NY Barfly

TWI Drunktown: Drinking Alone, Together

-NY Citysearch came up with another handy list: bars where you can feel comfortable drinking alone. We certainly endorse their choices, and think we might just head over to The Half King later on for a nip. Solo drinking is one of our favorite city activities, right behind drinking with others and drinking at home with our friends on Twitter.

-Former Basketball Star Charles Barkley pled guilty to driving while intoxicated. He will serve 10 days in jail, which can be reduced if he attends a court endorsed alcohol program. The presiding judge denied Barkley’s request to approve “happy-hour at Applebee’s” as said program.

-The Sherry Council of America has launched its new interactive marketing campaign to heighten consumer awareness to the growing popularity of Sherry. The Secret Sherry Society (SSS) is a members-only club that will directly engage consumers, restaurateurs, sommeliers, wine retailers, and many others. What missions will the club take on? We would tell you, but then we’d have to give you some of our sherry.

NYBarfly on Metrotwin and Twitter

So many web sites, so little time. Luckily, we’re here to point you toward some other sites that you might find of interest (i.e. those that are related to yours truly).

First up, check out our list of New York’s Best Irish Pubs on Metrotwin. This will let you get your St. Patrick’s Day plans in order. Though, if you’re a fan of our site, there are plenty of drinking days between now and St. Pat’s. Use it to get your Saturday afternoon drinking plans in order.

Next – everyone is talking about it. We think it's past time that you succumb to the pressure and follow NYBarfly on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nybarfly. You’ve come this far – you almost have a mild understanding of what the hell Twitter is. Now, take the next step: complain to everyone about how you never will join. You’ll be that much closer to signing up and hanging on our every word.

Tips for Dealing with the Inevitable Baby

Barfly received some wretched news the other day. One of our friends is having a baby. Now, why did they have to go and ruin all of the fun? You can’t very well fall into the gutter every night with innocent eyes watching. Who ever thought of this reproduction nonsense in the first place? They clearly couldn’t hold their alcohol.

We know it can be shocking when your drunken compatriots inform you they are with child. After you stop trying to convince them to “drink away” the problem, use these tips to help you cope with the fact that time moves on even though you’re still as drunk as ever.

Tips for dealing with your baby-crazy friends:

1. Go further into denial about your age by dressing like you did in the 1990’s. Nothing says eternal youth like a neon pink headband. 

2. When your friends with babies confront you about your lifestyle, take a swig and slur “ya know, I’m not the one who gave up and had things pop out of god knows where. I’m proud of my alcoholic baby.” Pat your beer gut for that last part – you’ve earned it.

3. Make new friends who are younger and share your interests. Those runaway teens at Port Authority are just dying for a new BFF.

4. Start going to more sophisticated places to show your baby-fied friends the classy life that they’re missing out on. They’ll be so jealous when they hear the story about how you overdrew your checking account at Apotheke.

5. Join the club. You know you’ve always succumbed to even the mildest peer pressure (remember that time with the huffing and the model glue and the brain damage). Why should this be any different? Go ahead and have one of those baby things yourself. Just be sure to water it three times a day!

Where We're Headed: 'Disiac Lounge

This intimate Hell’s Kitchen lounge may liven up when its garden opens in the warm weather, but it’s also a great place to grab a quiet drink during the colder months. It’s almost easy to miss this spot in the bar-laden neighborhood, but its simple exterior belies what’s inside. A glowing bar makes a good perch for more than a few drinks. The space never seems busy and never seems empty, it always seems just right.

Also just right? The drinks. Their daily happy hour gets you half off your second round. Maybe this is why the bar’s name is short for aphrodisiac. After two rounds, the warm lighting will leave you feeling flirty. If there’s no one around to strike up a conversation with, try “flirting” with one of their hummus platters. While an aphrodisiac is typically defined as a potion that enhances love, its lesser known meaning is an elixir that makes one want to buy their face in a plate of delicious baba ganoush. The bar’s menu offers selections titled “A Little Nosh Nosh”. We figure this can be interpreted either way.

‘Disiac Lounge is located at 402 West 54^th Street.

Tequila and ultimate fighting, a marriage made in face-breaking heaven

Here’s an interesting (i.e. bloody) bit of cross-promotion: Premium Tequila CAZADORES, announced that it has been named the Official Spirit Sponsor of the Ultimate Fighting Championship through March 2010. We weren’t aware that mixed martial arts fighting gets booze brands to come aboard as sponsors, though it does kind of make sense. A few too many shots, a smack to the face from a fellow drunk, and finally you’ve found your life’s calling: beating the hell out of an opponent in an octagonal ring.

We think the two brands will be a good fit, and are keen to try the UFC inspired shot that CAZADORES came up with. It will be served to patrons who attend bar events during the matches. Just as UFC mixes diverse fighting styles to really make it interesting, The CAZADORES Ultimate Shot mixes the two feisty stalwarts of any good bar-fight: tequila and beer. We’re sure it makes for a kick-ass kick in the ass.

CAZADORES "ULTIMATE" SHOT DRINK:

1 part Tequila CAZADORES(R) Blanco

1/2 part beer

1/4 part lemon juice

1/4 part simple syrup

Shake Tequila CAZADORES, simple syrup and lemon juice, pour into a shot drink glass and top with beer. Keep it clean, no hitting below the belt. Tap out when you’ve had one too many.

Tales of the Cocktail + Saveur Magazine = Elbow Your Way to the Bar

We didn’t make it to the South Beach Food and Wine Festival this year, but there is one event on the drinker’s social calendar that we’d be truly sorry to miss: the annual Tales of the Cocktail festival in New Orleans. In July (8-12), cocktail aficionados converge on the city to mix it up with the best in the biz. Mixologists, writers, bartenders and chefs are on hand to justify the crowd’s drinking with seminars and talks.

This year promises to be particularly tasty, as the fest just announced a partnership with Saveur Magazine. As the leading media sponsor, the mag promises to bring its expertise to the French Quarter with programming throughout the five day event. We’re thirsty already (then again, we’re always thirsty).

You can tell that Tales is our type of party from their press release: Measuring their success in garnishes, Tales of the Cocktail 2008, used 8085 mint leaves, 6 cups of Goji berries, 280 liters of lime juice, 350 liters of lemon juice, 2340 jalapeño slices and 6 thousand pounds of ice for more than thousands of sippers!

Sounds like the morning after a cocktail party in our apartment. We know it’s not a contest, but we are a tad disappointed. We only used 347 liters of lemon juice. Guess we’ll have to try harder next time.

Libation Vacation: The Chelsea, Atlantic City's Newest Hotel Hot Spot

Barfly recently trekked down to Atlantic City to gather intel regarding mini-getaways that New Yorker’s can take in these tough economic times. We scored big with our transit choice, the new ACES direct train link from Penn Station. Would the city offer such sleek options, or would we find ourselves pitifully huddled over the $5 blackjack table at Merv Griffin’s Resorts? We dropped into AC’s newest hotel: The Chelsea. It’s the first non-casino lodging to open on the   boardwalk since the early 1960’s. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the new Atlantic City. The posh hotel is all the things you desire when headed for a quick weekend out of town: cheap, laden with alcohol, impeccably designed, and filled with pretty people.

What’s that? You’re asking why you would want to go to Dirty Jersey’s mecca of gambling and stay in a hotel without a casino? It’s a recession, do you really want to blow your rent money in a thirty minute game of roulette? That’s right, we didn’t think so. That rent should be spent on fancy drinks and savory cuisine. The Chelsea offers plenty of options for both. Stephen Starr’s Chelsea Prime is a stylish upscale choice; begin the night by rat-packing it up in one of its snazzy banquettes. Their 5^th Floor is a nightlife paradise, offering everything from a quiet lounge to a game room to a dance floor to get your groove on (all of which are impeccably well lit – a Barfly must).

With two levels of accommodation, the hotel lets all levels of partier drop in. The hip Chelsea Lite options let you enjoy the party on the cheap without sacrificing the cool-kid vibe. If you do end up doing very well on the neighboring Tropicana’s black jacktables, upgrade to the posher Chelsea Luxe. These larger rooms (many of which offer an ocean view) are more expensive, but you get what you pay for: class all the way.

It was winter when we stopped by, but we will be back during the warm months. The hotel has yet to be open for a full summer. Even with the windows closed and the umbrellas tied down, we could tell that this is the place to stay during beach weather. The hotel plays host to private cabanas on its beachfront, with a seaside dining menu brought out by genuine cabana boys (sure to be the best job in town). There are two pools in the hotel, both of which come equipped with drink-possibilities galore. Chelsea Prime has an outdoor deck for dining, and the Chelsea-Lite side offers adjoining rooms with balconies that overlook the pool.

When all the windows are thrown open and the summer sun glares down, this place has everything to transform it into Atlantic City’s best scene. Find a girl named Gidget, and this will be a beach party to remember. Don’t know anyone named Gidget? Just start calling strangers by the name, it’ll be just as fun (especially if you introduce yourself as Starcat).

Review: The Chelsea Hotel, Atlantic City

Brunch at Teplitzky’s, the Hotel’s Retro Diner – 4 olives – Their grilled cheese and tomato soup might as well be called Teplitzky’s Secret Hangover Cure. If you’re feeling really bad from the previous night, try their version of a hair of the dog: a classic chocolate milkshake.

Blackjack Tables at Resorts – 2 olives – Although they served us well on other trips, we’ll steer clear of them from now on. We think our landlord is more likely to take “we spent it on drinks” than “we gambled it away” as an excuse for late rent payments.

Nightlife Options – 5 olives – A proper hotel gives rise to one of our favorite activities: bar hopping without leaving the property. The Chelsea does not disappoint. You can spend an entire weekend drinking it up without setting foot on the boardwalk.

The New Atlantic City – 5 olives – Stay at The Chelsea, gamble at The Borgata, dine at The Pier at Caesars. With all of these options, the city has become the prime destination for NYC’s swingin’ young set. Don’t worry, you can still get a taste of the old town’s charm. Grab a pedicab, and have them push you to the miniature golf course.

Eater gets a peek at the new Minetta Tavern. Drool.

Our friends over at Eater got a sneak peak at the soon to open Minetta Tavern. Barfly loves a martini. Barfly adores a martini when it is poured at a bar that sneaks a whiff of old New York into the recipe. Judging by the photos, we think we’ll get our fedora out for this one.

For those of you who also drool at the opportunity to have an old-school martini in the Village, check out this bit of background (via Eater):

Opened in 1937, the red-sauce Italian restaurant once served as a gathering spot for Greenwich Village locals, famed and not . . . But by 2008, Minetta had receded into one of those classic old New York restaurants everyone said they loved but rarely went to.

The restaurant was purchased by Keith McNally, who thankfully decided to keep with the old time vibe. We look forward to stopping in when they open on March 12^th.

Wow, that’s sooner than we thought. Uh, about that fedora. We don’t actually own one. Anyone got an authentic 1937 cap that we can borrow for the night? We take no responsibility if we spill martini all over it – that’s just us getting caught up in the Minetta spirit.

Where We're Headed: Jake's Dilemma

The dilemma? A choice between happy hours. Should we head somewhere nice and get $1 off already overpriced drinks, or should we dive it up and get a real deal? It’s a recession, ladies and gentlemen. As much as we’d like to sip Zinfandel and commiserate about financial badness, we think it’s time to truly cut back. We’re going to hold our nose and head to Jake’s Dilemma. This UWS dive makes the choice easy; they have half priced happy hour until eight every day of the week.

Seven $3 beers later, and the economy doesn’t seem so bad after all. The bar offers numerous other diversions from the financial storm gathering outside (not to mention distracting from the grunginess inside). They have Buck Hunter, Pool, Foosball, and as many half priced shots as you can get your hands on. They also have surprisingly good bar food, supplied by The Gin Mill down the block.

You can look at your time here as an investment. With your 401k tanking and your savings at -$13, it’s nice to have a place like this to hide. When you tipsily head back onto the streets, your stock will surely have risen.

Jake’s can be found at 430 Amsterdam Avenue between 80^th and 81^st. If the dilemma is still too much to bear, have a few cheap ones here and then head over to nearby restaurant Nice Matin for the fancy stuff.

Cocktails at Atria: The City's Best Cocktail Onion (and some pretty darn good drinks, too)

We recently stopped by newly opened Atria (formerly Grayz) to check out their cocktail program. Their gin-centric list focuses heavily on the classics, updated with a modern slant. When the beverage director bragged about having only two kinds of vodka behind the bar, we knew that this was our type of place. This Midtown restaurant leaves the boring mixers to the tourist traps down the block; they focus on drinks that pack a punch, in both flavor and potency. If we weren’t trying to be so fancy, we’d give them a good old fashioned Boo-Yah!

There are plenty of nooks in this space for the thirsty. Downstairs, you’ll find a dining room with vaulted ceilings and a more intimate seating space without the height. We preferred the cooly-lit upstairs bar (how did you guess?). The cocktail and wine list  shows that they take their stuff seriously. None of this dainty two page nonsense. The list has heft and is pages long, like a holy book. We could only say Amen. It’s like boo-yah, but for religious folk.

We started with The Twentieth Century, a sprighty combo of Bulldog Gin, Lillet, White Crème de Cacao, and Fresh Lemon Juice. We still aren’t sure about the main source of zest. Was it the bite of the Bulldog or the citrusy nip of the lemon? Either way, the dapper drink went down faster than the 1920’s. The Brunette (pictured) was something that we were surprised to find: an espresso drink that is actually good. The secret lies in the “House-Infused 44 Cordial”, a rum that sits for 44 days with Espresso beans and orange. The menu calls it a “decidedly confident eye opener”, we call it “wow we’re really hopped up, we shouldn’t have had two of those.”

The Johnson’s Soda (served as an orange version when we stopped in) hit the spot between stronger rounds. Tart and refreshing, it was the perfect bridge between courses (i.e. stronger drinks). We were going to call it a night, but couldn’t resist ordering the WASPy-sounding Polo Mallet to top off the evening. We usually enjoy a briny olive or three in our cocktail. This concoction of Plymouth Gin, Sweet Vermouth, and Regan’s and Angostura Bitters came garnished with a house made cocktail onion.

The drink was delicious, a playful mix of Martini and Manhattan. The onion? Sublime. Did we ever expect that we’d refer to a cocktail onion with such a word? No. But we also never expected to eat four more straight out of a cup for dessert. The gin soaked exterior basks in unexpected flavor, while one bite reveals a delectably juicy interior. It’s like candy for drinkers. We’d say another boo-yah if our mouth weren’t so full of cocktail onions.

Beverage Director Barry Johnson explains the magic behind the garnish:

I always think that you have to have a good brine that represents the flavors that our chef uses in the kitchen. Our chef puts together a brine that includes: Fennel seed, Fenugreek seed, Coriander seed, Dill seed, Dry Red Chile, Bay Leaf, Clove, Cinnamon,  Sugar, and White Vinegar. . . after [the onion] simmers a bit, you remove it from the heat, let it cool and refrigerate for about 3 days.

Our fridge is currently stocked with tiny jars, attempting to recreate Atria’s onion. Johnson made us promise to experiment in small batches, so we can avoid an overwhelmingly oniony apartment. We won’t be too sorry if we can’t get it right. It will just give us another excuse to head back to Atria for more "investigation" (i.e. lots more drinks).