French Roast Café
There's a French and American café on the upper west side with a vintage charm indoors, and a sidewalk setup with tents/umbrellas that offers comfort in social distancing. The name is French Roast, located on Broadway just off the 1 train at 86 street, or the C/B train at 86th. I had the pleasure of visiting this find for a tasting of their signature cocktails, and two small bites to share with you guys. If you know me, you know I love a good cocktail that's nicely garnished, so this was a fun experience.
Seven cocktails were tasted, and there were definitely some faves amongst the lineup..
First up...
The Big Apple...hot apple cider, spiced rum and brandy.
The presentation on this was very nice, with fresh green apple slices (no brown spots) highly recommended
Carolina Mule... virgil kane bourbon, amaro lucano, maple, mint & ginger beer
I enjoyed this drink, refreshing and highly recommend as well
Smoking Bullet...bulleit bourbon, lemon, provencal syrup and torched herbs
This was a performer in terms of presentation. Upon bringing out the drink, a waiter then lights the thyme to give the drink a smokey vibe...definitely recommended.
Pumpkin Old Fashioned....knob creek, black walnut bitters, maple and pumpkin puree
Now I'm not much of a fan for old fashions, but I must say this was pretty decent. Due to the pumpkin puree, it wasn't as strong as most old fashions...recommended.
Mulled Red Wine ..orange and warm spices
This is one of those drinks that you kinda like, but would have to sip real slow because it's a bit intense
Gin Soak Pear...brooklyn gin, poire williams, pear puree, cardamom bitters
Chai Martini...titos, chai tea, oat milk and star anise
This wasn't a favorite, tbh... it was one of those drinks that tasted like medicine.
The Eats
Moules Mariniere....mussels with attention to details in the taste. It's a french dish made from cooked mussels with scallops and onions sauteed inside the shells, in a white wine marinade. This was go good. Highly recommended
Beef Sliders....caramelized onions, gruyere and bacon..
The sliders were good, nicely paired with the Carolina Mule, Smoking Bullet or Gin Soak Pear.
So there you have it, another find uptown with some delicious cocktail to try.
Until next time, thanks for reading.
XO