After a great podcast recording (watch for the post later tonight), Rachel and I had drinks and dinner at the revamped Minetta Tavern.Now, we've been to the original Minetta Tavern many times and we thought it was a travesty when the doors closed a few years back. But now, from the owners of Pastis and Balthazar, the restaurant is back with a vengeance. You have to be a who's-who to get into the joint, unless you have reservations months in advance. Luckily Rachel and I are one big who, and we got in to feast at the bar.
The food is downright amazing, and the rumors of the tasty hamburger are for real. It's a burger for the ages.
Yet, it's the intricate cocktail menu that you should rush over there for. Rachel got the exclusively Minetta "Rhubard Sophie," which is made with Below 42 vodka, rhubarb bitters, lime, agave nectar and cucumber. It is light and kind of tastes like a tart-n-tiny candy. I ordered the Maple Leaf Sazerac, which is a deadly mix of Rittenhouse Rye, Sortilège Maple Cordial, Pernod Absinthe and a Lemon Zest rim. It's so damn smooth you'll want to lick the glass to the last drop.
All-in-all Minetta Tavern's face-lift is a true comeback. It's like reconnecting with an old high school friend at the reunion, only to find out they're kind of a celebrity now. Now if only they can get Chumley's back up and running!
