Cocktails by Color at Peels

Feeling Orange!

Peels (http://peelsnyc.com/) is a lovely New American restaurant near Stern. Based on Instagram pics and FourSquare check-ins, it is popular with a lot of my friends. I was excited to check it out with my good friend Liv. 

The cocktail menu is really unique. I love how the cocktails are organized by color. I am a huge fan of cachaca, passionfruit and grapefruit, so I went with orange!

The ice cubes are awesome! Huge square blocks that have a slow melt so they don't dilute the cocktail.

I will have to go back during the school year!

Liz

 

Back (Forty) to Visit Alphabet City

Mid-Summer Intern Celebration!  

I have heard good things about Back Forty (http://backfortynyc.com/) and was pleased to see we were having our dinner there! I have been meaning to spend more time in Alphabet City, so this is great way to do that! In order to celebrate our brands, I ordered the Back Forty. It is made with George Dickel #12, maple and lemon. I absolutely loved it! I'm trying to get more into whisky and this was a non-intimidating introduction.

After I enjoyed my cocktail for a bit, the food (and there was plenty!) started to come out. I didn't snap pictures, but the cornbread and fried chicken were delicious!! Really brought me back to Charlotte and Price's Chicken Coop. Below is a shot of the pork shoulder, slaw and bread (some sort of pita). Really good. We just ate obscene amounts of food, typical.

Also, there were DOUGHNUTS! So good! Check out this spot!

After, we went to Pouring Ribbons which is right down the street. A super exclusive, swanky cocktail spot. I wouldn't rank it as high as some of the other "list-only" places I've gone (Raines Law Room is much better), but I do like the atmosphere. If you're going to pay $15+ for a cocktail, I like to have service and a seat! It is worth a visit.

Cheers,

Liz

 

Hey Beauty (& Essex)!

Tequila & Tapas!

I wanted to take Amber to a "Big Night Out" dinner so we went to Beauty & Essex (http://beautyandessex.com/). Before we had some yummy tapas, we ordered a drink at the bar. I ordered the O.D.B. "Old Dirty Bramble" - it was made with Don Julio Reposado tequila, smoked blackberries, honey, ginger juice, and lemon. I tend not to be the biggest fan of tequila because so many are not good, but Don Julio? Delicioso! 

Cheers!

Liz

 

Nice Fedora!

Fantastic Food and Drinks!

A shrewd businesswoman I know, Allison, raved about this spot (http://fedoranyc.com/) and I wanted to check it out for dinner with Amber. While we waited for a table to open up, we ordered a drink at the bar. I ordered the Songbird. It is made with sparkling wine, elderflower liqueur, creme de violette, fresh grapefruit, and topped with house-made lavender bitters. 

The drink was really fresh and a nice change from liquor-based cocktails. I am never one to turn down bubbly! We stuck around for dinner and the food was PHENOMENAL! This spot is small (read: cozy) but I would recommend it if you want a delicious dinner with French flair. 

Au Revoir, 

Liz

 

A Trip to the Orient

Cocktail & Tea Time!

I wanted to surprise Amber with something special so I made reservations for afternoon tea at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (http://www.mandarinoriental.com/newyork/). The tea is daily at starts at 2:30pm. We got there a bit early (2:00pm) to make sure we could secure a window seat. Most of the seating has a good view, but when you're spending $$$ you want to make sure it is the best!

While we waited for tea time to start, we (naturally) ordered a cocktail. One immediately caught my eye: the Summer Solstice. It is a heavenly mix of vodka, blood orange juice, mango puree and Solerno liqueur (blood orange). This cocktail was magical and at $19 (!!) I was hoping it would be. I knew at a place like this you're paying for the view and it was worth it. 

Once we finished our cocktails, we moved on to tea! I ordered the Thunderbolt Darjeeling tea. It was a delicious black tea. Check out the scones, finger sandwiches and desserts! Nom! I highly recommend this spot for a special event - a mom in town, good friend or to impress a lady!

Until next time!

Liz

 

Fizzy Lizzy!

Dinner with Two Hot Dates (Ingrid and Winston!)

A couple of nights ago I got to catch up with a good friend at a new restaurant, Almond (http://www.almondnyc.com/p3.php). I looked at the cocktail list and the Fizzy Lizzy caught my attention. Not only because of its fantastic name but because it actually sounded delicious! The drink was made with shaken strawberries and lime, light rum and grapefruit. Very refreshing on a hot (and HUMID!) evening.

Beautiful!

One of my lovely dates for the evening was this handsome gentleman: WINSTON!

He had perfect manners during the dinner. Ingrid is a proud mama. I recommend checking out Almond if you're in the Flatiron area. The food is fantastic and the outdoor seating allows you to bring a furry friend to dinner!

Until next time,

Liz