Attaboy

Review

When the late Sasha Petraske took Milk & Honey to the Flatiron, ace bartenders Sam Ross & Michael McIlroy stayed behind, and opened up Attaboy in its former space on Eldridge Street in the Lower East Side near Chinatown. (The unmarked entrance looks the same, except for the sign with a large "A" shining through the faux-tailors-shop window.) Buzz the door and you'll get in, as it's walk-in only with no reservations.

Much about the place will seem familiar to old Milk & Honey devotees, but the place has been lightened in several ways from the literal - the room's not as dark and the ceiling's been painted - to the figurative: there's more room at the bar, the welcome is warmer, the experience is more charming and less stuffy. Similarly to Milk & Honey, there are no menus and it's bespoke Bartender's Choice for everything, after you're asked about favorite base spirits and giving the staff an idea of what you're after.