B-day at Big Bar

Not my b-day mind you - my pal Maureen's. Mo invited about 30 - 40 of her closest friends, not to mention her parental units that flew in from Houston, to what has to been one of NYC's smallest bar's: Big Bar.

Oh, the irony. And, needless to say, it was a jam-packed affair. Surprisingly enough though, our sole bartender kept things hoppin' with a smile on her face the entire time. (What is she on? I want some!) The drinks weren't anything to write home about, but she had a solid pour going.

The occassion brought about an opportunity to mingle and discuss the nature of hospitality and fine cocktailing.

Arguments were made for and against the barkeep in terms of service. As you can tell from my earlier comments, I was decidedly "for." You might not be getting your drink as fast as the bar down the street, but the lady was playing to a seriously full house and kept it pleasant at the same time.

But, there were no arguments about the cocktails - They lacked. The Margaritas were way sweet and fairly wimpy, and the "special cocktail" of blood orange and cherry juice with champagne and fresh berries just didn't work. The berries were yummy though. It was quickly determined that simpler drinks like a Gin & Tonic were the way to go.

Yet, considering it was Mo's birthday, and Mo is nothing if not a Texan gal who likes her Margs, I was disappointed that Big Bar couldn't deliver on that score. Just guess I'm gonna hafta ply her with the "real" deal sometime next week. It just won't be Mo's b-day celebration without quality Margs.

And, if you'd like to know what a "real" Margarita is in my book, here's the recipe from one of the masters, David "Drinkboy" Wondrich:

Margarita

2 ounces tequila
1 1/3 ounce Cointreau
2/3 ounce lime juice

Shake with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Optional: You can prepare the cocktail glass by moistening the rim with lime juice, and then dipping it into coarse salt.

Comments

[David Zaza]

I was on the other side of the bartender debate, but it wasn't the speed of service that disappointed me--I thought she served quickly and pleasantly, considering how many of us there were. For me, the problem was the stinginess of the drinks vs. the cost. Other small East Village dives--this is something I'm pretty familiar with--tend to serve more generously than this one, and tend to buy you a round when you're ordering, say, your fourth or fifth round. For the six or seven times money passed from me to her, the drinks seemed to get smaller (though maybe my liver was just getting swollen?). Oh, and the pizza was just right! Did you miss that part?

[Jenn]

I'm on the "for" side too (gotta admire a bartender who not only hears you but responds when you mention to a friend halfway down the bar that you're ready for a drink). But if we want to buy Maureen a `real' marg, might be worth a visit to the bar at Dos Caminos.