For bar food, it didn’t suck. Lounge 47, my favorite place in the neighborhood for a plate of wasabi deviled eggs and a lip-biting good bloody Mary, among other savory things, shuttered its doors with a raucous goodbye party on Jan. 15. Among the many toasts that bleary-eyed evening, the entire room raised its collective middle finger in the direction of the lounge’s next-door neighbor, whose longstanding and litigious spat with management over noise and other alleged nuisances ultimately resulted in the court-ordered closure of the joint’s best asset, its airy backyard garden. With revenue down and rent rising, the lounge’s owners decided to call it quits. Some scattered staffers still work in the neighborhood, though the storefront remains empty.
I liked this place for a number of reasons: the artsy regulars, who huddled every afternoon over the Times crossword; the good-humored staffers, who laughed at my jokes (usually) and poured two-for-one pints during happy hour; the unstoppable wifi, which allowed me to get some work done (usually); and the playful menu, which was generally a lot better than the posted B-grade health inspection sticker would suggest.
In its final incarnation, the selection of barroom bites took on a sort of funky fusion theme, with former owner and chef Min Chen collaborating with local food-world notable Julie Powell of Julie & Julia fame.
Herewith, a look back at some of the dishes I will miss.
Lounge 47 is closing! (Make sure you scroll down to the comments.) [LIC Spot]