Vol. 9, No.2 | I Ate A Spanish Tortilla From A Stranger's Purse

Hey Ya’ll!

I was in New York last week to check out the new bar that the team from the Continent is opening. I planned to stay hunkered down in the hotel the whole time, but after mentioning to a few people that I was in town I ended up with a few drinks and many tales.

The first: I was trying to get into Cocodaq on their second night of service. I met some friends at 5:04 pm, a mere four minutes after they opened and there was already a line. Three hours earlier, I was having a conversation with someone who also works in the beverage industry about how we would never stand in a line. Yet…here I was standing in line for a place (with a name I still can’t pronounce) for fancy fried chicken and champagne. Long story short, I didn’t get in. All I got out of the deal was the pleasure of using the elaborate hand sink at the front of the restaurant to wash my hands with Aesop hand soap.

The second: With my hands clean and smelling good, my friends and I ventured to another cocktail bar. We were greeted with another line. At this point, it was only 6pm and I was stunned that there were so many lines for places even though they were the top cocktail bars in the city. We took it in stride and hopped around to a few places and had lots of laughs throughout the night. We finally capped the night with mediocre fried chicken around midnight. It’s some of the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I love the beverage industry and the work that I do, but it can leave you jaded. When you’re used to going to all the best places and having the best food and cocktails, it’s easy to forget the specialness of it. I’m not going to go out of my way to stand in a line, but with the right people, the adventure, wherever it leads you, is truly the best part.

The third: The following night I met up with some industry friends and casually strolled into the friends and family opening party of Sip and Guzzle, which will surely become one of New York’s hottest cocktail bars. What a difference a night makes. I watched as people walked by not even realizing that a great bar was opening behind the curtains. There was no announcement, no line, no list, and the cocktails were all complimentary. After my experience the night before, I appreciated the moment far more.. However, one night wasn’t better than the other. Just different.

The fourth: On my final night in New York, I ended up at a bar hidden behind a donut shop in Bushwick. I was planning on eating there, but they were having a pop-up so there were no donuts to be had. I was still thinking about food when in a room of ten people, I saw a man and a woman eating something at the bar from foil paper. I asked them where they got it from. The guy said, “It’s a Spanish tortilla from her purse.” Hmm…what? Then he asked if I wanted some. I said no a few times but they insisted and retrieved a knife to cut it. Even though this is wild, I’m glad I had it because it was the best Spanish tortilla I’ve ever had. I investigated a little and found out that the woman’s mom made it. (I’m still unclear why it was in her purse.) She ended up offering to ship me some in Atlanta. However, I looked at her glazy eyes and wayward hip movements and realized she’d forget this drunken promise by the morning.

I hope you’re all well!

Shannon