Brilliant chef of The Waverly (and former co-worker of mine), chef John DeLucie is at the consulting helm for the latest, greatest epicurean addition to the West Village, Charles. A departure from DeLucie’s delectable comfort dishes, he has encouraged chef John McAllister to curate a menu from his specialty of lighter, healthy Mediterannean dishes. DeLucie is a consultant on the project and oversees the finalized menu which will be laden with fish and dishes cooked with olive oil as opposed to butter. In addition to heart-friendly fish and olive oil, some pre-opening dishes included seared duck breast with roasted grapes and escarole, braised beef short rib with swiss chard and golden raisins, as well as diver scallops and prawns with fingerling potatoes and saffron. The wine list and select cocktails equally impress with consultation by Keith Goldston, owner of Time Warner Building wine bar, Clo. The interior was designed by Rafael de Cardenas who worked the denizen space into a brilliant rustic and cozy atmosphere. Plush red curtains, marquee bulbs and black-speckled wall mirrors add to the tin-ceiling, dark-floored room. Don’t expect to just show up and wait at the bar though, there are only six seats at the bar and they are not giving out the phone number. You can attempt a touching novella that harkens all emotions of how you absolutely need to experience Charles before you die at: reservations@restaurantcharles.com -but they’ll likely give you the contact of their snaggle-toothed cousin named Charles before they’ll give up a table.

People have not been able to shut up about this place for months and it’s just now opening, sort of. They’re hosting a lot of private events for fashion week and such over the next week or so but they are open, in some cases, after the events. Everyone became obsessed with getting a ‘key’ to the place that was supposed to be completely private -yeah, Bungalow 8 all over again- but I don’t know why these places waste their time. I will always get in In fact, The Eldridge wanting to be the new Bungalow became even more evident when owner Matt Levine described it as “a club fused with the hospitality of a concierge service” -someone call Amy Sacco! The ‘key’ pictured above right that was originally needed to enter has gone south and it will be open to the public -with a strict door, as all places worth going have. It has a clandestine front facade camouflaged as a bookstore and the interior details include gold-flecked floors, leather banquets and wood everywhere plus the oh so ‘mine is bigger than yours’ aspect of a $650k gold-plated Armand de Brignac champagne wall. I believe one of us has an event to attend there this week -we’ll update the details if necessary. 247 Eldridge between Houston & Stanton. Interior shot with house lights up (i.e. it will be much more dark and mysterious in person) courtesy of Thrillist.

Opening two nights ago was White Star which is owned by Sasha Petraske of Milk & Honey/Little Branch fame. The concept here is quite different. No table service, no secret, regularly changing phone number to call and make a reservations -just a straight-forward bar with a penchant for absinthe and something against cocktails. No fancy infusions here, just a marble bar serving apertifs, beer, wine and (legal) absinthe (that’s one of our favorite words to say, say it, you’ll see) neat or on the rocks. Members of the Army of M.E. stopped by and loved it -they said it was packed but somehow not annoyingly so (we suspect it was the absinthe that took the edge off) even though it’s quite small. Also the fault of the spirits were their hideous photos so we had to steal this one from Eater. The full house lights don’t do the clandestine atmosphere justice -the only light is usually that of the Moroccan white star fixtures hovering over the bar for which the bar is named after. According to Eater, Petraske has taken over the space next door and is already prospecting expansion. What makes the place truly special is that Petraske is behind the bar, not figuratively, like the many establishments who have commissioned him to curate their drink menu -it seems Sasha must have missed tending bar since that’s where you can find him at White Star. 21 Essex (near Hester).

The fourth Jason Pomeranc gentrification installation (in his case, boutique hotel) will open tonight in LES. It has been a rising beacon for years now, haunting the passerby with the anticipation of another neighborhood’s once-vibrant flavor swirling with the tasteless ingredients of its commercialized neighbors. The decor claims to be an homage to the neighborhood but only comfortably within the confines of the usual aesthetic that goes along with this development group. I was living on Allen before they broke ground, I met with a commercial realtor regarding my own endeavors and he was the inside man to all the commercial changes slated for the LES. When he told me about this project I moved as soon as my lease was up. I must admit, I lived around the corner from THOR when it opened and that was peaceful, but does anyone even stay there? It’s always hauntingly vacant in and around that place (although all the action happens upstairs). I just have a feeling that will not be the case for this Thompson property. We covered the story on their Warhol pool back in March HERE, they will have 141 rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and a staff outfitted in Rogan-designed uniforms. Yawn. (190 Allen St.)