|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Mary-O-Meter Comparing Bloody Marys at five bars and restaurants Compiled by Steve Ramos
Snootier members of the Cocktail Nation might sneer at an old-fashioned glass filled with a Bloody Mary concoction. "Yesterday's retro!," says the black-on-black-on-black-clad waif, holding her apple martini. We stumbling members of the CityBeat taste team like our Bloody Marys at all hours in all settings. Still, we have high standards and are prepared to embarrass some local bartenders with sub-par rankings. (The appropriate phrase here is: Not too drunk to keep score.) Taste team members included Sean Hughes, along for the aesthetic of the experience; Greg Flannery, searching always for the truth; Jessica Turner, testifying for Generation Y; our tag-along mascot, Miles the Moocher; and me.Hamburger Mary's Time: Happy hour Decor: Bright colors, kitsch and TV monitors blasting bad Pop music; think South Beach meets an Amsterdam Brown Cafe Glass: Beer mug Garnishes: Celery stalk (first round only) The Look: Saucy red with speckles of pepper and lots of ice The Taste: Little kick (more vodka, dammit!) and only mildly spicy; smacks of packaged mix origins Find It: 909 Vine St., Downtown, 513-381-MARY Overall Rating: 4 Havana Martini Club Time: Work time Decor: Rich leather chairs and dark wood paneling; it's a private gentlemen's club for folks who don't belong to private gentlemen's clubs Glass: Classic Old Fashioned Garnishes: Large olives stuffed with jalepeno peppers The Look: Crayola Red with less ice and no noticeable spices The Taste: No alcohol kick or tongue-tingling spices; this is a Mary to serve to Granny and her bridge club friends Find It: 580 Walnut St., Downtown, 513-651-2800 Overall Rating: 2 Scalea's Ristorante Time: Midday, the three-Mary lunch Decor: Classy wooden bar and comfortable stools adjacent to a quiet dining room; no misbehaving; it's clear you're in a nice restaurant Glass: Tall juice Garnishes: Celery stalk The Look: Syrupy red with flakes of horseradish and pepper The Taste: Strong alcohol kick courtesy of Absolut Pepar Vodka and a lip-smacking aftertaste; this is too spicy for Granny and her bridge club friends Find It: 320 Greenup St., Covington, 859-491-3334 Overall Rating: 8 City View Tavern Time: Late afternoon Decor: Neighborhood watering hole variety of rundown tables and chairs; a spectacular river view and outdoor porch make the place special Glass: Double Old Fashioned Garnishes: Pickled green bean The Look: Authentically bloody with pepper flakes and horseradish; the rim of the glass is coated in Cajun spices; so thick you can't see through the glass The Taste: Its vodka jolt is balanced by a pulpy tomato taste and tingly aftertaste; this is Mary at her bloody best Find It: 403 Oregon St., Mount Adams, 513-241-VIEW Overall Rating: 10
Time: Saturday afternoon brunch Decor: Lots of potted plants, antique furniture and chintz; this is ground zero for grannies Glass: Tall and narrow cooler Garnishes: Olives, celery and citrus slices The Look: Textbook red with few noticeable spices The Taste: Enough of an alcohol tingle to make you forget you're in suburban Glendale; the lack of heavy spices further confirms it Find It: 3 E. Sharon Ave., Glendale, 513-771-5925 Overall Rating: 6 As with any taste test, we had to narrow the field before we headed out. Havana Martini Club has won Best Cocktails in our readers picks two years running, so that was a natural. The Grand Finale is a classy weekend brunch restaurant, so we figured they'd serve a decent Mary. Hamburger Mary's is new and raving about their signature drink, so we gave them a shot. And Scalea's and City View were included for geographic variety and because we'd heard they served a good Mary. Proof of the mind-altering power of all classic cocktails: By the fifth round of Marys, our wacky Cincinnati world felt like 1958 again. Like Miles said, "These Marys make me feel like Marilyn Monroe is still alive and I actually have a shot at her." |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
