Sweet Taste of Victory with Harlem Public's 16 oz Spicy Mary Stabbed - New York
It was rainy, wet and the pavement was drenched in a thin sheet of precipitation. I had just gotten home from a meat grinder shift at my day job and needed to stretch my legs. Not too many places to chill out around Harlem, these days. Not too many bars left to drink at without rubbing elbows with crusty faced college students, but I needed the excursion. Luckily for me, Harlem Public was located around the corner from my family’s apartment in Hamilton Heights (West Harlem).
“The Three Mary’s”
Harlem Public’s usual patrons resemble the casting call of a Judd Apatow film, but fortunately for me, tonight wasn’t the case. Just a few scabs and some wayward souls littering the bar side with mugs full of optimism and ambition. If it were Friday night, those same mugs would be filled with want and angst.
I needed something fast and good. Good enough to calm my nerves and fast enough to get me drunk before the Eagles were stomped by the Patriots. I looked on the menu, and the food seemed interesting. The beer was the same as any other bar, but they had three different Bloody Mary cocktails. “The Three Mary’s” is what they were called. And not to be taken for a light weight barfly, I requested the second option of the three – The 16oz. Spicy Mary Stabbed.
Not sure what they meant by “stabbed” in the title, but I wanted to find out. Maybe the bartender would initiate a bayonet charge and stab the barback before garnishing my drink? Sounds like fun. Too bad that wasn’t the case. What did arrive was this beautiful crimson goblet of spices topped off with two large green olives and a slice of lime & orange.
The drink itself smelled like a faint memory of the greatest steak you’ve ever had. The taste was so damn smooth and not overpowering. The spices slivered past the initial pull and lingered in the back of your pallet. There was just enough tomato and just enough vodka to sneak up on you if you weren’t paying attention.
Half Full of Deliciously Stabbed Bloody Mary
After the first empty glass, I immediately asked for another. The bartender informed me that he was out of the containers for my drink but reassured me that they had an alternate, though not as extravagant. Who am I to argue? I confirmed my request and, as my uplifting spirits turned into uprising and joy, my Philadelphia Eagles were winning the game and down the hatch it went.
It was 35-28 as the last seconds ticked away on the game clock. I was motivated and happy for the Birds; they won against the odds, and that was the limit of my game winning summary. By the end, I was feeling like a golden Buddha. A Buddha full of charm… well maybe not charm, but I was half full of deliciously stabbed Bloody Mary. It was the top of the evening, and I was feeling on top of the world from my barstool throne. Then I asked for another.
Four Celery Stalks
Harlem Public 3612 Broadway New York, NY 10031. (212) 939-9404 [wpgmza id="109"]