Socialista

My upbringing inspired natural curiosity when I first heard about Socialista back in January. It was the hot new place. Celebrity following, buzz and I loved the name ... finally made it there last week ...

We walked into the dimly lit room, a refuge from the noise and wind of West St. I liked the decor and the intimate feel it gave to the space. The bar was small and you felt like personal service is to follow. In a place like that it is the norm, no? The bartender was not too interested in us, nor the other three people enjoying a drink at the bar. He couldn't make an Aviation*, nor any other cocktail not on the menu. The latter featured a lot of vodka, no gin in sight. I settled on one of the signature vodka blends, requesting gin as substitute. On paper it sounded nice, in reality ... too sweet. SH had one of the rum based drinks and that arrived smelling, and to my dismay tasting, like cinnamon bubble gum. Hmmm ... someone please tell me what is the big deal about this place?

We stayed for dinner, and didn't let the bar experience impede what was to be a fabulous evening. We suspect Jack Osborne was sitting at the next table, which was somewhat of a consolation. Not to mention my stock shot up with the out-of-towners. The food was interesting, but nothing that stuck in my mind. I don't know, maybe I'm just spoilt ... After all, the night had started out at Bobo where the talented mixologist Naren Young presented me with a memorable lemon and white chocolate blend. Tangy and refreshing with a sweet aftertaste. He always makes me lemony drinks ... maybe his way of telling me to sweeten up.

* Aviation is a classic cocktail, mixing gin with lemon juicy and maraschino liqueur