I went to Employees Only 510 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014 in that snow storm Thursday night, thinking it would be empty. It was not. The long bar is packed with people and I was a little jealous of those that got to watch and interact with the mixologists. They were all in chef whites, smiling and chatting, filling glasses with beautiful looking cocktails. Still, I was glad I made a reservation for the restaurant section (in the back) because that guaranteed me and Mary a spot. Plus, our waitress was wonderful as well.
I’ve often heard of Employees Only being the place for wonderful cocktails, and it is. Mary had the Amelia (Luksusowa Potato Vodka & St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur shaken with pureed Blackberries & Fresh Lemon Juice), which was thickened and sweetened just-so by the fruit puree. So impressed, she tried another, the West Side (Charbay Meyer Lemon Vodka and Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice shaken with Fresh Mint, served straight up), an adults lemonade.
My Ginger Smash (Muddled Ginger Root & Fresh Cranberries shaken with Plymouth Gin, Berentzen Apple Liqueur & Fresh Lemon Juice served over ice) was a potent showing of the spicy root, while still feeling balanced in a very calculated way.
I had gone in with the understanding that I was here to try some great drinks, so I was pleasantly surprised with the care taken over service and food in the back. Our waitress had sincere recommendations, turning us onto a Hand-Cut Steak Tartar, mixed for you table-side. Watch as the sea salt, pepper, capers, Worcestershire, and hot sauce (if you choose) are added and given a vigorous whipping into the beef, herbs, and egg yolks. Eaten with thin crispy toasts, it’s fresh and feels light, probably the best tartar I’ve had.
Mary had a generous piece of pan-seared salmon with a beautiful golden crust. The artichoke, fingerling, and mache salad with a mayo-based dressing is a little heavier, a nice match to the simplicity of a plain but perfect fish fillet.
I had a special of Prawns a la Plancha. Each body had the crisp snap, each head was juicy, and I’ve told you how much I like prawn heads. The dark greens were soaked in a vinaigrette and sprinkled with pistachios. It was quite sour but it seemed so right that way. I even dipped more bread into the warm dressing.
I was then about to be surprised again, with quite a dessert, a unique Mascarpone Cheesecake. It was lighter than the usual New York style, as our waitress had promised. I already love the mild creamy finesse of marscapone, but here it was given a new texture, almost pudding/jello-like. The caramel was a wonderful sweeter compliment, with accents of sea salt on top. It’s the perfect dessert to share.
Aside from the darkness (which fits their speakeasy style), I have no complaints. The meal (3 cocktails, an appetizer, 2 entrees, and 1 dessert) is reasonably priced for around $148 (including tax and tip). I will be back!
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The salmon looks divine. And the salad with it…I’m going to write down the combination of ingredients and make it. Of course I would have loved to try that dessert.
A wonderful meal! The drinks look awesome and I would love to try those prawns!
What a great meal! I’m curious about that tartare…and also the name of the place! Wonder what’s the story behind it?
Sophia, I’m not exactly sure about the name. It doesn’t say on their website.
I couldn’t agree with you more… I’m always amazed that their food AND cocktails knock my socks off every single time.
Thanks for drinking Charbay 🙂 And be sure to check out their other spot – Macao Trading Co., where they also do an amazing job http://www.macaonyc.com/ of food AND drink…
Come see us next time you are in NorCal 🙂
Liquid smiles,
Jenni Karakasevic
Charbay Winery & Distillery
[email protected]
it’s a great spot for cocktails. i would have expected it to be empty that night too. i could be totally wrong, but I think the name just speaks to the exclusivity factor, which is not really the case so much anymore, now that everyone knows about it.
This looks like quite a classy evening. A touch of salt makes a lot of difference to a dessert
Was such a great time having dinner w. you!… we’ll do it again when i’m back. Cocktails were delicious. (just letting you know I’ve cut out red meat from my diet now – so no more steak tartar for me)
The Amelia at employees only was actually named after my grandmother. One of the owners had spent time with her in Greece and came up with this drink in her memory. It was served at my sisters wedding before it hit the menu. She was everything the drink and Employees Only is… Fabulous!!
Katina, that’s amazing and so sweet.