For our latest installment, we spoke with Liana Oster, head bartender atDante NYC.
They spiffed up the joint while leaving its historic ambience intact and shifted the spotlight from espresso to cocktails.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
Monica Ninker/Getty Images
SELF: Dante is known for being crowded and lively.
What was life like behind the bar before the pandemic hit?
There was lots of training, lots of menu tastings.
It depended on what we were doing.
It always felt busy; there was never a quiet shift.
It was absolute mayhem, in the best way possible.
There are so many great cocktail bars in New York.
Why do you think Dante stands out?
When you come back in, were going to say hey to you and make you feel comfortable.
Its a hard thing to do.
People always remember how a certain place makes them feel.
We dont rest on our laurels.
So, life was good at Dante.
When did you first realize that this virus was going to take its toll on the hospitality industry?
There was a weird mood in the city.
Everyone was whisperingWhat are we going to do?
What is going to happen?but no one actually had any answers.
Many bars and restaurants that were left reeling post-shutdown pivoted to a delivery and takeout model.
What led Dante to make the same decision?
The biggest help to us is that Governor Cuomo let restaurants and bars do the takeaway option for foodandcocktails.
When we found that out we just went full steam ahead.
How has Dante adapted?
Did you have to significantly streamline the cocktails that are available?
We definitely dropped the prices to make it a lot more affordable.
Its a nice little model.
These to-go bottles come with the same labels, so it almost feels like youre here.
Its lovely were able to do that.
The world of restaurants and bars is being decimated by COVID-19.
Some people dont realize just how horribly it is affecting hospitality staff.
How is the takeout and delivery model helping Dante persevere?
You obviously need manpower to batch cocktails and prepare all the bottles.
To be healthy and able to work right now is great.
Dante has a lot of fans.
How are they responding to takeout and delivery?
We have a lot of people who love and support us as best they can.
Hygiene is of course of utmost importance right now.
What additional steps has Dante taken?
We prepare everything up tohygienestandards and have put other measures in place to make everything as safe as possible.
What made you want to become a bartender?
I got into it when I was really young, about 19.
You get to talk to people and create things, and the hospitality scene is interesting.
It feels like a massive community, which it is, but its a welcoming community too.
Everyone wants to know about you and talk to you.
you could have an impact on someone even if theyre in your bar for a half hour.
Right now you cant be in a buzzy room taking care of your guests as you normally would.
For people who work in hospitality, that must be devastating.
The situation, as dire as it is, has brought out some of the very best in people.
We had a pickup customer who was talking to me and a colleague whose birthday it was.
The next day she came back and brought him a cake.
Can you tell me a little about that program?
How do you think the landscape of restaurants and bars might look on the other side of this?
The concept of it is pretty frightening.
It all still feels very unknown.
When will we be allowed to reopen?
How do we navigate that?
Its hard because it was such a quick lockdown that nobody had any time to prepare.
Some of them have absolutely no idea how to make a cocktail, but theyre excited about trying.
Social media has been great for some people in the industry.
Weve been getting requests to do virtual cocktail classes.
Weve done only a couple, but its cool to teach a few things.
