this is fyf

Rawhide is a safer place to eat than Elmo, Hiro, or Cafeteria according to NYC DOH.

Have you been obsessively checking some of your favorite restaurants and bars to see if they've been graded by the city Department of Health?  FYF pal Mister D has and here are some of his findings:

• Rawhide (B+, 14 violations)
• Rocking Horse (B, 19 violations)
• Tipsy Parson (B-, 22 violations)
• Julius (B, 17 violations)
• Hiro (C, 36 violations!)
• Bar Pitti (B, 20 violations)
• Elmo  (C)
• Nooch (C-)
• Cafeteria (B, 23 health violations)
• Morans (B--, 27!)
• Half King (B--, 27...EW!)
• Malibu Diner (C----- with 45 health violations.)

Obviously, this is Chelsea-centric.  We'll take a look around the city all this week.

What to do: this weekend

This.

First? It's cold. Bundle up...and I'm not even saying that 'cuz I'll be doing coat-check at Snaxx (Westside Tavern. All the way to the back. See you at 10pm? 10:30? 11? Come when you're ready.).

Not this.

Earlier, there's a Toys for Tots thing that's not Toys for Tots -- however that works (The organizers were scolded by the Marines for calling it that, apparently?), and this Toys for Tots thing that's not allowed to be called Toys for Tots is THE place to see and be seen from what I hear...sort of like Cherry's in Cherry Grove?

Like Cherry's, it's a wonderful place to get a drink - the event is one long open bar...though every open bar I've ever been to has actually been a pretty fucking miserable place to get a drink because of all the queens crowding, elbowing and generally giving all kinds of entitled realness effeckssscksckss trying to get their measly shot glass of juice w/ splash of vodka.

Wait...did I mention there's an open (beer) bar at Snaxx from 10-11pm? No? Well there is and...ignore what I just said about open bars, 'k? Seriously, if there's an open bar I WILL go to, it's Snaxx'. 

Also, I've never been to the Not-Toys-for-Tots-"Toys for Tots" event myself, so you really shouldn't base any of your expectations about the event or the attendees on anything I've said. Clear?

Ok. So there's NTFTTFT, Snaxx...and Clubber Down Disco under the Chelsea Hotel with Ryan Smith at the door and my partner-in-crime(s committed long ago) Tai Chi inside. I'm not sure who's spinning tonight, but it doesn't really matter cuz they'll play disco and it'll be cute and that's that.

What else? Let's see...there's Paul Alexander (The Ones) MC-ing again (you know he was one of the MC's for the famed Jackie 60 parties back in the day at Mother?) at a party at Sugarland with DJ Emjay (He of Wonderbar and Starlight fame). 

Also in Williamsburg, Mondo returns just in time for FYF Friend and Fashion contributor Kiger Hansen's birthday. He'll be celebrating Mondo-style (does he do anything any other way?).

If you walk for body, head over to Splash and enter to win $250 at the F*Word in their stripper contest. James Anderson has a new(-ish...I think it's the second one?) party at The Monster, and Gumbo hosts the first of two parties this weekend - this one in DUMBO, Sunday's down in Miami!

There's stuff tomorrow, including Cheryl at Brooklyn Museum's Free Saturdays, a coat/clothing drive at Excelsior in Park Slope, a Hanukkah Pink Mafia for media networking at Julius', Xanadude on Ice at Public Assembly Loft and FYF Contributor Dave Huge's A Very Collider Christmas at Stonewall, and Sunday...but I really don't have to tell you about them, do I? You know to look at the FYF Calendar for more/details by now, surely!

Regardless, stay warm and have a great weekend!

Hierarchy - The Bars of the West Village

12. Stonewall
11. Boots and Saddle
10. The Hangar
9. Pieces
8. Cubby Hole

Gant has opened a shop on Bleecker Street, near West Tenth for their handsome Rugger line.  The line is as American classic as you can get (although it's designed by a Swede).  Here's a look at the collection and a quick peek inside the new shop.  Might be a nice excuse to grab a burger at Julius, not that you need one.

This weekend...

 
  

Alon/Zoltar and the rest of the House of Zizmor bring back Planet Zizmor in celebration of Alon's birth (Friday, F-Word @ Rebel); Sugar Daddy is back to give you your fix (Friday, Sugar Daddy @ Rush). The Times LEGO man (Christoph Niemann) launches his book, I LEGO N.Y.  (Saturday @ Powerhouse Arena). Crisis is sure to W.O.W (a/k/a Women On Wax) you with Jools Palmer, Christy Love (Hey Mama!) and  Dirty Jean trading off on the decks upstairs in the Panic Room (Saturday, Crisis on Eighth Avenue @ Elevate); and Mark Louque shows up twice in one weekend (Friday, F-Word/Zoltar's Revenge & Saturday, XOO @ Tandem)! 

Tony Asaro is that Unrelenting Monkey you may know from coat check/bar backing at the Eagle, but he's also a rising star in the song-writing world (specifically musicals) and his newest libretto (have no idea but it sounds freeing?) will be debuted at Choral Chameleon's Hymns for the Amusement of Children (Sunday, Hymns for the Amusement of Children @ Fourth Universalist Society).

 Mr. Billy Beyond's birthday is the cause celebre behind this season's Leather Squirrel gathering. Mr. Yarritu turns a delightful phrase in his invitation, particularly when it comes to the suggested dress code (usually utterly ignored in terms of attendees' dress, but hopefully completely indulged this fair Sunday!), so make sure to follow the link and read th'entire fink! (Sunday, The Leather Squirrel @ Julius')

A little taste ah "SUGAH" after the jump...

Cubbyhole, Julius

• It's often said that Cubbyhole is a guy-friendly dyke bar, but there are limits.  Two popular gays (Messrs. Casale and Miller) organized a party for a hundred or so of their friends last week.  As the party's numbers swelled, it very much overwhelmed the Thursday regular party regularly scheduled for the space.  With little drama, but some exasperation, the party moved a few blocks over to Julius, the Chuck E. Cheese (with way better food) of the West Village.

Weaver's World: Pinups Issue Eleven launch at Julius, Friday, Februay 19, 2010

 

Julius

• A photographer brought in a photo recently from a shoot he'd done there IN Julius', offering it to the owner to hang on the wall of portraits by the bar. The owner thanked, but refused him, not because of the subject matter of the photo, but rather because everyone on that wall is dead.

Julius

• Instead of telling you where the brass daschunds are, we are telling you that they exist and that they are worth finding.

Julius

• The dust on the wagon-wheel chandeliers is older than you.

Julius

• 159 West Tenth Street, at the corner of Waverly Place  Map