No cheap thrills
State quashes 25-cent martinis
THE long arm of the law doesn’t like bargain-basement cocktail specials — even if they’re whipped up to help struggling restaurants drum up business during a slow January.
Anton’s, the West Village eatery that drew crowds — and a column in last week’s Side Dish — with its 25-cent martinis and Manhattans, was slapped by the State Liquor Authority last Wednesday with a warning. Turns out, the booze special that packed ’em in ran afoul of state law that forbids discounts of more than 50% off normal prices.
That meant the deal, which was offered during lunchtime this month on Wednesdays through Fridays was actually illegal — and it’s no more.
“The place was packed. It broke the Internet,” said Marie Assante, a food publicist who dined at Anton’s last Thursday. “I’ve never seen a lunch spot as crowded and vibrant at 2:45 p.m. as I did last Thursday. People were celebrating with friends or working remotely on their computers.”
The SLA didn’t charge Anton’s with an official violation, but let the restaurant off with a warning, a spokesperson told Side Dish.
Even though some state laws around liquor have been relaxed during the pandemic — like the to-go drinks that Gov. Hochul says she wants to make permanent — there are still strict rules in place for the selling of alcohol.
Nick Anderer, a co-owner of Anton’s, wouldn’t comment to Side Dish, but an Instagram post confirmed that the state had intervened in the restaurant’s 25-cent special, which owners told Side Dish last week had been inspired by a New Orleans group of establishments that had done the same thing to goose business.
“Due to an obscure NY State liquor law, of which we were completely unaware, and for which we received no warning or notice, we can no longer offer 25 cent martinis and Manhattans,” Anderer wrote.
The new price for martinis and Manhattans: $9 during lunch hours.
“Apparently, ‘special’ prices on liquor/wine cannot be offered any lower than 50% of an establishment’s regular pricing,” Anderer explained.