Drunken Horse
Cuisine: Wine and Tapas
Price: Reasonable
 

Chelsea
225 Tenth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
(212) 604-0505
www.drunkenhorse.net

From the brother-owner duo behind Turks & Frogs gallops in the Drunken Horse, a new wine bar in the Chelsea neighborhood that is sure to charm the sobriety off of any hard-working metropolitan or school-slaved college student.  

Opening the door to this new vino venue, the dimly-lit interior will warmly welcome you into its delicately-brewed bosom, preparing that overworked soul for a silky glass of an extra special something, allowing you to unwind, relax and saddle up for a night of distilled decadence. The site's brick accent walls compliment the cantaloupe-tinged hanging lampshades, creating a rustically-rouged light scheme that will allow you to calmly clear your mind before you tousle it with some toddy.

Sitting at the bar or on cozy couches up front (or, perhaps if you're trying to impress an attractive potential plus one, there's an intimate dining room in the back), you'll peruse the small but comprehensive wine list, noting the strong vintage selections from Italy, France and Spain, and additional pickings from California, Australia and Argentina, sure to please any pony's palate.

And what's the point of boozing on wine all night if you can't attempt to balance out the giddy by noshing on some sinfully-divine tapas? The menu aims to please as it lovingly offers to make up for that pathetic excuse for a meal that you heated up in you office's microwave for lunch. The cheese selection is garnished with tasty choices like the Isatara, sheep's milk cheese with a creamy-smooth texture, spiked with sweet hints of hazelnut, fig, and olive. Try the Midnight Moon, a celestial coalescence of refined goat milk's flavoring, subtly salty creaminess, and a nutty texture. You may pick your choice of three ($13) or five ($17).

Compliment all of that dairy with an affectionate spank of briny, by ordering some of Drunken Bar's charcuterie. Wrap some grapes in prosciutto or pair a few olives with some slabs of Genoa salami. Like the cheese, you may order these by three ($16) or five ($19). But expanding out past the meat and cheese options (although they would totally do the trick all by their naughty selves), the bar offers hummus, lentil balls, and sandwiches, or try one of their hot appetizers, the Signar Boregi - a warm phyllo roll with feta cheese nestled inside that's fried until golden-brown. Basically, what I'm telling you to do is invite all of your friends, have them each order something different, and then have a greedy free-for-all of epic gluttonous proportions.

So, my little lush ponies, take your marks! The Drunken Horse is open Sunday through Thursday, 4pm-12am, and Friday and Saturday, 4pm-2am. From the liquor to the larder, you'll be licking those Merlot lips all night long. Drunken horses couldn't carry you away and, really, would you want them to? Cheers!