In keeping with the theme of modern inspired eateries, I have a small sampling of a couple of dishes brought to you by Chef Antonia Lofaso and company of Black Market Liquor Bar. Located in the posh styling of trendy small plate establishments is Black Market Liquor Bar. The décor and signage is a bit vague, but embellishes the stylish and interesting ingredient-driven menu and cocktails. As you walk into the restaurant, there is unmistakably some of the most interesting sorts of people looking for a cocktail and maybe a couple plates of food to eat.
The beauty of Black Market Liquor Bar is its elegance and sleek nature of atmosphere. There were many people enjoying themselves without the pouring over of over-dressed servers or meager management. The seat yourself bar and cocktail tables are at first a bit intimidating in occurrence, but with the high turnover rate, even a crowded night will still offer the capacity of receiving a table eventually. Black Market Liquor Bar is brown and light-brown in color scheme with a minimalistic underground feel. The booth seating lines the perimeter with medium to tiny spaces for people to congregate in the narrow restaurant. Otherwise centrally placed, high top tables under the brick laid roof seat many, with other patrons standing, enjoying the light display over bottles of high-class liquor in the gorgeous mirrored bar area. A gleam of mild lighting, shadowing the dark columns in the center of the restaurant, provide a nice balance of light with gas-lit flames housed in mason jars on each table. A modest window into the open kitchen shows a undersized space to feed a number of hungry people.
We found ourselves seated at the bar, which at many establishments is normally insufficient in service, but here, the service was amazing; just like eating at a table of 15 people, but with quiet conversation with the person next to you. Our bartender was quite nice and made simple small talk while taking care of our needs. We started with two cocktails. I ordered the Vodka Buck, which is vodka, house-made ginger syrup, lime and angostura bitters. The combination was well calculated; the flavor was perfectly balanced with spicy fresh ginger and tartness from lime and bitters. Stephanie had the Fields of Gold, which was bourbon, lemon, oj, orgeat and cinnamon. Orgeat is almond flavored sweet syrup that sometimes has rosewater or orange flower water added to it. It adds a different dimension to the cocktails: strong forward bourbon and citrus with an almost holiday appeal of creamy almond cinnamon.
I ordered two dishes after purusing the very seasonally Italian influenced dishes, which I felt quiet at home with. I loved the playful, different, interesting pairing of ingredients, which is something I tend to look for in any well thought out menu. With a menu I can look for inspiration from, I decided to order mussels with fennel, chili and garlic baguette as well as the burrata bruschetta, roasted red pepper, onion, artichoke, and mint pistou. This is a style of food that hold a special place in my heart; it’s rustic and intentional with pallet pleasing variation. I love mussels. I’ve had a thousand bowls of them in my life, and these were particularly notable: subtly enlightening cooked perfectly .I found myself sopping up every last bit of sweet buttery sauce with a slight hint of red pepper flakes and strings of finely shaved fennel with the wonderfully crunchy and perfectly toasted spears of baguette. The burrata brushchetta was a combination of flavors that simply put, was meant to be together. The freshness of the cheese just melting into a soft texture (that of whipped cream melting in your mouth) with the intense crunch of baguette, made withstand the moisture of such indulgent exceptional cheese. The well-cleaned and cleverly placed small baby artichokes were tender and gave a different dimension of texture with tang from zesty bell peppers and clean, refreshing mint pallet cleanser. I am enthused to find this level of commitment in a bar-type atmosphere with really detail-oriented food. I look forward to seeking out other inspirational seasonal ideas at Black Market Liquor Bar as the ambiance excites and entices the pallet. Well done.
