Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Defunct Chickenbone Cafe to Reopen as Dram
By
John Del Signore
Published Dec 4, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Dec 4, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Soon after the New Year, the inviting little café formerly known as Chickenbone will be reborn as Dram. So named for the unit of measurement in the apothecaries' system, the south Williamsburg bar will focus on specialty pre-prohibition cocktails made with all-fresh ingredients. Managing partner Tom Chadwick – who currently moonlights behind the bar at Bushwick Country Club – told us that his vision for Dram involves bringing the fastidious cocktail craze, popularized by exclusive lounges like Milk and Honey, to a “neighborhood bar” atmosphere. “What Spuyten Duyvil is for beer, we want to be for spirits and cocktails.”
Dram will also feature a rotating roster of guest chefs who’ll concoct special dishes in the café’s tiny kitchen area; a regular menu of appetizers and cheese plates are planned too. The cozy establishment has retained its liquor license since Chickenbone closed in 2003 and stays active with a private supper club that meets about once a month. Chadwick hopes to continue the invitation-only supper club tradition once Dram opens, and promises regular live music as well. “We want a laid-back place where people from the neighborhood – not just the condo dwellers – can have the same quality of drinks and food served at more exclusive cocktail lounges.” Given Dram’s location in the shadow of a massive condo under construction just a few doors down, one hopes there will still be a few non-condo patrons left by the time the place opens.
Dram, 177 South Fourth Street near Driggs, Williamsburg. Opening early 2008.
Tagged
bar
bushwick
chickenbone
club
construction
dram
food
Fourth Street
live music
Music
new year
people
southwilliamsburg
spuyten duyvil
travel
williamsburg
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Sep 12, 2026
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
Is it worth the high price and ridiculous wait? Gothamist needed to find out.
By
Sonia Rao
Food
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
Is it worth the high price and ridiculous wait? Gothamist needed to find out.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Can a congressional candidate's dumpling diplomacy win over Queens’ immigrant communities?
By
Caroline Shin
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .