Last night Danny Meyer and crew hosted a preview of Porchlight, the hospitality king's first and only bar not attached to a restaurant. Eater stopped by to collect some essential new intel on the Southern-leaning bar in far West Chelsea.
First and foremost, Porchlight now has a solid opening date. According to a rep, it'll open Monday, March 2, only the tiniest bit behind schedule. Though the bar had promised to open in February, as of last night, Con Ed still hadn't turned on the gas, and the varnish on the bar was still drying.
Other important things to know: It's spacious, with two rooms (one of those is the game room) and plenty of seating. Also, it includes an actual porch inside the space. It's a little platform off to one side, surrounded by a wooden railing. When Porchlight opens, that porch will be filled with couches and a few old-timey rocking chairs.
Otherwise, expect a handful of cocktails like versions of a Sazerac and whiskey and Coke, plus this retro blue mezcal-based number:
And of course, on the food end of things, look for Southern bar food from Blue Smoke chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois. Get ready to make the trek out to 11th Avenue for this one.