Powerhouse Lounge

[MCA™]

Powerhouse Pizza, next door to the Lounge, opened today.

[shahaggy]

I guess them saying "it's a warm spot for people to hang your hat" is appropriate since they appear to make everyone but their own staff remove theirs upon entry.  We'll see what goes down on Saturday when the crawl invades. 

[PuddinPop]

Strange menu.
I will be heading there this Saturday for a bar crawl so long as I can still stand up straight by that point.

[MCA™]

A new Powerhouse comes to Jersey City
Published: Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 12:00 PM
Updated: Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 6:03 PM
Darren Levy/For The Jersey Journal

After months of construction inside the old Rascals on the Hudson location at 360 Marin Boulevard, a new spot has opened up this month: The Powerhouse Lounge.

Named after the Powerhouse Arts District in which it resides, the bar plans to be a "neighborhood-friendly, warm spot for people to hang their hat," according to Jeff Favia, one of a group of owners. (Ed: )

The owners have undoubtedly done their part to create that feel. From the dim lighting to the LCD fireplaces to the comfortable seating -- this place has a genial and welcoming vibe.

Don't expect any live entertainment though, they don’t have a license for that. The biggest goal now is to focus on creating a restaurant lounge that will serve food every night past midnight, except Sundays when they are closed.

Favia said he decided to close Sundays because it’s a good day to give the staff off. “You give them off on a Monday, and it’s harder to get together with your friends and family,” he explained. The staff is certainly the sort who want time to be sociable. They were hired based on how personable they are, not necessarily on experience. Favia figures they’ll be able to train on the job.

When I visited, bartender Joy Sherry was eager to please and suggested I try the the lychee martini, as that was her favorite. At $10 and some change it was pricey, but well worth it. The sweet lychee at the bottom was very tasty.

Favia told me his favorite menu item is the OMG roll which is sushi made of tuna, salmon, yellow tail, ginger and green onions. You can check out the entire food menu here.

Located on a highly trafficked road, the Powerhouse should be able to attract attention, but one ambitious way Favia plans to bring in patrons is offering car service to and from the lounge. The free service is expected to start soon with one car and eventually bump up to two cars. The service won't "stray too far from downtown,” according to Favia.

Lots of lounge space to meet with friends is a reason to come back and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. Be aware, there is a dress code -- you must "come in neat" -- and the crowd is professional. Definitely a convenient spot if you need to wind down after navigating the Holland Tunnel rush hour traffic.

[PuddinPop]

HOLD ON TO YOUR HATTZZZ!

PP, I shaved my head in protest of no shave November, it's quite horrific to see, the scars etc look like an LA freeway overpass map.

[CeeDub]

PP, I shaved my head in protest of no shave November, it's quite horrific to see, the scars etc look like an LA freeway overpass map.

[PuddinPop]

What didn't they know?

the said I could put it back on, please put it back on, we're sorry, we didn't know.

[CeeDub]

Missed youse guys, stuck on scullery duty.  They opened the door for me (me?!?) and asked that I take off my hat.  I laughed and obliged, sure enough, the said I could put it back on, please put it back on, we're sorry, we didn't know.

I felt like I'd fallen into a ring road hotel bar in some strange area code.  Really loud, kinda empty (was it that late?) and not my kinda dealio.  Didn't even get to check out the whine list.

But for some of you people, it could be a new hang. 

[MCA™]

They're open. I stopped by late on Friday with my bros and found what fasteddie would call a "diverse" crowd, but the place is large enough that you can find a spot where you won't be bothered. Lots of seating options, from tall tables to couch-type seating. Oh, and the kitchen is open 'til 1:30am.

[porkchopsoda]

Whats the latest on this place?

[RB]

Oh, and inquiring minds want to know if we can wear hats inside in the winter time.*

 

[PuddinPop]

Personally I think the renovations look nice. Especially compared to how it previously appeared.

Anyhow, new sign on the exterior as of this past weekend:
"Now Hiring All Positions"
"On-Line: Jobs@powerhouselounge.com In Person: Saturdays 11am-3pm"

[bdlaw]

Thanks MCA, I didn't even notice the Tommy's Tubes effect.

[MCA™]

I walked past this today and all the doors were open and they were working away.  I have to say the faux-exposed brick is... tawdry.  We *know* it is recently renovated, why try to fake us out?  The back wall near the bar drew my eye all the way from the sidewalk, past some kind of glass/fancy wood partitions and what not, even in the glare of mid-afternoon. 

It looks like something out of a cheap pizzeria (not that I have anything against cheap pizzerias).  Either keep/use the actual brick or do something else aesthetically pleasing with the wall.  I was half expecting to see them stuccoing the ceiling, and possibly hanging some plastic tomato and garlic garlands, while blaring the spaghetti scene from Lady and the Tramp on big screens.

I must've just missed seeing you.
I snapped a couple o' pics.

[bdlaw]

100% tongue in cheek until this place opens... a viable business is always welcome in the hood and I hope it works out (I do actually like the mural) but...

I walked past this today and all the doors were open and they were working away.  I have to say the faux-exposed brick is... tawdry.  We *know* it is recently renovated, why try to fake us out?  The back wall near the bar drew my eye all the way from the sidewalk, past some kind of glass/fancy wood partitions and what not, even in the glare of mid-afternoon. 

It looks like something out of a cheap pizzeria (not that I have anything against cheap pizzerias).  Either keep/use the actual brick or do something else aesthetically pleasing with the wall.  I was half expecting to see them stuccoing the ceiling, and possibly hanging some plastic tomato and garlic garlands, while blaring the spaghetti scene from Lady and the Tramp on big screens.

Can we in the PAD have nice things?  We'll see...

Oh, and inquiring minds want to know if we can wear hats inside in the winter time.*

*I apologize after the fact for the inside cheap-drinks-that-aren't-cheap-but-here-are-some-jello-shots-ladies-night-at-YST-a-couple-of-years-ago joke.

[PuddinPop]

Powerhouse Lounge Set to Open Next Month in Former Rascals Space
By Laryssa Wirstiuk • Aug 26th, 2010 • Category: Featured, Food


“We could have come up with a trendier name,” says Jeff Favia of the Powerhouse Lounge’s straightforward nomenclature. “But we are committed to supporting and representing the Powerhouse Arts District.”

The restaurant and bar, which is now slated to open in late September after some construction delays, will be in the Marin Boulevard building that was once home to the Rascals on the Hudson comedy club.

Favia, a former owner of the York Street Tavern near Exchange Place, was brought on as a consulting manager for the Powerhouse Lounge by the property’s owner, Dimitri Goletsos.

The two men brought in a small group of local investors — mostly Favia’s friends — and broke ground in late March. They decided to preserve the brick interior and the sliding garage doors that will open to Marin Boulevard and outdoor patio seating.

“The building had a lot of potential,” Favia says. “It’s unique, and the high ceilings give it a cavernous feel.”

The team hopes the eclectic style and careful attention to architectural detail will appeal to local artists, and help provide a spark for the revitalization of the Powerhouse Arts District, where most of the past few years’ planned developments have yet to break ground. They even commissioned artist Thomas John Carlson, founder and director of Jersey City Art School, to paint a mural on the building’s exterior.

“Thomas was up there finishing the mural in the 90-degree heat,” says Favia, who adds that Carlson’s work has helped pique interest in the project. “A lot of people see the mural, and it makes them wonder what’s going on inside.”

Favia and his partners believe that the economy has affected how people choose to spend their money at bars and restaurants. So they’ve planned a tapas-style menu, where diners can sample many flavors without spending 15 to 20 dollars on one entree they may or may not enjoy.

“Our menu will feature mostly appetizer-size items, from sushi and brick-oven pizza to calamari and mini burgers,” he says. “I think it’s a good concept for the recession: good, simple, fresh food without pretension.”

As for the decor, he says, “our guests will be eating off coffee tables, on couches, at the bar, even under a tree.”

But in this rare case, the presence of a tree does not mean outdoor dining.

Instead, they’ve planted the 15-foot-tall live tree, which reaches the vaulted 20-foot ceiling, indoors. The tree, along with exposed wooden beams and the sunlight streaming through the skylights, gives the space an organic, homegrown feel. Other unique features include a computerized sound system, a “leaking” pipe waterfall, and three 50-inch televisions. “This isn’t a sports bar, but you can catch a big game if you’re looking for it,” Favia says.   

Another unusual plan for the lounge involves transportation. Though the site sits just three and a half blocks from the Grove Street PATH station, Favia says they plan to use two shuttle vans that will provide taxi service to the rest of Downtown Jersey City, some parts of the Heights and Journal Square, and the southern part of Hoboken. While the details haven’t been ironed out yet, he says patrons would access the driver by calling an 800 number.

Meanwhile, the lounge’s adjacent corner space will function exclusively as a brick-oven pizzeria, similar to Favia’s now-closed Hoboken venture Favia Lite Cafe. It will seat about 30 and offer take-out service.

“We’ll play Italian music like Louis Prima and show live videos of the The Godfather,” he says.

THE DETAILS
The Powerhouse Lounge; 360 Marin Blvd. Opening date: Late September.

[PuddinPop]

I have been watching this bad boy go up for the past month.
Maybe I will stop by today on my way home and ask for the deal-e-o.

[MCA™]

Powerhouse Lounge
360 Marin Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ 07302
Map it

I passed by the old "Rascals on the Hudson" space recently and saw lots of construction activity going on. There's a huge space with a bar in the back, wood beams, faux exposed brick. Anyone got the scoop?

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