Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City
It was New Year’s Eve and according to the meteorologists, it was the coldest it has ever been on this day. But that didn’t stop us from going out and exploring some bars and restaurants in the East Village. After all, we’d be inside most of the time.
Joke was on us when we walked through the doors of Angel’s Share, a Japanese cocktail bar and the first modern speakeasy in New York, and the waiter told us that their heat was not working. We decided to stay anyway with the hope of warming up from the expert boozy drinks. Heat or not, when you visit Angel’s Share and there is a table available (normally there are long lines), you take it.
It’s been a while since I had been here and so I had forgotten just how good their drinks are. We got two – a savory umami number called Into the Woods featuring wild mushrooms, walnut liqueur, and bourbon. And a surprising play on a piña colada.
When my wife ordered the Venceremos (meaning “We Will Overcome” in Spanish), the waiter gave her a nod of approval. It built up expectations for this cocktail (and my wife’s ordering skills) and they were completely met.
It’s rare that you distinctly taste every single component of a cocktail in each sip. But that was what happened here – from the bracing Bacardi Superior rum (this won top prize at a Bacardi cocktail competition) to the creamy coconut, sweet pineapple, herbal cucumbers, and nutty sesame oil, the refreshing and unique elixir went down very smooth. It was sweet, tart, creamy, and a bit savory. What more could you ask for?
When you taste this drink (or one of their other unique creations), you’ll understand why there are huge crowds waiting to get into Angel’s Share even when they have no heat on the coldest day of the year. $15
| ANGEL’S SHARE |
| 8 Stuyvesant Street (between East 9th Street and Third Avenue), Upstairs behind Village Yokocho (212) 777-5415 East Village |
