Did you know it was the 80th Anniversary of the Bloody Mary? I didn’t. I always just assumed it had always existed since the dawn of mankind. And I didn’t know it was invented in New York. I didn’t know any of this until I went to Madame Geneva for a Bloody Marys hosted by Absolut. They showed us how to make a traditional Bloody Mary and then top it with Saxon and Parole’s famous DYI Bloody Mary Bar , which could get out of hand.
They also served us this year’s winner of the Chopped Best Bloody Mary from the NYC Food & Wine Festival. It was good. Here’s the recipe.
A BLOODY BEAUX THAI
By David Wakefield
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 parts ABSOLUT Cilantro
.5 parts Sriracha
.75 parts dill pickle juice
.5 parts Creole Style Hot sauce
1 pinch ground mustard
2 pinches Creole seasoning
1 pinch Celery Salt
1 dash worcestershire sauce
4 parts Bloody Mary Mix
DIRECTIONS:
On a 6″ bamboo skewer:
2 Mini Boudin Balls (hot out of the fryer)
2 red Thai Chili pepper (Birdseye Chili)
and 2 cocktail onions
1 Lime Wheel
1 piece pickled okra
Laid across the mouth of the Glass
Other Garnish:
Glass rimmed with Creole Seasoning
1 Celery Stalk (top intact)
I’ve been thinking of making some at-home Bloody Marys. I drink much every weekend at brunch. Figure it’s time to make them at home. Save a little dough on my alcoholism.
Was sent this large bottle of Tabanero Spicy Bloody Mary Mix. It really is spicy. Good with vodka and great on it’s own. I just drank a glass sans vodka tonight with my salad. I feel a little buzzed for some reason.
I got this flyer in the mail and was like whoa! I kinda want to do all three.
I remembered Yoshie told me about this place opening up a few months back. I remembered watching this video and saw no real reason to go, unless I was trying to be ironic. But I do like the idea of a super fancy Vegas-style sushi restaurant plopping right down in Williamsburg.
We met up to try this Unlimited Bloody Mary/Mimosa/Bellini brunch special $20. Sounds like a really good deal. I’m assuming business didn’t start off as well as they hoped and so they’re having these specials to get the neighborhood kids in.
The restaurant is really awesome, again in a flashy Vegas-way. I love it. It seems so out of place in the neighborhood …maybe not so much these days I suppose. Maybe Disney is going to open a theme park in Williamsburg. I would love that, but I’m from Orlando.
It wasn’t crowded when we first sat down, but did fill up in the two hours we were there. Mostly tourists and families it seemed like …a place where you’d take your parents to if they came and visited you in NY. It felt like a fancy Denny’s.
We got to pick an appetizer for our brunch and I thought they were great. The Crab Bisque and Yellowtail Jalapeno were tasty. Unfortunately, the entrees were just meh. We had the Ribeye Steak & Eggs and Scottish Salmon. Nothing impressive. Kinda reminded me of Denny’s again. But I guess in this deal, it’s probably not going to be an amazing cut of meat …considering that I had three or four Bloody Marys. It basically made the meal free or really cheap if I was counting the drinks.
The first drinks came fast, but those later rounds not so much. I couldn’t tell if the waiter was just swamped or if they intentionally slow it down when you start to drink too much.
I still like Fushimi. It’s really cool. Even though the food isn’t really good, I want to say it’s the coolest place in Williamsburg. Everyone else is trying to be dirty or rustic. This place is the opposite and very bold about it. Look at the entrance way to the restrooms!
Walking around Williamsburg drunk in the middle of day is interesting. We were much willing to get foot and back rubs at those sketchy looking Chinese places in the neighborhood. We first went to the Back & Foot Rub place on the corner of Metropolitan and Graham. I’ve never seen anyone go in there and it looks dark and you can’t see what’s going on in there …and why is there 61 minutes? What is the extra minute for?
They couldn’t take us all at the same time, so Todd and I ditched Elissa there and we walked around the corner on Graham to another foot rub place -Â Mei Ying Qi Gong Tui Na. We got 15mins for $15. I was laughing the whole time because all I can hear is slapping from the other room …also because I’m ticklish.
Mei Ying Qi Gong Tui Na - 366 Graham Ave (@ Conselyea) Brooklyn, NY 11211
Sam and I did brunch at The Saint Austere, formerly the location of his favorite neighborhood brunch spot, Wombat. He was sad his place closed, but agreed that the new place’s menu looked pretty good.
We started off with the Fried Artichoke ($9) with tasty aioli sauce. Good!
I got a Bloody Mary that was unusually thin. Never had it like that. Somehow it tasted kinda like beer and Clamato juice …Chelada. It’s a good Chelada, not so sure as a Bloody Mary.
Sam ordered the Shrimp and Grits ($12) with fried rock shrimp. It rocked! Awesome!
I got the Duck Hash ($10). It was alright. Needed some salt. Much better when I added leftover aioli sauce.
I think we were both still a little hungry after. But Sam seemed to really liked this place, so maybe he’s not so sad anymore. Dang, I really could go for some Shrimp and Grits right now.
The Saint Austere – 613 Grand St (btwn Lorimer & Leonard) Brooklyn, NY 11211
…I just looked at my old post for Wombat that used to be in the same location …and I also had Duck Hash …AND also thought it needed more salt. Weirdbat.
It’s strange that it’s taken me years to eat brunch at Harefield Road. I come here all the time and it’s one of the closest places for brunch.
I remember one time I watched Marcellus eat brunch. He had just turned Vegetarian a week before and didn’t know what Chorizo was when he ordered the Breakfast Burrito. I think he might have eaten it anyway.
Well this time I made it there for brunch myself. It’s a pretty good deal. $12 for entree, coffee or tea, and choice of Bloody Mary or Mimosa. I like their Bloody Mary’s. I had the Harefield Eggs (Eggs Benedict with Salmon instead Canadian Bacon). Poached eggs nicely cooked. Todd’s Huevos Rancheros looked good.
A good deal. I can see why they’re always packed for brunch.
Harefield Road - 769 Metropolitan Ave (btw Graham and White Castle) Brooklyn, NY 11211
Danny and I had brunch at the Brooklyn Star. I’ve always wanted to try this place, but the original location burnt down. Then I forgot the newer place was even closer to me, when it took over the Lazy Catfish spot.
First started off with a Bloody Bull (a bloody mary with beef broth). I like the idea, but to me, it tasted like a regular bloody mary. I couldn’t really taste the beef broth. And we just had a couple of bloody marys at Harefield Road right before.
I ordered the Apple Johnny Cakes ($12) with bacon and jalapeno cooked inside for only an extra 50cents. That’s a good reasonably priced upgrade.
Danny got the Fried Pork Chop ($11) which came with grits, chow chow (a Southern relish) and a fried egg. He asked if they could cook the egg well done, but the waitress said the chef wouldn’t do that. I was pretty stunned. I understand there are stubborn chefs who only do things their way (No Changes, No Substitutions), but I never imagined having an egg on the griddle for an extra 30 seconds would be a big deal. I was about to say fuck this place, but Danny went ahead and ordered it sans egg. And dammit, the Fried Pork Chop was the best fucking thing. Huge. I didn’t know a pork chop could be so big. It looked like a big fried fish filet …even had a tail. It probably would’ve tasted amazing with some runny yolk on it.
The Brooklyn Star - 593 Lorimer St (between Metropolitan & Conselyea) Brooklyn, NY 11211
