PDT (Please Don't Tell)

Bars

A Clark Kent Style Clandestine Destination with Serious Cocktail Cred

PDT Please Don't Tell East Village Bar

About PDT (Please Don't Tell)

 & why it made the Carpe City list

  • From the phone booth entrance to the dark taxidermy-walled space to the unique cocktails, PDT is always a cool experience.
  • A not so secret speakeasy but still remains a cool experience.
  • Very good, creative cocktails.
  • Enter through the tasty hot dog joint called “Crif Dogs” and look for the phone booth on your left.
  • Expect there to be a wait.  This is a “no standing” bar where everyone has a proper seat thus you can expect solid, knowledgeable service.
  • Dark and cozy inside reminiscent of our grandfather’s old hunting club.
  • You can get the dogs from next door delivered in.
  • Try calling at 3pm to score a reservation.

Carpe City Trivia

What is ginger beer?

The Mezcal Mule created by the talented bartender/proprietor Jim Meehan, is one of PDT’s most popular drinks.  Mezcal Mule one of PDT’s popular drinks created by the talented bartender proprietor Jim Meehan. Perusing the list of ingredients you will come across ginger beer. So what exactly is it?
The answer is: well… It depends.
Ginger beer actually comes in two categories.  The most common “ginger beer” is the non-alcoholic mixer used in popular cocktails like the Moscow Mule and the Dark ‘n’ Stormy.  Traditional non-alcoholic ginger beer is brewed, a natural fermentation of ginger spice, sugar and yeast.  (Ginger ale is not brewed; it’s just boring carbonated water flavored with ginger.)  The other, less common ginger beer is alcoholic, the most popular brand being Crabbie’s, made in Scotland and quite popular in the UK.  Crabbie’s has an ABV of 4.0% and is served over ice with a wedge of lime.

Did Clark Kent ever change into Superman in a phone booth?

Despite it being ingrained in our pop culture brains, with the exception of a quick scene in Superman IV, Clark Kent never changed into Superman in a phone booth in any of the Superman movies or original George Reeve television series (104 episodes!).  It is thought that the legend started from one scene in a 1942 Superman comic strip where he made his change in the booth and it just stuck in peoples minds.

In some of the later versions of the Superman series like Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Smallville he did do some phone booth changes but we don’t consider them “official” Superman shows.

Our favorite is still the scene in the original Superman: The Movie where Christopher Reeve runs to a phone booth to change and it ends up being one of the not so boothy types that were the new open style telephone booths of the late 70’s early 80’s.  He comically looked it up and down and then, of course, opted for the next logical option, an office building’s revolving door.

Speaking of phone booths, are there still phone booths in New York?

Well, the answer is yes and no.  Public phone booths, on the street, are increasingly rare.  In fact, according to one source, only four Manhattan phone booths remain, all on the Upper West Side – West End Avenue & 66th, 90th, 100th and 101st Streets.  Now destined to be new Instagram stops.

In New York City, phone booths have been replaced by kiosks offering speakerphone calls, wi-fi, Internet access, and USB charging ports.  City officials were shocked — seriously?? — when people used the kiosks to access porn.  We know you are getting ready to run out the door to your local kiosk, but alas, the appropriate filters have now been installed.

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