Nectarine Shrub

I tried the shrub recipe with nectarines (instead of blackberries) last weekend - yum! It's also the most beautiful color, a bright pinky peach. I topped these with a little soda water to lighten them up. 

Hudson Clearwater

Now that we're all back in the city for the fall, it's time to enjoy the beautiful September weather. All summer I would hear, "Let's go out for drinks - where can we be outside?" I don't think the outdoor seating needs to end yet. A few weeks ago I went to Hudson Clearwater. This hidden spot (the very attractive owners have shunned PR, don't advertise, and have no signage) has the cutest outdoor patio and lots of tasty cocktails. The lights strung above and the ivy create such a fun, pretty atmosphere to escape the city. They have a full menu, although we only sampled a few appetizers (the spinach empenada was flaky and salty and the perfect thing to nibble on with cocktails).

This beautiful concoction was a beet margarita with jalapeno. It sounds odd, but was actually pretty good, and the most striking color! Bright magenta. The first sip seemed a little off, but the earthiness of the beet juice, the spice of the jalapeno, and the zing of the lime actually go together quite well. I also felt healthy having the beet juice (even though there was plenty of tequila as well). The dark and stormy (a personal drink favorite) was also tasty. Definitely a good spot to go - get there early because it fills up!

Hudson Clearwater
NW corner of Morton and Hudson, walk a few doors down on Morton and into the courtyard.

At my sister's request, I'm going to try to start putting up more restaurant review. Stay tuned!

Orient Express

Thanks to a great DailyCandy deal, Jamie and I finally made it to Orient Express in the West Village. It's really cute and a great date spot. It was quiet with dim light and very charming and fashioned like an Orient-Express train. They're known for their cocktails, and they're great! We had the D&S and the Danube (pictured). The D&S was a dark and stormy with a twist - Jamaican jerk seasoning. It was kind of spicy and reminiscent of a bloody Mary. The Danube was very refreshing with vodka, lime, and cucumber. Jamie thought it was a bit too thick. The food was yummy and good for sharing. Kind of Turkish inspired (after the route of the famous Venice Simplon-Orient-Express). We had the pastirma (a Turkish dried meat), a delicious cheese plate with several cheeses and accoutrements, and Hungarian sausage. Great date spot! Probably more suited for winter. Also, would be great to sit at the bar with a cocktail and split an appetizer.

Jamie's White Russian

Usually delegated strictly to Big Lebowski showings, Jamie deviated tonight because we had some Khalua from our Vermont trip. He mixed them up and I was skeptical, but it was good. It tasted like a melted milkshake. I may be a convert. (I also want to try making it as an ice cream this summer.)









Mix 3 parts vanilla vodka, 2 parts Khalua, 1 part skim milk over ice. Pretty easy. I like the spherical ice cubes (trays $8 at MoMA) because they make every cocktail look extra special. Thanks Jamie for your bartending expertise!

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.