• by Kelly Samardak , September 16, 2009

Mekhong Ports of Call, Apotheke, New York
September 15, 2009

Immediately, because it's described as an unmarked door in Chinatown, I think, "Great, I'm going to get kicked out for having my camera," with flashbacks to the Thrillist Yuletide Party at The Eldridge.   Fleeting worries of more pickpocketing and BlackBerry pilfering skirted through the chasms of my mind, which I had to push away in favor of more positive thinking.  This is no way to arrive at a party - with a brain bucket full of sewage and BPAs.   Want to know how it went? Am I sitting here on Wednesday morning filing more fraud and forgery affidavits and HopStopping the closest notary?  Let's see!

"What's this? A fire?" --- words you never want to overhear at a bar/lounge/club/apothecary/ underground railroad stop for beginning prostitutes, which is how I would describe the ambiance of Apotheke.  And that's not a bad thing.  After my eyes adjusted from the semi-bright lights of the short and curvy Doyer Street to the orange yellow din of Apotheke, I could make out a few velvety settees and the "as seen on Flickr" photo op bar (go ahead, search on "Apotheke" in flickr  -- same shot from everyone!)  This was one of those nights where your guess was as good as mine in terms of activities and party flow, so my entourage for the night, David Factor of ADA Music, and Corey "CoCo" Michelle Reiter, jewelry designer (and fan of the liquefy tool in Photoshop) at Skaffles sidled up to the bar to peep the drink list.

This super-swank party surrounded by medicine bottles and infusing fruit jars was celebrating Mekhong getting its green card.  Mekhong is a Thai spirit, "the most popular liquor in Thailand,"  as a gold pointy-fingered beverage pusher told me, and it has made its way to America to pleasure our palates in many forms.  Last night these forms (with their short, instant descriptive reactions) were:

Cucumber Masala: "Basil, Basil, Basil" "Too reminiscent of SoCo & Lime" "Wait, I thought all girls liked SoCo and Lime" Response? "I liked it too much"

Fairytale: Magical (as it should be)

Flying Tiger: "Spring!" "Sweet!" "Exotic!"

Dame más: "Spice market" "Cinnamony"

Our drink pimps for the evening were mixologists Albert Trummer and Kittichai and I was surprised when I looked around the room and also saw Jeneane Chapman of Agent 16 (looking adorably like Dreamgirls) and Devin Brown, in media publishing, sampling the fruits of their labor.  Lindsey Johnson of Lush Life was there with a photog with the Gary Fong diffuser I covet (well, I covet an external flash first, then the diffuser).  Speaking of photogs, I noticed a TON of flashes going off last night.  It was kind of annoying and mine was one of them.

This is when I understand why PR-type event planners walk a fine line between getting wide coverage, and also creating a pleasant experience for their guests so their guests walk out with reviews devoid of retina burns.  Obviously I would like to make the short list in limited photo press inclusion because I'm doing double duty -- writing about the experience while also shooting.  I actually put my camera away to just let the party happen.  At least, until the fire-eater hopped up on the bar in all of her bendy glittery glory.   I positioned myself right under her as flaming balls whizzed past my face.  I was so close I could feel my skin tighten up with each fiery revolution.  

It was a mystical and mythical evening, punctuated by the sporadic hiss of the hidden smoke machine, which I get, I do, I get it, smoke equals eerie underground lair, but there are limits!  Through the eye-irritating curtain I smoked out Wendy Davis of MediaPost and former MediaPoster Tobi Elkin, who is now with eMarketer. When I first joined MediaPost I inherited Tobi's desk and her phone.  I'm now at desk #5, but I still have Tobi's old number... and I have YET to set up the voicemail, so you probably still either hear Tobi's voice or some robot that isn't me.

Because the passed food was tiny and snatched up by descending smoke monsters immediately, my guests and I had to depart for not-so-distant shores - that of Wo Hop, a glorious restaurant where spare ribs and Moo Shu Chicken abound at prices you can do more than shake a stick at.  My belly full of exotic Mekhong beverages and Chinatown fare thank Thailand for including me in their Mekhong Ports of Call experience.

This Flickr set is ON FIRE!

Send invitations to kelly@mediapost.com!