Maison Premiere, Cocktail Bar - Brooklyn, NY

Oysters, cocktails, and absinthe. How can one say no?

J and I thought we were being smart by heading over to Maison at 4:15pm, happy hour time is from 4-7pm. But when we arrived, the place was already packed. The maitre d put our names down for a 5pm seating so we had to kill about an hour around the neighborhood.

We weren't able to get seats at the bar or a table. Instead, we sat at the corner, with the ledge as our table and stools as our seats. J made sure we can order oysters and be served it when sitting there since the counter space looked very limited.

The wait staff were very professional, and the cocktail connoisseurs were helpful in helping us choose the right absinthe to start the night with. Maison is one of the hot spots in Brooklyn that serves absinthe that is dripped with sugar and chilled water. Quite amazing, really.

Since it was happy hour, we ordered pretty much every oyster on the menu. They have a variety of oysters from Connecticut, Massachusetts and British Columbia Canada. Other than the oysters, they have an a la carte menu that specializes in seafood. But honestly, once you're on the oyster wagon you wouldn't want anything else.

The cocktails here are amazing, the atmosphere was so fitting. I can stay here for hours just drinking absinthe and slurping on oysters but that would probably end terribly. One thing that stood out from this amazing experience (yea, there's even better), was when J ordered the Old King Cole Martini which was stirred table-side. The set up for this cocktail was placed on this copper tray, although it might not be copper since the lighting was so dim, the waiter was literally the table that held up the tray and the connoisseur started his performance. He explained the liquor that was being placed into the mixer and how many parts of each. It was nice. What's even nicer? The olives was served separately and when you're ready you can place it on the martini or you can just munch on it without having it soak up the cocktail. I have to say, the olives were good and I hate olives. This definitely might be a turning point for me.

Verdict:
Food ~ 5 out of 5
Price ~ 4 out of 5
Service ~ 5 out of 5

Happy Hour Menu

Absinthe Selections

Vilya Absinthe Verte

The Great Bambino

Endless Oysters - so delicious

American Pharoah

Old King Cole Martini

The making of Old King Cole Martini

Maison Premiere
298 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Midtown East, NY - The Campbell Apartment

Shanghai Margarita

Kentucky Ginger

Mango Mule

Roaring Twenties

Prosciutto Flatbread

The Campbell Apartment

15 Vanderbilt Ave 

New York, NY 10017 

(212) 953-0409

East Village - Ten Degrees Bar

I don't understand why it took so long for J and I to come to Ten Degrees. He's been nagging me about the wine bar but I was dumb enough to ignore (sorry babe!).

Ten Degrees has this awesome happy hour, like really really awesome. It's from 12-8pm everyday and you basically get 2 drinks for the price of 1. Insanely good right? The deal isn't just good but the drinks themselves are quite incredible.

The service was pretty quick. The wine bar was spacious and even had a backroom. The atmosphere was honestly really carefree and you can sit here for hours talking about absolutely nothing.

We ordered a meat and cheese plate and it was a really good bang for your buck deal. They had fresh berries, I mean, what other place gives this many fruits?! It was the perfect snack to go along with your happy hour drinks.

Ten Degrees is definitely a place I would recommend. It's no speakeasy but the quality and the deals you get here can't be beaten anywhere else.

Ten Degrees Bar
121 St. Marks Place
New York, NY 10009
(212) 358-8600

Thalia Restaurant - how can you say no to such cheap aphrodisiacs

J and I always have a hard time deciding where to eat, and we get annoyed and upset at each other about it but we get over it quick. This time, we ended up at Thalia's. Apparently they have HH $1 oysters after 7pm, unlike other places which ends at that time.

Thalia was big, there were couches for the lounge-y feeling, high tables for the sophisticated and regular dining tables for the romantic. We came without a reservation, waited for about 15 minutes for a table which was understandable.

Started out with a pitcher of Rose Sangria, it was more fruity than anything else and the Rose tasted really light. I also don't like how the ice melted so quickly making the drink a lot more watery than it should be.

Some bread and olive oil was served. J liked the foccacia but I barely had any since I wasn't a big fan of this type of olive oil.

We didn't order too much food because the waiter advised that we already had a lot of food already. It's nice when the waiter can judge the amount of food and tell if it would be too much or too little. Plus, in the end he was right.

The HH $1 oysters was really good. They were a decent size and each one packed with meat. I also ordered half a dozen of clams, J doesn't like it as much as I do but these were a bit briney and fishy...definitely could've passed. I really wanted another round of oysters but held myself back from ordering.

It took a while for our next dish to come which made the oysters set into the stomach and made us pretty glad we didn't order another round. The Fried Sweetbreads, special of the night, was amazing. The vinegar glaze went so well with the delicately fried sweetbreads, along with the watercress and onions, it was a match-made in heaven. For those that don't know what sweetbreads are, it's the throat or pancreas of a calf or lamb. In this case, it's the "throat" of a calf...taste very similar to the consistency of brain, it has that mushy feeling.

So at this point, we were at the brim of being full because the entree took a looong time to come.

The Filet Mignon w/ pork reduction, fingerling potatoes and broccoli rabe was quite impeccable. The steak was encrusted with a layer of dried cranberries and what seems to taste like breadcrumbs. But anyways, it was really good and cooked nicely to a medium rare which we ordered.

After such a satisfying meal, there was no room left for dessert. I'd love to come back just so I can have endless amounts of oysters. Next time, I'll stick to glasses of wine rather than the sangrias...

Thalia Restaurant
828 8th Ave
New York, NY 10019
(212) 399-4444 

Ayza Wine & Chocolate Bar - no reservations, no worries

I don't know what was it about Ayza that made J and I came.
My coworker went the week right before us and told us to definitely go because the food was really good.

I could've made reservations that morning of, but decided not to since we didn't know what time we might get there. It was a beautiful Friday evening and I knew I wanted to sit outdoor. When we got there, it was pretty packed. There was already a group in front of us so we knew we wouldn't be seated any time soon. Boy, was I wrong...

We got seated before that group and they got pretty mad, left the place. Kind of feel a little smug, if you know what I mean.

It was really hot but there was a breeze here and there, warm/hot breeze though.

I love a good glass of Riesling ($11). Been hooked ever since I first had it 8th Street Wine Cellar. They're so light and crisp, it doesn't even feel like you're drinking wine. I'm not a huge fan of spiced wine, which is why I steer away from red wine at times.

Some bread to begin with. I have no idea what the spread is, if anyone can enlighten me that would be appreciated.

Pretty much everything came at once. Good thing we didn't order too much because the small table they had there just wasn't gonna cut it. Hot Artichoke Hearts ($7) was pretty dam good. For some reason, I didn't picture it as a dip which was why I was a bit hesitant when J wanted to order it. I should never doubt him since he always seems to order the "good stuff."

One of the many dishes my coworker wanted me to try was the White Truffle Pizza ($10). It was good, freshly good. What was truffle about it? The oil. I can see it and smell it. Simple, but quite excellent.

I thought J would order the cheese platter since I know he's been wanting; on the other hand, I don't like cheese and I actually suggested it - his loss! Ended up with a Meat Platter ($16), definitely not worth the price. Beside the small portion, it doesn't have any gherkins! This was quite the disappointment.

Finally, the must-must try dish was the Twenty-Layer Crêpes Cake Brûlée ($12). It was insanely hyped up and I wasn't blown away. I mean it was nicely flambé but too much was going on with this plate. Crusty on the top, each layered with some creme, the powder sugar, along with the chocolate and raspberry plate glaze - way too much. It was just mediocre. I would probably be better off with some chocolate truffles instead. J and I actually took our time (because we were bored and wanted to amuse ourselves) to unravel this so-called twenty-layer. It wasn't 20, more like 17 layers. Meh, the point is not how many layers, but the actual quality of the cake - yes, another disappointment here.

Would we go back? Maybe..? I wouldn't mind coming back for the appetizer dips, pizza and wine, but that's about it because everything else wasn't memorable.

Ayza Wine & Chocolate Bar
11 W 31st St
New York, NY 10001
(212) 714-2992

The Underground Lounge

One of my coworkers was going to play live at The Underground Lounge, I definitely wasn't going to miss it so I joined my other coworkers and trekked to the upper west side.

The lounge/bar is literally underground, well half up and half down. The stairs are tricky, I was thinking how many people actually tripped going up the stairs when they leave. The live music starts at 7pm so we stay by the bar to order some drinks and food first.


X-Rated Kiss

One of the better cocktails that I've had. It taste extremely girly and quite strong also.


Hard Cider

My dear coworker ordered Hard Cider which was just apple cider with just a teensy bit of alcohol content in it.


BBQ Chicken Wings

The chicken wings were alright, nothing really special about it. Although I did wish there was more because it wasn't enough to hit the spot.


Fish Tacos

After having fish tacos at Blockheads for the first time, I fell in love with fish tacos in general. Wherever I see it, I would want to get it. Glad we got to try the Mahi Mahi here beacuse they steamed the fish and the flavor of the fish is still there. Love the mango and pineapple in the mini tacos.

After finishing those two dishes, the live room was open for us to take a seat and get comfortable. It's not a huge place but it's definitely cozy. We continued to order food because we're still hungry. The food took a while to come once we migrated into the bigger room. But the quality doesn't fail to deliver.


Margherita Rustic Pizzette

One of the best pizza I've had. It was fresh and the toppings were just right, the crust was crunchy like a flatbread. I would just go back for the pizza and a drink, it's so good.


Cheeseburger Sliders

The sliders were mediocre, nothing fantanstic about it. It was a bit on the dry side, maybe we needed ketchup...


Muchos Nachos

The nachos were massive but then it started to get soggy in the middle. No beuno. I rather have the toppings on the side so I can just dip into it.
As the night progresses I got another drink --


Cuban Mojito Highball

It wasn't so great. I prefer the X-Rated Kiss a lot more. The mojito lacked flavor, there was a lot of mint but I tasted no alcohol, like it was filled mostly of water. What a disappointment.

The highlight of the bar/lounge was definitely the X-Rated Kiss, pizzette, and the live entertainment my coworker provided us. It was a very mellow night which was great for some relaxing time.

The Underground Lounge
955 W End Ave
New York, NY 10025
(212) 531-4759