Social Saturday Elite Event at DUO

I came to DUO on a Saturday in the early afternoon for a Unilocal Elite event.
The décor is awesome. Very glitzy. Definitely fit for the nighttime (esp. with the dj stand above the crowd). I would consider doing an evening party here — even given the odd location.
Like most Unilocal events, it was super crowded. The bar is at the front when you walk in. The line was far too long for a drink and the bartender was also super slow. It seems that having to put the tomato juice, vodka, pepper, celery and then the wasabi foam (gross when it melted down) was too much for them.
The wait staff and people who I now realize were owners were carrying out small bites of their brunch items for us to taste. The french toast with cookies and cream dipping sauce was very sweet, very different, and good. The spinach fritatta was soggy and cold — huge turnoff. The bananas foster was so-​so.
Overall, though I didn’t love the food or drink on Saturday, but I would be willing to check this place out in the evening and think it’s probably worth another at brunch.

DUO is a beautiful plush venue. I felt somewhat disoriented walking in at noon on a Saturday to a bar staffed with two people swarmed by Unilocalers and their plus ones. The bartenders donned purple ties and only a slightly detectable layer of sweat as they tried to keep up with the Bloody Mary orders, which seemed to be slowed down by the wasabi-​celery foam dispenser. It was a nice touch, as was availability of orange and grapefruit juice from the bar, and coffee by table service.
I believe this is a five-​star event as organized by Unilocal,but I can’t give it the full five because do feel as though DUO was not whole-​heartedly into the event, if you know what I mean. This is my second time attending an event, but compared to the first — Tiki Tuesday at Astor Room where the enthusiasm of the staff was palpable in the lei’s and neverending supply of bites and food — the staff here were not entirely thrilled to be doing this event. And lack of enthusiasm was just as palpable as sincere commitment to doing this type of event.
For example, everyone wanted more sausage bites, yet they kept bringing out the french toast, the banana risotto, the egg & spinach frittata, long after people started waiting those off. I asked a hostess at the event if a new fruit platter was coming out — she told me that was the end of the breakfast table. Which was fine, except several minutes later a new fruit platter was brought out. The Continental breakfast table had bagels, Greek yogurt with honey, granola, and a fruit platter. They ran out of bagels and pastries with a solid hour and a half left of the event and people were waiting to see if they would bring out more. Unfortunately besides the fruit platter they did not bring replenish the buffet.
This is nitpicking, yes, but it’s the little things that DUO did not do that would have made it an honest five-​star experience. Still, a fabulous venue choice by the Elite Squad and a big thank you to the organizers for introducing me to this spot!

Such an awesome event! It was great to check out a Unilocal Elite event on a Saturday with brunch bites and yummy bloody marys ~ very unique! And getting to bring a plus one made my friend SO happy! We had a blast!
I loved the cookies & cream french toast bites the most. There were also yummy bites of sausage, spinach frittata, risotto oatmeal and a buffet of pastries, etc. The bloody mary had a beautiful wasabi (?) foam on top and was quite tasty.
The space itself is stunning. They have such beautiful accents — large stunning portrait paintings, elegant serving plates and stemware, velvet wall hangings with crystal accents. The space is swanky and perfect for a hot date or brunch with the girls. I’m so glad I got to check it out! Excellent event!

A really fantastic venue, but a bit lacking in the other departments. As Pamela S. points out, the continental breakfast was quite small and simple and constantly swarmed by us Unilocalers.
The bites that the servers were walking around with were «different,» but not exactly in a good way. The French toast was passable, but the Oreo sauce thingy was really messy and «goopy.» The «risotto» was delicious for oatmeal, but as someone who eats oatmeal everyday for health reasons, oatmeal is never delicious.
The fact that I don’t like Blood Marys probably doesn’t help this, but their version was just strange. It took way too long to make and the bartenders were swamped. The strange celery foam was chunky and hard to drink. I noticed that people quickly switched to screwdrivers and cranberry vodkas.
It was great to have a Saturday brunch off of studying criminal law and enjoy an afternoon in Madison Square Park and Eataly afterwards.

This was my very first Unilocal Elite Event. (I work mostly nights and weekends, so I rarely find events in a time slot that fits my schedule.) I’m very sorry to say that I was a little disappointed, to no fault of the Unilocal organizers! You guys did a great job!
I didn’t mind the décor… Yes, it’s very Vegas, but what’s so bad about that? The wine display actually reminded me of a much larger wine tower at a restaurant in Mandalay Bay. DUO gives off a vibe that is unlike most NYC lounges, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. My only issue with the layout was that the tables were a tad too close together, but that’s pretty common in New York.
I also did not have a problem with the Bloody Mary’s. I actually don’t really care for them in general, but these were pretty good! Maybe I’m a mutant, but I actually liked the foam on top. My issue with the drinks was how under-​prepared the bartenders seemed to be. It took FOREVER to get a drink! They kept running out of ingredients and had to stop to find more.
As far as the food goes, I liked the taste of the frittata, but it was cold. As was everything else. I hated the sausage. I actually wanted to spit it out the second I started chewing, but I forced myself to finish it. My plus one agreed that the sausage was gross. The fact that it was cold probably made it a lot worse. The banana «risotto» which I originally thought was oatmeal, tasted fine, but was once again ice cold. And what was with the fruit platter and bagels? Is that what DUO is going to serve for brunch? I guess that’s okay, but for a special event, wouldn’t it have made more sense to show off their signature items? I wasn’t expecting a mountain of food, since we were told that we’d only be getting samples, but I thought the taste of DUO that we received would at least be warm.
Everyone, including waitstaff, bartenders, and owners were extremely welcoming and friendly. I won’t be going back for brunch, but I’d love to give them a try for dinner and drinks to see what it’s like at night.

This being my 2^nd time at the swanky DUO restaurant, I was elated to be trying their brunch. As a big fan of their dinner (truffle mashed potatoes, anyone?) I was expecting nothing less than fantastic.
When I got there, it was incredibly difficult to get a drink. In True Elite Fashion, everyone went straight for the bar to acquire a drink and then go find a table. I waited a few moments and got upset as several bartenders looked right at me and proceeded to hand out drinks to people who walked right up to a different side of the bar. Thankfully, as the afternoon progressed, it was a breeze picking up a drink and I quenched my thirst. The bloody marys were tasty– but i was not a huge fan of that foam. I then started to imbibe on screw drivers and madris’s which were much easily swallowed.
The food situation was easy for me since I gave up waiting for the alcohol and went straight for the empty line for food. Thick and creamy greek yogurt with warm honey and granola, a side of fruit, a half of a bagel and the top of a blueberry muffin. Perfect start to a somewhat difficult start.
(I admit I might have thrown a silent tantrum at my table when i couldn’t get a drink… they say owning it is half the battle)
We sat down at our comfy booth and got to taste all the wonderful little dishes that came out to sample. The frittata was smoky and tasty. The banana foster risotto was flavorful– but not my favorite. The duck sausage was amazing… and hard to acquire. My table, when we finally managed to score a sample, applauded for the waiter who survived the hoards of people who ravaged his platter. We were just grateful! yay!
The venue is absolutely gorgeous! I am elated they are now serving brunch as this place does makes me feel all tingly inside. Its perfectly girly and just the right amount of fancy to make a trip there feel like a real indulgence.
This was a very large turnout for the Elite Manhattan crew. A lot of new faces.
I had a fantabulous time but i think the noobs need to get a FWD of that email from Peter D. on how to be a good little elite member. The invite clearly said «tastes» and «bites»… not «come stuff yourself’ so I don’t know why so many others were complaining. I got to taste everything and quench my thirst. Win: win
Thank you Jane for organizing the event. It was, as always, awesome!

Great to see everyone there.
I admit it, I was wow’ed when Jane K opened up the menu and it lit up. Wow… toys at a restaurant… how fun!
I loved the décor, the chandeliers, the copper sink in the bathroom, the two sexy paintings of the two sisters who own DUO… two sisters… DUO…aaaahhhhh. My head clicked despite having too many vodka and cranberry drinks!
The Cookie and Cream sauce is sooooooooooo tasty. And I finally got a taste of the sausage… YUM.
I learned something that day… sunlight and drinking… DO NOT MIX WELL!!! Please don’t try it at home, children!!! Drinking when it is hot and sunny out… let me warn you… don’t do it.

my first NYC Unilocal Elite event since i moved here from cali!
my plus one Maegan S. & I definitely had fun at this upscale lounge that seemed way too chic for brunch but there we were nonetheless!
seating was a bit limited BUT luckily all the fellow Unilocalers were friendly enough to share larger tables with us!
the bar was a little disorganized. but you could tell the bartenders were trying to turn out as many drinks as they could to accommodate everyone
the brunch samplers going around were really unique & innovative!!! (french toast w/​cookies & cream dipping sauce!!! duck sausage. banana fosters risotto?!)
THANKS JANE & the team @ Unilocal for planning such a wonderful saturday brunch & as Unilocalers from Cali call it… thanks for the Unilocal swag!

Not gonna lie, it could have been better. The place is ridiculously gorgeous and glamorous but I immediately tried a duck h’ors deurve when I walked in and it was cold cold cold! Then I tried a banana foster risotto and it was cold cold cold also! I enjoyed the bloody mary but I waited on a long line for… cold bagels and fruit. True, I should have figured out what I was waiting for before I waited — but when I see a long line of Unilocal Elites, I figure it’ll be something good!
Still, DUO is BEAUTIFUL and I will likely come back to this place since its borderline in my ‘hood. I have faith that it’ll be a great experience without a zillion people crowding the bar.

Unilocalers gathering in the blinding light of day is a rare thing akin to seeing a Mets jersey in the Bronx or a dog wearing a top hat and shoes. It’s kinda confusing and doesn’t really seem right but there it is.
Walking in was kinda wtf because it looks like a club, walks like a club and has a giant, lit-​up bar like a club. But what is this? French toast you can dip in to cookies and cream? Madness! Single bites of oatmeal? Damn! The bloody mary’s were pretty spot-​on and I do like their take on it with the (celery?) foam. As good as they were you can only down so much tomato juice so I’m glad they were generous with the screwdrivers too.
I got pranked by the menu too. I thought it was a touch screen and tried to swipe my finger for it to do something. For what reason I don’t know.

C’mon guys, keep it real! I’m with Elizabeth B. and Meghan M. To no fault of Unilocal and the kick-​ass community managers, DUO just didn’t deliver.
When I first entered, I sidestepped the bar because it was already swarmed by a crowd 4-​deep. I found an undersized buffet around the corner, and was really surprised that DUO chose to feed us what looked like a continental breakfast buffet one would see at a Quality Inn. Fruit salad, yogurt and granola, what looked like store-​bought muffins and bagels… is this a sample of their brunch food? I had the feeling it was unrelated to the kitchen and only there to soothe the hungry masses — in which case it was unnecessary, since we were told this wasn’t a full brunch. If it was related to the kitchen’s brunch menu, that’s even stranger — we all know what yogurt and fruit salad taste like.
The food from the kitchen that I did get to sample was anywhere from lackluster to bad — there was no dish that I wanted a second bite of, save for the relatively standard french toast, though the oreo-​flecked vanilla dipping sauce was a little off-​putting. The spinach-​bacon fritatta bite was essentially bland egg with spinach; I tasted no bacon whatsoever. I did not like the sausage and egg skewer at all. The banana risotto looked cute in the little spoons, and had a lot of banana flavor, but in the end it was a scoop of cold, congealed oatmeal. It seemed like they had pacing problems in the kitchen because everything brought out was noticeably cold. Also perhaps they chose to highlight the wrong things on their brunch menu — what I saw from the kitchen was all BR– and no –UNCH. Where were the crabcakes? The lobster and chorizo hash?
I eventually did get a bloody mary from the poor frantic sweating bartender, which was good except for the foam, which turned into a jelly-​like substance once it was in the drink and took on a very unappealing texture… maybe one of those things that’s good in theory but not in practice.
The space itself is large and airy, with high ceilings, but the metallic touches and chintz called to mind a nouveau riche stockbroker’s penthouse, circa 1985. I would forgive the décor if the food were good, but, well…
Unilocal. Real people. Real reviews.
PS: I still had a good time with my Unilocal buddies! It was great hanging with Sydney B. and Adjoa T. and to finally meet Phil H. :)

After ditching my usual Saturday routine with the usual suspects of specious and vulgar people for a new chapter that awaits anew beginnings, Unilocal opens this chapter in Elite fashion. A Saturday social at Duo brings brunch bites of French Toast, Vodka Bloody Marys with Quay Vodka Mediterranean, and fresh fruit. Duo Lounge brings a fresh upscale sleek look to the social scene with two large hanging chandeliers, oversize museum style portrait paintings and butterfly relief that adorns the walls that strongly state elegance. The circular bar’s backdrop is filled with glass mirrored shelves of top shelf liquor to the ceiling. The bar tenders actually adhere to my requests with sincerity of a warm smile without the typical brush and snub attitude to my simple needs of orange juice and one Vodka Bloody Mary with Quay Vodka Mediterranean. Amid not being a fan of Bloody Mary, this drink was surely one to pass yet it was well conjured. Good quality of food as the passing Hors d’oeuvres were prepared without compromise to ingredients.
The DJ is visible on the upper level who dabs to classic remixes. Facilities strongly states an upscale lounge as the ceiling and walls are plastered in a red goldish paint. The facilities door are hung with a mirror and the floor is clean with sleek slate titles. I’m sure on a normal evening patrons are carded with valid photo identification in accord to NYS law of legal age 21+ for admittance.

I’m normally not a brunch person but if every place was as lively, social and chock full of pretty Unilocalers as Duo was, I’d be brunching every day.
Then again they’d need a forklift to remove my body. The food flowed, as did the drinks (Wasabi foam topped Bloody Mary’s count as a vegetable serving, right)?
Thanks Jane, Peter, the Owners, Jerry Maguire and anyone else I might be forgetting. I used to work across the street, so I’ll have to invite some ex colleagues to go and try the place out another night (or day).

The pictures of this establishment appeared so much more elegant than when I was there in person. Everything seemed a little over the top upon arrival and I felt as though going out to eat here would be best suited for after 6:00 PM.
I got my share of the cocktails and my favorite sample of the cookies and cream french toast. While I adorned my mouth I socialized in this beautiful place, but felt there was a lot going on. The seats are very glamorous and plush, but the tables that appeared to be imitation marble were hideous in my opinion. The grand chandelier provided a great focal point for the dining room and I could see how a late night dinner could be best suited for a glitzy place like this.
As I sat down I took note of some things, the DJ booth, interestingly placed in front of the bar area, but hoisted up high. A part of me felt the middle area seats were placed too close together. But most of all I felt like this should altogether just be a lounge with the option to eat a full meal if you please.
While I waited for the restroom, which only has 3 unisex stalls, the line got longer and longer and wound its way into the dining area. But to my surprise the kitchen door opened into the bathroom walkway. I did not like that at all. I could only imagine my food passing through here before I get it at my table and that would not make me happy. Don’t get me wrong I am sure there is a method to this decision, but at first glance it makes my stomach ache. The restrooms were gorgeous, but unnecessarily large. For the size of one stall there could have been 2 bathrooms each, which would cut down on the line.

Duo is straight up sexy. Luxurious, sleek, grandiose with that Vegas touch. The two sisters sure know how to bring sexy back! The ever so lovely Jane K excitedly showed us the menu — it lights up when you open it. Like woaaaaah! My inner child squealed a bit.
I rarely do brunch because I don’t function on weekends til after 2pm but for Unilocal,I’d happily wake up early! It felt waaay too early in the day for an Elite event but I knew it was going to be good.
All the food that was brought out was delicious — my favorite was the french toast with the cookies & cream dip. I couldn’t get enough of it! The spinach & smoked bacon frittata was runner up. Even just the way they presented it was pretty! You can tell they put a lot of love into what they do.
I wanted to like the Bloody Mary’s but well, I just don’t like them in general. I asked the bartender if she could whip something else up, like orange juice and vodka, and she happily obliged. Much appreciated! That got the ball rolling…
Thank you Unilocal & Jane for organizing this decadent brunch event. My plus one saw a new side of Unilocal (he only uses the app to search & check-​in) and couldn’t stop raving about the event! You always out-​do yourself!

I want to come back and try the food and give a proper star rating. This review is based on their FIVE star hospitality, 4 star drinks, and and 3.5 star interior design.
On a busy Saturday afternoon with a huge flock of Unilocalers invading the bar, the bartender picked off each right after another or multiple at a time making an unique bloody mary (recommended) with wasabi and celery foam. The man was a machine.
The extraordinary owners were out looking super fabulous while bringing out and serving food for all. Everyone involved working there was incredible.
They have a tower of good champagne and notable wine illuminated by super cheesy pink LEDs which ruins the entire ambiance of a relatively well designed space. Lets leave Miami and go to Vegas. Super glam seating, artwork and lighting. Wow, Vegas over the top. Somehow it is all tied together in a pretty decent fashion that works. Returning to NYC, they brought all of the beauty back and look refreshed. Even though NYC is known for being reserved, I hope this sparks some new offshoot restaurants of over the top design without pink LEDs.

Sumptous, sexy space and a fun brunch social event on a serious day. Starting off with a killer Bloody Mary with wasabi foam… Yum!
Fun to see Unilocal Elite buds like Jane, Peter and Will C, and others enjoying drinks and brunch fare while feeling like you are in a club like atmosphere.

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas! I was pretty excited to attend a preview of Duo’s new brunch at thier high end Vegas ultra lounge. The décor was sexy sleek, very chic seating, terrific lighting, DJ spinning thumping tunes, and a colorfully lit up circular bar. Vegas is one of my favorite cities to party in and Duo nails it perfectly.
Um, wait a minute. Except the fact that Duo is located right here in NYC!
Walking in and taking a look around the place I was instantly transported to what looked like a Vegas ultra lounge. High ceilings, large fancy chandeliers, huge funky paintings, classy seating, raised DJ booth, velour covered walls, and a sexy circular bar with a lit up wine and alcohol wall. Very over the top and very cool. Even the bathrooms screamed «Vegas baby!»
When I received the invite to attend a bruch preview here by way of a Unilocal Elite event I jumped at the chance. Hey, we’re all about brunch here in NYC, even if it meant getting up a little earlier then normal on a Saturday morning. The place itself is large and easily held the big group of Unilocalers and thier plus ones at this event. Really nice continental breakfast table set up — fruits pastries, yogurt, granola, etc. Servers walking around with samples of their new brunch items — french toast bits with cookies & cream sauce, spinach frittata squares, scrambled eggs and duck sausage, and oatmeal with fruit spoons. All very different, and all pretty tasty.
I must have inhaled about twenty of those french toast bits with that cookies & cream sauce! So wrong, but oh so right!
All of this was washed down with Quay Vodka bloody mary’s topped with celery-​wasabi foam, coffee and OJ. The service and staff here were great and did their best to accommodate such a large group of Unilocalers. Getting those bloody mary’s were a bit slow at the start because of the initial rush but after a while the drinks were flowing freely. Yup, I love a boozy brunch. It’s a great excuse to drink early in the afternoon!
Have to hand it again to Jane K and the Unilocal team for another quality event. As always, it was great to see Jane, Pete D, the many friends I have made through Unilocal.I also saw many new Unilocalers here which was cool and was introduced to a few that I had not met before. Just a beautiful place to hold a brunch event such as this.

Fantastic event!
I missed the last Elite event because it was during the week and I had to worky work. This event was beautifully slotted on a wonderful Saturday afternoon, so I made it to this event no problem.
DUO is an interesting restaurant /​lounge. The décor of the place reminded me of part Las Vegas glitz and part restaurant out of Scarface, with wall of black and gold, high ceilings, white leather chairs, and chandeliers. The dining room also had a DJ booth up high, overlooking the dining room. It was kind of nice to be in an over the top place — it made you kind of forget the recession, the economy, etc.
The service was great and the staff was very attentive in both the dining area as well as at the bar. The drinks made from Quay vodka were great. I am not a bloody mary guy, but they had no problem making screwdrivers or vodka tonics, etc. The food was good as well, from the continental breakfast spread, to the passed small bites, like the french toast squares with a cookies & cream dipping sauce.
Thanks to the people at DUO for hosting us and most of all thanks to Peter, Jane and the rest of the Unilocal crew for putting this all together.

What a fun event!
You can tell that Duo is brand new. It’s shiny and pretty and definitely made for females. Now why do I say it’s made for females? Because the bar has pink lighting and the décor in general is very feminine. With that said, this event was a ton of fun. Lots of Unilocalers that I’ve met at other events as well as their +1’s.
The line for the bar was a bit long but well-​worth the wait. Bloody Marys were flowing as well as coffee. The Bloody Marys were good until the bottom, then it tasted like shrimp cocktail. However, they do use wasabi foam in their Marys so that was a nice treat. Food was all over the place. The cookies and crème French toast was good but a little too sweet for me. The maple glazed sausage was okay but nothing special. There was also a spread set up with muffins, croissants, bagels, cream cheese, and granola. The muffins were amazing and the cream cheese was the fluffiest I have ever had.
They had the back room open for a large portion of the event. Our group settled back there so we could chat without screaming over the loud music up front. More food was brought around, more drinks were consumed. We then moved back to the front, mingled with some more Unilocalers, ate some more, drank some more.
Ultimately, this was a great event. Duo is gorgeous inside and the food is good, the drinks are nice and strong. I would love to come back for regular brunch one day. Thanks for another awesome event, Unilocal