Clover Club

210 Smith St, Brooklyn
www.cloverclubny.com


Speakeasy part two.

Earlier this summer Ryan, Sara, Bryant and I brunched at the Clover Club in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. We were delighted by the steampunk vibe, the dark wood and eclectic antique furniture. We were treated to a corner booth in the back room, which was empty except for us. Having read that the Clover Club is known for their cocktails, I sampled a Blackberry Collins ($9), and Sara had the Sloe and Low ($10). I'm no connoisseur and am new to gin drinks especially (having previously been a vodka grrl), but I can honestly say that was the BEST cocktail I have ever had. I dream about it at night, and on Saturday mornings I think longingly of revisiting Clover Club's liquid brunch. The blackberry-ness was perfect and rich and a beautiful color to boot. I also sampled Sara's drink, which was its own version of loveliness, but I would order another Blackberry Collins in a heartbeat.

Enough syrupy goodness. I loved my food--the special omelette ($10), which was asparagus on the day we visited. I even drooled over the jam that came with the sourdough toast. Everyone else liked their food although they weren't quite as enamored as I. It must have been something in the gin that colored my senses. Added to the steampunk vibe--illustrated a bit humorously when the staff attempted to pull out a hidden television to show the World Cup, yet it took about four employees to figure out how to turn it on--and I had quite a magical brunch experience.

But then I always was one for anachronisms, asparagus, brunch, and blackberries. Worth making the journey back to Brooklyn any time.

4 petals
fantastic cocktails, steampunk decor, tasty brunch options

Photo of Sara and I by Ryan Warner.

Death & Company

6th St btwn 1st Ave and Ave A, Manhattan
www.deathandcompany.com


With the launch of HBO's much heralded Boardwalk Empire, there has never been a better time to visit a modern speakeasy. The Lower East Side's Death and Company will meet your every Prohibition-era desire, and then some. (Yet something tells me the cocktails weren't nearly this elaborate or tasty while liquor was officially on the lam.)

Ryan and I met my cousin Katy at Death and Company for dinner, and nearly walked right past the cleverly boarded-up storefront. A host, who resembled Jude Law prior to hair loss and turning orange, leisurely stood on the sidewalk and quickly shuffled us inside. We lucked out with a corner booth, and the service was prompt and friendly.

The bar isn't the greatest place for dinner if you want a wide range of options, but we found enough to meet our needs: Ryan and Katy both chose the pulled pork sliders ($12), which were served with little dollops of apple potato salad. (Actually Katy originally chose the lobster brioche rolls, but they were out.) I had the truffle macaroni ($10), which was served on a tray in a row of soup spoons. The macaroni was garlicky and great, if not hugely plentiful (I ended up eating again once back in Queens). While my companions stuck to beer, I tried the bella luna cocktail ($13): gin, st. germain elderflower, lemon juice and creme yvette. It was petite and red and pretty in a tiny glass, and tasted like a more complicated version of gin and grapefruit juice.

We once again had to wait awhile for our check, which gave us time to scope out all of the couples on date night (is every cocktail they make red? Katy said she felt like we were in a vampire bar, which prompted a True Blood discussion) and the dark gold flecked walls. One curiosity: the menu does not feature any vodka cocktails (although vodka recipes are included on their website's handy do-it-yourself cocktail list). Was vodka impossible to find during Prohibition?

Perhaps Nucky will let me know.

3 petals
speakeasy charm, great cocktails, good food; small portions

Photo by Kevin Gray

A Note about the Photography.

To launch the blog I have been borrowing photos from other sources online--some, like Ben Shirai's, are used with permission from his Flickr folder, while others are (shhhh...) stolen--but in spite of my anti-copyright leanings I do want to respect the creators' wishes and rights. That said, I can't promise to be a perfect angel from here on out, but henceforth I will do my best to keep my camera with me at all times and create original photography as well as text. And anything I create can be shared or reproduced under my Creative Commons license.

This photo by Ryan Warner, which (almost) counts as me.

Tulcingo del Valle

10th Ave near 47th St, Manhattan
www.tulcingorestaurant.com


I might be a more devoted blogger if every restaurant was as inspiring as Tulcingo del Valle. Ryan and I met Demond at this 10th Avenue gem for a pre-show bite before Mrs. Warren's Profession, and it dutifully provided more than a bite--indeed, bites overflowing. (The play, by the way, was good, and I especially enjoyed Shaw's feminist monologues and the political undercurrent of the dialogue.) I never truly found a Mexican restaurant that satisfied my comfort-food-from-home cravings while in Boston (for gourmet Mexican, or fare from southern Mexico, does not taste of home). But now I can catch a train to Hell's Kitchen every time I need an enchilada fix, at least until I discover a place closer to my digs in Queens.

Tulcingo del Valle is a combination bodega/grocery/restaurant, with an extra dining room in an adjoining storefront (that was closed on the Sunday evening we visited). We sat next to soda refrigerators and under a TV that played telenovelas and world news in Spanish. The chips and salsa are not free, sadly, but are crunchy, fresh, and spicy; you'll have to go elsewhere for margaritas, but Tulcingo does serve beer, wine, and sangria (Demond had a Negro Modelo). We perused the expansive menu and were delightfully surprised by the size and quality of our plates: Demond had enchiladas Suizas with chicken and verde sauce; I had queso blanco enchiladas with mole; and Ryan had what he likes to call "the Mexican chicken," or the pollo a la mexicana plate. I loved the beans and rice, which came with a lump of guacamole, and even the mole was a bit spicy--much to my liking. Although I arrived hungry I couldn't quite finish my enchiladas, and I'm excited to go back and try many more vegetarian options. All three meals, plus appetizer, one Coke, and one beer, came to just over $50.

And the best perk? The check arrived, from our highly competent waitress, with three tiny boxes of Chiclets. ¡Dios mío! I might not have to move back to Texas after all.

4 petals
spicy, tasty Mexican; plentiful; cheap; off the beaten path (no tourists!); beer and wine

Photo by me.