Cienfuegos

After Vandaag, we thought we'd stop by Death and Company for some more cocktails. There was a 20-minute wait, so we kept walking and went to Cienfuegos right around the corner. Brought to you by the same brothers who own Death and Company, Cienfuegos is easily missed as its kind of hidden above Carteles--a Cuban sandwich shop.

I later learned that the city of Cienfuego was the fourth most important city in Cuba by the 19th century. The city was known for its production of sugar cane--which makes this the perfect name for a rum bar. Cienfuegos is a rum bar that takes you back in time. The space felt authentic from the decor to the menu. Part of the Cienfuegos appeal is the exclusive feel; but that wouldn't mean anything without a good product. Cienfuegos delivers because the drinks are awesome. The drinks menu displays a great variety of punches including "Fruit Forward", "Seasonal", "Served Hot", "Light and Fizzy", "Strong and Fizzy", "Takes on Classic", etc. The punches are delicious and sure do pack a punch.

Cienfuegos invites your soul to mambo and it did. It not only offers great cocktails, but an atmosphere that is truly unique. I will be back to Cienfeugos for sure! Next time, I'd love to check out the food at Carteles.

Go get some punch!
(Located on 6th and Avenue A)

Where Do Foodies Eat?

On Wednesday, I got together with some old friends who I went to the Institute of Culinary Education with. All of them work in the industry, so their love for hospitality and food is similar to mine. While planning a get together, we let our friend Dana pick as she is probably the biggest foodie out of all of us. Dana is like a living Zagat guide as she's been to so many places. And if she hasn't been, she's read about it. She listed a bunch of restaurants in the e-mails prior to our outing, but only one restaurant had reservations for the 5 of us. Vandaag, a new-comer to the East Village. Vandaag, meaning "today" in Dutch serves up Dutch/Scandinavian fare in a comfortable atmosphere. I really liked Vandaag's design and decor. I was surprised how open the space seemed--I like the design; but it seems like they had some wasted space. From a dinner's perspective its awesome, but from a business standpoint it seems they could utilize the space more. The again, the restaurant was pretty empty, so maybe getting more tables in is not a priority.

The service was good. Our server was knowledgeable and friendly. The drink and food menu was very inventive and stayed true to its concept. Sam Snifton awarded Vandaag with two stars after describing the menu as "inventive, a version of Northern European cooking refracted through an East Village lens". The chef, Phillip Kirschen, worked at restaurants such as Corton and WD-50; so his experience left us anxious to taste.

We started the night with some cocktails. Genever and Aquavit were at the essence of the cocktail list. Vandaag also had a nice selection of microbrews and wines. Vandaag's wine selection seemed to be centered around Austrian-German varietals. The cocktails were good..different, but good. We ordered a mix of appetizers and entrees, so that we could all share. The combination of ingredients were unique, but im just not sure I am convinced. I like when food brings you outside your boundaries, but I don't think it worked (for me). The crowd had mixed reviews on the various dishes, but there was nothing that we needed to order another one of. The one thing that was memorable was the potatoes and bacon pot. Crispy fingerling potatoes with smokey bacon, apples, and stroop (Dutch caramel syrup) made for a great side dish. The stroop was also served on one of the desserts we got--the stroopwafel. Although the stroopwafel wasn't great, it was better than the beet bread pudding which was topped with a cranberry sorbet.

Overall, Vandaag offers a compelling experience; however, I think it fell short. The atmosphere was good and the service was too; but the food just didn't do it for me. Sure we had something interesting dishes with unusual combination of ingredients; but none of the combo's kept a lasting impression with me. This place might be good if you want to experience something different, but I will not be back.

The menu is seasonal, so it changes pretty often. These are some dishes that were on the website that we tried. There were a few that weren't listed.

• SEASONAL PICKLE POT 5
• KALE SALAD - PICKLED CHESTNUTS, SWEET ONIONS, CARAWAY 8

• PRESERVED DUCK - ASH BREAST, PICKLED TONGUE, JARDINIERE, SORREL 14
• BITTERBALLEN SLOW BRAISED OXTAIL CROQUET, MUSTARD RELISH 10
• MUTTON PIE - WATERCRESS, HORSERADISH, AGED VINEGAR 12

• SUNCHOKE AND POTATO DUMPLING - RADISH, MUSHROOM BROTH, DILL 18
• NORTH ATLANTIC CRUSTACEANS - SWEET POTATO, SAFFRON, HAY SMOKE 26
• 
  

• HETE BLIKSEM ’HOT LIGHTNING’ - CRISP FINGERLINGS, BACON, APPLE, STROOP SYRUP 8
• 
  

Von Bar

I think its safe to say that the city is going through a classic cocktail renaissance. More and more bars are adopting cocktail programs and a speakeasy feel. Although it takes me awhile to find an unmarked bar, I enjoy this new (revisited) style bar. When will this trend get old...who knows? Von Bar, located at 3 Bleecker St, is easily missed if you're not looking for it. Its hard to talk about the crowd as fellow workers packed the downstairs for a birthday party. I heard it attracts the hipster crowd and by the feel I could definitely see it. Von Bar's downstairs hosts dance parties as the DJ plays old music videos. I'm not sure how crowded it gets on weekends, but Von Bar is a sweet spot to take over if with a larger group.

Von Bar had a nice selection of booze and a nice vibe going, so check it out for a good time.

Just Salad?

How could a quick-serve restaurant (QSR) make enough business if all they sell is JUST SALAD!? Salad is not only something that is quick and easy; but cheap--atleast thats what I thought. Just Salad is a QSR with a funky decor and a health conscious menu created by Chef Laura Pensiero.

Intrigued on how they do good business, I stopped in one afternoon and the place was jamming. Wall Streeters and other downtown workers piled in to get their daily fix of greens. I got the Thai Chicken Crunch: a salad made up of romaine, iceberg, grilled chicken, carrots,celery, and Chinese noodles. The salad tossed/chopped and dressed with a spicy Thai peanut dressing.

The salad was pretty good, but I could go next door and get a weeks worth of lettuce for what the salad cost. At $8 a salad, I can see how Just Salad has a few locations around Manhattan and Hong Kong. You could get a sandwich at the deli down the street and you might even get two meals out it. Healthy eating is more expensive, but totally worth it in my opinion.

Just Salad also has some wraps, so don't be fooled by the name!

Gallery Bar

My roommates and I actually walked right by it on our first search for the bar. Maybe we were too busy chatting, but Gallery Bar didn't seem to have any signs --just a line of people waiting to get in. Located at 120 Orchard Street (btwn Delancey & Rivington), Gallery Bar is a bi-level lounge with an awesome vibe. The space is also used as an art gallery, so the decor was pretty cool. The top floor seemed more of a hangout and have some drinks vibe while downstairs held the dance party. DJs were spinning good tunes on both levels, so if you're not into sweaty-packed dance scene then upstairs will probably would be the spot for you.

Drink prices seemed average for the area, but what I didn't like was Gallery Bars gratuity policy. An automatic 25% tip was added to your bill. I probably would have given around that much because the service was decent, but let that be my decision. What happens if they don't deserve 25%? I'm a good tipper and I was put off by this credit card policy. This place could get pretty packed and when it does you might be waiting 20 minutes to use the bathroom, so pee before you go or make friends with the bouncer.

Make sure to stop by the photo booth and take some risque photos! Gallery Bar was fun. Definitely a good spot to take a chick...or meet a chick. Check it out!

West Village

Daddy-Os in the West Village is a cozy restaurant offering good drinks and above-average bar food. The atmosphere was very chill as tunes from Jimi Hendrix and Blind Melon filled the air. An older, but spunky waitress took good care of us throughout the night. She recommended the burger as she claimed it was "one of New York's best burgers." The burger was good--it had good flavor and it was cooked as ordered; but I thought the bun was too big. I think if the bun was a bit smaller, the burger would have been better. The tater tots served on the side of the burger is something worth talking about. Crispy and delicious, the tater tots stole the show.









I was also fortunate to taste the Mexican pizza, which was pretty good. Thin crust pizza with a nice spicy kick--pretty solid. I also got to taste my friend Caitlin's chicken sandwich, which also had a nice deal of spiciness. I thought the sandwich was good, but not for those with a weak stomach!

I ended my meal with one of their signature cocktails, the Daddy-O, which is a mixture of bourbon, honey liqueur, bitters and maybe one other ingredient that I missed. Chilled and served up, the drink prove to be a nice ending to a decent meal. If ever in the West Village, stop in for a cocktail and a side tater tots. I hear the buffalo wings are real good.



While some of us went home, other went across the street to the Village Tavern. The Village Tavern seemed like a pretty sweet sports bar. I liked this bar because you could chill out and watch the game, play some pool, or even play Buck Hunter or Golden Tee. You could even put some money in the jukebox and start a dance party. It wasn't crowded when I went there, but I could see this bar getting pretty rowdy!

Take a date to Daddy-Os for some food and cocktails then end at the Village Tavern for a pint and some pool. And gentlemen--let her win!

BK

One perk about living in the financial district is the easy access to Brooklyn. Normally we'll take the subway, but with the weather getting nice--a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge sounds right. My three roommates and I decided to go to Pedros right across the bridge for happy hour. One of my roommates Greg, had stumbled upon Pedros on a run and thought I'd be a great spot.

Pedros, located on Jay Street is a small Mexican joint serving up traditional Mexican fare. We walked in and sat down, kind of weary about staying; but we decided we'd atleast grab a beer. A few beers and margaritas later, we decided to grab some food. Our waitress seemed confused when we asked for a plate of cheese nachos; but after checking with the kitchen she approved our order. Maybe its just me, but that seems like a normal order in a Mexican restaurant, no? The nachos weren't good at all, but they were better than what I ordered next. I ordered the "fish tacos" which is actually only one taco filled with a stewed cod. I should have known better after seeing the buffet style food case directly behind us. After one bite, I pushed the plate to the other side of the table. The cod itself was so fishy that I chugged my $3 dos equis to rid my mouth of that awful flavor.

Pedros has a cool vibe as a small Mexican cantina, but the food was awful. The service was pretty bad too. She kept mixing up our beer orders, wasn't too knowledgeable on the menu, and didn't care that two people were horrified by the fish taco. Definitely won't be back to Pedros.


On the way home, we stopped at Front Street Pizza for a slice. The pizza here was really good. They had a nice selection of toppings and the place seemed clean. Worth crossing the bridge for? I don't know?