08/14/08 05:14 PM
Venue Research: Norse-ing around in
NY
thor
107 Rivington
Lower East Side, Manhattan
212-796-8040
review
by curtis robinson
It doesn’t get much more Lower East Side circa 2008 than this: Wading through TV/Movie shoot cables, wondering about the odds of getting caught stealing candy bars from the craft service truck, mentally composing debates about the name of the much-anticipated restaurant/lounge you’re seeking.
Thor. God of Thunder vs. the Asgard character from Stargate? Maybe, a longshot here, K. Thor Jensen, the poet? A quick burst of your usual post-literate “must give up Google” self-loathing and then you’re there, sliding into an igloo-like entrance while noting the interesting street-interface that belies the sleekness of the interior.
We are here because there are reports of spirits in this place. Actually, thor (the lower-case is their doing) is, among no doubt many other things, a leader in the “destination drinks” craze sweeping the Civilized World. Their specialty drinks menu includes more than a half-dozen creative libations rumored to induce celebration in all but the most snarky of nightlifers
Can’t make Aspen/Snowmass JazzFest this year? The Hamptons place Bogarted by your former in-laws under that nasty codependent settlement agreement? Well, a few moments in the right LES establishment with just the right combination of alcohol, alchemy and lighting might lessen your burden. And this is the place for that.
We focused on three of the most promising cocktails. The Champagne-based Pear-a-dise (hey, they do the lower-case “t” and they’re gonna do cute drink names, too) was probably the biggest hit in the celebration category. Nearly sweet -- and I have no idea if they “infused” the pear, but it was perfect -- it scored high on the Imbiber’s “get your own” tasting index. Honestly, we’ve seen lifetime NRA members give up their guns easier than our cohorts responded to the “may I try a sip of that?” question.
The
“lemonade” offering was nearly as popular, but with a
bite that stopped short of celebration-inducing and
went instead into a more serious-drinking mode. It
would make for wildly good lunchtime refreshment. My
personal favorite was an iced tea and Jim Beam
creation that tasted exactly like some genius – who
I’d like to hails from Kentucky like me -- figured
the two greatest tastes in the world were sweet tea
and mint juleps and why not marry them up? Honestly,
if this stuff makes its way to Louisville, the mint
julep mafia is gonna be chillin’ at the Lipton Box
Seats at next year’s Derby.
As for food, get ready. Your 401K doesn’t offer as many options as thor does.
Alas, the online warnings about service, even for people obnoxious enough to carry REPORTER NOTEBOOKS with the words “Restaurant Review: thor” across the page, was, uh, uneven. Great at times, the wait staff simply disappeared into (A) some Stargate vortex or (B) what have to be among the best make-out bathrooms in Manhattan -- huge, entire-wall, floor-to ceiling mirrors, two rows of private bathrooms (no door-banging interruptus here) along a dimly lit corridor...don’t make it like we’re the first to notice...this restaurant is sexy enough to constitute foreplay so these bathrooms just acknowledge the social contract.
Okay, so nobody wants their, ahem, performance judged by how they do on some random Tuesday in August between the hours of 8:30 and ten p.m. (we’re back to talking about the restaurant here, people) and thor is only a normal place through the week, apparently being belted by gamma rays and turning into something huge with velvet-roped superpowers on weekends. But, still...
Foodies note: We tried the East Coast Oysters, which took us right to the sea; the grilled octopus was a bit less inspiring. We stayed traditional, but with a “for the table” menu that includes the likes of goat cheese fondu and gnocchi, we’ll shoot for an “apps as dinner” approach next time. Besides, the “medium rare” hanger steak was well overcooked -- yeah, poor babies with their overcooked hanger meat. But it’s worth noting that thor gets too many of the Big Things right to let us down on the smaller things -- like getting a check quickly enough that we don’t have to text our cool friends in Williamsburg that the train is out and we’ll have to cab it after all.
The Imbiber insider tip: try the threesome of Ceviches (snapper, shrimp and a squid-ink selection) and hang onto the bread basket -- coupled with the designer drinks they make a great taste-counter-taste toggle.
And, again with some Google self-loathing admitted, we’ll comment on the $15 price for the destination drinks: Well? Imagine the living hell of the weekend crunch and you’re longing for the days of whiskey neat, cursing that Tom Cruise movie that led you into bartending in the first place. It’s not like you’re going to have five of the things like some stem-clutching Imbiber researcher run amuck on sweet tea nectar.
As for the core mission: maybe it ain’t a cool Aspen jazz evening, but the combination of well-concocted, well-executed drinks and a great design can surely make up some of the difference. And there’s always those ready-to-roll washrooms.
thor
107 Rivington
Lower East Side, Manhattan
212-796-8040
It doesn’t get much more Lower East Side circa 2008 than this: Wading through TV/Movie shoot cables, wondering about the odds of getting caught stealing candy bars from the craft service truck, mentally composing debates about the name of the much-anticipated restaurant/lounge you’re seeking.
Thor. God of Thunder vs. the Asgard character from Stargate? Maybe, a longshot here, K. Thor Jensen, the poet? A quick burst of your usual post-literate “must give up Google” self-loathing and then you’re there, sliding into an igloo-like entrance while noting the interesting street-interface that belies the sleekness of the interior.
We are here because there are reports of spirits in this place. Actually, thor (the lower-case is their doing) is, among no doubt many other things, a leader in the “destination drinks” craze sweeping the Civilized World. Their specialty drinks menu includes more than a half-dozen creative libations rumored to induce celebration in all but the most snarky of nightlifers
Can’t make Aspen/Snowmass JazzFest this year? The Hamptons place Bogarted by your former in-laws under that nasty codependent settlement agreement? Well, a few moments in the right LES establishment with just the right combination of alcohol, alchemy and lighting might lessen your burden. And this is the place for that.
We focused on three of the most promising cocktails. The Champagne-based Pear-a-dise (hey, they do the lower-case “t” and they’re gonna do cute drink names, too) was probably the biggest hit in the celebration category. Nearly sweet -- and I have no idea if they “infused” the pear, but it was perfect -- it scored high on the Imbiber’s “get your own” tasting index. Honestly, we’ve seen lifetime NRA members give up their guns easier than our cohorts responded to the “may I try a sip of that?” question.
As for food, get ready. Your 401K doesn’t offer as many options as thor does.
Alas, the online warnings about service, even for people obnoxious enough to carry REPORTER NOTEBOOKS with the words “Restaurant Review: thor” across the page, was, uh, uneven. Great at times, the wait staff simply disappeared into (A) some Stargate vortex or (B) what have to be among the best make-out bathrooms in Manhattan -- huge, entire-wall, floor-to ceiling mirrors, two rows of private bathrooms (no door-banging interruptus here) along a dimly lit corridor...don’t make it like we’re the first to notice...this restaurant is sexy enough to constitute foreplay so these bathrooms just acknowledge the social contract.
Okay, so nobody wants their, ahem, performance judged by how they do on some random Tuesday in August between the hours of 8:30 and ten p.m. (we’re back to talking about the restaurant here, people) and thor is only a normal place through the week, apparently being belted by gamma rays and turning into something huge with velvet-roped superpowers on weekends. But, still...
Foodies note: We tried the East Coast Oysters, which took us right to the sea; the grilled octopus was a bit less inspiring. We stayed traditional, but with a “for the table” menu that includes the likes of goat cheese fondu and gnocchi, we’ll shoot for an “apps as dinner” approach next time. Besides, the “medium rare” hanger steak was well overcooked -- yeah, poor babies with their overcooked hanger meat. But it’s worth noting that thor gets too many of the Big Things right to let us down on the smaller things -- like getting a check quickly enough that we don’t have to text our cool friends in Williamsburg that the train is out and we’ll have to cab it after all.
The Imbiber insider tip: try the threesome of Ceviches (snapper, shrimp and a squid-ink selection) and hang onto the bread basket -- coupled with the designer drinks they make a great taste-counter-taste toggle.
And, again with some Google self-loathing admitted, we’ll comment on the $15 price for the destination drinks: Well? Imagine the living hell of the weekend crunch and you’re longing for the days of whiskey neat, cursing that Tom Cruise movie that led you into bartending in the first place. It’s not like you’re going to have five of the things like some stem-clutching Imbiber researcher run amuck on sweet tea nectar.
As for the core mission: maybe it ain’t a cool Aspen jazz evening, but the combination of well-concocted, well-executed drinks and a great design can surely make up some of the difference. And there’s always those ready-to-roll washrooms.
