Peachy Picks Booker and Dax Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
Executive Cocktail Mixologist and Chef Dave Arnold with the real Booker & Dax, complete with mustaches!
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You know when we visit a new hot spot, Peachy Deegan's always got a lot of questions-and one of the questions she had at this visit is - "Where does the name Booker and Dax come from?" Well, see in the photo above the luckiest ten and seven year olds in the city who surely are counting down the days until their 21st birthdays, respectively. Thumbs up on the mustaches, guys. They suit you! Booker and Dax have a dad named Dave Arnold, who first became famous on Whom You Know in 2009 for teaching Peachy Deegan, among others, how lobsters taste best when you first let them enjoy cocktail hour...and to this day, this is still one of the very best cocktail party stories she has shared many times. From that moment on we were convinced of Dave's quintessential ability to think outside of the box which we applaud tremendously, his total creativity, and his commitment to excellence. When we saw Dave earlier this year, he told us how he started Booker and Dax in late January 2012 and ever since we had been dying to get there. Dave is always a total peach and you also know him from his fine work at the French Culinary Institute (ages ago we reviewed L'Ecole...)
Earlier, Booker and Dax was featured in Tasty Tidbits:
We are thrilled to say it has advanced to Peachy's Picks! You know we absolutely recommend eating while drinking, and the menu at Booker and Dax, although short, is indeed sweet and everything on there has earned its spot well. We began with some warm steamed pork buns, which were soft and enticing, with huge chunks of pork that are perfect for this fall weather now upon us. If you are a chopstick enthusiast, you will find them as the primary utensil at Booker and Dax but if you are an American devout fork-user like our Editor-in-Chief, be assured they can meet your utensil needs as well. No matter what the utensil, all culinary aspects of Booker and Dax were short-lived because of their intense quality and superb compatibility to the stars of the show, which are of course the cocktails.
Naturally, Peachy Deegan began with the most peachy drink on the menu-Son of a Peach. Mezcal, Tequila, Canned Peach, Lime and Umeboshi Vinegar will ignite your senses to what a premium cocktail should be. The flavor was sharp and the combination was brilliant. You know Peachy likes everything strong and this absolutely measured up.
Introducing the Broadbent Ham from Kuttawa, Ky which is not terribly smoky, which is just perfect for Peachy. There are four country hams - all American- to choose from on the menu which is presented in varying degrees of smokiness.
What you should know about Booker and Dax besides the fact that it has killer cocktails, perhaps the best in Manhattan and certainly among the best, is that it has a friendly atmosphere, which we believe is essential. There is no silly pretension that you find at lesser places, and they've got these spots beat at cocktails for sure. Dave Arnold is committed to quality and using a host of top ingredients to get everything on the menu precisely right. He uses the very best equipment to achieve the highest degree of precision when serving these cocktails-and the Manhattan is so precise, it comes pre-bottled.
Peachy likes pickles, but she probably would not order them on her own at a restaurant since there are other options that appeal to her more in general, HOWEVER, at Booker and Dax, you should be aware that Seasonal Pickles should be relabeled on the menu as "Pickles to Die For" or "Pickles on Fire" or "What Pickles are SUPPOSED to be". These comprised of mushrooms, hot peppers, apples, cauliflower, beets, onions, celery and cucumber of course. To say these are fresh is an understatement-they are simply the freshest pickles Peachy has ever had. Not to mention that they are the best variety too.
One reason why Peachy next ordered the Manhattan, since we are about the Best of it, after all.
The real reason why she ordered it however is because it is always what her grandparents ordered and she always got the cherry as a kid-see the photo here, surely she had a Manhattan cherry that night. So, she kind of has been drinking them her whole life in that she's been eating that cherry...which you see here:
Pre-chilled, Pre-dilluted, Totally fantastic-that is what defines the Manhattan at Booker and Dax. Rye, Sweet Vermouth, and Bitters combine into a winner of a cocktail.
And here is the Manhattan, all together:
Robby the manager and Sam York the waitress did a splendid job.
Peachy thought she knew a lot about peach in cocktails, but she would never make the mistake of thinking she knows as much as Dave Arnold.
Dave even showed us something terrifically peachy by Alex Adams-and Alex, Peachy is looking forward to hearing from you!!!
Our esteemed panelist adds:
Booker and Dax is a fantastic East Village cocktail bar! They've got
great drinks, tasty snacks, and a friendly atmosphere. Their very
unique cocktails, which are creations of founder, Dave, are put
together with equipment that you might find in a science laboratory: a
centrifuge for clarifying liquids, liquid nitrogen to chill the
beverages and glasses, a hot poker to instantly heat things.
Impressive!
Before my cocktails arrived, I tried a few of their snacks. The ham
was delicious.
I went with the Edward Wigwam ham, which was very
smokey, I was told the smokiest on the menu. It came on a large plate
with thinly sliced pieces of ham that you could easily pick up with
the provided chopsticks. I also split an order of the Steamed Pork Bun
with Peachy, which were very nice finger food to go along with our
drinks.
My first drink was the Three Amigos, since I am a big tequila fan.
This drink is actually three drinks in one! First a shaken drink with
tequila, mecca chipotle pepper, lime and salt. Then a sweeter reposado
tequila with blueberry, lemon and tarragon. Finally, Booker and Dax
wisely let you enjoy a savory mezcal, without any mixers. I was very
impressed with this trio.
My next drink was Dave's recommendation, the Gin and Juice. This
drink, by name, did not jump out of the menu at me, and I probably
would not have ordered it without his suggestion. I'm very glad I did
though! I took a sip and was blown away. The grapefruit is clarified
by Dave's own process and it brings out very interesting flavors in
the gin. I noticed that my drink stayed cold until I finished it. Dave
attributes this to his liquid nitrogen chilling of the glasses.
Brilliant!
Finally, I tried one more snack, the Pickles. But this was much more
than mere pickles. This dish contained several lacto-fermented veggies that
were out of this world. Apples, onions, hot peppers, tomatillos
(mexican green tomatoes), celery, mushrooms, kimchi, and I think there
might have been a few actual pickles in there too! Great stuff! Dave
said this plate changes seasonly, so I hope to be back soon to try it
again.
What a great night. Thank you Booker and Dax! I'd highly recommend
checking out this place, quite possibly the best cocktails you'll find
in the city!
Peachy Picks Booker and Dax!
Booker and Dax is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
