Posts Tagged ‘cocktails’

Maison Premiere – Brooklyn, NY

January 10th, 2012

In 2010 I made my first trip to New Orleans and fell in love, with the food, music, culture… the feel of the City.  Yes (to those of you detractors), it did also have its gritty and shabby moments, but that is also part of what made New Orleans such a memorable experience for me. [...]
 

In 2010 I made my first trip to New Orleans and fell in love, with the food, music, culture… the feel of the City.  Yes (to those of you detractors), it did also have its gritty and shabby moments, but that is also part of what made New Orleans such a memorable experience for me. I’ve been plotting a return visit to Louisiana ever our short 3 day stint ended. I mention this only because it’s much of the reason I swooned while visiting Maison Premiere in Williamsburg last month. It’s got that confident air of Parisian cafe meets French Quarter speakeasy, but in Brooklyn, New York.

Maison Premiere’s focus is narrow (absinthe, spirits & oysters), but all are done in style.


We tried five different West Coast oysters (and in a concession to D, one from East Coast).

We arrived ahead of the crowd on Saturday afternoon. Come before 1 pm and you’ll likely have the entire horseshoe-shaped bar to yourself.

Details, details. They’re everywhere, like this toothpick holder.

Scallop crudo

At Maison Premiere the meticulous interior details are plentiful and pleasurable – from the quiet soundtrack to ceiling fan circling lazily overhead. With just a short L train ride, I felt as though I had dropped into a different place and time, escaping the Big Apple for the Big Easy. While I’m sure hardly any of my regular readers would be surprised that I’ve fallen for yet another oyster and cocktail joint, what really captured my attention is the entire experience inside Maison Premiere. It was such a pleasurable stop, any question of authenticity seems incidental.

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cocktail interlude: l’auberge del mar

July 14th, 2011

This cocktail interlude it brought to you by way of Darby Kelly. Faced with our only free evening of the whole trip, we looked up the best place for a drink in the Del Mar area and read about this mixologist who hails from Las Vegas Wynn, where he was Lead Bartender. Maybe I’ve spent [...]
 

This cocktail interlude it brought to you by way of Darby Kelly. Faced with our only free evening of the whole trip, we looked up the best place for a drink in the Del Mar area and read about this mixologist who hails from Las Vegas Wynn, where he was Lead Bartender. Maybe I’ve spent too much time in NYC, but I always appreciate seeing the mixologist in motion. Below you will catch him in action at the lobby bar of L’Auberge Del Mar. Once Darby saw my camera, he even adjusted a few of my garnishes to make my cocktail more camera-ready.

The list of cocktails on the menu is quite short, so I advise chatting him up and getting a recommendation. The problem with posting a month later is I no longer remember the name of these cocktails. I left my card with him, perhaps one day he’ll find this post and let me know…

If you read my last post, you know I had only good things to say about the Hilton La Jolla, but if I hadn’t been traveling with family, I would have considered a night or two at L’Auberge Del Mar. I loved the small village feel of Del Mar and I got a good feeling the second I hit the lobby.

We only had time for a few drinks and it was off to dinner at Market Restaurant. It was a very nice meal with wonderful service, buy I’m not sure if we ordered the wrong things. I’m still wondering how this restaurant got a food rating of 29 in Zagat.

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Ward III in Tribeca

June 8th, 2011

Before a catch-up dinner at David Burke Kitchen in Soho, we met up with friends M + B in Tribeca. I’ve spent very little time in this part of Manhattan, but the four of us were in the mood to try something new. Enter Ward III on Reade Street. We adhered to the usual routine, arriving [...]

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Before a catch-up dinner at David Burke Kitchen in Soho, we met up with friends M + B in Tribeca. I’ve spent very little time in this part of Manhattan, but the four of us were in the mood to try something new. Enter Ward III on Reade Street.

We adhered to the usual routine, arriving on the early side (5 pm) and sitting right at the corner of the bar in order to chat and to watch the mixologists in action. If you’re in the mood for a surprise, Ward III also offers bespoke cocktails, your drink customized to perfection.

Deviled eggs seem to be a frequent addition while ordering cocktails.

Not sure what’s in these bottles, but I love their mysterious color and unusual shapes.


Seeing this map brings me right back to the days when I was in studying in NYC through an architecutre program out of of Columbia.

For me, the missing piece was their glassware. There is nothing like the refined variety of options at Pegu, but the drinks themselves are well worth the trip. While we aim to stay out of the City and closer to home in the summer, I hope to see more of Tribeca (hot on my list is Corton) later this year. As I recently told another friend, I’m a bit Brooklyned out.

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behind the bar: cocktails in new orleans

February 16th, 2011

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know I prefer cocktails to wine. That means when we travel, we seek out the best mixologists in town. Before our trip, GQ posted the article, The 25 Best Cocktail Bars in America. No 16, Arnaud’s French 75 was our first stop in New Orleans. I was in for [...]
 

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know I prefer cocktails to wine. That means when we travel, we seek out the best mixologists in town. Before our trip, GQ posted the article, The 25 Best Cocktail Bars in America. No 16, Arnaud’s French 75 was our first stop in New Orleans. I was in for a surprise when I crossed the threshold. Set in the heart of the French Quarter, this bar was an oasis from the Halloween/Steelers chaos out on the street. There is an refined, old school feel to the decor and the white jacketed bartenders. The photo below illustrates a fundamental dichotomy inside the Quarter: wingtips & slacks or flip-flops and pajama pants?

There was no question, I had to order one of my favorites: a French 75. Except there was another surprise in store. I always assumed the French 75 was made with gin, but in colder weather, the bartenders at Arnaud’s make the switch to cognac.

On Saturday night before dinner at Le Foret, we watched the Halloween parade and met Lisa for cocktails at Iris. The presentation was beautiful and the offerings on the menu quite creative.

Below is Bar Uncommon located inside the Renaissance Pere Marchette in the Central Business District.  Here, we found the master mixologist himself. New Orleans native Chris McMillian (center) will chat you up, while preparing his signature mint julep.


We also made a late night stop at loa in the International House (Central Business District), where I put a bartender to work whipping up my gin fizz. Sorry, no photos… it was too dark. Sadly, we never made it to the classic Sazerac Bar inside the Roosevelt Hotel and Cure, the Uptown cocktail bar that looks a like a little slice of NYC in New Orleans.

We were only in town for 3 nights so, so I’m sure we missed many other wonderful spots. Do you have any suggestions for our next trip? I’m sure we’ll return, I love a city filled with great food and cocktails!

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stormier than thou

October 19th, 2010

Today I welcome guest blogger Jim Dorney, my husband and bar manager chez nous: Master mixologist Tona Palomino from New York’s WD-50 gets the credit for this grown up version of the Dark and Stormy (Gosling’s dark rum and Barritt’s ginger beer). Our taste test of the Stormy Weather found a refined version of an old favorite. More patent [...]

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Today I welcome guest blogger Jim Dorney, my husband and bar manager chez nous:

Master mixologist Tona Palomino from New York’s WD-50 gets the credit for this grown up version of the Dark and Stormy (Gosling’s dark rum and Barritt’s ginger beer). Our taste test of the Stormy Weather found a refined version of an old favorite. More patent leather than boat shoe & far more potent than its counterpart from Bermuda. We recommend not operating heavy machinery after a couple of these.

Stormy Weather
serving: 1

Ingredients

2 oz. Amber Rum (Bacardi 8 works just fine)
1 oz. Carpano Antica sweet vermouth (we used Noilly Prat)
1 oz. Canton ginger liqueur
club soda

Instructions
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, & stir well. Strain into a double old fashioned glass filled with ice. Garnish with oil spray from a lime peel, discard. Add an oz. or two of club soda. Stir lightly. (We used a twist of lime in the drink)

- JD



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recipe: pumpkin french 75

September 24th, 2010

Presenting the classic cocktail, the French 75, spiced up for Autumn.  A few years ago the Pumpkin French 75 was a Fall special on the menu at Bespoke in New Haven, Connecticut. After inquiring with the bartender, we discovered the secret ingredient was pumpkin butter. I know there are some of you out there are [...]
 

Presenting the classic cocktail, the French 75, spiced up for Autumn.  A few years ago the Pumpkin French 75 was a Fall special on the menu at Bespoke in New Haven, Connecticut. After inquiring with the bartender, we discovered the secret ingredient was pumpkin butter. I know there are some of you out there are going to declare, I don’t like gin. To you I say: with no advance knowledge… you may not even guess there is gin in this cocktail!  Simply put, this is Fall in a champagne glass and it’s well worth the effort to track down some pumpkin butter.
Cheers, Liz

Pumpkin French 75
serving: 1

Ingredients
1 oz Plymouth gin
1 T pumpkin butter
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz simple syrup
3 oz Champagne – chilled
Optional: cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar

Instructions
Rim the glass (optional): Blend sugar with a dusting of nutmeg and cinnamon. Wet the rim of a champagne flute with a lemon wedge. Dab the moistened rim in the sugar mixture.

Shake gin, pumpkin butter, lemon juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain the mixture into the flute. Top with chilled Champagne and serve.

Notes
Pumpkin Butter is a specialty item that can be found at some grocery stores, often in the same vicinity as jams and jellies. Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are a good place to start.

This recipe was included in the CT Bites Fall Blogger Round-Up. Mille mercis to organizer, Amy Kundrat.
If you live in Connecticut, I highly recommend CT Bites. It’s one of my go-to spots for restaurant and food news in Fairfield County and beyond.

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leFarm’s pink lemonade

September 4th, 2010

Feeling disappointed you didn’t score a spot at second Souterrain on October 3? There was a mere 6 hour window before this dinner sold out!  Don’t despair, you can whip up a taste of Souterrain in your own home.  The fine folks at leFarm in Westport, Connecticut have graciously shared the recipe for the “pink lemonade” featured at the August Souterrain. On [...]
 

Feeling disappointed you didn’t score a spot at second Souterrain on October 3? There was a mere 6 hour window before this dinner sold out!  Don’t despair, you can whip up a taste of Souterrain in your own home.  The fine folks at leFarm in Westport, Connecticut have graciously shared the recipe for the “pink lemonade” featured at the August Souterrain.

On this long holiday weekend, why not embrace raspberry season? Mix up this refreshing cocktail and be sure to enjoy in the late summer sun.
Cheers,  liz 


leFarm’s pink lemonade
servings: 1

Ingredients
2 oz vodka
2 oz St. Germain
½ lemon, juiced
½ lime, juiced
1 tsp agave nectar
handful of raspberries
splash of club soda, Prosecco or Sprite

Instructions
Add raspberries to the bottom of a glass and gently muddle. Fill glass with ice cubes.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add vodka, St. Germain, lemon & lime juice, and agave nectar. Shake vigorously.
Strain contents of cocktail shaker into the glass, leaving room to top with a splash of club soda, Prosecco or Sprite.
Garnish with lemon & lime wedges.

Recipe courtesy of Andrea Dinan of leFarm in Westport, Connecticut

Notes:

  • leFarm’s vodka of choice is Tito’s Handmade Vodka.
  • St. Germain is a sweet elderflower liqueur that can be found at many liquor stores.
  • Agave nectar is natural sweetener with a lower glycemic index than sugar and a more neutral flavor than honey.
    It can be found in many grocery and heath food stores.

> Download a printer-friendly version of this recipe (pdf)

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la mariana sailing club in honolulu

August 16th, 2010

I seem to have a soft spot for anything tacky tiki. Before we went on our trip to Hawaii this year we saw the No Reservations episode on Oahu. The one where Tony Bourdain drops thousands on a vintage aloha shirt, but also manages to find a gem of a tiki bar by the Honolulu International Airport. Like all [...]
 

I seem to have a soft spot for anything tacky tiki. Before we went on our trip to Hawaii this year we saw the No Reservations episode on Oahu. The one where Tony Bourdain drops thousands on a vintage aloha shirt, but also manages to find a gem of a tiki bar by the Honolulu International Airport. Like all good dive bars, La Mariana Sailing Club is a little hard to find and in an unexpected location off Sand Island Access Road. Your main problems will be finding a parking space and getting home after drinking these potent cocktails. Below is the signature Mai Tai.  We went at lunch time after flying in from the Big Island and it was very quiet. There were just a few locals having lunch and a few military guys off-base and engrossed quiet conversation. I can imagine this place gets rockin’ at happy hour.
La Mariana is the real deal.  If you’re looking for a true tiki experience in Hawaii… this is it! Wow, your probable thinking these are some super grainy, blurry photos!  They’re from the point and shoot G10, but somehow I still feel they capture the spirit of La Mariana.I got excited earlier this year when I heard that Painkiller was opening in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. I’m sure that the drinks are amazing, but on examination of photos, it looks a bit too NYC hip for me. While I sit on the the fence about visiting this tiki bar, Eater has helpfully compiled Tiki Bars of New York’s Past, Present & Future.

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summer cocktails at pegu club

August 11th, 2010

Decisions, decisions. The three of us couldn’t make up our mind. Death & Co. Painkiller, Vandaag, Angel’s Share? In the end, we went with the reliably fantastic Pegu Club for our Saturday night cocktails.  Pegu welcomes you at 5 pm, which is an hour earlier than most cocktail hotspots. Getting there at opening is the key to [...]

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Decisions, decisions. The three of us couldn’t make up our mind. Death & Co. Painkiller, Vandaag, Angel’s Share? In the end, we went with the reliably fantastic Pegu Club for our Saturday night cocktails.  Pegu welcomes you at 5 pm, which is an hour earlier than most cocktail hotspots. Getting there at opening is the key to getting in, getting a good spot at the bar and getting full attention from your bartender.

Below is Michele’s off-menu gin cocktail, muddled with cucumber and apples.Burke bemoaned that his drink selection often seems to include floral decoration. Hmm, no comment, but I did love the unusually petite-sized dendrobium orchid that coordinated perfectly with the coconut and kaffir lime flavor of his cocktail. In just one sip, this refreshing taste of Thailand transports you to a tropical happy place.What do you think about these black straws? You absolutely need a way to get to your drink without disturbing the beautiful garnish on the rim of the glass… but the black definitely ruins the photograph in my eye. Would a clear straw be that much better?

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the mighty vitamix

June 23rd, 2010

Move over blender, there’s a new appliance in town. We’re now proud owners of the amazing Vitamix 5200 that tops off at speed of 240 mph. Seriously, this thing is so powerful that it was a bit frightening at first! We definitely read the directions before anything got plugged in. I’ve always relentlessly teased my mom about her expensive blender [...]

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Move over blender, there’s a new appliance in town. We’re now proud owners of the amazing Vitamix 5200 that tops off at speed of 240 mph. Seriously, this thing is so powerful that it was a bit frightening at first! We definitely read the directions before anything got plugged in. I’ve always relentlessly teased my mom about her expensive blender from Costco, but now she got me one… I’ve been converted. It does a great job with our smoothies and D found this recipe for a whole fruit margarita. It doesn an incredible job demolishing ice, so your frosty beverages will be some of the smoothest in around! Before and After

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