorite DJs, his biggest peeves, and the Hamptons.

What are some of your biggest pet peeves when DJing a gig? Let’s see…. People treating me like a coat rack. People requesting OMG by Usher. People telling me to play a song because “everyone will like it” and disrespectful drunks.

So pretty much the same stuff that pisses everyone off.

14. In case you missed it: Exclusive Interview: Mick Boogie, Jay-Z's Latest Addition To Roc Nation [GofG]

DJ Mick Boogie's presence spans the globe from Tokyo, Paris, Dubai, Miami, and New York. Well known for his collaborations with Jay-Z, the late J-Dilla, Talib Kweli, Kanye West, and Sean "Diddy" Combs, we chat with him about his inspirations, background, and future plans.

[Mick Boogie, Jay-Z's Latest Addition To Roc Nation]

15. LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy begins his jam-packed week of shows at Terminal 5, ending with the last show ever at Madison Square Garden [NYT]

Dubbed "The Long Goodbye," the tickets for the final 3 hour MSG show sold out within minutes, so LCD Soundsystem decided to add shows Monday through Thursday at Terminal 5.  While all shows have been sold out for weeks, they released tickets for Monday night's show late afternoon causing a flurry of fans scrambling to get their dibs. The group’s sold-out final concert, on April 2nd, will be streamed live by Pitchfork.

16. Supermodel Bridget Hall Arrested. Again. [HuffPo]

After her notable arrest for driving drunk in the Hamptons last year, 33-year-old Bridget Hall is in trouble once again, this time for driving without a license. The police report reads: "She stated that she was on her way to community service and paying for taxis was too expensive." Hall will be back in court in May for the original DWI charge.