Kinky
There's nothing like living the VittlesVamp life - cruising up in my limo to the brand-spanking new hot 70 Park Avenue Hotel (pictured), claiming a plush crushed velvet seat at the hotel's luxe Silverleaf Tavern to enjoy Dale DeGroff-created cocktails and a repast from Chef Kevin Reilly, who has graced the kitchens of Union Square Cafe, Zoe and China Grill before landing the gig as Silverleaf's inaugural chef.
OK. Back to reality. No limo. Hauled my own ass over on my very own feet. Luckily for me, this posh spot is only a couple of blocks from my office. So, able to handle the walk, my colleague Kurt joined for an introductory cocktails session at Silverleaf. Entering the darkly lit, lavish room, we were shocked by what we saw - no patrons and a staff that was a bit unsettled that we'd entered 20 minutes after they opened the door. The bartender wasn't even set up yet.
Oh, well. The room was dripping with rich fabrics and gilt rococo touches. We were sure the scene would follow - if the drinks were up to snuff. Besides, the place just opened on Monday. Kinks were to be expected.
Kurt and I ordered a round of cocktails from their DeGroff specialty list. I was delighted with the sweet minty Peach Julep that I selected and Kurt, usually a beer swiller, was quite taken by his Angel's Love, a potent concoction that featured tequila and fruit juices.
With the cocktails hitting a home run, I couldn't help but be curious about the wine. Finally a bit more set up, our bartender was happy to share the restaurant's very interesting wine list. In addition to the more typical "by the bottle" list, Silverleaf features a three-tier selection of wines by the glass. But, wait - "by the glass" isn't really right. Each tier offers a sparkling option along with three whites and three reds all at the same price point with four different "size" options - a Sip (a 3-oz. pour), Taste (glass) or Discover (bottle) - and (are you sitting down?) they offer an option called Drink, Silverleaf's special "bottomless glass." And, to top it off, you don't need to just pick one of the tier's wines for your bottomless pick. You can drink as much as you like of all of the seven wines within the tier.
Needless to say, this is a value proposition if you go for Silverleaf's first tier Drink option coming in at $35. How easy would it be to have a multi-course dinner started off by a glass of Prosecco, then moving over to a white for the first course, a red for the main and then back to Prosecco for dessert?
If that wasn't enough to get me back, our shared appetizer of Meatballs Stuffed with Foie Gras would've done the trick. $2 each or $10 for a half dozen, these meaty, rich babies, studded with sweet golden raisins, were served on a long white platter atop an intense demi-glace sauce. Mmmm...Perfect with the glasses (sorry - Tastes) of Pinot Noir we ordered to accompany the tasty tidbits.
So, in all, the kinks are more than forgiven. In fact, I may have to take my limo (ahem - feet) back to 70 Park tomorrow night to attempt one of Silverleaf's Drinks. If so, I'll report back on my ROI (return on investment/imbibing).