AJI LOUNGE ....... COMING SOON!!!!

piero

Hello people..... I hope everyone is ok.
We finally got the place (ex-espirito) and we are already working on it.There will be some little changes in the space, but a totally different menu; Its going to be peruvian food presented in small dishes (tapas) and most of the dishes are going to be under $10.00..... of course we are going to have entrees but as special.... different specials everyday.
We are going to have brunch (normal brunch food) on the weekends so you can enjoy the weather in our rooftop or patio.
For the moment we are going to be open just for dinner but thinking in expand to lunch and breakfast for the summer.
Aji.... how you like the name?????
ill be there everyday starting this monday... so if you want to stop by and say hello.... you are welcome to do it..... you might catch me trying some new dishes and make you taste it. lol.
See ya soon!!!!! @ AJI BAR LOUNGE
chau

pitu

I like the name.


Maybe you could get Chicha Libre* from Barbes up the block to play at your opening...or at least get a copy of the cd...Peruvian-rooted coolness!

* Psychedelic Surf Cumbia

piero

I love psicodelic cumbias..... like Dick el Demasiado from argentina...
or Senor Coconut from germany and chile.
Chicha Libre i like that name.... do you know them?? i would like to get a demo and maybe hire them for the opening..
If you have a cd... i can buy it .....just drop it in the place anytime next week.
Chicha Libre ..... can i make a drink and use this name?
peace.

new2hood

You gotta love this guy's enthusiasm....looking forward to the opening!

piero

pitu:
I was listen to chicha libre sample song and they are awesome.....
same to las gringas del norte.... they are awesome.... thank you for this info.
Any more suggestions..... small menu, but great dishes..... what you guys think?

alafairnadia

hey there - what's the location? will you be open on tuesday nights? thanks!

pitu

Piero wrote: pitu:
I was listen to chicha libre sample song and they are awesome.....
same to las gringas del norte.... they are awesome.... thank you for this info.
Any more suggestions..... small menu, but great dishes..... what you guys think?

All of this stuff (er, I think you mean Las Rubias, not Las Gringas ) is sold at the bar at 9th St and 6th Av, Barbès. Barbès has an in-house cd label -- and the first Peru thing they put out was a compilation of the the original Cumbias Amazonicas that you're talking about.
Go meet the neighbors! Those musicians tend to be good eaters, although not rolling in cash.
No, I don't know the owner personally.

A few small plates with authentic flavors (meaning, real spice, potentially unfamiliar spice) would be awesome. In their early, good years, CocoRoco got high praise for the simplest things, like the tasty corn snacks on the table. Could a bulk shipment of Señor Maíz make friends for you? Maybe.

People would also love you for a couple of good yet affordable bottles of wine on the list.
I think people are looking for value, so I daresay the $7 - $12 tapas idea is getting to be a harder sell (see comments on the North Slope tapas place) and it's hard to get off the ground if you are seen as expensive. We have a very high bar for expensive around here -- it has to be consistently excellent and satisfying to get me away from al di la, for instance.

And (god help you) it might be a good business decision to have a good burger on the menu. It used to drive me nuts that people around here would look to every place (Miriam's to Stone Park) to have burger, but there you go.

quigley

I ate at this restaurant when it was spirito, and loved it! I was sad to see it go, but am very excited about this new reopening...

I think a huge draw to your space (at least for me) will be your roofdeck. The possibility of going with a few friends to sit on a roofdeck on a warm summer night, have some drinks and eat some small plates of food sounds absolutely delightful to me. I can't wait...

pitu

Quigley wrote: I ate at this restaurant when it was spirito, and loved it! I was sad to see it go, but am very excited about this new reopening...

I think a huge draw to your space (at least for me) will be your roofdeck. The possibility of going with a few friends to sit on a roofdeck on a warm summer night, have some drinks and eat some small plates of food sounds absolutely delightful to me. I can't wait...

That sounds perfect.
Some vegetarian plates please . . .

piero

Yeahhh!!! the roofdeck is beautiful ...... and we are cleanig the patio too.
Pitu dont worry about price.... we are not going to over-charged for the food.....(i know pricing and cost) so i can guaranteed you that the price that we'll have in the menu will be the right price..... unless you are expecting $0.99 cents menu in this place...(thats next door).lol

And Gringas=Rubias.... my bad. if you have more music to share ill play it in my place.

chau

P>S: we are going to use autenthic peruvian spices (aji ).

Vegetarian dishes???? we peruvian dont know whats that!!!.... lol.... just kiddin..... yeah we have salads ...and vegetarian dishes as specials.

veets

alafairnadia wrote: hey there - what's the location? will you be open on tuesday nights? thanks!

Location is 9th street between 4th and 5th ave... nect to Mc Donalds...That is the nad news... but the restaurant is really lovely.

piero

thank you veets.... i think i miss that part.
yeah !!! we are going to be open tuesday nights.
and veet .. dont worry .... we are going to beat mcdowell. (we have our clown too).

veets

I noticed last night that there were guys in here who looked like they were readying this place to be opened. How cool!! Piero... can you give us an update on what is going on and when we can look forward to an opening.

piero

Subject: helo

Whats up everybody.... we are opening soon.... that was me at the place.
We are going to call it AJI bar lounge and we are trying to open in two weeks..... just waiting for the health inspectors to come and check if we are ready to open.
After that i will invite everyone to grand opening.

brooke lynn knight

Piero wrote: dont worry .... we are going to beat mcdowell. (we have our clown too).

Poor Andie McDowell... she was really good in Groundhog Day, and this is the thanks she gets?

veets

Brookle lynn.. You made me laugh!
Today there is a dumpster infront of the restaurant and huge amount of "junk" was taken out of the space and trashed. Guess that means the opening is getting closer.

piero

the big dumpster in front of aji is for dump all the bad energy this place had....
Still waiting for keyspan to come and the inspector too.
opening soooooooon!!!!!
I'm trying to get chicha libre for the opening ..... Any of you guys can hook me up with them.. Or maybe get a discount if we hire them?????
mmmmmm going to see them tonight@ barbes.

veets

Piero.. Good for you. And there was lots of bad energy considering what was being dumped. Where did that stuff come from? The kitchen? (God forbid. Or the backyard? It would be so terrific if your opening was Musically excellent and food wise excellent. I suspect if you just let US know we can fill the place and make it a Brooklynian evening.

P.s. I find myslef wanting to put a discalimer on the above stating that I have no interest financially in this restaurant. It is just that I live on the block, just up from the restaurant. Put it this way.. If I lived any closer I would be living in the Post Office!!

piero

that garbage was all over .... But 50% of that trash was in backyard.
hey veets...... Thank you for your support ....
I can't wait for the brooklynian evening.
ciau.

piero

hello...... i would like to invite everyone to the openenig party for Aji.
Will be held May 16th feat. CHICHA LIBRE ...
The pre openeing will be May 9th...
Anyone would like to attend please just drop a message with name and phone number.
thank you.
chau

veets

I have been observing your progress and just sending wishes for a sucessful opening and a sucessful business.

eggcream

Good luck. Looking forward to stopping by sometime.

raw

Aji is GREAT. Good LIVE music and bartender.

scarlett

Yah he's hot.

kosherdave

Did they ever get any veggie options? Other than a salad? I'd check if out if they did :-)

scarlett

The homemade corn nuts? There are some fish options, not sure about veggie. Maybe check the online menu?

veets

kosherdave wrote: Did they ever get any veggie options? Other than a salad? I'd check if out if they did :-)

there is an empanada made with soy... check the menu to make sure that they are still preparing that one daily.

MOD

Hey Veets, you should suggest Piero make a cheese and rajas tamale for the vegetarians. mummmm so good.....

veets

Mamacita wrote: Hey Veets, you should suggest Piero make a cheese and rajas tamale for the vegetarians. mummmm so good.....

That is a really good idea. I have not spoken to Piero lately. I know at first the intention was too offer "specials" and revise the menu once they had a better sense of what people enjoyed. I don't think that has happened. What food choices are offered are really well made. The emphasis seems to have switched a little to drink and Latin Bands.

whatchuwant

So, me and bf tried to go there last night and it was closed. Anyone know what's going on? Veets!

veets

I don't know what is going on with AJI. My husband hasn't played there since late summer/early Fall. They discontinued the "traditional" American Jazz in favor or more of a Latin Flavor. So I have not spoken to Pierro lately nor have I eaten there or hung out in a long time.

Last week the sandwich board described Aji as a place for for "Peruvian Tappas" so perhaps they scaled back the menu. When I have passed by in recent months there have been fewer and fewer patrons, even on a Fri. or Sat night when the place needs to be packed to make up for week nights.

They have always closed on Monday but not Tuesday night.