When the holiday season comes around each year, many people find themselves overcome with an inexplicable sense of joy as they take in the festive decorations, music, and spirit of goodwill. Others find themselves quietly panicking about the prospect of yet another year of gift-hunting, family drama, and awful renditions of Christmas classics on the radio. Whichever camp you fall into, a little bit of alcohol is never remiss during the holidays. Fortunately the Internet is teeming with boozy inspiration to help you revel in the holiday cheer or take the edge off your yuletide-induced anxieties.
When you hear the name Drunken Munkey, your mind may immediately wander to the infamous kitschy Staten Island dive bar, home of Mob Wives' Big Ang's drunken antics and reality show drama. However, a new infinitely classier (and more accessible) craft cocktail bar and restaurant has opened up on the Upper East Side by the same name. And no, as of yet, there is no relation between the two inebriated primates.
The Upper East Side's The Drunken Munkey serves a selection of classic cocktails, wines, spirits and cordials alongside the comforting Indian dishes, designed as playful throwback to the times of Colonial India (1757-1947).
In a recent interview with The Gotamist, Anthony Bourdain (acclaimed chef and host of TV show No Reservations and, most recently, CNN's Parts Unknown), talked about his desire to cover The Bronx in an episode of his world-spanning culinary show. In both of his shows, Bourdain has explored places from Myanmar to Peru to The Congo and back, and often-unexplored or under-explored places are kind of his deal. While he's great at covering faraway places that are unfamiliar to the American public, he's also adept at bringing out the nuances of the "parts unknown" next door. As he demonstrated with his heartfelt episode on Detroit, Bourdain has the sensitivity and the intellect to really show the heart of commonly neglected parts of the country, and The Bronx is one place where he could do serious good in terms of re-aquainting the city with perhaps it's most misunderstood borough.
We're definitely looking forward to his Bronx episode, if he gets a chance to make it.
What better way to bring you and your loved ones together for the holidays then with some good old fashioned alcohol? Take a swing at crafting some of these creative holiday cocktails. Some are green like the Grinch, some are as red as Rudolph's nose, and some even taste like gingerbread cookies! Happy Holidays and enjoy!
1. Santaquila Sunrise
Get on Santa's naughty list this year with this sinful cocktail.
Ingredients: 3 oz. Orange Juice
3 oz. Pineapple Juice
1 oz. Jose Cuervo® Cinge™ - Cinnamon Infused Tequila
Christmas in New York City... the beautifully lit trees, the amazing holiday displays in store windows, the light snow that gently covers the city in a blanket of white. There's only one thing missing from this precious picture- a boozy holiday drink in your hand. If there's one thing NYC bars are known for, it's getting creative with their cocktails. So in the spirit of the season, we've scoured the city in search of the best of the best holiday cocktail creations. Ho ho ho and cheers!
Everyone loves a kick of flavor in their food, and the chili salts from The Chili Lab are the talk of the town! Established in Brooklyn, The Chili Lab was founded by entrepreneur Thomas Kelly who created the nine types of salts that make up the local brand. From citrus to smokey, to fruity and earthy, the nine diverse salts are Chipotle, Piri Piri, Pequin, Cascabel, Aji Amarillo, Habanero, Dandicut, Pasilla, and Guajillo. The Chili Lab salts can be used on pretty much everything; from grilled fish to fried poultry, to salads and roasted almonds, you'll be adding it to every dish!
It's often the hole-in-the-wall places that surprise you. Nestled in the East Village, a red circular sign boldly announces Curry Ya's presence among the other Japanese restaurants and bars on the block.
Space is limited here, so be prepared to squeeze your way in. Despite the size, the interior is clean and simple with plain white walls and tall wooden stools with a little storage compartment at the bottom for your personal belongings. A long counter stretches from one end of the wall and bends around. Behind the counter you get an unobscured view of the kitchen, where the chefs work quietly around the stoves and oven.
This Tuesday, December 10th is National Lager Day, so we decided to get deep with all things lager in honor of the hallowed occasion.
First up: what is lager? For all you beer neophytes, there are traditionally two major categories of beer: Ales and Lagers. The difference between the two is basically a matter of yeast chemistry. The yeast used in ales (as well as bread and wine) is called Saccharomyces cerevisiae, while the yeast used in lagers is called Saccharomyces uvarum. There are two major differences between the yeasts which affect the flavor profiles of the beers they create. Put simply:
If you've been familiar with the Midtown dining scene at any point in the last 20 years, you probably already know about China Grill, restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow's crown jewel establishment. Situated right near the MoMa, China Grill is classy but unpretentious, and their high-quality yet approachable Asian-inspired fare has been delighting diners for twenty-six years. The fact that it's been around for so long, however, doesn't mean they've gone stale. This past Saturday, we stopped by for the first service of their newly introduced Dragon Brunch, and we were pleased to see that China Grill is continuing to innovate and mix it up while staying true to the heart of their culinary style.
Who doesn’t love crepes? They’re delicate, they’re French, they’re filled with sushi…wait, what?
Tous Crepes, a new creperie and espresso bar in the Flatiron district, has an enormous menu that does, in fact, include sushi crepe rolls. If you’re having a hard time wrapping your head around that concept, consider that this is New York and this food pairing was bound to happen eventually.
Fortunately Tous Crepes escapes pure novelty shop status by serving a wide selection of sweet, savory, and yes, sushi-inspired crepes. Made to order, the hand-rolled Sushi Crepe Rolls contain fresh fish and a variety of complimentary fillings. The Yellow Fin Tuna Sushi Crepe, served in eight sushi-like pieces, is one of the more classic offerings in this portion of the menu, with nori, cucumber, pickled daikon, and wasabi aioli. Should you be in a less frugal mood, the Black Caviar Crepe Rolls, served with crème fraiche, chives, and cucumber might be more your speed.
Jersey inspired and based restaurant Little Town will be having their Food & Beer Pairing Dinner on Wednesday, December 11th at 7pm. The handsome Manzo brothers, Albie and Chris, have selected Executive Chef and Food Network's Chopped alum Jordan Andino as the creator of the Hoboken restaurant's menu. The Food & Beer Pairing Dinner will feature beers from the Bolero Snort Brewery and meatballs by momma Caroline Manzo. Beer and a hearty prix-fixe dinner, how could you say no? Tickets for the event are $45 and can be purchased here.
Little Town 310 Sinatra Drive Hoboken, New Jersey 07030
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Naakai Addy,
Zoraida Cordova,
Carissa Gan,
Carolyn Jummati,
Melissa Kravitz,
Steven Luw,
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Alexa Mellardo
