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Few cocktail bars have the creative muscle and consistency that Death and Company (433 E. 6th Street) has had. It's often our weeknight 'go to' place - no we don't go out on Fridays and Saturdays - since it is large enough to get into as opposed to tiny PDT, which we also find less consistent. So when we are out carousing, we eagerly look forward to a few rounds of Death and Company cocktails. Unfortunately, on a recent visit, for the first time we were disappointed. Some really good cocktails were off the menu, and in their place, were some less successful newcomers.

First off, we have to have our Manhattan Transfer (Rittenhouse rye, Noilly Pratt dry vermouth, ramazotti, orange bitters) and it remains top notch. Unfortunately, other faves Myra Breckinridge and Grouse Rampant were off the menu. Our rather large party, momentarily derailed by a lack of obvious choices, decided to risk the My Oh My Ty, a wimpy version of the mai tai that was in no way memorable, and a Smoked Horchata (housemade horchata, Herradura silver, Crema de Mezcal), which was way too sweet. Another newcomer, La Vina, was just okay as was the intriguing Daisy Buchanan (chamomile-infused Old Overholt rye, Dolin Dry Vermouth, Aperol & Yellow Chartreuse), which was bone dry on the finish. And the further we delved into the list, the more disappointing it became.

Hopefully the cocktail issues were just a manifestation of the mid-winter blahs. But what did strike our fancy were the always surprisingly strong food choices. The pulled pork sliders were very good while the prosciutto and cheese flatbread was fantastic. So fantastic, that we ordered more.

Anyway, we recommend proceeding with a bit of caution right now, at least until D+C gets  some "spring" in its step.

We'd heard much about Williamsburg's Rye (247 S. 1st Street), which opened last year to a good bit of fanfare, but had been remiss in making a trip until recently. Finally we did and we're happy to report that advance notice was spot on - where many Brooklyn spots disappoint, Rye is the real deal with good food and great cocktails.

The cocktails skew classic and towards the brown liquors we at BoozyNYC love so. Let us count the reasons to love Rye: The Havemeyer (Rittenhouse rye, Fino Sherry, Carpano Antica and bitters) is a fine Manhattan-esque drink. The very good Classic Old Fashioned. The smoky Blood and Sand (black tea infused scotch, cherry heering, vermouth). The spot-on Sazerac. The terrifically spiced Hot Butternut Rum, a take on the classic using butternut squash butter in addition to aged rum and housemade falernum. However, both the Southside (gin, muddled cucumber, mint, fresh lime, soda water) and Stone Fence (Laird's Applejack, fresh apple cider, housemade ginger beer) were well made, if too sweet for our taste. All cocktails are $10.

The food lived up to advance billing for the most part - it stuck to your ribs, was tasty and worked pretty well with the drinks. The standouts were the grilled quail, which was the best quail we've had in a long time, and the house smoked sturgeon appetizer. The pork belly was merely good - nicely grilled edges but otherwise run of the mill - is NYC officially over pork belly or what? Less successful were the mac & cheese, which needed a bit more flavor not to mention creaminess, and the vaunted meatloaf sandwich - pretty good but completely upstaged by the crispy onions that crowned it. The meat, while moist, needed to amp up the flavor and the bread was superfluous.

The room is a somewhat endearing hodgepodge - the bar dating back to 1890 is majestically dark and imposing, providing a solid foundation from which to get hammered. But the rest of the space looks like a German restaurant circa 1900. The main room is full of large round tables situated too close to the bar, meaning that anyone standing at the busy bar are nearly pushed against patrons on the bar stools. The back area with a smattering of smaller tables gave off a bit of a Siberia vibe.

Rye is well worth a visit. It's priced right, the attitude is in check and there is real talent both behind the bar and in the kitchen.
 

Hotel Delmano (82 Berry Street, Williamsburg) has been around awhile but it never quite made the A-list of NYC cocktail meccas. We had a good experience last year, and while the cocktail list was on the short side upon the opening, there was promise. Recently, we popped in to see what they are up to.

The cocktail list is much longer these days, there are more bartenders, too. Our first round consisted of the Rattlesnake (rye, absinthe, lemon, egg white, $13) and Autumn Leaves (olorso sherry, apricot, reposado tequila, $9). The Rattlesnake was fine though it didn't have much bite while Autumn Leaves didn't work at all. Smoke and Flowers (St. Germain, sherry, dry vermouth, Ardberg single malt scotch, $10), which has a romantic 1930s ring to it, was quite good while the 20th Century (lemon, white creme de cacao, Lillet, gin, $9) was good but a touch sweet. Lastly we couldn't resist the very good, smoky Devil's Garden (lime, agave nectar, mint, chipotle, cynar, and bitter infused mezcal, $12).

Overall, the cocktails are good - misses are likely unavoidable - with such an extensive list, but only the Devil's Garden truly impressed. The space is romantic and inviting, banquette seating cozy but service struck us as efficient but indifferent, which broke the spell a bit. While prices are generally attractive ($9-  13), we'd be hard pressed to give a reason for you to go out of your way to check in to the Hotel Delmano unless you're in the 'hood.

Wine bars continue to pop up around town - with even more coming down the pike in 2010 - and we're fans of the trend. But recent visits to Ardesia, a new addition to the scene, and the year old Ten Bells illustrate that for a seemingly simple concept, it's not always easy to pull off.

Ten Bells (247 Broome Street) has a lot going for it - the winelist is full of interesting options, if you are a vin naturel fan, and by the glass prices are very reasonable, mostly $8 - 10. The wrap-around bar is nice, but for the best attention sit on the side that does not have the "kitchen" area. Get there early or you'll find that side populated by friends of the bartenders, industry insiders and regulars. Like the wines, the place is quirky and full of character, which we like, except when the quirkiness is highly impractical such as the puzzling refusal to print a winelist. It's on the website so why not print it on paper? Customers are forced to read the entire list written in chalk on boards lining the walls, which is not only not very consumer friendly but also hard in the dim light. Also, be warned - no credit cards are taken at all. In this day and age, that's an odd choice but it's their right. Just don't expect us to carry around a couple of hundred bucks in cash to drop on a bottle or magnum - and the list of magnums is indeed worth exploring. And no, we're not using that sketchy ATM across the street. Ten Bells is worth a visit, not least of all for its interesting wines at great prices - just bring a pocketful of cash. (And maybe a flashlight.)

Ardesia (510 W. 52nd Street) is pretty much the opposite of Ten Bells. The room, in a brand new residential building closer to New Jersey than Times Square, lacks the intimacy of downtown spots or the nearby Casellula. The design is reminiscent of Le Bernardin (an owner works at the Ripert 4-starrer) in that it skews corporate nice-but-cold, polished but lacking personality - not the type of place we'd want to hang out in. To our taste, it's a bit style-over-substance, focused on pricey wines - a glass of good Rioja will run you $18 - in pretty glassware that are not always ready to drink (we tasted a bunch). A more interesting - and affordable - choice was Muskateller ($11) but there should have been more options like this. In a wine bar, we look for interesting wines at affordable prices and these prices are decidedly restaurant-level. Maybe that's why so many people were drinking beer.

FiDi has long been the domain of one family of restaurateurs - the Poulakakos family. While not the biggest name on the NYC dining circuit, the proprietors behind Bayard's, Harry's, Adrienne's Pizza Bar, Ulysses and Financier are a force to be reckoned with. And now, without any advance notice, they have landed a game changer - Vintry Wine & Whiskey (57 Stone Street) - a wine bar and cocktail lounge that is a welcome addition to the Lower Manhattan wasteland of Irish pubs and sports bars.

Thanks to one of those fancy machines that dispense (and preserve) wine - and Harry Poulakakos'  wine cellar - Vintry can offer wines you rarely see poured by the glass. Here, you can try them by 2oz or 5oz pours (or go for a full bottle), sampling vintages going as far back as 1979 at fraction of the price (e.g. $165 bottle vs. $14.50 for two ounces), should you feel adventurous. We tried a number of wines from the dispenser and truth be told we were not exactly bowled over (some of them seemed to be fading and many are not prized vintages), but there were some highlights such as the deliciously earthy 1998 Dujac Morey St Denis ($11 for 2 oz, $25 for 5oz, $125 bottle). Otherwise, you can skip the older vintages and instead have a lot of fun with great values and very good wines. The selection is deep and quite interesting, and there are plenty of wines to try at $3.50 - $5 per two-ounce pour. This is a place to explore wine at any price point.

Prefer something stronger to wine? Or looking for well-made cocktails? Vintry has you covered too, with an exhaustive selection of single malts and bourbons, as well as whiskey based cocktails (sorry, no cosmos here. it is 2009, after all). The Jerry Thomas (Basil Hayden bourbon, dubonnet rouge, grand marnier, peychaud's bitter and benedictine) was an excellent starter as was the Angel's Share (Woodford reserve bourbon, agave nectar, fernet branca, lemon and Hawaiian sea salt), which could easily lose the fancy salt rim. While we enjoyed Harry's Whiskey Sour, made the classic way, it was the ridiculously named Flaming Bubinga (Higland Park 12 year old scotch, blume marillen apricot eau de vie, lemon, fresh blood orange) that was the overall favorite - perhaps the best scotch-based drink we've ever had. Cocktails are $10 - $14.

Small plates of terrific veal meatballs, gnocchi with lamb ragout, cheeses and well-sourced charcuterie (from pheasant pate to jamon iberico) will keep you fortified as you explore the many wines and whiskeys on offer.

FiDi has finally gotten a proper cocktail and wine bar. It's about time.

Vintry Wine & Whiskey
57 Stone Street, website

Much has been written about the resurrection of faded NYC institution Minetta Tavern (109 MacDougal Street), from puff pieces about the genius of Keith McNally to the accolades of various critics. But our question as we sat at the packed bar and watched the dining room fill at the ungodly hour of 5:30pm was, is it any good?

We'll reserve judgment on the menu since we just tried a few dishes - notably the excellent Berkshire pig trotter. The subject here is booze and in this area the results were mixed.

The hands down favorite was the Murray Sour, a delicious mix of Yamazaki 12 year whiskey, cardamomm-infused agave nectar, lemon & orange. A bit less successful was the oddly named Dodd Cocktail, Basil Hayden bourbon, La Fee Absinthe, peach bitters, lemon and egg white. It was good but one dimensional. Unfortunately, Ginger in the Rye, Michters rye, angostura bitters, La Fee absinthe, ginger beer and pressed limes, was merely a dark 'n' stormy knock-off overwhelmed by absinthe. Cocktails were a hefty $14.

Flying in under the radar this week was Pennsylvania-themed (huh?) Rye House (11 West 17th Street).The write-ups were intriguing enough -  house-made rye? sausage, coleslaw and fries in a sandwich? - plus we are big fans of brown liquor so went in for an early look.

If you're used to speakeasies and other such quaint watering spots, you'll likely be disappointed in Rye House. The place is big - as in expect huge after work crowds big. While the wood-centered design is not unattractive, the front bar room is too wide with a set of high tables opposite the bar and a good amount of real estate between, while the back room has communal tables and booths for large groups. Not where you want to sit unless you are decor-insensitive.

But as always, it's about the drinks, and the cocktail list is off to a good start. Topping the proceedings is the off-the-list Creole Daiquiri. This is not your mom's daiquiri - it's made with Old New Orleans Rum, chorizo-infused mezcal and pomegranate molasses. Nicely balanced and quite delicious. Almost as good is the Moonshine Mountain Punch, made with Catdaddy moonshine, something we've had in other states but had not seen in NYC before. With the additions of spiced rum, grapefruit, lime, bitters and chai, this goes down oh so easily. Also intriguing was The Mansfield made with your choice of Blue Coat gin or Tito's handmade vodka,  vermouth, yellow chartreuse and grapefruit bitters. Skip the vodka and go for the gin for pretty floral and herbal flavors with a kick of citrus. Unfortunately there is no house-made rye as we were led to believe - a slap on the wrist to UrbanDaddy for misleading us. Cocktails are $12 and a dozen American craft beers are also available on draft for $7.

The menu is full of offbeat takes on pub grub. Yes, the Pittsburgh sandwich is good. The spicy andouille sausage pieces are tasty if a bit unwieldy, but any sandwich with fries inside can't be bad, can it? (Actually, the fries get soggy quickly so hope your sandwich gets to you from the kitchen fast.) The star of the sandwich might well be the excellent coleslaw. Mama's fried mac & cheese came as an odd quartet of fried balls, overpriced, slightly underseasoned and not cheesy enough. The duck and foie gras quesadillas soak up the booze but lack a certain finesse like a fresh accent to cut through the richness and make them less one-note.

Since the cocktail program is interesting enough of a draw, we'll be back - as long as there is room at the bar.

Momofuku Ssam Bar (207 2nd Ave) is our favorite (accessible) David Chang joint and we'd been trying to get drinks there for a while. Of course, the rule is you must order food if you want a cocktail before midnight. Finally we were in the hood after midnight so we swung by for a drink. We're happy to report the endeavor was quite a success though worker productivity the following day took a nosedive.

We started with an NCL (tyrconnell single malt irish whiskey, carpano antica and aperol) and the Celery + Nori (nori-infused laird's applejack, celery syrup, celery bitters). Both came in oversize rocks glasses with a giant ice cube. The NCL was rich and delicious - not being Irish whiskey drinkers, we were impressed with the drinks complexity. The Celery + Nori was perfectly adequate but left us a little flat after an intriguing start. Ssam's rendition of the Brooklyn (rittenhouse rye, dolin dry vermouth, maraschino, amer picon) was even better than the NCL. We have no idea where they got amer picon in the U.S. but we're happy to see it. Cocktails are $12 - $13.

Dutch Kills (27-24 Jackson Avenue) has intrigued us since it opened earlier this year - mainly because it's in the middle of nowhere. Co-owner Sasha Petraske has done some interesting things - Milk & Honey - and some not so - East Side Company, a coffee place? - so we didn't know what to expect. But what we did know was that after Le Fooding (aka Le No Boozing) we needed a drink.

So why would anyone open a bar in this desolate area? Beats us but we were happy to see the bar sign lit up from a block away. This aint' Manhattan folks - they want people to find this place. And when you do find it and step inside, you'll find a handsome joint with seating in the front, a narrow hall, and a smallish bar where all the mixology happens.

Fine and dandy, but what about the drinks you ask? Pretty darn good based on generous sampling.

Flatiron Lounge (37 W. 19th Street) has become sort of an also-ran among today's fancy cocktail places. It doesn't have the cachet of PDT/Death&Co/Milk & Honey or a cool East or West Village location and it's older than all the other speakeasy type places. Yet somehow it soldiers on, neither showy nor particularly innovative. Since it had fallen off our radar, we recently popped in to see what they're up to. A pineapple fetish for one thing.

The drinks never blew us away at Flatiron but this time they seemed oddly out of sync. Technically still summer, we expected lots of fresh drinks and certainly the plethora of pineapple threw us for a loop. But we persevered. First up - Maiden's Swizzle (rum, campari, st. germain & a touch of velvet falernum) and Captain Cook's Folly (muddled fresh tarragon, pineapple, lime and pisco). The former was passable while the latter was way too sweet and no attempt to fix it could rectify this folly of a drink. Rathbone's Delight (12 year Highland Scotch, cynar, campari, pineapple) continued the pineapple train - it was also fairly bitter, no surprise considering it contained 2 amaros. Quiet Village (blanco tequila, fresh lime, grapefruit and cinnamon bark) didn't offend but did not wow us either. Cocktails were $13 and not worth the disappointment on this visit.

Flatiron Lounge
37 W. 19th Street, 212-727-7741
www.flatironlounge.com

The other night we dropped in the bar at the Ace Hotel. It was oddly quiet - isn't this supposed to be some sort of hotspot? The short cocktail list was as uninspired as the guests lingering in the shabby-cool space. Unfortunately what plays well in Portland seems kind of forced in NYC. And then there was the bathroom...

First the booze - what drinks we did try were bleh - The Flatiron ($12) was a dull version of a dark n stormy - neither dark nor stormy, so there really was no point. They do donate $1 of the price to Madison Sq Park though so it's not a total wash. The Ace Old Fashioned ($14) should have worked - reposado tequila, agave nectar, bitters - but was also flat. Bitter Lemonade (prosecco, aperol, fresh lemon) was hardly lemonade at all - just a bit of lemon - and a dash of simple syrup (not on the ingredient list) gave it an unwelcome sweetness. Hey folks, bitter means bitter.

Worst of all was the bathroom (right) - maybe it was trashed by peeved residents not otherwise allowed in the lobby - but this is really inexcusable in a supposed upscale hotel looking to make a good first impression. Sorry guys, you gotta clean up once in a while.

Breslin Lobby Bar at the Ace Hotel
20 W. 29th Street

We've hit Raines Law Room (48 W. 17th Street) quite a few times since it opened and we have to say it is constantly getting better and better. At this point, some of the buzz has worn off - people are fixated with places like Mayahuel or the bar at the Breslin - but for our money we'd rather be at Raines. Plus it's a lot easier for us to get in.

The secret to Raines' success is that the cocktails (most $13) are just that good. A recent sampling confirmed what we already knew - the breadth of possibilities makes this the best new bar in NYC.

We tried a mix of new concoctions and old favorites and came away impressed by the newbies.
The Five Points (Lairds Applejack, Dolin vermouth, Marie Brizard apry, amaro ciociaro, orange twist, brandied cherry) was complex and very good. The Communist Daughter was perhaps the best use of Beefeter 24 gin we've had (ably assisted by aperol, grapefuit juice and a spritz of pernod absinthe). The Iconclast (Johnnie Walker Black, amaro averna, Marie Brizard creme de cacao, lemon juice, orange bitters, a rinse of green chartreuse) was dark, smoky and delicious. And there was certainly no suffering to be had while enjoying the Suffering Bastard (Bulleit bourbon, Plymouth gin, lemon juice, sugar and muddled ginger), which was a great balance of smooth and bracing.

And as always a trip would not complete without the Gold Rush - just make sure they aren't skimpy on the bourbon. Raines Law Room is the real deal and it just seems to be getting better and better.

A while back we posted about Eleven Madison Park's new cocktails and recently we got a chance to try them out.

But first a word about Crispy Cornets of Veal Sweetbreads. Yes folks, crispy and full of juicy, delicious sweetbreads. This may be the bar snack of the year. Do not, I repeat, do not forget to order these. You get 2 for $8 and we do not recommend sharing.

Now for the drinks - you can tell the Danny Meyer imprint is all over them. They are efficiently made, generally solid and appeal to everyone. (These are all compliments by the way.) Perhaps without peer when it comes to NY restaurateurs, Meyer ensures good dining experiences whatever the occasion - from proper service in the dining room to well made cocktails to restaurant week menus chock full of interesting choices.

Our favorite of the drinks we tried was the Oaxaca 747, which is off the menu though listed online. This delicious mix of mezcal, gin, creme de violette, maraschino and agave nectar is slightly sweet but extremely balanced. Balanced is actually the word that came to mind a lot - the New Amsterdam, a new drink made with genever gin was also nicely balanced as was the very good A La Louisiane, a version of a Manhattan made slightly bitter with the addition of Benedictine.

Cocktails are a rather steep $13 - $15 but you will get a nice assortment of olives, nuts and housemade potato chips. The service is professional as expected.

Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Avenue
Cocktail Menu Online (currently slightly out of date)

Ward III (111 Reade Street) has been open two weeks and our first visit left us wondering how they would adapt to the market, so we dropped in again on a recent night. The bar was quite busy - it was later than our first visit - and we were immediately given menus without a word about the concept. So much for bespoke cocktails, I guess.

We ordered a Ward 111 (Makers Mark, strawberries, lime, egg white, peychauds bitters & nutmeg) and The Collective (blended scotch, Dolin sweet vermouth, lemon, honey, egg white). The Collective was delicious while the Ward 111 was fine but not memorable. Another well made but fairly non-descript cocktail was The Singer (rye, fresh raspberries, orange bitters, fresh lemon, honey water). As for food, we still have our quibbles. For some unknown reason the deviled eggs called our names but what arrived was a big letdown - exactly one and a half eggs for $6. They certainly weren't good enough to justify $2 per half of egg.

In the meantime, we're still waiting for the glass eaters and contortionists promised by the website. Maybe in week 3...

We've probably spent too much money at the underground lounge at Tailor (525 Broome Street) since it opened but we wondered how the place was doing after its recent troubles, so we popped in for a visit.

The upstairs sat empty, a sad but probably inevitable occurrence since they never did make the dining side work - part location, part victim of hype and part just not hitting it out of the park menu wise. Downstairs some "djs" were spinning but the place was fairly desolate. The drinks list was pretty much the same but there was one drink that stood out - the Lovage Sour. We ordered one (gin, lemon, lovage aquavit $13) as well as the Waylon, a bourbon and smoked coke drink we've always liked ($12). The Lovage Sour was fantastic, one of the best drinks we've had all year, and the Waylon was reliably good. For a nightcap, my partner in drinks ordered the Aqua verde (tequila, tomatillo, cilantro, habanero $13), a drink that always struck me as inexplicable. It's not that it's bad - okay it's pretty bad if you ask me - but that it's terribly vegetal. There's certainly nothing delicious about it, but defiantly it remains on the menu, alongside that awful bubble gum drink.

Will Tailor survive the bankruptcy and "temporary" closure of the dining room? Who knows. You can make a lot of money in this town off booze but enough to operate a space like this and pay off debts? That's a tough one. As for the drinks, people like experimentation to a degree but you also have to put out delicious product. Tailor sometimes succeeds and sometimes doesn't. But when a drink like the Lovage Sour works, it kind of restores your faith in creative cocktail-making.

We were in the East Village, post dinner, and wondered if we could get into Mayahuel. After all, the place was written up the wazoo and seemed to have a good rep. It was late and the weekend but we gave it a shot.

Turns out it wasn't all that busy, with a healthy turnover both at the bar and the tables. We waited about 30 seconds outside and then got a few seats downstairs - with a warning that they still don't take credit cards. Guess that explains the turnover since how many people carry the cash to cover multiple rounds of $13 cocktails?

Our drinks were good but the flavors seemed a bit muted as opposed to our first visit - we had loved the Smoked Palomino, a sherry and mezcal cocktail, but this time the smokiness was MIA and the drink was fine, but nothing special. We also tried La Vida Rosa, strawberry infused blanco tequila rose wine and elderflower, which was a refreshing summer drink but decidedly lighweight. Better, if not exactly unique, was the Italian Inquisition, basically yet another riff on the Manhattan, with reposado tequila, punt e mes, averna and solerno, xocolati mole bitters. Rich and dark as night, it was a good way to finish off the evening.

Time will tell if Mayahuel becomes a New York classic a la Death & Co. But for now, it would be helpful to get a friggin' credit card system in.

Mayahuel remains at 304 East 6th Street.

Stepping into Locanda Verde (377 Greenwich Street), which replaced the short-lived Ago in Robert DeNiro's Tribeca hotel, we suddenly wondered what city we were in. The restaurant's design struck us as so generic and non descript we could have been in Boston, Chicago or Toronto for all we knew. Ken Friedman had a hand in this? Aside from some old cookbooks on the shelves, you could have fooled us.

Andrew Carmellini, ex-A Voce, is now in charge of the kitchen and it was evident from the familiar feeling, meat-centric menu. We've been let down in the past by Carmellini - A Voce was hardly a 3 star restaurant in our book - but we figured we'd see what he's up to. Apparently, like the restaurant itself, nothing original.

But first, the booze. Right off the bat, we need to give special kudos to Locanda Verde for an actual beer deal. They serve Moretti on draft for $5. (Artisanal American beers are the standard $7 rip-off.) The cocktail list wasn't particularly original but the Benevento (Rittenhouse rye, strega and bitters, $12) was good - borderline sweet but just short of too sweet - but decidedly small. The winelist has a good variety of choices by the glass for $9 - $12 and if you want a different sort of white wine, try the delicious Vespaiolo.

Food-wise, we found the menu skewed to dishes that are too heavy and out of touch with the season. The Meatball Sliders were pretty good as was the Testa, aka head cheese. The Garlic Chicken for two has gotten a fair amount of buzz and it was fine, but frankly we expected the flavors to penetrate the skin a bit more. Robiola Ravioli, unfortunately, were a bg letdown, at least partially because the accompanying mushrooms had not flavor.

We wouldn't put Locanda Verde on our list of places to rush back to, but no doubt the buzz will continue and Carmellini's reputation will translate into NY Times stars. But when people are paying $75 a head, a bit more creativity would do the dining public some good.

Aldea is a proper grownup restaurant and likely on track to be a good one - well-designed space, a thoughtful menu by talented George Mendes, attentive service - but how does the bar side hold up?

We tried three cocktails and a very good cava from Mont Marcal ($11), something inexplicably difficult to find in this town. Drink-wise, the Shiprock, a mix of Plymouth gin, ginger syrup, orange blossom water and lemon, was pretty good and we could see it being popular with the ladies. The Inscription (Beefeater 24, St. Germain and Pernod Absinthe) was our first encounter with the new green tea infused Beefeater and wasn't entirely successful. We'd bet it would work better with a less off-the-wall gin. The Whimsy was a tasty mix of Bulleit Bourbon, agave, lemon and Fernet Branca. Cocktails are $12. The winelist is concise with well priced choices by the glass (generally $10 - $11) though constructed in our least favorite way, with wines by the glass listed in the main winelist amongst all the choices. Pull them out and put them on top folks...

These are the early days so the food experience was predictably a bit mixed - a terrific Arroz de Pato with duck confit, chorizo, olive and duck cracklings but underwhelming razor clams; great crisped pig's ears and ramps but the egg with bacalao didn't work as well. However, we look forward to going back once they settle a bit. And for that duck rice.

Aldea
31 West 17th Street, 212-675-7223

We're not restaurant reviewers per se but we can't let things go unnoticed when we pop into places for drinks and a few bites. Case in point - Bar Artisanal, where we were subjected to amateurish service and underwhelming food.

After being seated, we waited ten minutes for some attention from the staff. Then a particularly zealous manager appeared - and gave us the "evening's menus" and a brief overview of how they are designed. Huh? This is a casual place? Then he circled the table, calling everyone sir and answering every request with "my pleasure." By the end of the circle, he had dispensed so much pleasure that we thought we'd need to book a room in the hotel upstairs.

Next up, some crimes against wine.

Recently we found ourselves in Chelsea and close enough to Raines Law Room (48 West 17th Street) that we decided to pop in for a spot check. The room was busy as usual and Paul, the host, was deftly juggling the crowds as we settled into one of the snug booths.

The first time around, we loved the space and some of the cocktails but found imprecise execution in certain drinks. Our recent visit showed a bit surer hand behind the bar but still some issues to work out. And we have now learned our lesson - ignore the specials, which can be hit or miss, but generally don't justify the $16 pricetag for "premium ingredients." Heck $13 is a bit steep for drinks in this day and age.

Right away we re-visited the Gold Rush and made sure the waitress knew we liked a good amount of bourbon in it. The version we got was as good as we remembered it (after it was fixed the last time). We also tried the Smoke and Mirrors again - this time it was sweeter than we liked and just okay. Seems like execution is still an issue with this drink and as much as we want to like it, we just can't recommend it. Other specials included the Frida (Don Julio tequila, aperol topped with moet chandon), which was okay, and the Sylvia (made with Tanqueray Ten and a touch of absinthe), which was pretty good.

Back ordering off the menu, we enjoyed both the Archangel and Corpse Reviver #2. A Manhattan made with Bulleit was terrific but the revelation was a perfectly made Negroni.

One thing that sets Raines Law Room apart is the service - the staff, from the busboys to the waitresses, is really accomodating and without a trace of attitude. Our waitress was very knowledgeable about the drinks and also extremely nice. And as we walked out into the night, Paul was as gracious as ever.