Subrosa

A couple Thursdays ago I checked out the new Latin and World Music venue in the Meatpacking District with my sister who was visiting. Walking on the cobblestone streets to Subrosa I felt like we were in a different city altogether. The venue itself was also different from what I might have expected based on the three other Blue Note Entertainment Group venues in New York; it was spacious and trendy with small round tables that had black mirror surfaces. My favorite part of the place was the set of huge steps that descended gradually from the entrance. It’s rare to see that kind of indulgent architecture in Manhattan where price per square foot can be excessive.

I noticed that there was an elevator in the back and grab bars in the two unisex restrooms that would meet accessibility guidelines. The stark restrooms did not match the decor of the rest of the venue but my eyes found relief in the bright light and white walls of the loo after being in the dim venue emitting red light. Also, the restrooms are perfect for taking some quiet time for yourself if you start feeling overwhelmed by the energetic and loud music from the stage.

Cuban singer José “Pepito” Gómez and his sextet performed their tribute to the Buena Vista Social Club that night. He spoke mostly in Spanish so I’m not sure what he said but I was rather impressed with his stamina in belting out the songs. I think I would start feeling tired if I tried to sing like that for a whole night.

We arrived hungry for the first set and learned that there was no food offered. There was a twenty-dollar minimum per person which we found difficult to fulfill with just liquids, considering that I don’t care for alcohol. The bartender had trouble pronouncing the list of available Scotch but my sister was able to settle on one and got me a virgin cocktail, my second ever. There was no menu so we had no idea if we were meeting the drink minimum — my sister just ordered another drink once she noticed that they did have wine after all, seeing a glass at another’s table.

It’s still a new venue so I’m sure they are working out the kinks like the wet paint between the restroom doors. With their nice wait staff and fashionable furnishing, Subrosa seems like an ideal spot for yuppies to grab drinks and listen and maybe even dance to live music. I’ll add that it definitely felt more like a date spot though.

For this issue, second-generation Taiwanese-American Jonathan, whose family goes back four to five hundred years in Taiwan, tells us how to say “Where’s the restroom?” in Taiwanese (not to be confused with Taiwanese-accented Mandarin) —

Bben soh dee doh wee?