Five Leaves. A Hurricane of Flavor.
My brunch plans this weekend included a trip to Five Leaves, the hip and happening spot in Greenpoint, one of my favorite neighborhoods to wander around on the weekends. I had been told really great things about this place, so I was pretty excited. Everything on the menu looked amazing, including the three choices for Bloody Marys: classic, chipotle ancho and wasabi. As an extremely indecisive person and one who likes to ask for recommendations, the waiter suggested I try the chipotle ancho version. He informed me that the wasabi one, while he had never tried it, was a weird looking mix of green and red that he didn’t find very appealing. I just might have to get that one next time though. It sounds a bit bizarre, but that suits me quite well. Plus, we all know and love the intense spice factor of wasabi, right? I digress - this review is about the chipotle ancho Bloody Mary.
The waiter described this drink as “viscous”, which is most definitely appropriate. I prefer a really thick Bloody Mary and this one was so thick, it came with its own long spoon - just like a milk shake! You can see from the photo that the bottom half of the glass is really dark – that’s the smoky, peppery goodness waiting to be stirred into a hurricane of flavor. It was delicious. Nice and spicy, just the way I like it. The only negative thing I can say about it is that it could have used a bit more salt. According to the classic “Five Leaves” Bloody Mary, their mix is made with celery seeds. Perhaps they should use a dash or two of celery salt as well. Then it may have come closer to perfection. A quick (but important) note on garnishes: two large olives and a cornichon did help with the salt issue, but no celery stalk? How sad! Regardless, I will give the Five Leaves chipotle ancho Bloody Mary a Celery Stalk rating. An all around tasty and satisfying treat.
Five Leaves 18 Bedford Avenue, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York 11222. T: (718) 383-5345.
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