The Citiblog

Music, Drinks and a Good Time Await at Another Country Near Union Square
February 14, 2024, 7:01.05 pm ET

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Photos: Max Flatow

Another Country - a new bar offering cocktails, food and a stellar vinyl collection, is now open near Union Square at 10 East 16th Street (formerly the longtime home of Chat n’ Chew).

Special attention is being paid to cocktails, but it doesn’t take ten minutes to get a drink. Fantastic music is playing, but guests won’t be asked to talk quietly. The food menu is thoughtfully curated and the interior design is snug yet spacious, with a variety of tables and seating styles available in several sections and rooms.

The proprietors of the bar, Mark Connell and Timothy Jenkins, are longtime friends with extensive hospitality industry experience. They met at Botanica Bar (which Connell now owns) in 1996 and in the years following, have played key roles in founding and operating notable restaurants, bars, and nightlife destinations in both NYC and LA.

Connell was a founding partner in Estela and a current partner in Oma Grassa, Nowadays, and more, in addition to Botanica. Jenkins recently moved back to NYC after nearly a decade in LA, and has worked in NYC at Double Happiness and The Box. Another Country is their first joint venture together.

There are eight cocktails on the opening menu, with the beverage program overseen by Katie Wiskoski, who was formerly bar manager at Xixa for the past several years. Signature drinks include the tropical (and cheekily-named) “The Plural of Vinyl is Vinyl,” with mezcal, rum, calamansi, pineapple and banana, and Rufus (rye, vanilla liqueur, Cynar, bitters). The beer selection is mostly local (Threes, Talea) alongside a small list of wines and ciders by the glass as well as spirit-free options.

The food menu features small dishes designed to complement the cocktails and easily shared, picked up and eaten. Daniel Newburg, formerly of Estela, consulted on the creation of the menu. Highlights include a radicchio Caesar salad, a mortadella sandwich, and tender, crunchy fried chicken with many of the ingredients sourced from the nearby Union Square Market.

The bar acts as the soul of the space, glowing within the darker room with its gold plaster ceilings and illuminated glass-and-mirror oak shelving that houses the vinyl collection. A light travertine bar top with mirrored backsplash is brought to life by the colorful albums, liquor and glassware. A back room serves as a hideaway for private events.

For more information, visit anothercountry.nyc

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