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Lebowski Fest, the annual homage to the seminal Coen brothers film invaded Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge on Sunday night. Sponsored by Kahlua (genius) and featuring dedicated White Russian bars, the evening featured bowling (natch) and costume and impersonation contests. The line stretched for two blocks to get in and had once again sold out in advance. The demand for caucasians was so intense that bartenders and servers could be seen running around with pitchers of the stuff. We think the best costume should have gone to the full In N Out crew or Arthur Digby Sellers, complete with iron lung. We don't know who ended up winning, because we had other places we had to be, but we assure you, the Chinaman was not the issue. More...

What can you say? It's Tenjune. It's their anniversary. Or is it? A LB says, "Tenjune opened on the Tenth of June, why are they doing a 2 Year Anniversary in November? I guess they need an excuse to have people there (anniversaries and birthday parties)." Who cares? Tonight is the biggest night of the entire year, and you aren't anyone if you aren't there. You've be warned. More...

Gosh, you aren't safe anywhere [HC] Gosh, the things people call 'cool' [Gothamist] And world order is restored [Curbed] Hogpit beats Hill Country on nightlife front [NYM] More...

Upload an Image Couresty of GoaG After Bella's shutdown, we had heard rumors that the Martignetti boys were hoping the renovation would bring a whole new crowd to their Nolita basement. Their biggest cheerleader was, of course, GoaG, who proclaimed that "The Martignettis have it down to a science", touting that Southside now was complete with VIP booths and bottle service. Then tragedy struck, as our heroine attempted to drink away her crushing defeat. Apparently the bouncer told the group that buying a bottle was required, and the price was $1200. Our heroine was rightly incensed, but we can't help but chuckle at the whole thing. Southside was made out to be the greatest thing since DBTH, and then they go and disgustingly demand some serious scratch to be let inside. Goes to show that you really don't know who you're friends really are. That's why we will only spend time with our statue from now on. More...

With the current economic carnage, we couldn't help but wonder if this year's batch of New Years Eve extravaganzas would be greatly subdued. It turns out our inkling was correct. Not only did the SLA quietly change the permitting process for getting a special 8 AM license, only 39 NYC bars and clubs got their application in on time, with just 33 getting approval. That means a lot of all night revelers will be heading home at 4 AM or earlier, and promoters will be selling fewer $250 tickets for their competing "parties of the year". [NY Post] More...

Wow. Where to begin? Having to trek over to the far reaches of Club Row on a cold Sunday night was not an exciting prospect, but we threw on our hand tailored Duckie Brown suit (thanks!) and headed over to Mansion. When we arrived, the club was not quite ready for primetime, with the a massive crowd all looking to get inside. The door staff was not having it, but DBTH wasn't waiting either. We made our way inside and mingled in the front bar area until the main floor opened. 30 minutes later, it finally did. Hooray. It was like being at a really low brow version of the MTV Movie Awards. Really low brow. But still, we were given a table next to our friends from Lit Lounge and Mark Ronson, not shabby company. More...

Say hello to the winner of Paper Magazine's award for Best Nightlife Website of 2008. That's right mofo's, DBTH took that shit down, beating the so called competition handily. We have so much to report, including chatting up Steve Lewis, getting to know Mr. Eldridge, and reinforcing our rep as the cream of the crop. More to come tomorrow. More...

You know you want to. See that flashy and colorful banner to the right? Yeah, the link to the Paper Magazine Nightlife Awards. Click on that and vote DBTH for Best Nightlife Site. And vote in all the other nightlife categories, too. Voting is over at the end of the day and the awards are this Sunday at Mansion. More...

Times be tough in the New York hotel game, even for the most established of boutique joints. For instance, the Hotel Gansevoort is offering discount meeting and event space through the end of March 2009, hoping that its fading rep and this low grade flier will help drum up some business. Maybe we will call and get some prices for our winter 2009 DBTH Fanclub Convention. Maybe. More...

East Village newcomer Elsa offers the Perfect Manhattan on its cocktail menu. Proving that we know nothing, DBTH thought they were being a bit presumptuous, but thanks to one of our intrepid commenters, we learn that there actually is a drink called the Perfect Manhattan, and it "has both sweet and dry vermouth in it." A little interweb research reveals the recipe is: 2 oz blended whiskey 1/2 oz sweet vermouth 1/2 oz dry vermouth 1 dash bitters Sounds delicious. Sorry to Elsa for the false accusations and sorry to the world for being an idiot. More...

A valiant comeback attempt [GoaG] At least its good for something [Gothamist] Affordable non-Holiday Inn comes to Chelsea [HC] When the bar is no longer an option...[NYM] More...

The gift that keeps on giving: "I never wanted my own club, I always considered myself a barracuda, rather than a reef. I didn’t want to be stuck on a coral reef; if my coral reef started to die I wanted to be able to swim to the next one." -Uncle Steve Lewis That guy's good. More...

So, we've got a question here at DBTH HQ that needs to be answered: What is so damn 'green' about Greenhouse? Is it a member of the GRA? That body helps restaurants, bars and nightclubs use green practices and provides guidelines for waste, approved cleaning agents, etc. If it is, then what guidelines is it using? Is it LEED certified? We doubth that. Has Jon B. purchased wind energy credits to offset Greenhouse's carbon footprint? So, what is it? The fake ivy outside has us pretty skeptical. Any little birdies out there that know what is green about Greenhouse, please chime in in the comments section. We are really interested to know, and if Greenhouse is just a green gimmick, then... And no, LED lighting does not qualify. More...

So Greenhouse had it's long awaited debut last night, but according to one LB, the place wasn't quite ready for primetime. Our Birdy tells us: So, I just got home from Greenhouse (aka Guesthouse), IT WAS A MESS. It was one of the most unorganized openings I have ever seen, when I walked in their were leaves falling from the wall, the bar wasn't even set up, they were still drilling, painting, and it was a mess! As I start to walk around, I see every promoter in NYC at every table, hosting. Using promoters at your grand opening? Wow, not a good look. Then, as I walked around, I found out, that Bill Spector (from SMAC) is a partner, so let's see Barry from Stereo, Jon B from Home/Guesthouse, and Bill Specter from Highline Ballroom/Glo, etc = BRIDGE & TUNNEL. Is there any hope for Greenhouse to be successful? More...

Where to find...everyone [at the bar] [TONY] The economy that stole Xmas [Gawker] Spend what's left of that DI on drinks [Urbanite] Nice, but who will stay there? [Luxist] More...

"]"] Voting for the PAPER nightlife awards ends this Friday, so please take the time to go vote for your favorite nightlife blog - Guest of a Guest! Just kidding - vote for us or we are shutting this thing down and the Tenjune owners and Matt Levine won't have anywhere to get their news. Vote! More...

Last night, DBTH et al ventured down to Elsa, the new cocktail lounge and bar in the former Hanger Bar space on 3rd Street and Avenue B, that was hosting a friends and family opening night . After making our way through the greeting vestibule and into the main room, we had to rub our eyes to get adjusted to the place. Gone is the dingy divey decor that was Hangar, replaced with a total whitewash of warmth that seemed to transport you out of the East Village and to some far off corner of Brooklyn. In fact, everything about it screamed Brooklyn, from the DIY decor to the crowd and music. But we were smack dab in the middle of Alphabet City. Elsa had arranged some cheese and crackers for everyone, which were lovely, and we saddled up to the bar to enjoy a Jaszek Cocktail (Applejack, Velvet Falernum, Lime Juice, Bitters), named after its creator Kevin Jaszek, who also bartends at Freemans. Overall, we give the place high marks for its coziness, music, and inventive cocktail list, even if we think offering guests the "Perfect Manhattan" is a wee bit presumptuous. We also loved to see the crown moldings lining the ceiling. Elsa is too small to result in big things, but we predict that it will become a much loved neighborhood hang in an area that is full of forgettable bars overrun with weekenders. Or maybe they will overrun it too. More pictures after the jump! More...

As gas prices fall, the price of New York City pizza continues to rise. A slice of plain and a slice of margarita at Stromboli's in the East Village - $6.75. It may be time to switch to the discount $1 slice at Two Bros until the upswing begins. More...

In Mountain House, California, 90% of the homeowners are reported to be underwater. This means that 90% of all Mountain House homeowners owe more money on their mortgage than their homes are actually worth. That's no good. The housing bubble burst has decimated the entire town, and the carnage can be seen in abandoned homes that have been foreclosed on and vacant retail spaces that were once filled with national chain outlets. But despite the financial carnage, the good folks of Mountain House have refused to give up drinking. While purchasing a $24 bottle of petite sirah, Ray Lopez, a database administrator, explains "“My house is underwater, so I’m not doing too much impulse shopping or any renovation. But I’m not cutting back on this. Life is too short." Ray, we are with you 1000%, but might it behoove you to find something a bit less pricey? If you are going bust, you could stretch your booze dollar pretty far if you put your mind to it. We're just saying. [NYT] More...

An intrepid little birdy sent us this picture of Greenhouse as it readies for tonight's coming out party. Is that green wall made of fake ivy? How green! We hear that the dishwashers run on ethanol. Really green! Bonus: The windshield that is visible to the left of the frame belongs to and Escalade that was idling on the corner with Barry Mullineaux inside. It makes us weak in the knees. More...

Crimes against [hipster] humanity [Eater] Dirty or no, get used to the dive [NYM] History repeats itself [Gothamist] ...and the perennial debate [Gawker] More...

So you may have heard that DBTH was nominated as Best Nightlife Blog by PAPER Magazine. We are thrilled to be recognized, but nervous that we may lose to our "competition". We also have no idea what to wear. We know what we won't be wearing, even though the fancy designers are showing the luxury turban as "in". We aren't saying we can't pull it off. [Division Street] More...

Breaking news across the Birdy Wire. Jon B's long in the making Greenhouse, the first eco-friendly nightclub in the history of mankind, will finally open its doors tomorrow for a private affair. We have heard that 3 people have already had excitement related heart palpitations, and who could blame them. This place has been buzzing for years and on multiple continents. But will it live up to the hype? Does anything? Of course not, but who really cares? More...

Halloween has come and gone. Next up is New Year's Eve, famous for its lavish parties with expensive up front costs, open bars, champagne toasts and hired celebrities. Or if you are really making it pop, you head to St. Barts, Miami or some other warm locale to combine the party with a tan. But in the current economy, with layoffs pending and a general sense of doom all around, will NYE 2008 be relatively quiet? Have you either skipped making or cancelled your plans? Or is NYE too important to skip? Comments are open! More...

Feeling pinched by the economic times and looking for a place to cut loose on the cheap? Those crazy kids at Cooper 35 understand that times are tough and want to help. To help ease your pain, they have created a Bail Out Happy Hour, with $3 specials all night. At least we think that's what that says. We are not sure if that covers grape vodka and Sprite, but there is only one way to find out. More...