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.

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).

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.

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.

If it seems like every new bar that opens is in Brooklyn, that's because it is. This week we review Beer Table in Park Slope, a new bar that specializes in vodka. Just kidding. It specializes in beer, and specialize it does. The selection of brews changes daily, along with a menu of charcuterie and cheeses designed to complement the day's suds. With just three tables and no bar (or bartender), get there early if you want to get a seat.

Here's how one Citysearch user, nickd717, summed it up:

There is some real quality stuff on the menu, and you're not going to find Coors Light (also known as "water"). Some of the beers are a bit wine-like (lambics and such), but there is sure to be something on the menu for every type of beer enthusiast. The owners, Justin and Tricia, are very friendly and helpful, are passionate about beer, and know their stuff.

Read our full editorial review of Beer Table, 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).

(Photo courtesy of Beer Table)

If only the butchers could see the Meatpacking District now ... unfortunately they can't, because they wouldn't be able to get past the bouncers. Luckily, we can, so we sent one of our ace reporters to the new club Kiss & Fly, now open on West 13th Street in the space formerly known as Aer.

Read our full review of Kiss & Fly, 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).

(Photos provided by Kiss & Fly)

Even the most Brooklyn-phobic Manhattanite will feel comfortable at Williamsburg newcomer Hotel Delmano--what with its unmarked entrance, expensive cocktails and tabletop "reserved" cards. But with the backing of the same people behind Union Pool and Pencil Factory, this stylish (and stylized, from the decor to the "nearly identical coiffures of the bartenders") local watering hole is sure to become a staple of Berry Street.

Read our full review of Hotel Delmano, 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).

(Photo courtesy of Hotel Delmano)