This French bar and eatery is located on a prime corner in the Meatpacking District, but MPD actually stands for "mon petit dejeuner." And while that means “my little meal” or “lunch” en Francais, MPD doesn’t offer a midday meal (though plans are in the works for brunch service in 2011). Confused yet? Don’t be.
Concept: Perhaps the mixed signals are a ploy to keep the B&T crowd out of the inviting dining room, which attracts a celebrity-heavy clientele. With tufted velvet banquettes, whitewashed brick and swirling, carved-wood accents, MPD could also be an acronym for my plush dining-room. This is a place to dine and drink (and to scope the scene), not dance. There is a late-night menu, however, (served from midnight to 3 a.m.), so you can grab a bite after shaking your booty nearby.
Scene: MPD serves as a homey hideaway for sleek celeb snacking: Liv Tyler, Randy Jackson, Akon and Natasha Bedingfield have all stopped by to dine on fab fare such as oven-baked crab cakes and saffron-dusted rack of lamb. There’s Champagne and caviar here, too, of course — this is MePa, after all.
Insider tip: Cocktails slant sweet, so ask one of the manly mixologists — a Johnny Depp look-alike and bartender who could be Josh Hartnett’s twin — behind the bar to customize your cocktail.
Find it: 73 Gansevoort St., 212-541-6991
