Sheesh, it looks as though
there hasn’t been any drinking going on around here…which is so not the case!
Unfortunately, our regular “Two at the Most” columnist—aka husband Steve Ello—has
been unable to write up a column for a while, so I’m commandeering his slot
because I found a sleek new bar in the Penn Quarter area of DC that I must
spread the word about: Barmini.
It’s a project of the famous
and fabulous chef Jose Andres (who started out with one of my favorite go-to DC
restaurants, Jaleo, and now runs a food
empire) and the usual high standards are present: kind greeting despite our entering the wrong
door, gracious hostess leading us to the right place, no reservation but snagging us a
space for us at the bar, a friendly and smart bartender who is able to juggle
drink recommendations and allergy concerns and come up with perfect solutions
for both!
The interior is white, kind
of like a laboratory (which is appropriate, as it bills itself as a cocktail
lab), and kind of like what I imagine 1960s London to have looked like, as if
Twiggy might stroll in. Nevertheless,
there’s a sense of whimsy with a cactus-shaped couch, a wall lined with porcelain
hands (I think?? I didn’t touch) holding limes and lemons, and a scary-at-my-age-now
hanging basket for a chair. I think I
was happy to be at the bar, surrounded by bottles and droppers and vases of
fresh herbs and whatever else might be needed at this Potions Class of
mixology. (See the link to photos below.)
There are 100 drinks on the
menu. That’s what I read online; I didn’t
count. Also, this figure doesn’t include
the fact that they’re quite willing—and excited—to mix something off-menu…a
conversation about mescal led to a woman seated nearby getting a tall
concoction that made me drool and long for one more. (But, remember our motto: Two at the most!) Note for next time: when I asked the
bartender what her favorite drink was, she mentioned the whiskey sour.
I was feeling autumn nipping
at my heels, so I wanted a drink with rye, and the Brooklyn Cocktail was
recommended: Overholt rye, vermouth,
maraschino, and what I remember as amer picon (I need to take better notes, or,
actually, notes). It was exactly what I
wanted, crisp and spicy, assertive while staying friendly, all the way down to
the brandied cherry at the bottom on the (beautiful!) glass…I knew I was in a
good spot just from a quick survey of the wide selection of vintage (or
vintage-inspired) glassware, including some pilsner glasses with colorful decks
of cards printed along the side.
My friend ordered a drink with a name I
can’t type because I’m too much of a tech-idiot to know how to produce a tilde
sign on my keyboard—so imagine the letter N with one of those squigglies on
top. Anyway, a mix of cucumber vodka,
tomato water, ginger syrup, lime, garnished with cucumbers, shaken into a
lovely froth.
I couldn’t resist the lure of
a Rusty Nail with a float of gently whipped cream…I’m not sure why. I like the Rusty Nail fine on its own (that
blend of scotch and Drambuie is magical!)—and while the drink was gorgeous (and
that calcium in the cream is good for my bones!), a Rusty Nail probably didn’t
need the addition of cream.
Nevertheless, I drank it all.
As for bar food, I had one of
the most amazing grilled cheese sandwiches ever conceived of, with that perfect
crusty, butter sheen to the brioche (I think) bread and a mix of four cheeses:
blue, cheddar, goat, and something else that was gooey. My only complaint would
be that I could probably eat a dozen of these sandwiches and still want
more. Oh, so-so-SO yummy! And my friend had some excellent Spanish ham
as well as a small burger that made her look for new superlatives…apparently,
mixing ground beef with bone marrow is a Very Good Idea. Just like everything about this place: it’s the exact place I would design for
myself if I were 1000x smarter than I am.
Reservations are recommended,
but if you must walk in, go on a slow Tuesday as we did. You will be warmly welcomed and be
hard-pressed to tear yourself away.
Here
are some great pictures of the interior.
Here’s
a link to the menu, though I think there have been a few tweaks.
Here is the official website,
with a link for reservations.
And just because I like this photograph...note the Brooklyn Cocktail in reach!!
