Gawker: the magician

Elaine's The Blogger Bar Of Its Time

rebecca — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:09:09 EDT

If Gay Talese had a blog, he'd be all about promoting Last Call at Elaine's, Brian McDonald's memoir of bartending at the legendary old-school New York intellectual hang-out. Elaine's was to the '60s and '70s what the Magician was to three years ago. That means that McDonald is as connected to old-school media types as you can get without a masthead position at the New York Review of Books. So even though this book appears to be an account of an era only a few dozen people could care about it, it's the right few dozen people. Brian McDonald is Sloane Crosley for The Olds. At a reading last week on the Upper East Side, the book sold out, presumably to its entire audience.

Come On, Get Slappy

Jesse — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 11:35:14 EDT

We have no idea why this dude was slapped 100 time in front of the Magician on some recent night. But it's pretty funny. And, to be honest, something about the buttondown-strategically-unbuttoned-to-reveal-my- green-t-shirt-underneath thing kind of makes us want to slap him, too.

100 Slaps [Toocoolforlife's YouTube]

Weekly Listicles Fail to Coordinate Stance on Magician

Jessica — Wed, 26 Oct 2005 13:00:42 EDT

According to Time Out New York's Essential NY issue, the essential birthday bar is LES standby The Magician:

A bar needs certain critical assets to host a birthday-bash. A separate space for to comfortably gather. An ambience that's festive, but quiet enough to converse. A jukebox stocked with the guest of honor's nostalgic favorites. Magician has all of these, which is why on a Saturday there you're likel to encounter revelers surrounded by wrapping paper. Better yet, go during happy hour (5-8pm), when you might have the place almost to yourselves and when most concoctions are in the $4 range.

Funny; not two weeks ago, the Village Voice annointed The Magician the "Best Overused, Overcrowded, and Overrated Bar for Hipster Birthday Parties." So now we're confused: Do we trust the Voice's boring list (Best Use of Lettuce, need we remind you?), or Time Out's equally boring round-up? The controversy is mind-numbing!

Time Out NY (article not online)
Earlier: Peach Pit Turning Rotten

Peach Pit Turning Rotten?

Jesse — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 17:01:39 EDT

This week's Village Voice is the annual Best of New York issue, and, to be honest, most of it we couldn't muster the energy to actually read. ("Best Borough Connector: Pulaski Bridge"; "Best Place to Catch a Fish You Won't Eat: Harlem Meer"; "Best Use of Lettuce: Porcupine.") But one entry particularly caught our eye, largely because we had a strong suspicion from the git-go of what the winner would be:

Best Overused, Overcrowded, and Overrated Bar for Hipster Birthday Parties: THE MAGICIAN

Don't expect to get anywhere near the bar at THE MAGICIAN on a weekend, when at least three tragically hip media folks will be celebrating their latest twentysomething age gain. The mob scene utterly ruins any redeeming aspects of this rather nondescript locale; thankfully, it's near several other cool ones you can decamp to after showing your face for the minimum-required friend duty. -Rachel Kramer Bussel

We're somewhat sad, because we like this bar and yet also recognize that the Voice is entirely right. We're even sadder when we remember that, even so, we've had our last three birthday parties there, plus several I-just-left-my-job gatherings.

And we wonder where that leaves for Original Gawker Elizabeth Spiers to hold her I-just-left-my-job party, to which — from what we're hearing today — you should expect your invitation imminently.

[Disclosure: Where to begin?]

Best of NYC 2005 [VV]
Related: Blogger High's Peach Pit: The Magician [Gridskipper]
Earlier: Elizabeth Spiers Pimps Her Book