A Photo Tour of New York City Drinking

We all love to read about delicious cocktails and enticing New York City bars, but sometimes, the most mouthwatering device for titillating our palates is a photograph. So this weekend I decided to take epiqueereans on a photo tour of what and where to drink in New York City. Well, at least what and where I drank in New York City this past weekend ;)


Aperol Spritz at Piola


Italian Aperitivo at Piola


Classic Martini at Essex


It's so pretty it deserves two photos...


Moe's, Brooklyn


Brooklyn Lager at The Whiskey Brooklyn


I love giant ice cubes. Especially in a...


Perfect Manhattan at The Whiskey Brooklyn.
It really was perfect.


Lunch at the bar at Union Square Cafe


Homemade Limoncello at mi casa

A Martini Is A Drink Not A Glass

Here is my personal pet peeve of the century: People who do not know what a Martini is, and yet order one at every bar in the city.

A Martini is, by definition, gin, vermouth, and olive(s). A vodka Martini is the same but with vodka in place of gin. Any good bartender will ask you which you would like. A poor bartender will just make it with vodka if you don't specify.

A Martini "extra dry" is, colloquially, a martini without vermouth. Here's the rub: A Martini without vermouth IS NOT A MARTINI !!

Nor is a chocolate martini, appletini, or anything else simply because it is served in a beautiful yet precarious cocktail glass (Like the drink pictured above. You get a photo example of a non-Martini because I don't have a photo of a real Martini).

Ordering a Martini "extra dry" is like ordering "gin with vermouth, without vermouth." Say whaa?

And let's face it, you want vodka. You want grey goose up with olives (Also grey goose is thin and I despise it. Yeah I said it.).

There. Rant finished. Every blog needs one, right?

I Miss Tomatoes

Oh summertime... concerts in the park, flip flops, tank tops, tomatoes... tomatoes... I miss you tomatoes. I miss you like a summer fling.

It's the dead of winter and I just stumbled upon the above image. Bruschetta inspired by Union Square Cafe's heirloom tomato salad. Basically I put their salad on toast. Yummmmm. It is absolutely the most refreshing, bright, aromatic little bite you'll ever have. Click to zoom in on that picture if you really want to know what I'm going through.

Here's the recipe without quantities. I do most things to taste and it's the easiest thing in the world. Don't worry, you can do it!

Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta

Heirloom tomatoes and/or heirloom cherry tomatoes
Sliced red onion
Coarsely chopped fresh basil
Olive Oil
Sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper
Goat Cheese (Ardith Mae chèvre if you can get it. Best in the WORLD)
Baguette toast slices

Wait until May or June. Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Add whatever else you like (corn, peppers, pork. pork? mmm.. yes pork). Spread the goat cheese on the toast slices. Top with mixture. Eat. Lick Fingers.

Hot Sauce Belongs On Everything

Yeah I mean that. Everything.

Is it wrong that I have had approximately 10 meals without hot sauce in the last month? (The correct answer is No... ahem.)

So I think it's time to admit something I am mildly embarrassed by and mildly proud of... Almost an entire shelf on my refrigerator door is taken up by different kinds of hot sauce. My favorite being, without question, D'Elidas from Panama. Seriously. Amazing.
Still, it's never enough. Never enough Muah Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!

So thank you to the New York Times for sparking the idea of making my own! I followed their recipe fairly closely. Less garlic, more sugar, slight blender explosion.

The product was sweeter than bottled stuff, and had a ton of incredible flavor! It says to let it sit for 3 days and yes that makes it better but you can definitely start spooning it on everything you eat the moment it's ready.


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/dining/25apperex2.html

Garlicky Red Chili Hot Sauce

Time: 20 minutes plus 3 days’ standing

4 hot red or orange chili peppers, such as habañero

2 red bell peppers ( 3/4 pound), roughly chopped

5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

3/4 cup distilled white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.

1. Wearing rubber or latex gloves, roughly chop the chilies. Combine all ingredients in a small pot over medium-high heat. Once mixture is simmering, reduce heat to low, cover and continue to simmer until peppers are tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Do not inhale vapors; they will sting.

2. Transfer mixture to a blender and purée. Pour into a medium jar and allow to cool uncovered. Cover tightly and refrigerate for three days. Keep stored in refrigerator; sauce will last for several weeks or months.

Yield: 2 cups.