Let Your Freak Flag Fly at the One Eyed Gypsy

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Everyone loves a freak show, and downtown’s latest nighttime haunt One-Eyed Gypsy is the best kind. While the Gypsy doesn’t open until Friday, Eater got a look at Dana Hollister's (Villains Tavern, Cliff's Edge) latest venture fit for a Tim Burton flick. Hollister has swapped Bordello’s house of burlesque for dark, carnival-style décor with plenty of ornate mirrors, Greek statuettes, beads, fringe, and chandeliers. An albino stuffed ox meets you at the door, and each of the rooms — adorned with relics like hand-drawn wallpaper and stained glass dividers — appear to be illuminated only by candlelight. Pastry chef Darby Aldaco (Brite Spot diner) crafted the $9 and under menu — best described as foodie meets state fair — with a Ruben pizza, corndogs with whole grain mustard, sweet potato tots, and a deep-fried, chocolate-soaked Twinkie.

And while Villains’ values mixology, Gypsy’s menu is full of fast, cheap drinks like $4 PBR on tab, $3 Schlitz in a can, and potent mixed drinks with names like the Surley Sailor, a Bearded man and Fat Elvis, which is really just a “fat daddy” shot of liquor.

A stage, hidden behind a curtain that looks like a vintage circus tent, will host a variety of edge-of-the-track performers from indie bands to ukulele players to sword swallowers. There are also vintage games to be played, including two skee ball machines, a photo booth, love-o-meter and fortune-teller. So bring quarters and gaze into the crystal ball.
·Dana Hollister Retooling Bordello into One Eyed Gypsy [~ELA~]
— Jamie Wetherbe