Beijing Boyce

Two recent moves by TRIO remind me of the overnight transformation of the Boston Celtics into contenders - sorry, the NBA is about to start and basketball is on my mind. Before I get to that, a little background:

TRIO opened in May 2006 in the Lido area and featured three components:

• A reincarnation of the city’s oldest non-hotel bar, Frank’s Place, at ground level
• A seventy-seat New York-style grill and piano bar, The Park Grill, up top
• The high-end wine-centric The Cellar in, no surprise, the basement

Frank’s Place is doing fine, with regular improvements to the deck helping, but The Park Grill and The Cellar struggled. Two moves substantially shake things up.

First, The Cellar was rented to a company that operates eight wine bars in Seoul under the name Le Cave. Expect a diverse clientele as Cave aims to bring in the regulars and reach out to the large Korean and Japanese crowds patronizing the area.

Second, The Park Grill will transform into SALT, with former Alameda partner Gaby Alves and acquaintances taking over.

What does this have to do with the Boston Celtics? A few months ago, the Celtics were also-rans, with one all-star (Paul Pierce) and lots of players with potential. The team decided to win now, traded for two of the best players, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, and became instant contenders.

TRIO also has its star (Frank’s Place) and now it’s teamed up with a wine bar chain with a record (Le Cave) and a former partner in an award-winning restaurant (Alameda)

There is no guarantee of success with the Celtics - one of the stars could blow out a knee, the bench might be too weak - nor is there with TRIO - maybe the location doesn’t work or maybe the new relationships will bring friction.

But shaking things up with SALT and Cave is a good move. These places stand to bring a new crowd to TRIO and give the spot a second shot.

This story has been sleeping in the blog queue Rip Van Winkle style…

Gaby Alves, former partner in award-winning Brazilian restaurant Alameda, plans to open a joint on the upper floor of TRIO, in the Lido area. According to someone involved in the project, Gaby will team up with another restaurateur to launch SALT - you might have seen the ads in the city’s free English-language magazines. Rumor has it the place - to focus on contemporary cuisine - will open in late November.

Whew.

I first heard about this story eight weeks ago, but have avoided posting due to requests from several of the parties involved.

Being on board with a former partner of Alameda, one of Beijing’s perennial restaurant award winners, is a nice move by TRIO, and I expect SALT will bring in new clients to the benefit of all. I’ll have more on this in my next post…

When Sanlitun South was razed last year for redevelopment - incidentally, nary a single foundation has been laid on that plot of land where two-meter high weeds now stand guard - some thought the area drinking scene had taken a mortal blow. Instead, it turned out to be the one step backward that precedes the two steps forward in the creative destruction process, and Sanlitun has emerged stronger and more diverse than ever. True, that main northern strip features too many sub-par copycat bars and all of the associated promoters, beggars, fake CD sellers and lady bar touts that come with it. And there have been some disturbing reports of bouncer behavior. But there are also numerous bar and restaurant investors targeting new niche markets, offering more choice and raising service standards, particularly along the new south street and near Tongli Studio in the northwest. Whether it’s Browns, The Bookworm, Alameda, The Tree, Q Bar or others, Sanlitun offers some “best of the best” in the city. Here are ten highlights, from its far north to its deep south:

1. The Tree — Arguably the best pizza in town, nicely washed down with Belgian beer.

2. Cheers — A simple and unpretentious bar with an excellent happy hour (10-kuai Qingdao drafts before 10 PM) and live Xinjiang music.

3. Top Club / Bar Blu — Comfy rooftop decks up top and dance floors down below.

4. Le Petit Gourmand — Kick back, have a beer and read a few books.

5. Alameda — A Brazilian barbecue joint picked by that’s Beijing and City Weekend readers as the city’s best restaurant.

6. The Bookworm — Kick back again, this time glass of wine in hand, and read some more books in the high-ceilinged downstairs or on the rooftop garden.

7. Browns — Good pub grub, good draft beer selection, good place to lose your inhibitions and do some bar top dancing.

8. Modern Nomads — Enjoy throat singing while sipping the best (er, only) Chingis martinis in town.

9. Beer Mania — An excellent combination of mostly Belgian beers and quality cocktails (Mojito, Long Island) in a laid-back atmosphere.

10. Q Bar — The most consistent high-quality cocktails in town and a spacious deck to boot.

Throw in other northern spots such as Saddle (good burritos), Apertivo (good people watching) and Jazz-Ya (good Long Islands), southern ones such as Salsa Caribe, Banana Leaf and Phil’s Pub (good 10-kuai Gin Tonics), nearby establishments such as The Pavillion, Alfa and Yugong Yishan, and more clubs than you can shake a stick at on Gongti west and north, and Sanlitun not only did not take a mortal blow last year, but is living proof of the saying, “Whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.”

(From Beijing Boyce XX, first emailed on July 13, 2006)