Saturday, October 9th, 2010—Bar 272
Day 272—Friday, October 8th, 2010
Salsa y Salsa
Okay, it’s Friday night and as usual I’m burned out from a week of bar crawling and work has been a little stressful this week. There’s a Mexican restaurant called Salsa y Salsa on 7th Avenue that’s on my way home. It’s got a little colorful little bar inside and there’s usually a seat because most people come for dinner and are seated at the tables. I’ve been saving this for a night that I could stop in on my way home and then it’s just a quick walk home. Well, I think tonight this is going to be the stop. And I’m craving a Michelada, so let’s go check it out. ¡Y salimos!
It's a nice night out, so we'll walk down 7th Avenue. It's just about eight blocks away.
And baboom, here we is! And I think I spy seats at the bar. Areeba!
Some of the specials of the evening, but I've eaten and crave a Michelada, so it's off to the bar we go.
Inside the bar and restaurant it's colorful with fun Mexican flourishes. And there's a seat at the bar!
Chelsie is a regular and jumped behind the bar to help bartender Rubens serve up my Michelada. Chelsie is one of the hosts of the online TV show, Body Shots. Check it out here: Body Shots TV. It's a show devoted to booze and hosted by beautiful women like Chelsie, count me in as a regular viewer.
And here I am with my Michelada. Cheers to you all and especially Tiki Bar Susie who turned me on to the drink! Salud!
The bottles behind the bar.
The bar is small and informal and gives you the feeling of drinking in someone's basement.
Here's Tony who ordered a fresh bottle of Corona.
Tables and chairs line the walls and lead to...
The outside patio area that overlooks Seventh Ave.
Sparkly lights dangle overhead in the back dining area.
Here's Carolina with a big and beautiful smile. You'd smile to if you had a pile of dough like that in front of you! Mucho dinero!
Here's Chelsie and Juan chilling out at a table near the bar.
And speaking of the bar, I went back and tried a margarita. It was delicious.
A lone sombrero hangs on the colorful wall behind the bar.
And the bar itself is illuminated by this grand and glorious chandelier.
For my last cocktail of the evening, Rubens suggested a Brazilian drink called a caipirinha. Rubens is Brazilian, so I took his word for it and ordered one. Here he is preparing it.
And here's the finished product. Rubens warned me that it's a strong drink and really packs a punch!
I drank it and kept a lookout for the Oompa-Loompa men that Jaws has warned me about. ¡Buonas noches, todos!
Review
Salsa y Salsa is a nice and laid back place to have a genuine Mexican siesta. Comfortable banquette-styled booth seats line both walls and there’s tables in the center. The walls are blue with flowers and lights dangle from the ceiling with a red chandelier illuminating the small bar area. The bartenders and waitstaff are fun, friendly and quick with a suggestion about a drink or a choice from the menu. There’s an outside patio for dining and drinking when weather permits.
The bar may be small but it serves quality drinks. They have a good selection of bottled beers, several styles of margaritas including a cactus pear margarita and pomegranate mojitos. I can highly recommend the caipirinha, especially if bartender Rubens is mixing the drinks, it’s his specialty. Just be ready to have someone help you out the door if you have more than one though, they pack a punch! There’s a daily happy hour at the bar that runs from 4pm to 7pm with daily drink specials.
The food is authentic Mexican. There’s a full lunch menu and some of the dinner entrees include: Flautas de Pato—rolled tortilla with salsa duck served with roasted chipotle tomato salsa and guacamole; Panucho de Cochinita—slow cooked spiced pork with black beans, pickled yucatan onion on soft tortilla; Ceviche de Mariscos—seafood ceviche with mango, avocado, olives, capers in sweet & spicy habanero lime broth atop tequila and Taquitos Rancheros—salsa chicken filled in corn tortilla. served with roasted tomato sauce.
Salsa y Salsa
206 Seventh Ave. (@22nd St.)
212-929-2678
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Today would've been John Lennon's 70th birthday. So in tribute, I'm putting up my favorite John Lennon song, "Whatever Gets You Through The Night." This song could also be the theme for this bar crawl! Take it away, Johnny!
26 Comments
Reader Comments (26)
Nice place
There was this movie years ago called "Straight to Hell"
and in the movie Zander Schloss of the Circle Jerks plays a hot dog vender.
He has this great song called "Salsa Y Ketchup"
now that song is stuck in my head
I Guess That Drink Was Strong !!!
Muy bonita la chica Chelsie. Salsa y Salsa es fantastico y la margarita muy deliciosa. Buen trabajo aqui Marty,,, que viva John Lennon, un gran musico. How was that?
@Fat Al: ¡Al magnífico, gordo! ¡Aclamaciones a usted y a ese individuo anónimo!
P.S. I'm trying to leave comments at your blog and it's not taking them, do you know what's going on?
@Al: I just realized I mistook you for Fat Al! I guess I should've slept in longer!
That's strange. It let me post a comment. Does it say anything when you try? Maybe someone clicked on something by mistake that blocked you.
Hah! Somehow WordPress decided you were spam. Sons of bitches. I think I fixed it. Your comments are up.
Cheers
@Fat Al: I should never eat spam and comment! For those of you who haven't checked out the blog we're talking about, copy and paste this link to your browser and enjoy the antics of Fat Al and his anonymous blog buddy.
http://therightprofile.wordpress.com/
A bar/restaurant that specializes in authentic, competently prepared Mexican food is a big plus in my book...as for Body Shots TV...BOIING GOIING GOIING...an aspiring alcoholic's wet dream! And as for that tasty looking Caipirinha...there's a little pink oompa loompa just over my shoulder floating by the ceiling and nodding his head in approval!
Nice change of pace here. Looks like a nice place to escape the usual Friday madness. And Chelsie...aye aye aye! Just checked out a little of that Body Shots show and I too think I'm going to be a regular viewer! When are they going to do an episode on you and your bar crawl?
aww fuck ....now I want Spam.. Thanks Marty....
love the rightprofile/ half empty glass blog...
when i am not in a total cunt mood I am gonna read the whole fucking thing...
read about ten so far...
did i mention Martster I had mexican last night?
and in true Marty fashion i had the 21 oz. margerita...
and got a fucking brain freeze.
but did Marty get to go sit by a lake for a bit after?
hummmmmm
ok back to being a raging bitchaholic:)
have a good cheeseburger tonight:)
Tanks for shout-out Marty. All are welcome.
And feel free to eat Spam and read the blog any time you want. Don't let the man keep you down.
@Gidget: Glad to hear you had a giganzo margarita, but sorry about the brain-freeze. I'm heading out for the cheeseburger now.
@Fat Al: You're welcome and as far as The Man goes, fuck him till he's toothless. And I'm not sure what that means.
Ha ha ha...Gidget said Cunt!!
@Gidget: Are you sure you're not Australian...?
I'm a big fan of the word personally and use it regularly. In my trade the two most commonly used 4 letter words are Cunt and Salt.
Me likes Salsa y Salsa!! Body shots TV looks like madness in a mini skirt. Doesn't look like any shortage of quality mexican in NYC.
@365: Good to see you like to mix it up with the drinks and have a break from the beers. I drank a bottle of red yesterday and was asleep by 10pm!! What a pussy!! Happy birthday to John (we had his birthday yesterday....c'mon America, get with the times!). I really really dig that song. One of his best. I love the walking, spiralling bass Iine. I posted that one for Jason a couple of months ago when he was strung out at work.
TO: Lennon
Man that's a bright place! I had Mexican last night too. @FatAl I LOVE Dick in a Box! Seriously!!
ONYA GIDGET!!!!! GO YOU GOOD THING!!!!!..... we'll adopt you any day girl!!!!!
TO: John Lennon! And TO: Gidget, check her radio show out at Woody Radio. Copy and paste this link:
http://www.woodyradio.com/
Check the schedule for Gidget's shows, you can listen to her online and chat with her in the chat room. She may even utter the cunt word!
hahah Marty I have even uttered that wonderful word i stole from "Boris" CUNTASTIC!
i swear like a fucking sailor on steroids!
@Tim Clack I am British by nationality.. was not born there...but worked in a pub and tea shop for 8 years.. it rubs off on you...
only time i was ever offended by the C word was when it was hurled at me in a non possitive way.. or when Tom Cruise muttered it in that crap "Magnolia" film.
Gidget is also a really good match maker! So thanks really to this blog where I met Gidget, my life has suddenly become very full of smiles :)
Marty, I'm glad you aproved the caipirinha. Really is delicious, and I can see that Rubens mix it with cachaça (brazilian destilled made of sugar cane) it's the original drink. Sometimes we made it with vodka, it's very good, too. To John Lennon!
@Luc Ramone: To caipirinhas and to John Lennon!
Hey, Cheers from Brazil for you!!!
Caipirinhas are one of the best drinks!!!
@Guilherme: Cheers to you!
Totally love all the colors in that place! Those caipirinhas are delicious - had one myself at that restaurant we went to on E. 92nd (or was it 93rd?). Anyhoo, Salsa y Salsa looks like a great place to eat Mexican, even if you're not going to write all about it on MySpace afterwards.