One of my favorite haunts, The Summit Bar, and one of my favorite people, Selena Ricks, threw one helluva shindig Sunday night. Latin themed punches were the order of the day along with some tasty tacos and good music to dance too. Punches can be finikiy and they are easy to mess up. But in the hands of pros like Greig Seider at The Summit Bar, these punches were perfectly prepared.There was a fruity red rum punch, a citrus Cachaça punch, a savory red pepper tequila punch, a tender mezcal punch and the winner, for me, a spicy juicy pisco punch. I have recently become a big fan of the grapy tasty Pisco. Perhaps the fruity quality reminds me of my Grandpa Gullo's vineyard on the shores of Lake Erie. It also had that spicy kick that left my lips a-tingling. Not unlike kissing a special boy.
Ring a ding ding!
Our Beautiful Space on the West Side, aka, my future pied-à-terre
The Punch party! Wow! What a gorgeous event! Overlooking the Hudson River on the 13th floor, I grabbed a table by the terrace to set up my Half Moon Mountain Jam Punch. Inspired by the ship Henry Hudson himself sailed this river on, and the fresh local ingredients found in my dear valleys and mountains, I poured out a ton of punch. Our lovely hostess Dizzy Fizz and toastmaster David Wondrich put on quite a shindig. Everyone had an amazing time, and I was pleased as punch to be involved!
I was rescued by a reviving supper with good friends at Scarpetta. After three days without a decent meal, it was perfect to sup on fine wine, homemade pasta and great conversation.
Ready to tackle the last day! Here we go....
Last night Katie Darling and Bols Genever had a Punch Party at Fort Defiance in Red Hook. Fort Defiance has always felt like a home away from home, with its comfortable setting, friendly staff and amazing food and drinks. The main force behind all of this is proprietor/barkeep St. John Frizell. His warm spirit and cool drinks keep the vibe mellow. The fact that his adorable infant son makes a frequent appearance at the restaurant just adds to the friendly family feel. And with Southern boy (love them) expert in the kitchen, Bobby Duncan, makes some tasty bites. And I am not alone in this feeling. Time Out Magazine awarded Fort Defiance at 2010 Eat Out critics choice award!I saddled up to the bar after a very unproductive brunch shift but a much more productive 20 mile bike ride (Bike Butt!) and was greeted immediately with a tall cool glass of tasty punch. It was zesty and fresh, made with lemon, orange, lots of spices and Bols Genever, natch. It was like a Tom Collins punch, and perfect after my three bridge ride; Williamsburg (2x), Manhattan and Brooklyn. It was also perfect for washing down my green papaya salad, shrimp and grits, and pecan pie. Yes, I feasted. Did I mention I biked 20 miles? Besides, it is all good home cooked food and the perfect Sunday meal with my cocktail family at my home away from home.
Ok, that title is grammatically incorrect...Or is it on words that you make up? I think I'll declare its acceptable.
This past Sunday I met with other gorgeous bloggers (yup, that's not really a word either says spell check) and hosted by the always lovely Dizzy Fizz and Clover Club.
We were welcomed into the stunning back room by Katie Darling and Ms. Julie Reiner herself serving us a tasty tart punch. I have heard tell that the Clover Club is Julie's baby and it shows. This place is a class act from top to bottom (although I do miss the Happy Hours that briefly appeared at the tale end of last summer...Please bring them back!).
After some networking and catching up with some friends, we sat down for some family style Deviled eggs, baguettes with jam and the famous tasting of bacon. My first experience at the Clover Club was Brunch and this incredible tasting of bacon, so I tried to let everyone share the joy. There might have been an incident with the sharing of the Deviled eggs, however, if we were not so civilized and friendly.
The incident inducing Deviled Eggs
During this luscious first course, Julie and Katie stirred up gorgeous Oaxacan Daisy's while Jen Craig told us all about Sombra Mescal. I was not aware that they used the same distillery at Del Maguey. I was aware that its strong smokey flavor reminds me of licking a tractor tire. But sometimes I am feeling a bit barnyard. You can take the girl out of the country....
Our second course was a choice between a Lamb Burger, Baked Eggs with truffle and leeks or Pork and Grits. I guess the Southern part of me was sticking out today because I went for the grits. I have had the truffle eggs before and I still declare them the winner. My grits were good, but the poached egg a bit over done for my taste and I needed Tabasco.
Unfortunately, I was not able to wait for it as Bocce duty called for my Sunday game at Floyd and I had to leave early..booo!
But not b
efore I quickly sucked back a Bloody Maria made with Partida Tequila. Yum!
Joannie Loves Bocce (the best team and team name in the universe) was indeed victorious that day, winning a decisive 3 game set.
And Selena from Dizzy Fizz was also victorious in throwing a wonderful event. I look forward to more in the future and meeting again with all my blogger-in-laws.
