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A few years ago, I found myself in Barcelona for the second time in under a year. Happy to tag along on my sister’s work trip, and benefit from the free hotel, I spent a good chunk of my days exploring the city solo. Armed with a list of must-visit tapas places and best bars to check off, the five-star dive bar, Two Schmucks, was high on my list. A known punk bar in the El Raval area, the bar had recently ranked number seven on The World’s 50 Best Bars. But after a bit of internet sleuthing, I found that just a few days after the designation, six of the seven team members left the operation, citing professional differences among the partners. But as a turn of fate, the Schmucks were coming stateside, as business partners Moe Aljaff and Juliette Larrouy had the keys to a new bar in the East Village. Together, they hoped to bring the ethos of Schmucks to the city.
“The beauty of the schmuck. brand is that it's ever evolving and truly cannot be contained to one thought, idea, drink, or mood, but the constant is mine and Juliette’s lives and where we are at a certain point of time,” said co-owner of Schmuck., Moe Aljaff, in a press release.
While starting strong with a series of successful pop-ups, what followed was a long period of “when will they open” due to construction delays. But even then, the team rolled up their sleeves, relying on YouTube and ChatGPT to literally put the bar together themselves. And despite the wait, the energy around the opening didn’t waiver.
“This has been a labor of love to the fullest. We’ve been so welcomed by our New York hospitality family, who have been a great help to us, as well as the locals whose excitement for this project has given us those small energy boosts needed to keep pushing on,” said Aljaff.
After a year plus of build up, the wait is officially over as Schmuck. is finally opening its doors.
As of tonight, Schmuck. is open and hopes to bring a neighborhood playground to the East Village. Inspired by a mix of Mid-Century Modern, the Space Age and Brutalist design movements, the 1,600-square foot bar is broken up into two spaces. The all-seated experience found in the cherry red living room offers 12 original cocktails that call to familiar ingredients and dishes, like the cinnamon bun and coffee number, FIKA, and the fennel-forward, salad-inspired BLANKA.
While concrete-heavy, the smaller room leans more casual, centered around a long wooden table geared for gathering. Ten cocktails round out the menu here, like the Caramelized Apple and the Le Banané, popularly featured during their pop-up days. Snacking can also be had here, with a menu that includes White Bean Cacio e Pepe, Crushed Potatoes with a spicy peanut sauce and the Chocolate & Olive Oil, a dark chocolate mousse topped with salt flakes.
After the rollercoaster of the past few years, Aljaff is more than ready to bring good drinks, food and positive vibes to the neighborhood.
“At the end of the day, we’re just a bunch of schmucks from all over, joining forces to provide memorable moments for our guests,” said Aljaff.