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The Sopranos star opens NYC speakeasy

07 December 2023 By Louis Thomas

Michael Imperioli, known for his performances in Goodfellas, The Sopranos and The White Lotus, has opened an “upscale speakeasy” in New York City’s Upper West Side.

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Imperioli, perhaps best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti in the hit HBO series, has opened Scarlet, situated on the corner of West 83rd Street, in partnership with his wife, Victoria Imperioli, and restaurateur Jeremy Wladis (the man behind Good Enough to Eat, Harvest Kitchen, Nina’s Great Burrito Bar and Big Gay Ice Cream).

Imperioli said on social media that Scarlet would offer “jazz age inspired vibes”, with live music and a selection of cocktails, including one called The White Lotus, named after one of Imperioli’s most recent roles, which is a combination of Don Q Cristal rum, Champagne, pineapple, yuzu, & coconut sugar. Other drinks include a Pink Panther made with Pisco, Strawberry Fields (made with The Botanist Islay Gin and, of course, strawberries), and the pomegranate-infused vodka-based The Scarlet Letter, which also incorporates a red wine gastrique for added colour. Indeed, much of the interior, fittingly, given the bar’s name, is scarlet-hued.

As for bar snacks, foie gras torchon and lollipop lamb chops au jus make Scarlet a somewhat more upmarket experience than the Bada Bing.

This is not Mr. and Mrs. Imperioli’s first foray into the bar business – from 1995 to 2005 they ran Ciel Rouge, another speakeasy-style joint in New York City that was also known for its bright red interior.

It is not clear how present Imperioli will be at Scarlet – let’s hope that if he is, he hangs out with a better crowd than his character Spider did in Goodfellas.

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