Spork and Knife

Nothing says “we appreciate you” like a free martini. 

A few weeks back, I found myself reentering the doors of Le Chat Noir’s wine lounge, this time for a complementary tasting of their martinis.

 Yes, I’ve been back there a few times, but honestly who is going to turn down a free martini at what has already been established as a trendy and inviting place to sip on a drink and forget about the surrounding world.   

As I made my way up the stairs into the dimly lit room, lights flickered from the black and white silent movies being played behind the bar and there was a fair amount of people entranced by the combination of booze and silent entertainment.  My friend and I found a spot on the corner, grabbed a cocktail list and began chatting with the fellow next to us.  He kindly directed me towards the cocktail named Le Lido, which he said that after tasting 5 others, was his favorite.  I know….I was amazed he was still sitting upright on his stool, let alone able to have a coherent conversation.  Let the record stand, this guy had a super human tolerance to alcohol. 

Since I was in the mood for something sweet, Le Lido sounded perfect.  Stoli Citron, Cointreau, Pom and Cranberry juice, a cousin to the ever popular Cosmopolitan.  I watched as the bartender (Actually French-I asked) carefully assembled his ingredients.  I paid special attention to see if my free cocktail would contain generic pom and cranberry juice, but to my delight that was not the case. 

Not a step was missed, and the presentation was just as artful as the bartenders display of his mixing talents.  The cocktail was sweet, but only to a point.  I was not put into a sugar coma, like so many cocktails I’ve had before.  The Le Lido was just the right mix of tangy cranberry, sweet pom juice,  and citrus liquors. 

Since all the tasting was making me hungry I ordered the “Marie” galette(crepe) to satisfy my growling stomach.  The buckwheat crepe was filled with mushrooms, swiss cheese, herbs de provance and creme fraiche and provided the right amount of savory to accompany my sweet drink.  The crepe itself was light and fluffy, with the earthy flavors of the mushrooms and swiss cheese complimenting each other nicely. 

To get back to the drinks, I don’t want to leave out the other combinations and will list them below. 

La Mistinguett (Cider, and Manderine Vodka)

Moulin Rouge (Malibu, Beefeater, OJ and Grenadine)

Crasy Horse (Beefeater, Martini Rosso and Ricard)

Les Foiles Bergere (Jim Beam, Martini Bianco and Tamarind)

Le Goulue (Ketel 1, Midori, Malibu and Pineapple)

Le Dandy (Stoli Citron, Chambord and Champagne)  

At times it was hard to get the bartenders attention, but I’ve already concluded that Le Chat isn’t where you go when you’re in a hurry.  The drinks are inventive and artful and the food is satisfying.  I will continue to say that Le Chat really brings something to a neighborhood that could use a few more places to get a good drink.