A New Spot in the Lower East Side
I arrived for a date way too early (like 30 minutes early) and the bar we were going to meet at wasn't open yet (it was 6:30pm- didn't open till 7:00pm). I checked on Yelp! (my trusty digital friend) to direct me somewhere to spend 30 minutes. The first place that popped up was practically next door: Rochelle's (http://www.rochellesnyc.com/). It is a cocktail bar that opened up about 3 months ago. I started walking over. And by walking, I mean moving like a crab down the sidewalk while attempting to avoid all injury.
The inside of the bar is warm and inviting. There is a long bar with stools and there is also booth seating. I loved the back bar set up.
Do you see the barrel-aged drinks on the back bar? That is a quality signal right there.
The bartender was awesome. He introduced himself and I'm clearly a terrible person for forgetting his name. He was cute too! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten his face. I also cannot forget the face of the gentleman below. He was ghastly!
Sweet Mustache Bro
I asked the bartender to suggest a popular cocktail. He directed me to Daddy Issues. I love that the menu describes it as "Why not one more?" - don't we all have Daddy Issues? The cocktail is made with Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka, Casoni, Honey and Lemon.
Daddy Issues
This was a light and refreshing cocktail. The vodka has bison grass in it - how cool!
Rochelle's features a unique offering: The Miller High Life Split. For $9, you get the Champagne of Beers and a Shot of the Whisk(E)y of the Week. I noticed that a very attractive woman next to me had ordered it. Was I checking her out for myself? No. I was being an awesome sister. My older brother is single and also an online dater. We are very close and I feel like I know his type better than himself. She was his type. We easily struck up a conversation and I awkwardly asked if she was single. She said yes! I asked her if I could show her a photo of my brother. She said yes and was interested after seeing his picture! I got her number and set them up! I will keep you posted on how it goes. I felt like I really paid it forward on this one :)
As a final comment, Rochelle's has an awesome notice in the bathroom. It is a warning against having sex in the bathroom. My picture doesn't really capture what it says that well, but you can get an idea.
Not Nuts Please
This is an awesome bar with a knowledgeable bartender staff. I look forward to coming back!
Cheers,
Liz