the weekend buzz

“Happy Thanksgiving! Black Friday Wine Special and Liquid Brunch at Clover Club”

 
Friday: Black Friday Wine Special at Burke in the Box, 1000 Third Avenue, entrance on 50th Street.

The last thing I want to do on the Friday after Thanksgiving is shop, but apparently I am in the minority. Known as “Black Friday,” it’s one of the busiest shopping days of the year and it marks the unofficial beginning of holiday retail madness. To ease your bargain-hunting pain, beginning on Friday, David Burke is serving a free glass of wine (your choice of red or white) at Burke in the Box at Bloomingdales for those with a Bloomingdales receipt issued that day. If you’re planning on shopping at Bloomie’s, be sure and stop by.

Saturday or Sunday: Liquid Brunch at Clover Club, 210 Smith Street, between Baltic and Butler Streets, 718.855.7939.

Sundays are usually reserved for the New York Times (which usually takes me ‘till Wednesday to actually complete, if you call completion about 50% of the paper) and that booze-soaked mid-afternoon meal beloved by diners (and dreaded by servers) known as brunch. It’s often a meal that serves as a bacon-fueled balm for the previous night’s reverie, but Julie Reiner, the owner of Clover Club has other ideas. For her, it’s a celebration in and of itself and that’s why she’s launched her weekend liquid brunch at Clover Club.

While baked eggs with chorizo and manchego ($9), omelettes stuffed with Greenmarket veggies ($9), ricotta pancakes topped with lemon honey butter and housemade apple-brandy compote ($8), oyster Po boys ($14), thick-cut bacon tastings ($8) and braised pork and cheddar grits ($12) are on chef Craig Rivard’s menu (he was formerly at Diner in Williamsburg), cocktails ($9-$10) are the thing, and the list is divided into categories that should suit any mood.

There are Bracers & Pick Ups—like the Corpse Reviver #2 (gin, Lillet Blond, Cointreau, absinthe and lemon) and the Sorrello Royale (muddled orange, Campari, Punt y Mes and Prosecco) as well as Swizzles, Sours & Daisies, Royales, Collins & Fizzes, Punches, and four different Bloody Mary recipes, with a spicy mixture made from all fresh ingredients, including a gin-based Red Snapper; Bloody Maria with tequila; the Barmen’s Bloody (rye whiskey with the addition of fresh basil, Fernet Branca, tomato and spice); and a spicy classic vodka-based version. I’d think it’s safe to say you can leave the paper at home. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

And that’s your Strong (weekend) Buzz for this Thanksgiving Holiday! Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday meal filled with great company, wine, and food. Be sure to check in with The Strong Buzz every day for more news, reviews, events and more!

Share ! Post a comment