Once again Time Out New York released their Top 100 Dishes of the year and once again, I’m going to eat my way through every one. And no price point or subway delay will stop me. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100.
The economy seems to keep getting worse and yet the price of cocktails in New York seem to keep going up. Anybody who’s been out to the fancier cocktail dens in Manhattan should not be surprised to spend $12-$14 for a single drink.
But unless that drink contains gold leafs or white truffle infused tequila, I think $18 is pushing it. I guess The Lambs Club and all the fashionistas who frequent the much buzzed about restaurant and bar inside the Chatwai Hotel must disagree with me. Because three of the cocktails at this throwback to old New York in midtown have an $18 price tag. And unfortunately for my wallet, the one drink from this hot spot on Time Out’s list, is the Gold Rush. And it costs, you guessed it, 18 buckaroos!!!
The restaurant is named for the theatrical private club that used to be at this location starting in 1903 (they left in the 70’s). I took a peek into the classy dining room as we ascended the grand stairs to the lounge above, where the same cocktails and a handful of Geoffrey Zakarian’s fancy appetizers are served. It felt like we had stepped back in time to an age most familiar to this generation thanks to Mad Men. I felt like everybody should have been smoking cigarettes.
The Gold Rush featured no gold (that would have justified the hefty price tag) but had a yellow tinge and looked like a tankard of booze. It was served in a larger than usual rocks glass and it seemed like I had gotten my own little punch bowl. As I sipped the cocktail, I realized this was all an optical illusion and there really was no more liquid in this cup than your average 5 ounce cocktail pour. The glass was just big enough to hold one of those fancy giant slow-melting ice cubes. And something about volume and science, made the glass look fuller than it was.
Elijah Craig 12-year bourbon, fresh lemon juice, and honey were the only ingredients listed for the Gold Rush and the drink was really as simple as that. It works pretty well – the spicy sweetness of the bourbon plays against the bright, tartness of the lemon, and it’s all mellowed out by the easy-on-the-tongue honey. No complaints with the flavors: they all make sense together, it’s all the highest quality, and it’s a little too easy to drink. We also tried the St. Hilaire, which was a refreshing and light blend of Cava, St. Germain, and a lemon twist.
The cocktails are courtesy of Sasha Petraske (from Milk & Honey and Little Branch) who is probably most responsible for the renewed interest in New York cocktail culture. And he can also probably be blamed for why these simple cocktails are now costing so much money.
And that price tag is really my biggest gripe here. I can handle shelling out $18 once in a while for a really special cocktail. I want something that is well-thought out and surprises my taste buds with a concoction that I would never accidentally assemble at home. And I’m afraid this Gold Rush is not that. Bourbon, lemon, honey. Not much of a surprise. I’ve seen it on menus before and I’ll see it on menus again. It’s a classic combination and it’s done right here. But I can’t say it’s quite worth $18 – especially in today’s economy.
I did snap a picture of this expensive drink, but I lost my camera before I was able to upload it to my computer. And since I already spent part of a paycheck one time, I didn’t think it was worth shelling out the menu again just for a photo. So I borrowed a beautiful picture of the drink from Time Out’s website. Their photos are much better than mine anyway. I just hope I don’t have to deal with hefty legal fees. I’d much rather just buy an $18 cocktail!
Would The Lambs Club’s Gold Rush Cocktail make my Top 100 of the year? 7 out of 10 because it’s a good cocktail no doubt, but nothing I’ll be remembering come next year – except for the fact that I paid $18 for it!!
| THE LAMBS CLUB |
| 132 West 44th Street (between Sixth Avenue and Broadway) Inside the Chatwai Hotel Midtown West (212) 997-5262 |
| thelambsclub.com |
Photo Courtesy of: newyork.timeout.com
I don’t really see what all the fuss is about cocktail prices at a place like The Lambs Club. I get screaming bloody murder if I’m at a hole in the wall that spent 100,000 building some rec room version of a bar and calling it a temple to mixology and then charging me $18, but I work at 42nd and Sixth and spend a lot of time at the Lambs Club both in the restaurant and at the upstairs bar. The place is nothing short of spectacular. Yes if you add up the cost of the ingredients it’s a very healthy markup, but I’m sitting in a place that had to cost north of $5 million, probably well north. I look at it like I’m renting the seat not paying for the ingredients. I agree though, the GR is my favorite cocktail there.
the biggest problem with the price of this cocktail is the price of the bourbon used. the 12 year is a fine, every day bourbon, priced appropriately at about $25 a bottle. unless they are using some lemon and honey that’s fit for the nectar of gods, $18 for a cocktail with these ingredients (regardless of the location of the bar/restaurant) is nothing short of highway robbery.