Cocktail Bodega Opens Next Thursday at 205 Chrystie
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For awhile there, we thought 205 Chrystie Street would remain a dormant mess for years to come. However, restaurateur Matt Levine put that baby to sleep with his new Cocktail Bodega venture. Think hipster Jamba Juice meets downtown Margaritaville.
Next Thursday, Cocktail Bodega will be released into the wilds of the Lower East Side, offering liquor-blended smoothies and spiked fresh-squeezed juices. Yesterday afternoon, the plywood encasement was dismantled after roughly three months in residence. And we snooped a look inside. The upstairs has a white-walled “grocery” type vibe to it, with a pinch of the graffiti aesthetic thanks to mural work by Doug Aldrich (his art also appeared on the sidewalk shed).
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Downstairs, meanwhile, is the separate Cocktail Bodega Underground (“CBU”), designed to resemble the innards of a subway car. Decor is complete with token plastic seats and stripper poles presumably for dancing. And of course, additional commissioned work by Aldrich. CBU has its own entrance on Stanton Street.
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This is another similar business arrangement between Levine and new building owner DelShah Capital, which also owns 133 Essex Street. It is there that Sons of Essex currently lives.
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Chef Roble has been tasked to oversee the following menu of street-food:
Black Bean Veggie Burger
Mango Bodega Salad
Bodega Wings
Clam Bake Gyoza
Cuban Sandwich Quesadilla: 3 tier quesadilla stuffed with ham, Swiss cheese, Gus’s pickles and aichote aioli.
Curried Coconut Shrimp: Gulf Shrimp marinated with yellow curry, coconut milk and lemongrass then grilled and served on wooden skewers.
Jamaican Beef Patty: Curried beef & caramelized shallots in aichote pastry. Served with a smoked chili & scallion cream.
Jerk Chicken Satays: Grilled pieces of jerk chicken served on a wooden skewer with pineapple salsa.
Kimchee Reuben: Corned beef, gruyere cheese, kimchee and a pickled aioli pressed between two slices of rye bread.
Seasonal Vegetable Tamale: Sauteed seasonal vegetables folded into corn masa and then steamed in a jacket of corn husk, Served with salsa verde.
Spare Ribs: BBQ heritage pork spare ribs sold by the piece with house made mopping sauce.
Watermelon Sandwich: watermelon, smoked goat cheese, watercress and sherry glaze served on sourdough.
Waffle Fries: Waffle cut potato fries served with a spicy ketchup
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