New York: Part One

I like Martinis! Like…the real ones…well, kind of…

Earlier this week I took the train into Grand Central to get a taste of the Big Apple. Of course, I’ve been there many times before but this trip was all business—and luckily for me, that means trying out cocktails at trendy bars!

Located in the lovely Bryant Park, behind the New York Public Library, the Bryant Park Grill was my first stop of the day and featured a great outdoor dining patio and delicious food.

I’ve been trying to make it a habit to order whatever my bartender/server suggests to drink, or at the very least, something featured in a drink menu. But at my first destination, there was no cocktail menu, and my server only offered “We can make anything you want.” I froze. It’s been a long time since I had to think about drinking—the combination can be deadly.

My wonderful city-savvy hostess and lunch guest for the afternoon, Anu Rao interjected to suggest I try a dirty vodka martini. Gross! Or so I thought. I’d never tasted one and it had never occurred to me that I might enjoy it. Truth is, I loved it! If you’re in the city (and you like olives) go get one—they’re great. Anu (who seems to be something of a dirty-vodka-martini-aficionado) said it was one of the best she’d had.

I’m so hooked that when I got home, I fixed one up with some of my OVAL vodka. It was great—smooth, not at all harsh, like I feared a martini would be.

Ok, so maybe it’s not your traditional gin and dry vermouth, but it’s certainly a step up from “appletinis” (Sure, maybe they don’t qualify as “martinis” but whatever they are—
They’re delicious!) You’ll have to cut me some slack…