Some of the dishes on the list are obvious. Others I cant quite figure out why Time Out included them. Is it to publicize a specific restaurant? Or do these dishes have a sentimental meaning to one of the writers?
For instance, the drink on our list at the very sleek, but welcoming Bussaco is basically a Manhattan. When I say basically, I mean it is exactly a Manhattan – it just has a creative name. It’s called the King’s County Manhattan, referring to the fact that this restaurant (and by default, this cocktail) are in the borough of Brooklyn and therefore the county of Kings. Very clever.
So I’m confused. Why is this on their list? They wouldn’t put a rum and coke on the list, would they? It would have to be made with some really special rum (or homemade cola) to be in my Top 100.
Maybe the ingredients to Bussaco’s Manhattan are what make it special. They blend Michter’s Rye (Manhattan’s are usually made with bourbon) and Vya sweet vermouth (they leave out the bitters?), serve it up in a martini glass, garnished with a single Luxardo cherry.
Michter’s is a very popular brand of rye, Vya is an acclaimed vermouth producer from California, and the cherry is very similar to a maraschiano, but they’re dark and much less sweet – giving the real flavor of an actual cherry. I’m not going to talk about the martini glass because I noticed nothing special about it.
In fact, I noticed not much special about the entire cocktail. It was a well-made, standard Manhattan with top-notch ingredients. I enjoyed it and drank it very easily. But I was much more attracted to some of their other unique liquor combinations. And by their delicious complimentary bar nuts, that must have been roasted with garlic, rosemary, and deliciousness. These had a better chance of being in my Top 100. The Manhattan was everything it should be, but really? One of the Top 100 tastes of the year? That and my amazing Ginger Ale from lunch the other day.
Would Bussaco’s King’s County Manhattan make my Top 100 of the year? This is a tough one to rate because it was as delicious as any Manhattan as I’ve had, but I’m rating it based on the possibility it would be in my own list, so I think a 7 out of 10 is a fair balance between the two thoughts. It was a good cocktail, no doubt. But one I’ve had before and expect to have again.
