Our recent martini obsession (which arose out of (1) Alex re-reading several MFK Fisher books and (2) watching episodes of Mad Men with appropriate cocktails in hand), Alex and I decided we needed to try some of these old-school old New York places before they disappear, and before we have kids and won't be able to go out anymore. Our first stop was Bemelmans Bar, which is in the gorgeous, sumptuous lobby of the Carlyle. This place is dripping with Upper East Side. (It's so Upper East Side that I spied the socialite Aerin Lauder having dinner in the Cafe. I didn't even bother to point her out to Alex because he would have no idea who she is - I recognized her only because her picture is in every issue of Vogue.) I used to live three blocks from here and it never occurred to me to try this place - probably because I was a student then and a drinks are one million dollars each. Anyway, we're on a mission so we scoot past the Cafe and are seated at a cozy little table in the corner of the bar. Bemelmans murals cover the walls and even the lampshades on each table. He was the illustrator of the Madeline books, so the murals make for a warm, inviting room - evocative of a nursery, which is kind of strange for a bar. The room is full of dark wood, the lighting is just a soft glow, and a jazz trio is playing (quite loudly) in the center of the room.
Alex ordered a martini and I opted for something from their special cocktail menu - a gin gin mule, which is Gordon's gin, ginger beer, muddled mint, fresh lime juice and simple syrup. It sounds really great but it's too sweet, which is my verdict on 99% of cocktails. Our waiter, all dressed up in a fancy white get-up, serves our cocktails to us on a silver tray with all the pomp and circumstance that comes with a place like this. We also get a little silver snack tray with nuts and potato chips. The potato chips seem a little weird, but they were tasty. Aside from the weird lecherous older couple in the corner, pawing each other and flirting in loud, obnoxious Long Island accents (or maybe New Jersey?), it was a pleasant, pampering spot for a cocktail.
NB: I would not recommend, however, ordering the food - which we did, our hunger being stronger than our judgment. My $19 croque monsieur was presented, nursery-food style, in six tiny squares with the edges cut off. It was just a ham and cheese - they forgot the bechamel, I think. Alex's steak frites, a deal at $28 (the burger was $27!), was adequate, average, but kind of cold by the time it arrived.
Lesson: an elegant and civilized environment can elevate the enjoyment of a cocktail, but it can't rescue mediocre bar food. Still, experiencing a drink at Bemelmans is a treat.
Alex ordered a martini and I opted for something from their special cocktail menu - a gin gin mule, which is Gordon's gin, ginger beer, muddled mint, fresh lime juice and simple syrup. It sounds really great but it's too sweet, which is my verdict on 99% of cocktails. Our waiter, all dressed up in a fancy white get-up, serves our cocktails to us on a silver tray with all the pomp and circumstance that comes with a place like this. We also get a little silver snack tray with nuts and potato chips. The potato chips seem a little weird, but they were tasty. Aside from the weird lecherous older couple in the corner, pawing each other and flirting in loud, obnoxious Long Island accents (or maybe New Jersey?), it was a pleasant, pampering spot for a cocktail.
NB: I would not recommend, however, ordering the food - which we did, our hunger being stronger than our judgment. My $19 croque monsieur was presented, nursery-food style, in six tiny squares with the edges cut off. It was just a ham and cheese - they forgot the bechamel, I think. Alex's steak frites, a deal at $28 (the burger was $27!), was adequate, average, but kind of cold by the time it arrived.
Lesson: an elegant and civilized environment can elevate the enjoyment of a cocktail, but it can't rescue mediocre bar food. Still, experiencing a drink at Bemelmans is a treat.
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