Minetta Tavern, West Village - NYC

Minetta Tavern

113 MacDougal St.
New York, NY 10012  
http://www.minettatavernny.com/

If ever there were a drink that was alone worth the time and expense of traveling to New York, it might be the Green Mary at Minetta Tavern ($14).  A Bloody Mary made with fresh green tomatoes, it has a sweet smokiness that lingers on the palate for minutes and on the brain far longer.  Literally every time I have an ordinary Bloody Mary, or even a good one, I think about this drink. This trip, I had my Green Mary with the Black Label Burger ($26).  For the price it should, at least, come with bacon.  Really, really good bacon, made by monks in the Black Forest, from hogs raised on a diet of Champagne and truffles.  Or maybe some cheese.  But, whatever, it's a good burger.  It does come topped with well carmelized onions and a side of nicely crisp, but kind of bland fries.  And a really, really good pickle.  Unlike the drink, the burger is not the sort of thing you lust after.  But I'd get it again, even considering the cost.  I'm a sucker for a good burger.

Perla, West Village - NYC

Perla

24 Minetta Lane
New York, NY 10014
212-933-1824
http://perlanyc.com/

Perla is a small, chef-driven Italian bistro with great food and stellar cocktails.  My superior bartender, Brad, told me that he and the chef worked together at Eataly before the chef opened this place.  Dinner started with a Tombstone Sunday Nights cocktail ($13), which combines cinnamon-infused buffalo trace bourbon with Amaro Montenegro Bonal Gentiane, chile soy maple syrup, and house-made pepperoni bitters.  Spicy, yet subtle, it's a very nice riff on a Manhattan.  For my first course, I had the Vitello Tonnoto ($16), thick, pink slices of veal in a nice tuna sauce, with crispy capers and Tokyo turnips.  It was slightly salty, but otherwise good.  I paired it with a nice glass of Yves Cuilleron, 'Les Vignes D'A Cote' Viognier, 2011 ($16.5).  Though it all looked good, I skipped the pasta course and went straight for the Guinea hen ($28), one of the best chicken dishes I've ever had.  It was done as crispy-skinned rillettes and came with English peas, trumpet mushrooms, and a silky foie gras sugo.  (I want to have this dish for Thanksgiving.)  With it, I tried a glass of the Lange Nebbiolo, Roagna, 2005 ($16.5).  I was too full for dessert, but the 4 choices and selection of cheeses looked like either would provide a nice end to the meal.  Maybe I'll save room next time . . .


124 Rabbit Club, West Village - NYC

124 Rabbit Club

124 MacDougal St.
New York, NY10012

The tiniest little dive in the Village is actually a great craft beer bar (which basically only has craft beer, though there are some ciders).  It has just three taps, but features a well thought out, Belgian-heavy bottle list.  A true dive, it's in a brick-walled basement, "decorated" with coasters, candles made from broken beer bottles (some jagged), and, of course, rabbit-themed art.  The German beers were particularly interesting to me, so, after a draft Stoudt's Pilsner (an outstanding Pennsylvania beer I've never before had on tap), I tried the Einbecker Schwarzbier - an excellent version of this style, which makes Kostrizer seem just ordinary.  Keeping with that theme, my next beer was a Monschoff Schwarzbier, a very different, dryer version of the style with much darker malts for a smokier, almost grilled bread-like quality.  To close out a rather long visit, I went with a Schlenkerla Marzen, a rauchbier, which is about as close to liquid bacon as you can come, without being actual, liquid bacon.  If you find yourself in the Village and are at all into beer, this is a great place to know about.  But also know, it only takes cash.