Little Branch

I was out to dinner at some random sushi place on Prince--Nagomi, not bad but nothing to write home about, we went there because the line at Tomoe was way too long--and stopped at Little Branch on the way home. (It's is on the corner of Leroy and 7th and it's super easy to miss--it's through an unassuming door with "Little Branch" lightly etched on a plaque.) It was a Monday night, so I expected the underground cocktail bar to be somewhat empty. To my surprise, as I descended the narrow stairs I was met with a live jazz band and a slew of fellow Monday-night-revelers. If you're looking for a fun Monday night, this is the place to find it. On the cocktail menu flanked by "Perfect Manhattans" and other alcoholic confections, was one that intrigued me: bartenders choice. Little Branch is famous for its "mixologists" so I thought I'd see what they could cook up. He asked me what I liked, I told him vodka or rum, and then I watched him add drops of this and shots of that, and even an egg white, to a shaker, followed by a blur of vigorous shaking. Once in the glass, he topped it with little droplets with some unknown substance and swirled them into a heart. I'm not sure what was in it--some sort of sour--but it was great. Next we each tried a dark and stormy, which was spicy and gingery--not as big of a production as the Bartender's Choice, but equally unique and yummy. So head to Little Branch for live music, great cocktails, and a kind of pricey bill.