• "soft opened" last week
  
• Girl drinks engineered to appeal to dudes: "Blonde Velvet (champagne with craft-brewed ale and half-and-half) or, if the night's going really well, a Death by Whiskey (enough said)"
  
• "19th century izakaya meets LES speakeasy meets premium meat" located in, ah, Midtown
  
• "flights" of Wagyu beef
  
• "half-bottle service and platinum Monopoly and backgammon"
  
• "2,000 dangling samurai swords"

  Actually, that last one just makes us wonder if this isn't a restaurant for dudes who are concerned about the premium-ness of their own meat. Hmm. To ponder.
  
  Join the Club [UrbanDaddy]

But where the Loden Dager boys really step it up is in the subtle touches that only you'll notice. The Cassidy peacoat has double-sided Italian wool stitching and the cotton button downs have added screen printings on the inner yolk. And since someone has to watch over your wallet, check out the inner lining of the Taylor jean pockets, which are reinforced with paisley-printed fabrics to prevent unwanted tearing.

Lod Up [UrbanDaddy]

At Your Service [UD]
Room Service [Thrillist]

Earlier: Battle of the Alpha Male Email Newsletters

You know we work hard for you. Once in a blue moon, though, we come across a pretty credible threat (pain of death, or at least major verbal bludgeoning) meant to keep us from covering something. We still uphold our civic duty to report, but forgive us for being more cryptic than usual.

Because we've seen the goods, and well, this spot's worth trying to keep away from the 15-second hype.



Just a few steps north of some locked-down greenery, there's a side door hosted by a discriminating gentleman brandishing a very short list.



Inside, you'll find what looks like the main room of a gothic Spanish villa, with blood-red velvet drapes, a shapely liquor display, and a massive carved fireplace big enough to walk into (if you don't mind a little heat). Clack some cues on a red pool table and lean back on the room's giant rugged wooden columns that would make Paul Bunyan proud. The old-school music fits just right. The loo is lounge-friendly with unisex mingling, luxe seating and a subtle passage off to the side.

Okay, so to recap: There is a place that exists and it is good. Gee, thanks, Urban Daddy. Nevertheless, this enigmatic stupidity has piqued our interest. So what's the place? Tell us what you know, and we'll ruin this shit quicker than La Esquina on a slow news day.

UPDATE: The general consensus is that the venue is the lounge in Ian Schrager's new Gramercy Park Hotel. Which makes sense, since the place opened last night — and everyone knows about it, too, thus making UrbanDaddy's clandestine commentary even more imbecilic than previously assumed.

Urban Daddy

Urban Daddy on Pre:Post
Detox drinks
'Scores' cocktail
Steak and eggs
Reservable private glass room
Proximity to Marquee

Thrillist on Pre:Post
Detox drinks
'Scores' cocktail
Steak and eggs
Reservable private glass room
Pot pie

So, when aligning your fratty email newsletter of choice, ask yourself this: Are you a Marquee Man, or a Pot Pie Playa? And if you actually have an answer to that question, could you please drag yourself into oncoming traffic?

Urban Daddy
Thrillist