Manhattan

Manhattan Digest Launch Party December 12th!

This has been truthfully an insane and incredible year for Manhattan Digest as a whole. What started a simple email that I sent to a mutual friend of my partner in crime, Lane Campbell, has flourished and turn into something I never expected. And after a hard year of work, countless interviews and interesting pieces about Manhattan and beyond, we are finally going to get to celebrate our efforts with sushi, alcohol and a fun night in the heart of New York City.

Next Thursday night, Bamboo 52 is hosting our official launch party of sorts. Located in midtown Manhattan, it is a swank, trendy and sexy bar and restaurant that specializes in its signature sushi rolls and fantastic drink specials. The event will happen between 7-9PM and will have some great happy hour drink specials ($5 Mojitos yo!) as well as some special appearances. You can come and celebrate the holiday season, celebrate with the writers and team that have turned this site into something spectacular or you can do both and have a damn good time doing so.

For those first time visitors to Manhattan Digest, who are we exactly? Well, to be honest, we are a little bit of everything. Each of our writers discusses issues that have a personal edge to them. Meaning that instead of just writing a factual news story, they interject their opinion just like the best writers out there do so. So whether it is the latest headline that is swarming the social networking sites or a particular TV show or artist that you need to know about, we can guarantee here at Manhattan Digest that we will leave you wanting more.

Log onto Bamboo 52’s official website for more information on this fantastic location and check out the event invite for more info. Hit up [email protected] for further information. Look forward to seeing all of you there!

Bamboo 52

344 W 52nd St

New York, NY 10019

(212) 315-2777

Pescatore- Traditional meets Delicious meets Happiness

by Ryan Shea

Pescatore and great food go together like Peanut Butter & Jelly.

I am the first person to admit that fish to me is never the first thing I am looking to order when I go to a restaurant that has a meat or pasta option on the menu. So when I first heard of a place called “Pescatore” I had to mentally change my game palate up due to thinking that everything on the menu was fish related. I was wrong, yet at the same time pleasantly surprised with the entire meal (which included some of the best fish I have ever had, more to come later). My friend and I went there a week ago and were treated like kings in so many different ways. Here is more about our great experience.

Pescatore itself has such a warm and friendly vibe to it that is nestled in the heart of Midtown East. The service was spectacular throughout the meal, and I got a chance to talk a little more with the owner Charles Devigne, who is celebrating the restaurant’s 20th Anniversary this year (Congrats!). He started us off with a bevy of appetizers, all of which were unique in their own right but had great depth of flavors to them. My personal favorite was the risotto balls with the truffle aioli sauce, something that we got a sneak peek of because they aren’t currently on the menu! Hooray for behind the scenes access! We were told this was something that was being placed back on the menu eventually, to which I agree with that decision. Better yet, do it sooner because my mouth is watering thinking about how damn good they were. One thing that my friend was a big fan of that didn’t really work for me was the ricotta cheese with chives, pease, hazelnuts, honey, and mint. It might have been a bit much for my palate but it was still tasty to say the least.

We also were treated to two different types of pasta dishes. One was Linguine alla Vongole which included steamed little neck clams with Chorizo, green onions, toasted garlic and fresh parsley. The other was Spaghetti Carbonara with pancetta, caramelized onions, pecorino and egg. Once again, my friend and I had a difference in opinion as I thought the latter was better than the former, yet both were equally delicious. It was just a matter of our taste buds. Out of all the dishes that we had, hands freaking down the best thing from the entire night was the Chilean Sea Bass. Chilean Sea Bass is one of the few seafood that I really enjoy personally, as it is foodporn to the umpteenth level. I can say this was the best Sea Bass I have ever sank my lips into, and that is because the supporting cast really made the star shine. The bass was surrounded by peas, porcini farro and brown butter vinaigrette with a cauliflower, currant and almond condiment. So amazingly yummy.

After all of that, the last dish that we had of course was dessert, which was a homemade cheesecake. Delicious and then some. Overall, an 8.5 out of 10 in my book. Great place to go to if you want some hearty Italian cooking with an edge and an overall great environment. Check out Pescatore’s official website for more information on menus and location. Definitely worth the visit!

Pescatore

955 2nd Avenue

New York, NY 10022

212-752-7151

Sushi Dojo NYC Rises Above The Rest

by Ryan Shea

Sure, there are a bajillion places you can go in New York City to have Sushi. So when it comes time to pick out which one is the best and most authentic of the bunch, narrowing it down can be a really tough decision for all you new Yorkers out there. So let me make this one easy- Sushi Dojo on 110 1st Avenue in the East Village.

Executive Chef and prospective partner David Bouhadana, 27, has trained with Iron Chef Morimoto, has worked in some of New York’s top establishments such as Hatsuhana, and has trained for years in Japan. This Florida-raised man fell in love with Japanese culture, language, and cuisine while he was working as a bus boy. “I didn’t find sushi, sushi found me,” said Chef Bouhadana. “I started at 18 under my first master in Florida where I accidentally found myself in the kitchen.” Upon presenting his idea to the investors, David was hired as the Executive Chef for the restaurant and was given the unique opportunity to become a prospective partner in the future.

The term “dojo” is the Japanese word for education, and Sushi Dojo’s atmosphere is complimentary to an educational experience where customers can try new things. Sushi Dojo’s team of chefs consists of professional Japanese individuals who have trained for years and are eager to make every customer feel like their apprentice by sharing knowledge, recommendations, and sushi delicacies.

“Many individuals feel nervous and uncomfortable to try new things due to a lack of knowledge or negative experiences that they have had in the past,” said Chef Bouhadana. “At Dojo we encourage our customers to ask questions and try new things. We want them to learn by doing that and having the most memorable experience by dining in our restaurant.”

As a first time customer, I noticed that the look and feel of the place was quite warm and inviting and had an overall great atmosphere to it. David as well as the waiter and hostess were kind and engaging and made the whole experience a delight for me and my friend. Some of the stand out dishes in my opinion was the Edamame and Nashu Nibitashi (Lightly fried eggplant marinated in Dashi) for the cold plates, the Pork Belly for the appetizers, and any and all of the sushi that is freshly made by David and his team (my personal favorite was the Ikura otherwise known as Salmon Roe. Yum!)

Something to note here is that you won’t be able to order something like a California Roll, as this place pries itself on being traditional and focusing on high quality delicacies. This is definitely something that you would want to try out in the near future if you are visiting Manhattan or already live here. So stop fussing over which sushi place to go to and take the subway down to The East Village and try out Sushi Dojo for yourself. For more information, log on to their official website.

Politics in gay bars: what to/ not to do

by Ryan Shea

As it has been nine years now since I started going to gay bars back in the day in Providence, I have seen my fair share of quite frankly everything one can see for themselves. When you live in a city like Manhattan, the gay bars are plentiful and designed for a certain type of atmosphere or look. Each and every guy you see in there has a purpose of being there. There are the ones who just got off of work and are there for happy hour and a drink. There are ones who go to the special leather nights and want to find a guy who either has a strap on their right or left arm (if you get that analogy, congratulations). There are ones who go with a group and are social just for the fact of being social. Then there are the elusive ones who are brave enough to go out there on their own and try to find someone. Be it a conversation, a boyfriend or a one night stand, we have all been there in terms of what we want to get out of it. So if you are that striking, handsome chap who happens to find themselves at the local gay bar in Chelsea, here are a couple of things you can do in order to make sure that at the end of the night you leave with a smile on your face (and pants hopefully).

Approaching someone who is alone-

This is really the best case-scenario as their is no blockage in the way (groups, annoying girls who show up with them, etc). There are really good ways to gauge how you can approach something like this. If you happen to be standing next to them, or across the bar, make sure that you know they are attracted. How? Usually, if a guy looks up at you a handful of times and stares/smiles, it’s a go. If they do that and are not moving from the position they are in, generally they want you to come over and say hello. After a handful of smiles, go over and say hello. Figure out a topic of conversation outside of the “You are cute, so are you” and go with it. That way, you have found someone of interest and hopefully will have a good night. These situations require bravery in that you don’t want to keep looking at each other and not do anything about it. Someone else might approach or a friend shows up late and they get there, and you lose your chance. Carpe Diem- seize the moment.

Infiltrating the group scenario-

This is one of the more trickier ones, especially if you are there by yourself. Let’s start by making this easier- you are with a friend or two. There are so many scenarios here. In a city like New York, so many people know each other. One good way is if you or your friend happen to know one of the guys in the other group, that way making social interaction is easy and you can go from there. What if that doesn’t happen? There are ways around it without making it awkward, but if you are in a sports bar generally you can strike up a conversation about who they are rooting for and what they think about the game. If the other group aren’t dickish, they will respond and generate a good conversation. If you happen to be alone and see a guy in a group that you want to talk to, I would advise not. They are there with a group to have a good time and usually will not look for anything more than that. BUT, if they happen to be in a twosome or threesome, wait for their friend to leave to get a drink and then jump in. It may not lead to the best case scenario in that other guy might be their date or not interested, but it always helps to go in for the kill. You never know.

Getting the guys number-

So in those two scenarios, you have made it to the conversation. Whatever you are talking about, you are getting the feeling the guy is interested. Here are some good motives to getting that number and securing date number one. One- try to be witty and cute. Say something like, “So I’m cute, you are cute, let’s go on a date and be cute together”. That way, he laughs and knows that you are interested in going on a date without over doing it. If the witty approach doesn’t work for you, it always works to just be blunt and say “Can I get your number’. Some like that, some don’t. There have been situations where a guy will give you a fake number, which is the worst because then you can really tell what you are doing is a waste of time. Ask him “Here is my number, call me with yours so I can save it in my phone”. Then you know the guy is for real.

These are just some fun, helpful tips to have a successful night at whatever bar you deemed appropriate to go to. Good luck, and happy man hunting!

Are you M4M? Adonis is the place to be.

by Ryan Shea

If you are gay and either live in New York City or have traveled here, chances are you went to a gay bar and saw your run of the mill go-go boy dance on a tabletop collecting ones. Yeah, it’s fun, but it doesn’t go beyond the simple wink and the five dollar bill being shoved somewhere inappropriate. It never goes beyond those lines of a personal interaction or getting to know the actual guy that is really your customer. This is where Adonis comes in. The actual venue of this place hosts some of the hottest men in the world in a very relaxed and chill environment. They do this twice a week on Wednesday and Saturday’s, and once a month, they host a private party that elevates what happens at the bar on an even larger basis. Just take a look at some of the pics in this article for example.

There are major differences between Adonis Lounge and a strip club that can be for men and women. One, it is not seedy whatsoever. It actually is a very inviting atmosphere. The men there are always having a nice conversation with all of the customers or patrons, and make them feel at ease with their personality and fantastic looks. They have even hosted some of the biggest gay porn stars in the world right now from Samuel Colt to Zeb Atlas to name a few, and they always bring their A game to the event. I have gone in recent months, and have had that exact experience, even making friends with some of them outside of the place. I am a sales and advertising person in the first place, and know how to get my point across without overdoing it. These guys do exactly the same. Chances are you are going to leave feeling pretty good and happy you decided to go.

This week, I sat down with the man behind all of this, Timothy De Iturriaga. Usually men in this position tend to be power hungry and a bit of a dick, but Tim was the exact opposite. He is one of the friendliest men I have ever met, and his attitude reflects the success of the events that he throws. Here is my interview with him.

So tell me just a little bit on how you started this concept?

I started dancing about nine years ago, for females. My older brother was working on Wall Street and needed extra money. He sent some photos out to agencies that turned out to be a stripping company. They asked him if he wanted to start dancing and he obliged. He started dancing at an event called “Hunkamania” and after three or four months I wanted to do the same.

I got hired at this hush hush place that was a gay strip club by me as a massage boy. I did really well, worked there for about five years. After that time, a light went off in my head where I realized this was the only place in New York City that was actually doing this type of venue. I thought I could do it better. I saw there were a lot of problems at the one I was working at. I was fortunate enough to get a spot in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and started my own show there. It started small, and then started to grow.

What was the original reception when you went out on your own?

The reception wasn’t good. The only customers I was getting were my customers who I built a repoire with. Without those dozen or so people who showed up every Thursday, I wouldn’t have made it. After a while word of mouth spread, and little by little more people started to show.

Was there a lot of competition for you at that point?

At that point, the competition was Club 20 and they were huge. I never thought I could compete against them. They started this whole format, and nothing else like this in New York City. There wasn’t an alternative. I still thought I could do it better than what they were doing though.

At what point did you start to see success?

I started it as a monthly party, getting a little bit of a positive outcome. Then I did it twice a week, and stayed there for six months. Got by, still there were some nights where there was only 8 or 10 customers and had the same amount of dancers. Those dancers stuck by me until now, and still have the opportunity to come back whenever. Even though people didn’t want to make the trip from Manhattan to Greenpoint, the event itself was gaining a lot of steam on the message boards and through word of mouth, so people were knowing about it more and more as time went on.

You talked briefly about this, but you seem to have loyalty to the guys that helped you start this, the dancers I mean. How important is it to keep that loyalty?

There is such a high turnover rate in this business in general. Week to week, month to month you see a bunch of new faces. There are a handful of guys that to this day are still with me, and they have been there from day one. We are talking years they have been there, so it’s good to see that they have stuck by me and have managed to stay really relevent in an arena that is tough to do so.

What can a new customer expect when they go to your venue?

To start, at Adonis it is Male for Male. People don’t think they actually exist, they only think ones that exist are the go-go boys dancing on top of the boxes. This is a much more intimate experience. You are going to see thirty, if not more, beautiful men of all ethnicities and backgrounds, mingling on the floor. Even if you can’t afford to come there and spend a decent amount of money, you can come and have a drink and enjoy a conversation with a bunch of different guys. It really is a great time.

What is your ultimate goal for all of this?

It’s become that and more. Everyone always ask if I want to get my own club, I don’t. Don’t want to do it six or seven days a week. The one thing that differentiates me from the other ones in the country is that it gives me the liberty to bring in a ton of different gay porn stars. Many of these venues can bring in two or three a year, I can probably bring in that amount a month. In any given year I can bring in forty of fifty guys with names. I can make it really interesting and different each time and making it a unique experience for the customer.

So as stated before, if you are a man into men, and are looking for a nice and relaxing evening surrounded by some really awesome guys both inside and out, Adonis is the place for you. Check it out every Wednesday and Saturday night and be on the lookout here for more updates as the weeks go on!

Adonis Lounge

221 East 58th Street

Take the E, F or M trains for best ways to get there.

Manhattan

Pescatore and great food go together like Peanut Butter & Jelly.

Footer