Worth the Wait

The wine bar and restaurant I'm standing in line (!) for + a 4-star hostessing hack

In recent months, two places have opened in NYC that have even those of us who refuse to stand in line, well, standing in line (or getting creative with reservations). In the case of Stars and Bistrot Ha, you’d do well to believe the hype — and get there soon, before the Uber Blacks block the street. They’re still in that sweet hover mode between scrappy first months and Michelin impossible.

STARS
139 E. 12th Street
NYC

In December, The Angel’s Emily Wilson asked for a quote for a story she was writing about wine bars. Asked for my definition, I first had to clarify: “In Europe or the US?” Because while every American chef I’ve known or worked with who has told me they were opening their version of Septime Cave, Ved Stranden or Manfreds (dating myself here), what they really opened were full-on restaurants with a natural wine list, all serving a version of Manfreds’ steak tartare. To be fair, the economics in New York make it impossible to serve $6 glasses of wine and a few small plates under $18. But…how nice would that be?

Blini with country ham and a maple-butter star at…Stars

So how amazing to squeeze into Stars, the latest from the owners of Claud and Penny, restaurants with a track record of fantastic food and adventurous wine. While the excellent design is spendier than almost every European counterpart (the Secret Strategist breaks it down, from the Josef Frank brass lamps to the Frank Stella in the WC), the European blueprint is there: No reservations, all glasses under $16 (and 88 bottles under $88 — until you get to Champagne and your head explodes at the Salon and Selosse offerings), extremely well-executed small plates that don’t quite add up to dinner, and a refreshingly mixed, not-douchey crowd — though my date, Right on Franklin’s Olivia Weiss, pointed out a food influencer duo shooting next to us, so get ready.

Stars opens at 4, and you’d be smart to start scheduling your drinks meetings there at 4:30/5, when you still have a chance of getting one of 12 seats at the horseshoe-shaped bar. That said, the turnover is fairly brisk — standing room + snacks — so wear flats and see it through. (If you ask nicely, you might be able to huddle next to the kitchen.)

In terms of the food, order as much as you can, even if you have a dinner after: Josh Pinsky’s menu is full of delightful touches, from the pommes soufflés stars capping deviled eggs to the chicken liver mousse, topped with crisp leek confetti, and a deluxe little shrimp sandwich with mandolined lemon. And while we didn’t get the potato frico (the apex of griddled cheese), I feel like I’ve eaten it given how many people are talking about it. We asked the manager what we’d missed, and she suggested the buckwheat blini with country ham and maple butter. What sounded like an upsell was by far the best bite of the night. Thank you! And if you’re around next Thursday at 4:45, you’ll find me with a plate of it in front of me. Maybe two.

Who to invite/ A girl date; a date-date; no more than 2 friends for a tight huddle.

What to wear/ Flats and unbulky layers; a fanny pack.

What to eat/ Chicken liver mousse, blini with country ham, shrimp sandwich, potato frico. The only thing I didn’t actively love was the pickle plate, which tweaked the wine.

What to drink/ The wine list changes frequently, so ask your server: They know their stuff. Not drinking? Have a glass of Villbrygg or next-level kombucha from Unified Ferments.

What to check out before or after/ If you go before 6, there’s Japanese-level Americana clothing at Stock Vintage (closed Monday), and some good finds at Cure Thrift, which is open till 9. The Village East by Angelika is always screening a fun retro film in addition to the latest.

If the wait’s too long, go to…/ Ops for pizza (fun collabs happening through late March; Adda’s up next week!), B&H Dairy for restorative soup and challah (tip: buy a loaf to take home or gift), or keep trekking to Superiority Burger. Haven’t been, but curious: Long Count, a wine bar serving aged wines by the glass.

BISTROT HA
137 Eldridge Street
NYC

Confession 1: I haven’t had the stamina for the line (or Resy strategy) at Ha’s Snack Bar, no matter how many friends have raved about it. Confession 2: When one of the investors in Sadie Mae Burns and Anthony Ha’s new spot around the corner suggested dinner, I jumped. Was my experience skewed? Yes: I got a reservation. But no: I liked it so much, I went back three nights later, hoping that the freezing, pre-storm temperatures would shorten the line.

We arrived at the Snack Bar at 5:15 for the 5:30 opening and were second in line, given seats until 6:30. While I ordered wine, my bf sprinted to Bistrot Ha to put his name in for bar seats, which he secured from 6:30 to 7:30. The food and experience were just as delightful. So if you’re willing to watch the weather and catch the brunt of some of it, it’s a good tactic.

While Stars is smooth, staffed by servers and cooks from Penny and Claud, Bistrot Ha is still winging it a bit. The crush following their December opening has been unrelenting, giving servers little runway, both physically (it’s never less than packed) and training-wise. The loose-pinball feeling of being here is exciting — you can’t help but root for them. Have a martini (that’s a pickled oyster at the bottom) or a Cynar spritz with kumquat and just roll with it.

With food like this, you’ll find a way to become a regular. The luxurious Vietnamese/Parisian/New Yorkese menu evolves weekly, with steelhead trout crudo, electrified with yuzu and capers, recast with meltingly fatty toro. A proper pastry vol-au-vent filled with curried lobster and monkfish liver tipped into a filling of shaking beef a few weeks later. Fried yuba rolls with shrimp and nuoc mam were a standout, and a “big steak” — dry-aged, with scallion salad and frites so good, a Belgian friend ordered a second platter — was so exceptional, the $225 price was almost justifiable when shared by four. Even a chicory-citrus salad was surprising and technically flawless. This is not the place for squeamish or unadventurous eaters: beef heart, boudin noir and calf’s brain. Fish sauce not optional.

The bombe

What really duct-taped my OFF switch was with the ice cream bombe. Baked Alaska in appearance, the torched meringue revealed layers of coffee caramel, coconut pandan ice cream and a crunchy black sesame base. Flavors change weekly, based on Burns’ latest ideas. All the more reason to get back in line.

---

Who to invite/ A friend or date at the bar; expense-account friends at a table — four people max.

What to wear/ Good vintage.

What to eat/ Fried yuba, tartare, onion soup, omelette, grilled mackerel, daily steak frites special (sells out fast), ice cream bombe

What to drink/ House martini, Cynar spritz

What to check out before or after/ Vintage Store, International Center of Photography, Miguel Abreu gallery, Desert Vintage, Metrograph…seafood shopping at Aqua Best?

If the wait’s too long, go to…/ Bar Contra, Wildair, Wu’s Wonton King, Eel Bar

Meanwhile, at Home…

Having people over for drinks during a week when I have my son means a lighter lift. Yes, I made gougères to welcome the Hard French dinner group (long story) last night, but I also served leftovers from the previous day’s lunch at Aldo Sohm Wine Bar. (At $17 for two courses, it’s currently midtown’s best deal, especially considering that the chef was the saucier at Le Bernardin, where many of the ingredients come from. While I cannot endorse the decor, the food and experience override it.)

They serve a generous portion of the famous salmon rillettes from LB next door — so generous that there are always leftovers. Being the spoiled-but-resourceful person I am, I ask for them to go, freeze the baguette slices as soon as I get home, and serve within two days. The best $24 you can spend — just make sure your lunchmates are in on your secret.