wcantonese's Profile
What's good at Orinoco?
I've only been to the South End location, but recommend the Palmito salad (a way to get some of those aforementioned datiles while pretending to be restrained about it), the Pabellón Criollo (shredded beef) and the Torta Fluida (molten chocolate cake -- to make up for choosing the salad).
What you drank at "Drink"
Aviation (w/ and w/o the creme de violette), Toronto, Hearst, Bee's Knees, Last Word, Hanky-Panky, Perroquet ("what a mimosa wishes it were" --Josey), Whiskey Sour variant (w/claret snap), Lawhill, Red Hook.
I can't wait to try the Coffee Flip. Thanks for the description, cm&fp. I've always thought that coffee and maraschino would make a great combo, and since I've never had a flip, this sounds like the perfect introduction.
What's in these ES cocktails?
A friend and I ate at the bar at ESK recently and enjoyed tag team service deftly coordinated among two bartenders and a runner. The former were just as comfortable revealing drink ingredients as they were making recommendations. When my friend was having difficulty deciding on his next cocktail, they suggested one they thought paired well with his entree. The runner, for his part, brought our charcuterie, and, supporting the evening's theme of full disclosure, identified all of its components as well. We were even treated to a complimentary plate of mussels when the kitchen somehow ended up with an extra.
If your time is flexible, your party is small and the occasion is casual, I'd certainly recommend eating at the bar. And not just at ESK, but in general.
Drink opening tomorrow?
We were among those paying $4 for an egg on Friday evening. Yes, it was "beautiful," and no, I probably wouldn't do it again. Well, not deliberately. See, the challenge with a place like Drink is that on your arrival it's the giddiness of anticipation of the superb cocktails that might lower your guard against what you'd otherwise see as questionable snack prices, and after a couple of said cocktails, it's pretty much the liquor itself taking over that job. Either way, you're feeling expansive, and before you know it saying things like, "Eggs all around!" As long as the offerings at Drink remain outstanding -- and they were: I had a Hanky Panky and a Last Word and my DC had a Toronto and an Old Pal -- racking up a triple-digit food tab will continue to be one of the hidden dangers of the place.
We got our Berkshires choices down, now we need Boston rec's!
The restaurant opened by one (or more?) of the Mecca partners is 28 Degrees. But while you might find it interesting to see how SF 90s lounge translates to 21st century Boston (and it does) over a cocktail there, if you only have two dinners here, I'd recommend eating at one of the other places mentioned.
