Courtesy Techcrunch

••• “PayPal is going to be setting up a pop-up store in downtown Manhattan, New York to showcase some of the new tools and technologies the payments giant will debut in the next few months. The space will be located at 174 Hudson [the Hudson & Broad event space], which is located in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan. Over the next 3 and a half months, PayPal will be inviting merchants to come visit the space where they will have the opportunity to get real-time demos of the technologies in realistic point of sale scenarios. The store, which will launch on November 1, will also feature a QR code for people passing by to scan and see more details on the PayPal’s new technologies.” I’ve still never seen anyone scan a QR code. —Techcrunch

••• Tamarind Tribeca, Brushstroke, and Rosanjin were among the restaurants to get a star in the Michelin Guide for the first time (joining Bouley, Marc Forgione, and Sushi Azabu). Corton once again gets two stars. —Eater

••• “The New York Rangers were supposed to place winger Sean Avery on NHL waivers at noon ET Tuesday, the player’s agent confirmed to ESPN.com. Agent Pat Morris says that if Avery clears, his future options could include playing in Europe.” Avery co-owns Warren 77 and Tiny’s. —ESPN (via Eater)

••• Brooklyn Rail interviews artist (and Tribecan) Katia Santibañez.

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As far as I’m concerned, the cocktail of the summer is the Americano (equal parts Campari, sweet vermouth, and seltzer). Ideally, the vermouth is Dolin, which is available at Chambers Street Wines.

Me: Do you plan on carrying the larger bottles again?
Clerk: No, we only carry the smaller bottle now. It goes bad after a while, so—
Me: Not in my house, it doesn’t.

(You can buy bigger bottles at Pasanella and Son.)

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Frankly Wines sells a bottled drink called Americano—from a company called Vergano—that has some of the richness of an Americano cocktail, but not all of the complexity or the punch (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). The shop’s owner, Christy Frank, recommended it mixed with seltzer, but I preferred it undiluted, on the rocks. This post isn’t making me look good, is it?

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Sometimes, such as during the day, I drink non-alcoholic beverages. I met up with Alexia Brue of Well + Good one afternoon at Kaffe 1668, and the café didn’t have lemonade, so I halfheartedly ordered an iced decaf. Alexia recommended I try an iced Americano—it was as if she knew exactly what I needed, because I loved it. The morning drink of the summer is the Americano, too! It’s a wet, hot Americano summer!

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I think Jehangir Mehta’s Mehtaphor is the most interesting restaurant in Tribeca right now—leaving aside Corton, I suppose—although I’ve found one dish I love, and so I’ve stopped being all that adventurous. It’s the Indian street burger (still iffy about that name), and it’s kind of like an Indian sloppy Joe. Best of all are the garlic fries on the side. Having been burned by garlic powder—the devil’s work—too many times in the past, I was wary at first, but (as I’ve since learned) Mehtaphor fries the potatoes in garlic-infused oil. And you only get a handful, so they’re precious, the way anything fried should be.

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I knew Takahachi Bakery made ice cream and sorbet, but I had never tried it, probably because I tend to go in the morning for an iced Americano. The other day, I looked in the case, and I saw that one of the flavors was black sesame. I was back a day later. The black sesame ice cream is nice and pillowy, and it’s a gorgeous gray. I ordered it with vanilla because that seemed the flavor least likely to clash. But I’ll be back for the yuzu ice cream….

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The Harrison dessert menu tends to include a slice of “birthday cake,” and when I was there recently to try the $30 prix fixe lunch—a great deal, but come hungry—I chose it as my dessert. Just look at it! I felt like I should swing a bottle of Champagne at it and give it a name.

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I’ve finally persuaded Adam that we can’t go to Tamarind Tribeca without getting the dal makhni, “black lentils simmered overnight on a slow fire with onions, garlic and ginger.” I haven’t had it in two weeks and I can call to mind precisely how it tastes. I would eat it every day if I could.

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After my friend Lisa and I went on the East River Ferry and to the new East River Waterfront park, we stopped in the new Milk Street Café on Wall Street for refreshment. They make a good mango smoothie, but what I enjoyed even more was sitting in the picture window and watching the passersby. The window is wide enough that you get enough time to actually inspect people, but not so wide that they get time to inspect you.

••• Speaking of books: A real writer, Sarah Mlynowski—you may recall the interview that Anojja Shah did with her—has a new young adult novel, Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn’t Have).

••• From Ward III: “We’re grilling for the 4th of July! As most of us don’t have backyards, and not all of us can get away for the weekend, we’ve bought a bad-ass smoker, and are setting it up outside the bar. $10 gets you a massive plate of food. $15 gets you the same plate, a pint of beer inside, and a sneak peak at the brilliant Cheryl Lins’ new line of aged whiskies.” This is in addition to the Bogardus Plaza event, I think.

••• Remember that mural on the plywood at Franklin and Broadway? @Chris_kruli tweeted a post on madeinbrazilblog.com (NSFW) that says it’s by Brazilian street artist Zéh Palito. It’s in honor (or part of?) his “first solo show at FB Gallery in Tribeca. The exhibit is entitled Love, Peace and Unicorns, and runs until July 17. For pictures and more information, visit Zéh Palitos’s flickr.” Pictured: Palito at work on the mural (courtesy FB Gallery, which I did not know about till now….).

••• Had another good dinner at Tamarind Tribeca last night, but it ended on a sour note. One of the entrées we ordered was a special prawn curry, and we were surprised to discover when the bill came how much it cost. Understanding that you haven’t tried the dish, how much do you think it might reasonably cost? (The two shrimp entrées on the menu were $25 and $26.) Or at what point does the server/restaurant have an obligation to mention the price? Careful readers will know this is a sore spot with me….

“We didn’t have any downtown friends or roots in the neighborhood,” says Tory Weil about moving from the Upper West Side in 2007. That changed when she was approached about joining the Friends of Bogardus Garden—and now she’s the president of the board. When the St. Louis native isn’t working on new initiatives such as the Bogardus Plaza, she sings professionally (she’s a mezzo-soprano who has performed at the Santa Fe Opera, among many other venues) and takes care of her two kids, Fiona (pictured) and Arlo. Right now, she’s particularly excited about two Bogardus Garden events. Sunday, Apr. 17, will bring Jazz and Poetry on the Plaza with the Alex Levin Trio and Emefe and an assist from Poets House; and Saturday, May 7, is May Day. “It’s our biggest event of the year,” says Weil. Bogardus Garden and Plaza will have live music and kids’ activities (including crafts with Playgarden and sugar-cookie decorating). “Now that we have the additional space provided by the plaza, it will be the best one yet!”

How long have you lived in the area?
I have lived in the area for nearly four years.

Which restaurants do you frequent most often?
I cook most of the time, which became extra fun once Whole Foods opened. As for eating out, we go through phases with the local restaurants. We have frequented Centrico, Marc Forgione (particulary great on a Sunday night for its amazing prix fixe), The Harrison, and, most recently, we’ve been hitting Tamarind (left).

Which restaurants do you tend to go to for a special occasion?
For special occasions we have gone to Bouley—one of the most stunning restaurants around. Megu is pricey but fun and delicious. My husband often retreats to Warren 77 to watch sports “with the guys” and swears by the bar food.

Where do you order in (or get take-out) from? Are there dishes you always order?
We order in from Muscle Maker Grill and just had our first delivery from Yorganic. It was fast, healthy, and yummy. For the never-ending “where can we get decent Chinese food delivered” dilemma, we have settled on Sammy’s. If you have any better ideas, do tell!

Which shops do you find it hard to resist popping into when you pass by?
I live around the corner from Petticoat Lane (right) and I love that it has a little bit of everything, from bathing suits to bras to jewelry. Jennifer, the owner, is an amazing saleswoman and can fit anybody! I also love to poke around Stella and pretend that one day I will properly set a table with a tablecloth and cloth place mats.

What was the last non-essential item you bought in Tribeca?
An itsy-bitsy-teeny-weenie white-and-black polka dot bikini from Petticoat Lane. I went in to buy a one-piece suit that would be appropriate for family swim at the Downtown Community Center. Oh, well….

Are there any services (salon, fitness, etc.) that you’re particularly glad are in the neighborhood?
I’m thankful for New York Sports Club on Reade Street. I’m there almost every day and although it’s not flashy or sexy, it has what I need and, unlike Equinox, you get to have your own TV on the cardio equipment and now you can plug your iPod/iPhone right into your personal screen to watch/listen to your downloaded shows and music.

What’s the area’s best-kept secret?
The area’s best-kept secret is Goodie Girl Cafe, in the lobby of JCP at 146 Duane. Shira Berk whips up fabulous vegetarian soups, sandwiches, and salads. She also makes delicious muffins, biscotti, and other treats. Her chocolate-chip cookies are crazy good and she just started to make a fabulous gluten-free version. Yum, yum, yum! And today I discovered the Poets House just across the highway. They have an amazing new facility, and tons of programming for both children and adults. They will be joining us on the plaza to celebrate National Poetry month and Jazz Appreciation Day. I can’t wait to take my kids!

Where do you always take out-of-towners?
We love to take out-of-towners on a walk through the Bogardus Plaza to Duane Park and then walk up Staple Street to the Harrison for dinner.

What’s your favorite part of the area (street, park, whatever)?
My favorite part of Tribeca is, of course, the Bogardus Garden and Plaza. When the weather is nice, it’s wonderful to see flowers and shrubs blooming in the garden and so many people sitting at the tables in the plaza. The plaza in particular brings New Yorkers together. It’s not uncommon to see students, mommies, nannies, construction workers, office workers, and tourists all enjoying a peaceful moment in the heart of Manhattan.

Which neighborhood building do you wish you lived in and/or owned?
I love the Gerken Building, where I live, but I occasionally pine for a quieter corner, especially now, during the Chambers Street reconstruction project. The building that I secretly covet is 166 Duane. It’s on Duane Park, it’s still close to transportation, and best of all, it has a doorman.

Your most memorable celebrity sighting?
It’s fun to tell friends that we often have dinner at the same time as Jon Stewart on Sunday nights. And I was once at a birthday party for Christy Turlington’s son. She is totally down to earth and normal, but I really wanted to look pretty for the party. Why I thought that I could look good at 40 weeks pregnant at a party hosted by a supermodel is a question that I still ask myself. Anyway, I blew out my hair and put on a cute maternity outfit and makeup. I showed up to find a room full of parents in jeans and “I just rolled out of bed” hair. I stuck out, to say the least. The most exciting moment was when Gwyneth Paltrow breezed in with her kids and my daughter ended up seated next to Apple and even fed her pizza.

Any questions you wish you’d been asked?
I wish that there were more restaurants that had big healthy delicious salads in a nice setting for lunch. I miss Josie’s from the Upper West Side. I also would love to see an upscale kitchen-supply store. I cook a lot and often wish that there was something in the ‘hood that was more unique than Bed Bath & Beyond. Oh well, you can’t have everything—and we sure come close.

Recent TCQ&As:
• Deborah Lupard: “When I Moved to Tribeca, the Odeon was an Automat”
• Alycea Ungaro: “I Want Bouley Bakery Back”
• Marla Mase: “I Can Be Naughty at Times So Let’s Skip That Question”
• Elisa Casas: “Jenny McCarthy Had Phone Sex in My Bed”

OPENINGS

SoulCycle
Cristina Dos Santos
TriBeCafe
African Burial Ground National Monument
Franklin Café Tavola Calda
Lucca Antiques
Battery Park City Library
Worth Street Veterinary Center
8.15 August Fifteenth
Adeline Adeline
Benvenuto
Tamarind Tribeca
Terroir Tribeca
Quad Manhattan and the Lang School
Plein Sud
Muscle Maker Grill
Tribeca Paint—Hardware & Home
OLighting
FasTracKids/Enopi
Takahachi Bakery
Mauri
Bit’z Kids
Il Matto
Imagine Swimming
Le Pain Quotidien Battery Park City
Bouley Studio
Nirvana International
BLT Bar & Grill
Tribeca Parenting
Stuzzicheria
Downtown Dance Factory
RH Gallery
Maserati of Manhattan
Franklin Café Buon Gusto
Mehtaphor
Birdbath Tribeca
Pelea Mexicana
Project No. 8
Josephine
Canal Park Playhouse
Sheraton Tribeca
Da Mikele
Pas de Deux salon
Emergency Medical Care
Unleashed by Petco
Weather Up Tribeca
Farber Center for Radiation Oncology
Compose
Tenoverten
Featherstone Design
Battery Place Market

CLOSINGS

Bar Artisanal
Firefly
Intérieurs
Amanzi Tea
Mocca
Ace Hardware
Bouley Bakery/By the Ounce
Upstairs
Paul Kohn Design
PB & Caviar
TAMA Gallery
DSW
Pomme
Franklin Café Tavola Calda
Pan Latin
Spaghetti Western
Battery Park City Ice Rink
Tribeca Girls
Hudson Square Café
Kiva Café
Color Me Mine

••• Two couples from Tribeca had dinner at Aboca Spasso, in the West Village, before it officially opened. Can someone explain the point of this New York Times column? Is it really that people often have meals together?

••• “Pace University is on a mission to house its students within a five-minute walk from its City Hall-area campus, and the school just announced a major deal. It’s partnering with SL Green Realty Corp. to build a new 24-story dorm at 180 Broadway , at the corner of John Street.” (Curbed)

••• Maximilian J. Riedel, the 33-year-old scion of the Riedel glass company, lives in Tribeca, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Excerpt: “Since I moved to America in 2001, I like being part of the American culture, so there is nothing better than eating a great steak. With friends or even by myself, I love to order filet mignon. There’s a spot in my Tribeca New York City neighborhood called City Hall that prepares it just the way I like it—rare, dry, no sauce, with a little Dijon mustard on the side, served with french fries and chopped tomatoes. I like to wash it down with a nice glass of Pinot Noir.” Read the whole Q&A to find out which sense is Maximilian J. Riedel’s favorite!

••• 1 World Trade Center is getting glassed. (Curbed)

••• The L.A. Times profiles Otto Penzler of the Mysterious Bookshop.

••• “Along with its focus on the tragic losses of that day, the Sept. 11 Museum will give visitors a feeling for what it was like for residents and workers whose lives were changed on that fateful day.” (Tribeca Trib)

••• Corton earned (right word?) 48 violation points from the city’s department of health. I feel like we can now stop paying attention to these scores. (Eater)

••• Someone was arrested for attempting to rob the Citibank on Hudson (before getting laughed out of the building). (DNAinfo)

••• The New York Times printed Tamarind Tribeca’s recipe for Murg Malai Kebab.

••• Cass Lilien’s Window 24 was featured in a New York Daily News article about tiny shops: “Lilien, who’s pretty small herself—barely 5 feet tall—says she doesn’t feel claustrophobic in the space. The big plus is the small rent: Lilien pays just $500 a month. There is one drawback: no toilet. ‘They let me use the bathroom next door, and every so often I give them a bracelet,’ she laughs.”

••• “Sometimes, the simplest designs are the most complex. [Journalism-school students, take note: That's what I call a beard-stroking lede. —Ed.] Take Ben Van Berkel’s New Amsterdam Pavilion at the tip of Manhattan. The pinwheel structure was presented to the city by the Dutch as a reminder of our 400-year-old bond. Part tulip, part windmill, the pavilion was supposed to have opened last spring, but getting those smoothly curving panes of glass just so, as well as working out a deal with the contractors to install them, has delayed the project a handful of times now, putting the grand opening celebration off until next year.” (New York Observer, via Eater, although Curbed read the same article and deduced that the pavilion is “almost set to open for real.”)

••• “The return to North Cove Marina of the barge Hon. William Wall, the Manhattan Sailing Club’s floating clubhouse that spends summers moored in the middle of New York Harbor, signals the imminent start of two popular off-season programs [...]. “We’re going to be bringing back the train set that we housed aboard the William Wall in years past,” says Michael Fortenbaugh, the Club’s Commodore, referring to the elaborate, 100-square-foot diorama with enough linear track to stretch between Gateway Plaza and the World Financial Center. [...] For 2010, Mr. Fortenbaugh plans to enclose the William Wall’s upper deck, which serves as an outdoor bar in summer, and house the train set [...] there.” Plus there might be crepes. (Broadsheet Daily)

••• A Q&A with Elizabeth Berger of Downtown Alliance, “Lower Manhattan’s biggest fan.” (New York Observer)

••• “Leonardo DiCaprio and a group of male pals checked out the performers at Albert Trummer’s new Tribeca bar, Teatro, [the website now calls it both Theater Bar and Teatro] on Saturday. The star, Russell Simmons and hotel entrepreneur Jason Pomeranc were guests at a private party at the theatrically themed bar with performers including bikini- and feather-clad bar dancers ahead of next month’s official opening.” (New York Post)

Tom Ajello and Aaron Rutledge, two of the three founders of Poke (11 Harrison), agreed to introduce themselves and show me around. Beyond the “meeting room” visible through the window is a narrow hallway that leads to a bullpen. The company’s motto, “Don’t Give Up,” appears on several walls.

From left: Tom Ajello and Aaron Rutledge

What is Poke?
Aaron: Poke is a brand and business innovation company.

What does that mean?
Tom: We come from multidisciplinary backgrounds in design, product development, branding, and technology. Advertising doesn’t work anymore, so we invent new businesses, new products, that do better than advertising ever could. Our clients are the head of innovation at companies.

Sort of like advertising meets consulting?
Tom: Sure. [Pause.] Can we use that?

What’s an example of how you’ve helped someone?
Aaron and Tom [not in unison—I just combined what they said]: Simon Fuller of “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance” had an idea for 10 years, but the technology had never been up to snuff. Two years ago he said, “Let’s take another swing at this—let’s find someone who can figure it out,” so his company, 19 Entertainment, came to us. His idea was to take the concept of “Big Brother”—the TV show—and smash it against the part of “American Idol” where you see the contestants getting ready. We invented a new service/product/advertising system/technology platform called IfICanDream.com. Five kids with different talents—a model, an actress, a singer-songwriter, and so on—live in a house in Hollywood. They have to use social networking to build their careers. We show them 24/7: The house and the website are inextricably bound.

How many of you are there at Poke?
Tom: The office in London has about 60 people. This one has about 25.

How long have you been here?
Tom: We moved to Harrison Street in January—we were at Bowery and Bond for three years before that. The London office has been around for eight years.

Why Tribeca? Why Harrison Street? Why this particular space?
Tom: I’ve always dreamed of having a storefront space. It’s a thing of mine. We’re in Tribeca because we don’t want to be in the advertising community—we got as far away as we could. There are a lot of storefronts available now. I have a grandiose dream of opening another store here….

The "meeting room" in front

The bullpen in back

Do people ever walk in thinking it’s a shop or something?
Aaron: All the time.
Tom: People think we’re a café. We should sell coffee. We do have Stumptown….
Aaron: People come looking for a job, too. They just barge in and give us stuff. We’ll find people sitting in our chairs.
Tom: One guy snuck in and put a wallet in the bathroom. It had an ID with my name on it, five fake credit cards, and a URL saying who to contact if it was lost. I was in a meeting and someone was like, “I found your wallet in the bathroom.”
Aaron: Also, fire trucks tend to stop here a lot. The firefighters hang out outside for a while, then leave.

What do the neighbors think of you?
Aaron: Some guy tried to give us paintings.
Tom: We’re big Terroir fans. We’ll probably invent something for them. We do a lot of meetings at Bubby’s.
Aaron: I love Indian food, so Tamarind’s fantastic if you have an hour, or Salaam Bombay.
Tom: The only big bummer is the lack of good coffee right around here—Kaffe 1668 is a schlep. Locanda Verde is good (and getting better at being a café).

You should try Moomah, up on Hudson. Why is it called Poke?
We’re a collaborative beast: There’s no one person that everything gets filtered through. Everyone works on everything, all the way to the goal line. We live out loud. So if I see you need help, I’ll come over and poke you. [Demonstrates.]

This was great! Thank you very much. I’m sure people will be as fascinated to learn more about Poke as I was.
Tom: Tell people our site has a live webcam—it’s the “contact us” link. We’ll talk to people.
Aaron: If we remember to turn it on.

••• Sam Sifton of the New York Times loved Tamarind Tribeca, bestowing two stars on it: “In London, where marvelous Indian food is as much a part of the culinary landscape as French restaurants or steakhouses are here, Tamarind Tribeca might rate a pleasant shrug. But in Manhattan, it is shaping up to be the best thing to happen to Indian food since Hemant Mathur and Suvir Saran opened Devi in 2004.”

••• Time Out New York, meanwhile, likes Terroir Tribeca: “While the vino [who says that?] is the obvious draw, Canora’s excellent food menu—unctuous [yum?] bone-marrow toasts, lamb sausages swaddled [like babies in diapers?] in sage leaves and a deeply mineral Creekstone Farms steak—makes Terroir as good a place to eat as it is to drink. Old-world winos [German bums?] may scoff at Terroir’s populist positioning [dude, it's in Tribeca], but for those of us put off by the snooty ceremony of wine-bar culture, it’s a refreshing change of pace.”

••• “Hot Clay Oven, an Indian-fusion restaurant with aspirations of becoming a chain, will open its fist location at 101 Maiden Lane.” (Grub Street)

••• “Capsouto Frères has added a Combier Rouge Cherry Soufflé to its menu, made with fresh cherry jam, crème anglaise, and Combier Rouge liqueur cherry sauce. The dessert costs $10.50 and is available through the end of August.” (Grub Street)

••• 92YTribeca‘s program associate, Maya Wainhaus, shows us her week in Time Out New York.

Photo by Smith for the Daily News

••• An interesting profile of Gil Shapiro, founder of Urban Archaeology. (New York Daily News)

••• Downtown Express interviews Stuyvesant High School’s valedictorian, Emma Ziegellaub Eichler. Also: Obama Advisor (and Stuyvesant alum) David Axelrod will be speaking at graduation.

••• The New York Times reviewed “Men With Balls,” Apexart‘s show about the World Cup.

••• Terroir and Tamarind show up on Eater‘s list of top 10 restaurant trends.

••• Downtown Express profiles Tribeca Paint.

••• The last W train will run June 26. (Downtown Express)