Profile

Sasha Petraske and T.J. Siegal, West Village natives and friends since Stuyvesant High School, haven’t started their workday at 6 a.m. since—well, probably ever. As veterans of the hospitality industry (Petraske as owner of the trendsetting Milk & Honey cocktail lounge, Siegal as a former bar manager, fromager, and waiter at Alto, Picholine, and L’Impero), their biological clocks are set just a tad later. But look for a bleary-eyed Siegal manning the Faema E61 espresso machine at the Mercury Dime, the partners’ East Village coffee bar. Despite Siegal’s intensive study of the local caffeine scene and his procurement of a custom blend from Queens-based Dallis Coffee, the Dime didn’t start out as a coffee bar. It wasn’t until the nightlife-wary neighborhood nixed the plan to open a wine bar that the café idea took hold. But even if East Fifth Street comes to realize that a fastidiously curated selection of European wines and cheeses poses no imminent threat, auditory or otherwise, Siegal plans to continue operating the café by day, with free Wi-Fi and a small menu of pastries and made-to-order sandwiches. — Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite

Related Stories

Featured In

• Restaurant Openings: Terroir, The Mercury Dime, and Burger Shoppe (3/3/08)