Clover Club soft opening

June 17
Edit: Now with downloadable menu goodness. (Click here)

I hopped off the F train at Bergen in Brooklyn and found myself strolling down Smith St. yet again. The last time was for the Jakewalk event, this time I was going to check out Julie Reiner's new joint the Clover Club.

While I was busy taking pictures of the storefront, I spotted Bon Appetit restaurant editor Andrew Knowlton and Imbibe author, Esquire contributing editor and all-around very knowledgeable about cocktails person Dave Wondrich enter. I realized I probably should actually go in the place.

The space does this thing where it gets more complicated and ornate the further you go in. The entire storefront is paned glass, but when you first enter there's maybe 2-3 tables, a hostess stand and the floor is a simple two-toned mosaic/tiled affair. It almost feels like you're sitting outside or in some brightly open atrium.

Once you start heading towards the back, the floor transitions over to hardwood. Then there are leather banquettes and the bar itself is large, old-fashioned and superbly fancy. I was impressed by the generous size of the bar stools' circumferences. Lo have there been many a times where I felt as though one wrong move would have me sliding off the edge of a stool.

Then there was the drawing room type area in the back separated from the front half of the bar with curtains. It looked like it was taken straight out of Wodehouse story. You could imagine the likes of Bertie Wooster, Rupert Psmith or any of the other character who are members of the Drones Club lounging about lazily. The back room had its own fancy, fully-stocked bar, but what really threw me off was the real fire roaring in the fireplace. I wasn't expecting to see one of those in the middle of June.

There have been several soft openings and Julie informed me that the one I was attending was the third one. From what I heard elsewhere, this one was supposed to be mostly media. As if to confirm that, I saw furtive dashes into notebooks hidden under tables, on laps and under purses throughout the evening. My note taking was as obvious as a Mack truck barreling down a park's bike lane. I always feel weird conspicuously taking notes but then I remember it's not like I'm a reviewer who nees to stay incognito. On top of that there are very few places on your person that you can hide a standard-sized reporter's notebook comfortably, and there was no way I was going to juggle drinks while reaching in and out of my bag every couple of seconds.

Clover Club's head bartender Giuseppe Gonzalez handed me my first drink, the Bermuda Rum Swizzle. It was dangerously delectable. Crushed ice always worries me because it makes me think "never-ending drink," but I managed to drink it fast enough that no such thing happened. Let's just say I was very parched.

The second drink was the Clover Club's signature cocktail, the Clover Club: Plymouth Gin, fresh raspberry juice and fresh lemon juice, dry vermouth and egg whites. After that was some punch served up in a huge punchbowl with teacups that included Pimm's Cup, Beefeater Gin, cucumber and strawberries among other things, a New York Sour (made with bourbon, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and some claret floated on top), and a Tequila Daisy (tequila, fresh lime juice, Cointreau, simple syrup).

Toasting the masters of French cuisine

June 16
The honest-to-goodness truth is I did not have even an inkling that Crème de la Crème was taking place until Don Lee called me at 10:48 am. Sleep-deprived, in the throes of wrestling with HTML coding and just not being much of a morning person in general, it took me a while to process what was going on.

Don said he was calling because he misplaced my email address. I thought for a second through the fog and asked, "Oh, so, like...do you want me to give it to you?"

"No, I just wanted to tell you about the cocktail that we're making for the Citymeals-on-Wheels charity event."

"...Oh, when is that?" I asked groggily.

"Tonight."

"..."

So I got myself on the list at the last minute to attend the event. I was also feeling mighty self-conscious about how I was dressed since I wasn't expecting to go to some fancy event up until a mere six hours ago.

The event was held to benefit Citymeals-on-Wheels, an organization that provides meals for homebound elderly New Yorkers on the weekend since government programs cover meals on weekdays. And they also provide meals for holidays.

It was fitting that an organization that provides meals with such deep ties to the restaurant community (Gael Greene and James Beard co-founded the organization) would raise funds through an event that honors culinary legends.

The forecast threatened rain and the organizers of Crème de la Crème were giving attendees warnings about said storm. I thought it was supposed to be one of those "We forecast rain later in the day, but we totally mean, like 9 or 10 pm" type of forecasts, but dark clouds rolled over the sky ominously as I entered 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Heading down to the garden area (the part that you skate in when it's winter), I was assaulted by the smell of food. Everywhere. I was bewildered and not sure where to go and what to do until I bumped into the Plymouth Gin booth that was located conveniently in my meandering path. I was offered a gin and tonic made with Plymouth gin and Q Tonic Water. I took one and downed it quickly to help me get my wits about me.

While I was there I asked Jamie Gordon with the Absolut Spirits Company (Plymouth is owned by Swedish company V&S Group that also makes Absolut) how things were going with the sloe gin. "Oh, dear," he answered.

Unfortunately, there seems to be some hiccups with distribution, but response and demand have been great stateside. All 2000 cases allocated for the United States have been spoken for and Plymouth is gearing up to try and brew up some more for the U.S. for next year.

I wove my way between people to the bar station where I grabbed the Le Croissmo from Don and John who were representing PDT. It tasted exactly like I thought it would. The fruity berry center of a berry-filled croissant...with alcohol.

I did a double-take because I was pretty sure Kathleen Turner brushed past me to grab a Sidecar from Chad Solomon and Christy Pope from Cuffs and Buttons, a cocktail catering outfit.

Pegu Club showcased the French Pearl, which is also on their menu. Eben Klemm of B.R. Guest served up a TGV, a super light floral cocktail made with Plymouth gin, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, Sauternes and some lavender foam. Little Branch served up Fine and Dandies (Plymouth Gin, Cointreau, angostura bitters). And Mr. Eben Freeman from Tailor came up with a Cointreau Creme Orange for the occasion.

Right after trying out the Le Croissmo, I wandered over to the other end of the bar to say hi to Mr. Eben Freeman. Just then the skies decided to open up and the rain began to pelt the plastic and tarp protecting us.

Over the sound of rain violently hitting protective covers and the house band, Eben said that he at first wanted to serve the Creme Orange out of a keg, but that idea didn't work out too well and he instead was pouring topping the drink off with soda.

I asked what a cubeb was and Eben said it was type of pepper. You learn something new everyday. He had steeped the cubeb in hot water with vanilla and licorice and the result was a spicy, bite-y cream soda cocktail. It was like a very adult soda shop drink.

But then Eben asked me with great concern if I had had any of the food. I admitted I went straight to the drinks. He pressed upon me that I really, REALLY needed to eat the food at this event.

This was serious business. I gave my liver a breather and dove back into the crowds to sample some of the cuisine. From now on its stream-of-consciousnesses and what stood out from the things I sampled. At the Charleston Grill station I grabbed a "Crepinette de Pigeon, Sauce au Truffe de Bourgogne" (squab sausage with truffle sauce) that melted in my mouth. Bob Waggoner also served seared veal sweetbreads over Granny Smith Vidalia Compote in Xeres Reduction. I won't lie. I love sweetbreads.

City Hall had Alsatian onion tart, which I thought was intriguing. I haven't really eaten a lot of vegetable tarts and I found myself enjoying it. They also had a brandade made of salted cod served with 24-hour tomato. I kind of thought the "24-hour" bit was just a name for some fancy-pants technique, but I was assured the tomato was really simmered for 24 hours to create a paste.

The seared American Piedmontese beef loin with wild leek potatoes and morels served by chef Larry Forgione of An American Place made me with I could have like a big old plate of the stuff.

I didn't even get to try whatever it was that Jean-Georges Vongerichten had going on because his table was mobbed and by the time I came back to see if the crowd had dissipated a bit, it was all gone.

I chowed down with gusto at Tom Colicchio's Craft Restaurant station on duck pastrami with pickled red cabbage and sweet mustard and braised pork butt with smoked onions and tomato molasses.

As I stuffed my face with pork butt two or three feet away from the station I overheard to young ladies debating whether or not to get an autograph. I turned back to the station and noticed Tom Colicchio had materialized while my back was turned and was doing an interview (he wasn't there when I was there). I'm going to admit in this space that whenever I see Tom Colicchio in person, I always find him intimidating. And again I found myself washed over with nervousness. He just has this really intense aura, man. Also, I've only talked to him once, very briefly in an introductory sense a long time ago, and a small part of me swears up and down that he found me annoying at that encounter and to this day my neurotic brain thinks that somehow he still remembers me and remembers me as annoying.

Other famous faces I recognized all on my own were Gael Green, Todd English, Charlie Palmer and Drew Nieporent. I felt proud of myself. I was getting better at this.

Both Don Lee and Eben Freeman told me to stop by Rogue Ale and Spirits' table to try the Spruce Gin and Hazelnut Spice Rum when I had a chance. Chris from Rogue informed me that the two spirits were released in the New York market just three weeks ago.

The spruce gin had cucumber in it too. It had that slow gin burn as it rolled down my neck, but was intensely floral even with the Christmas tree-esque spruce scent, which I wasn't expecting. The hazelnut rum almost tasted like chocolate.

Chris then poured me a mixture of Rogue's Chipotle Ale and Chocolate Stout.

"It's like some kind of Mayan/Mexican chocolate beer!" I exclaimed.

I went back to the bar station to hang out a bit. Finished drinking some more of the cocktails, and stuck around when the chefs and everyone were called up to the stage.

I asked NRN's national reports editor Milford Prewitt, who I bumped into through out the evening along with our executive food editor Pam Parseghian, how long the event was going. When he answered that the dancing probably would be until midnight, I thought now would be a good time to throw in my hat.

Bartenders also paying tribute at Crème de la Crème

The Citymeals-on-Wheels Crème de la Crème is a charity event where guests come to sample fare created by star chefs as a tribute to food legends. For those of you attending the event tonight at Rockefeller Center, it looks like that some cocktail legends will get tribute as well.

Don Lee of PDT called me early this morning to tell me about his tribute I got a call from Don Lee early this morning saying that his tribute to Dale DeGroff and Toby Cecchini is going to be a pastry versino of a Cosmopolitan. Yes, "Le Croissmo" if you will. The Cosmo was the drink of choice, since "Dale and Toby popularized the Cosmo even before 'Sex and the City,'" Don explained.

It's made with Stolichnaya's blackberry flavored vodka, a croissant and brown butter-infused vodka, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and creme de cassis.

More on Citymeals-on-Wheels Crème de la Crème later.

Case of the Two-Dollar Bills at Little Branch

June 2

It was another one of those hectic Monday mornings when Elizabeth Licata came to the door of my cubicle and held in front of my face an unfamiliar yet not entirely strange bit of currency and said:

"Little Branch is giving two-dollar bills for change!"

"Huh," I said, realizing what the strange bit of currency was. "They just gave it to you as change?"

"Well, I went there with a group of friends and it wasn't just me, but three other people got it too."

What did this mean?

At this point whether or not this was a coincidence wasn't really a doubt or worry in my mind. What I was really curious about was where were they even getting two dollar bills?

"I don't think I've even seen one since I was, like, 12," I said my voice rising for some unknown reason. "Either way, I think I'm going to check it out myself."

Was I really going to a bar to see if they really had out two-dollar bills? Seriously? Yes, seriously. As a great hero of our time, Leroy "Encyclopedia" Brown, once said, "No case too small."

Besides I hate being left curious. For all I knew, it was probably pretty old news, but nothing super concrete was coming up in Google and I wanted to see it with my own eyes or get some kind of confirmation on my own. If it's within my means to figure something out, I probably will. I like to think I have an inquisitive mind. Others probably think "nosy" fits the bill a bit more.

To see how Encyclopedia Brown solved the mystery of the two-dollar bills, read the next section

"You know," I thought as I sipped on a Whiskey Fix at Little Branch. "This place is kind of made for summer."

Obviously, you could get yourself a cold drink. The crushed ice in my Whiskey Fix was frosting the glass and metal spoon/straw combo was doing a great job of delivering chilly alcohol to my mouth. On top of all that, the place was nice and cool thanks to being subterranean.

I managed to spot a familiar face working the front and eventually figured out that it was Vito who I'd seen at Taste of the Nation. Sweet, I had someone on the inside I could ask.

"So a co-worker was here before and she told me you guys have two-dollar bills?" I cautiously asked once we'd gone through the formality of piecing together how and why we looked familiar to each other.

"Yea, we do," Vito answered. "We've been doing it for about six months now."

Vito said it worked both as a trademark of sorts and just ease of operations. It was a bit of a "throwback" as he put it, and it helps with making change since Little Branch is cash only and the cocktails are $12 leading to a lot of even numbered check tallies.

"But...where do you get two dollar bills?" I followed up.

"You just go to the bank and ask them for it."

"Wait, really? The bank just has a stash of twos?"

"Pretty much. Most people don't know that."

Well, that explains that rather anticlimactically.

Did I get any twos as change? Nope, but then again the claim to fame isn't that the place deals entirely in twos. It's more like something extra to make you remember the place. I'm sure it still falls under the realm of what makes easy and logical change. It also probably depends on how much twos they actually have on hand. My change came out to six bucks and I got a single and a fiver which makes more sense than trying to dole out three twos. Either way, if for whatever reason you find wanting a two-dollar bill, you should stop by the place and see if you snag one.

Working for the weekend: Dropping in on Eben Freeman

It wasn't too long ago when I used to joke about occupational vs. recreational drinking with friends. Lately, even that line is starting to blur a bit.

After trying the garam masala rum and hearing about the Masala Mai Tai and alcoholic gummy bears from Eben Freeman my curiosity had been piqued and I decided to stop by Tailor on the 17th, with fingers crossed, to see if I could get a sneak preview of some sorts. It was a Saturday, but I was already out and it was way too early to head back home.

I watched Eben scoop some ice into the metal half of a Boston shaker and then almost jumped back as he proceeded to pound the everliving life out of it with a muddler to make crushed ice for the Mai Tai.

I knew the answer, but had to ask if this was going to be standard procedure once this drink was on the menu. Eben said that the ice would definitely not be hand-crushed like that. In fact, don't even expect the finalized version to come with crushed ice. Eben explained that he was using crushed ice now because he thought the current Super Cinnamon strain of the garam masala rum would benefit from it. The recipe isn't different from a regular Mai Tai besides the use of the garam masala rum.

After chatting a bit about what else might be coming up on the new menu (wrestling with trying to create a pancake cream of sorts. It's for a breakfast-themed drink), I left promising to stop by when the new menu was in place.

I stopped by again on Friday though, because yet again I found myself to be in the area and had a good chunk of time to kill. I wasn't sure what the place would be like considering it was the start of the long weekend. It could've gone either way, but luckily it was quiet when I winded my way down to the bar. One of the bartenders, Troy, recognized me from Saturday and asked, "Does Eben know you're here?"

"No, no!" I said quickly, "I'm just here to hang out today."

But then curiosity got the best of me and I couldn't help but ask if there was anything new. This sent Troy upstairs to ask Eben before I could reach out and stop him to say, "Nnnnnooooo, I don't want to be a bother! I'm just here for a drink or two!"

While a bother I might have inadvertently made myself, I was glad I asked because soon I was given a three-piece serving of Sambuca Gummy Bears. So cute! So soft! These were test gummy bears in anticipation for the absinthe gummy bears that would go on the menu as part of the updated Solids beginning in June.

When Eben came downstairs he explained the bears were soft because they came from a batch made that day needed to sit for a day to firm up a bit.

"That's the basic idea for the absinthe gummy bears," he told me as I thoughtfully squished one of the sambuca bears between my thumb and forefinger. "Except, it'll be green."

I dutifully chomped off the head like I do whenever I encounter bear-shaped confections, whether they be of the gummy or graham cracker variety. As I contemplated the aniseed flavor, I realized I'd fallen for another one of Eben's puns again. It had its own logic. Absinthe and sambuca have that licorice-like flavor. Licorice=candy.

"My God, it comes full circle," I thought, as I nibbled the arms and legs off the gummy bear torso.

When Sam Mason came downstairs to snag some of Eben's house-made cocktail onions for something he was working on in the kitchen, Eben speared one for me out of the jar so that I could have a taste. It was more briny than vinegary, and on top of that, super crunchy. It made me think I should order a Gibson the next time I was in.

There was nothing else new to report on. The pancake cream was still a headache, but Eben made me a Kaffir Lime Collins he used to make at WD-50. A Tom Collins amplified with some muddled kaffir lime leaves, it was simple, but full of flavor and refreshing.

Frank Caiafa of Peacock Alley

"I like to go seasonal with seasonal ingredients, and fresh if I can without a doubt. The other thing is we have to take into consideration is volume," said Frank Caifa, bar manager for the Waldorf=Astoria's Peacock Alley, when I interviewed him a little while back for this month's Featured Cocktail. "I try to shy away from muddled drinks because we get so busy. In the summer I’ll have one or two. I like to mix it up. I like to have some savory, classic, or my twists on the classics and some dessert style drinks because some of the guests that come here are the post-theater crowd."

Besides hotel guests, other crowds that visit the legendarily swanky Peacock Alley include people who come for events or before and after events as well as other non-hotel guests.

"I think people look for a different experience," Caifa said, citing an early lesson he learned in his almost three years of working with Peacock Alley. The hotel has a lot of European and English guests so Caifa decided to offer English beers, which didn't go over as well as he'd planned.

"The stumble we had was, I wanted people to feel at home and they wanted to try different stuff."

The result of that lesson is a mix of high-end spirits and housemade fresh ingredients. The Raspberry Beret features house-spiced Grand Havana Rum, Cointreau and raspberry puree. Other drinks include the SE Sidecar made with Evan Williams bourbon, Canton Ginger liqueur and fresh sour made by the staff. The Au Pear is made with Grey Goose Pear vodka, pear puree, sweet vermouth and a house-infused white raisin and vanilla bean grappa.

The menu also features luxury-priced cocktails. The Millionaire's Martini, made with Jean-Marc XO Vodka, and an olive stuffed with artisinal bleu cheese, is priced at $25, while the Grand Platinum Margarita, made with Patron Platinum tequila, Grand Marnier 150 (Cuvée Speciale Cent Cinquantenaire), and fresh lime juice, goes for $50.

When asked if customers who come to the Peacock Alley are looking for luxury drinks, Caiafa answered, "They do because I think people are here for special events. They might think, 'Wow I wonder what it would be like to have a $50 margaritas.'"

Geek Indulgences: Tabletop bartending

or "Cocktail guides for sourcebooks and jiggers for 12-sided dice"

Warning to non-nerds: You may find the following blog post too obscure, uninteresting or even sleep-inducing to non-nerd sensibilities. Proceed with caution.

Warning to nerds: My role-playing experiences are more from video games than tabletop even though I've dabbled in the latter. But feel free to nitpick in the comments section if I'm missing anything because, though familiar, some of the nuances might be lost on me.

I remember after asking about how to deal with content for this, Bret answering with, "It's your blog."

I think after I post this he's going to regret ever telling me that. In fact, I'm regretting that he told me that.

Whenever I've tried to describe to people I know the mixology/bartending scene as I tried to make myself increasingly familiar with those behind the bar, it'd take me a while to think. Bartenders for the most part, at least know of each other. Pretty well in some cases, even though they might not be friends or anything. They might be in opposite coasts in the country, but have corresponded via email. The point is There's a level of camaraderie not unlike some kind of extended family meets unofficial guild. All joined together by the love of the cocktail. Or something similar to but a lot less hokey than that last sentence.

"Well, it feels like everyone knows each other," I'd start. "But it's not just that they're all friends, though some of them just know each other professionally. I mean some are friends, but it's more like..."

I'd give a great pause to try and find what I was going for.

"...It's like that group that meets for Dungeons and Dragons at the local comic shop every Friday. Some are good friends, the group can fluctuate, and newcomers come and go, but they are connected by the fact that they're all really, really...REALLY into what they're doing."

And I mean that in the best way possible. Please, don't hurt me bartenders and mixologists out there.

One day it hit me. Bartenders would TOTALLY make a legitimate and fun role-playing character. Maybe even a whole character class depending on what universe you were working in.

For example, you could create some kind of pre-Prohibition chemist/bartender from New Orleans who decided to see the world so he packed up and became an itinerant bartender caught up in some kind of adventure with a ragtag group of adventurers after he overheard them discussing a new adventure when they stumbled into a tavern he was working at one night. Something set in the world of Castle Falkenstein maybe? (Thanks for the game world suggestion, Elizabeth)

Or if you were to take a similar character and transplant him or her into the Jazz Age of say something like Call of Cthulhu? Then you could probably drum up a horror-mystery storyline for a failed Miskatonic University chemistry student turned speakeasy bartender who suddenly finds himself out of a job after a raid and ends up volunteering to work as an assistant for a former schoolmate and researcher friend. It just starts out as something the character does as a lark for "a change of scenery" as well as to make ends meet. Then of course things start going horribly wrong as research team gets pulled more into the world of the mythos.

Basically, I felt like it would work in any more "modern" settings where you needed a malleable character who wasn't just an adventurer/fighter type. Someone with knowledge of "magic" (chemicals, potions and tonics) with some sort of basic melee skills.

"I remember you talking about this before, but you're going to have to explain this a bit more to convince me," Don Lee of PDT said at Taste of the Nation when I brought it up again. In fact, the last time he overheard me try to explain this, he looked downright horrified.

"OK, so what I'm thinking is if I were to create a RPG character type, they'd be something like a cleric you know?"

Don looked skeptical.

"Sort of like a role-playing version of Jerry Thomas. The ability to revive? Heal? Bring back the dead? You know, like an old school pre-Prohibition bartender who had something for what ailed ya. Tinctures, infusions, cordials, what have you. But he could also throw down a bit if things got hairy."

At that moment I couldn't help but imagine a bartender wielding a muddler like mace.

Don raised an eyebrow and looked about 70% convinced. Like Icarus I took this as my cue to fly high.

"...I'm thinking though that even if based on clerics, they'd be more of a chaotic good alignment."

Instantly Don's face changed and my imaginary wax wings melted, "I don't know about that."

"No chaotic good??" I asked incredulously.

"Well, you had me up until the chaotic part," he said. "But good? I don't know."

Don's reaction brought me back to the root of why bartenders might be a bit tedious to create a character for. Whenever I talked to people about this idea, they all seemed to have their own idea of how they would craft their bartender character. Not that this is surprising, but bartenders came in all shapes, sizes, personalities and alignments. Maybe as a one-off classless character you styled after a certain class, but its own class? It was just too tricky. It would be like dealing with elves. Maybe you can work around it be creating several canonical varieties of bartenders with their own style and skill sets, but left unmoored you'd just KNOW that someone like your friend's annoying cousin who does badly rendered fantasy "art" involving thinly veiled aspirational versions of himself is going to insist that he's a special snowflake by making some ridiculously bulky character weighed down with back story where he's some kind of half-elf/underwater elf/dragon druid or something and he'll get TOO into it and would ruin everyone's game with his inability to...

...er, but I'm getting carried away.

Anyhow, the point being, your bartender could be anything depending on what comes to your mind when you think "bartender".

Jeffrey Morgenthaler thought cleric wasn't too bad, but if he had to give himself a character, he thought of himself more as a paladin. He also pointed out that thanks to learning the bar trade in seedier venues his character would always have +2 Strength. And I could definitely see that.

Fellow NRN-er Elizabeth Licata said that bartenders were more bards in her opinion. OK, this I could see too.

It all depended. The more I thought about it, I could see how a assassin or rogue filling up your next drink. And one bartender might think of themselves as more of a wizard while another might find themselves to be more of a sorcerer.

Then think about what edition rules you were going to try and base a game on and the alternate classes out there. I thought about all the bartenders I knew and found that, yea, pretty much there was a character class and unique style out there for any of them. The possibilities are simply endless. Which actually, makes it kind of cool from a story-telling standpoint.

I don't know. It's been a while and I never actively played *too* much so maybe it's not as hard as I'm making it out to be, but all the complexities does convince me even more that someone needs to play out a bartender character. That is, if this has not happened already somewhere out there in the wide world of tabletop gaming. If it has, let me know how it worked out for you.