Onetime Happy Valley owner Sal Imposimato took a break from nightlife to concentrate on the real-estate business, but he’s getting back into the game now as the Morgans Hotel Group’s new regional director of nightlife and promotions (the hotelier wants to be hip again). The really exciting part, though, is that he’s bringing his partner at Happy Valley, Fabrizio Brienza, with him. Our crush on Fabrizio is well known: The flamboyant (semi-nude) model, onetime porn actor, and bon vivant came to our attention when he parodied himself in the mockumentary The Doorman, but we love him for real-life lines such as (imagine this in an Italian accent) “My policy of doing the door is really simple: If you look good and you’re cool and you’re stylish and you’re surrounded by beautiful, chic, chic girls, I’ll take care of you … The good are in; the bad are out.”
If you can imagine it, Fabrizio retired from rope-tending in order to concentrate on his budding acting career (among other things, we’re told he’ll appear as Liz Lemon’s chef during an upcoming episode of 30 Rock), but now he’s back and rocking his trademark Joe Namath via Miami Vice look, and Imposimato tells us that together they plan to “push a cool atmosphere into midtown.” Between this, the opening of Le Caprice (which was just given four out of five stars by A.A. Gill), and the new parties at Le Cirque, midtown may indeed become a destination! (Monkey Bar still isn’t accepting reservations via phone, though it just started lunch service.)
Anyway, the details: Fabrizio will be manning the “back door,” or 43rd Street entrance, of 44 at the Royalton tonight during the inaugural “disco dinner.” Every Wednesday from 7 p.m. till 11 p.m., $35 gets you a glass of Champagne, a prix fixe dinner in a loungy atmosphere (the restaurant will be rearranged for the event), and a chocolate shot for dessert. Plus the D.J. stylings of another Happy Valley alum, Ryan McKnight. Meanwhile, Fabrizio will also put in four nights at the Hudson Hotel, which is also stepping up its nightlife game. On New Year’s Day, the hotel will introduce a Tuesday-night Brit-pop party in the Library, and in February a heretofore unused 10,000-square-foot event space dating back to 1912 (when it was used as a YMCA basketball court) will be unveiled. It’ll be used for parties, rock shows, fashion shows, and other stuff Fabrizio may or may not let you into.
Related: Plaza Doorman Fabrizio Brienza: ‘The Good Are In; the Bad Are Out’
