This week we review Bowery Wine Company, the latest in a string of new spots seemingly designed to remind us that the CBGB-era Bowery is dead and gone. But while we mourn the loss of the punk age, it seems that Bowery Wine Company--which is part-owned by Bruce Willis--isn't half bad, at least as wine bars go.

Hits: Despite the fancy digs, inexpensive wine and sangrias are served along with a tasty roster of finger foods and desserts worthy of a multi-starred restaurant.

Misses: If you're allergic to yuppies and foreign tourists, try another wine bar; the surrounding luxury condos feed this high-end haunt with a high-rolling clientèle.

Read our full editorial review of Bowery Wine Company, then peruse other New & Notable bar reviews or check out our list of spots that are too new to review (but not too new to get you hammered).

Just because John Varvatos is the new CBGB doesn't mean the Bowery is dead. Last week we dropped into the new rock bar Bowery Electric, the latest venture from the owners of East Village mainstays Niagara, Hi-Fi and Black & White.

Hits: It's low-key but not low-class, and with two large, sweeping rooms and ample seating, there's space to rock out or max out as you please.

Misses: The crowd may be a little thin, even on the weekends, but with the other bars intent on measuring success in terms of who they turn away, Bowery Electric is poised to scoop them up and keep them coming back for more.

Read our full editorial review of Bowery Electric, then peruse other New and Notable bar reviews or check out our list of spots that are too new to review (but not too new to get you tanked).

And be sure to bookmark Imbible, and check back regularly--next week we'll be live-blogging from the Tribeca Film Festival, bringing you the latest on the celebs, the films and, of course, the parties ... stay tuned.

Last fall, we reported that a restaurant called La Scarpetta was to open at Avenue B and 11th Street, in the space formerly known as Uovo. Well, after months of waiting, last Tuesday the restaurant finally opened--under the name Panificio (an Italian neighborhood bakers shop).

I stopped by last Sunday to peruse the menu, which features a mix of traditional Italian cuisine and Italian American fare prepared by chef Kenneth Johnson. I didn't sample anything, but as one patron walked outside after dinner, I heard her say, "the food was excellent and we'll definitely be back."

Earlier this week I spoke with the manager, Ayo Balogun, who explained that part of the concept behind Panificio is to cater to neighborhood locals in particular, with specialty coffees offered at a reduced price if you leave nearby (he mentioned a price of $2 and change for fancy Starbucks-style drinks). Panificio also opens early and serves breakfast treats like lemon polenta pancakes, ricotta fritters, stuffed Tuscan toast, and an Italian bacon, egg and cheese sandwich made with pancetta and fontina cheese on ciabatta bread.

So...what about the matter of that elusive liquor license, which Uovo was unable to procure (eventually forcing its closure), and which had thus far been denied to La Scarpetta/Panificio when we spoke to the chef last fall? Ayo says a full liquor license is on the way, though we're not sure whether that means it has been officially approved, or whether he has reason to believe that the SLA has had a sudden change of heart, and that all signs point toward liquor license approval in the near future. That doesn't sound like the SLA we know, but, hey, surely there's a first for everything.

UPDATE: In an email, Panificio manger Ayo Balogun says they expect to receive their liquor license "in three weeks or so."

After a near-week-long hiatus, I'm back from spring break--sorry for the lack of blogging, but rest assured I won't be getting any more time off for a long, long time, which means new posts every day.

First up, New Review Fridays. This week, we review Suzie Wong, the new West Chel hot spot where flavored sake is the new Grey Goose of bottle service.

Hits: Fruit-infused sake choices include mandarin orange, pear, peach, cranberry, raspberry and blueberry.

Misses: With a maximum occupancy of just 350, only varsity A-listers make the final cut at the door, and about a third of those head straight to the VIP room, cut off from the main space by a curtain of dangling beads.

Read our full review of Suzie Wong, and then peruse other New and Notable bar reviews, or check out our list of spots that are too new to review (but not too new to get you wasted).

This week we review The Hideout, Fort Greene's latest speakeasy-style cocktail den. Would local celebrity Ol' Dirty Bastard roll over in his grave? Probably. But that doesn't mean it isn't a nice addition to the 'hood--if you don't mind dropping a few extra bucks on creative concoctions like the Snow Mosquito and Whiskey Fig Fizz.

Read our full review of The Hideout, and then peruse other New and Notable bar reviews, or check out our list of spots that are too new to review (but not too new to get you wasted).

We recently reported that a modest new bar and resto called Berry Bistro would be opening in the East 14th Street space formerly occupied by Twisted Burger. A walk-by circa 9:15pm last night confirmed that the new spot is open, though there wasn't a soul inside, save a hostess sitting behind the counter in back.

OK, so there's not much buzz yet, but that could change--especially if this Yelp user has anything to do with it:

My friends and I just happened to stumble upon this place the other night as we were walking down 14th Street, and noticed it was new to the neighborhood. I had the most amazing pasta--penne with cauliflower and roasted pine nuts and currants in a light garlic-butter sauce! My boyfriend got the stuffed leg of lamb with delicious potato dumplings. For dessert we shared their pavlova, which we'd never heard of before. It was like a delicate meringue, so heavenly and dripping in fruit sauce and berries. The service was great, and everyone was so friendly. We are already planning our next trip.

"Amazing," "delicious," "heavenly," "great," "friendly" ... Sounds suspiciously like a PR person. But since, well, there is no PR for Berry Bistro (at least none that we know of), we can't help wondering whether "Isabelle A. from Brooklyn" might be "Isabelle A. from Brooklyn who owns Berry Bistro." Then again, just because the owner thinks it's good doesn't mean it's not; we'll have to wait and see.

This week we review Mansion, the New York outpost of the Miami mega-club that recently opened in the Chelsea space formerly known as Crobar.

Amongst the mammoth club's main attractions is the so-called Cougar Room--a private area with its own bar reserved exclusively for women, which features on-site makeup artists, hair stylists and a variety of sex toys. Seriously. Tables run anywhere from $200 to $2,000, and there's even a $5,000 bottle of bubbly (though personally, if I were going to drop five grand on a bottle of booze, it had better be gold-plated and make me hallucinate). 

Read our full editorial review of the 'Manse, then peruse other New and Notable bar reviews or check out our list of spots that are too new to review (but not too new to get you hammered).

This week we review Weather Up, a new speakeasy-style spot in Prospect Heights that boasts the expertise of cocktail mavens trained by Sasha Petraske himself.

Hits: It's not overrun with gawkers--yet--and drink prices are reasonable (under $10 in some cases)

Misses: Despite the pedigree of the bartenders, the menu is surprisingly basic. The cocktails are impeccably made, to be sure, but we've seen them all before.

Read our full editorial review of Weather Up, then peruse other New and Notable bar reviews or check out our list of spots that are too new to review (but not too new to get you tanked).

And be sure to bookmark Imbible, and check back regularly for the latest info on NYC nightlife--next week, we review the new club Mansion ... stay tuned.

The Rusty Knot--the new West Village bar conceived by alums of Spotted Pig, Milk and Honey and Freemans--may have opened last night. Or it may be opening this weekend. Or it may be closed. Or whatever. Daily Candy

Two days after the NY Times broke the news that Gov. Eliot Spitzer had engaged in extramarital romps with pricey New York prosties, he has officially stepped down. The torch now falls to Lt. Gov. David A. Paterson, who will make history as the state's first African-American governor. Unfortunately for Paterson, that considerable feat is likely to be outshined in November, when America elects its first black president. NY Times

Is the State Liquor Authority more drunk off its own power than a horny New York governor with a god complex and several thousand an hour to burn? In December, The Observer reported there was beef between Lola--a Cajun-soul-food spot featuring live soul, jazz and gospel music, which relocated from Chelsea to Soho last year--and local anti-bar-sprawl group SoHo Alliance. Now, Lola is ensnared in a battle that may force its closure, after the SLA granted their liquor license and then annulled it, only to have it reinstated on appeal but with a ban on live music, which was permitted under the original license and upon which Lola's livelihood depends. The Villager

So, you need a drink like whoa, but you've got no one to watch the rug rats while you're busy getting tanked. What do you do? Line 'em up--at least for patrons of DUMBO's Water Street Restaurant and Lounge, which has contracted with something called Parent Play to provide on-site babysitting during the dinner hour. (No word on whether irresponsible alcoholic adults can retain the babysitting services for myself themselves.) Brooklyn Paper

This week we review Bar Veloce, the third outpost of Frederick Twomey's Italian wine bar mini-chain, which recently re-opened in the same Soho space where it once lived, and then died, only to be reborn again. The menu is more or less the same there as in the East Village and Chelsea locations, but hey, when you've got a good thing going, why break the mold?

Read our full editorial review of Bar Veloce, then peruse other New and Notable bar reviews or check out our list of spots that are too new to review (but not too new to get you wasted).

And be sure to bookmark Imbible and check back regularly for more new reviews--we've got everything from Mansion and Suzie Wong to Weather Up and The Hideout on deck.