Wednesday, August 11th, 2010—Bar 213
Day 213—Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
Russian Vodka Room
Okay, first off, daily commentator, artist and writer, Jaws sent in a picture of himself wearing the 365 shirt with the red logo designed by “Boris.” Check out Jaws below:
What a handsome devil! In addition to being an artist (he did the graphics on the photo he sent in), Jaws is also a writer and has published three books. Two of them are tales from his cab driving days and when he toiled in customer service. The third is a collection of his graphics and drawings. It’s hilarious stuff and I highly recommend all three. You can check them out right here: Jaws the Cabbie.
If you’d like to check out the 365 Bar Shop and check out the custom design t-shirts and merchandise it’s as easy as clicking here: 365 Bar Shop. Our resident artist, “Boris” set the whole thing up and maintains it. “Boris” is also available for freelance artwork, so if you’d like your website spruced up, if you need a logo, CD or book cover or just about anything, “Boris” is your go-to guy. Just send me an email and I’ll forward it along.
There’s a couple more bonus photos, down under the main post and once again, down under is a fitting place for them because they more Australian photos. 365 commentator Tim Clack took a couple photos of the oldest brewery in Sydney. Check them out, they’re down under the review and a couple of great shots. Thanks for sending them in, Tim, mate!
Okay, tonight while Googling around I found what appears to be a very cool bar. It’s a place in midtown called the Russian Vodka Room and it’s bound to be a dark bar, because there’s no windows in the joint. But there is an in-house piano player and I bet there’s no TV’s anywhere. Let’s go see if my hunch is correct.
Here we are at the window-less bar. I love it already.
It's perfect inside, a nice dark and friendly vibe. And there's a seat at the bar.
And the beautiful bartender, Irina serves up a 2 ounce shot of pineapple infused vodka.
Budem zdorovy!
Azfar was seated next to me. He's a nice guy and was in town on business from Cleveland. I told him the bar crawl had traveled to Cleveland. He said he comes to New York frequently, so you may see him again on the crawl.
Quite a selection of booze at the bar. The large bottles in the back are the infused vodka.
There's tables and banquettes in the front of the bar.
The bar is wooden and somewhat octagon in shape, although there's not quite eight sides.
Here's an example of how dark it is in here. Here's the lounge area taken without the flash.
And here's the same shot with the flash.
There's nightly piano music at the bar, but it's kept at a conversational level.
Here's Irina at work mixing up another drink for me.
She adds the finishing touches and...
Voilà, a G3 martini.
Russian artwork hangs on the dark wooden walls of the bar.
And here's some more vats of the infamous infused vodka.
Here's Irina taking a little break behind the bar.
Next she served up a four shot tasting which was on the house. I love this place!
Cheers from Irina and I and goodnight, everybody!
Review
I think I found the perfect bar. Nice and dark inside, no windows, no TV’s and no pretentious attitude. The bartenders and waitresses are pretty and friendly, there’s live piano music every night of the week and the crowd is a mix of tourists, local business people and perhaps a thirsty international spy or two. The main room houses the octagon shaped wooden bar. There’s tables and chairs in nooks in the front and behind the piano is a lounge area with couches and tables to relax and enjoy your flavor-infused vodka.
The Russian Vodka Room lives up to its name. There’s over 40 varieties of vodkas and 10 flavor infused vodkas including: apple cinnamon, garlic, pepper and dill, horseradish and strawberry among others. There’s eight selections of rare scotch whiskies available and ten types of cognac. They have five choices of flavored martinis and specialty cocktails include: the Russian Breakfast which is, garlic, pepper, dill vodka with beef broth and tomato juice; the Red Bastard which mixes horseradish vodka and spicy bloody Mary mix and the Mintini which is a mixture of mint infused vodka, fresh lime and gingerale.
You’re going to need something to soak up all that booze and there’s plenty of items on their dining menu to do just that. There’s a large appetizer/small plate selection, including: Herring with potatoes, Duck Liver Pate, Beef Carpaccio with spicy mayonnaise and Smoked Trout with picante salad. Some of the main courses offered are: Chicken Schnitzel with truffle, Beef Stroganoff with kasha, Lamb Shanks Braised In Red Wine and Roast Duck with apples. There’s five different kinds of caviar and dessert is also available and if I go back I’m trying the Farmer's Cheese Blintzes with chocolate.
There’s a daily happy hour that runs from 4pm-7pm with $3.50 house-infused vodkas, $5 flavored martinis and $4 beers. Byla ne byla and cheers to the Russian Vodka Room.
Russian Vodka Room
265 W. 52nd St. (Near Broadway)
212-307-5835
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Bonus Photos!
Aussie mate, Tim Clack sent in these photos of Sydney's oldest brewery. Here's the photos and Tim's captions.
This place is the Lord Nelson Hotel Brewery located in the Rocks in Sydney. The Rocks is pretty much the oldest part of the city which is under the south side of the Harbour bridge. It used to to be a bad ass area full of hookers and sailors and has hosted the odd underworld murder in it's time.
I'm sure it packs out on the weekends but at Monday lunch its a haven for kicking back and enjoying a few of their specialty house brews.
Thanks for sending in the photos, Tim, very cool! And now in honor of the Russian Vodka Room...
14 References
Reader Comments (34)
@Tim Clack: Thanks for sending in the photos! Great stuff and thanks for the infusion recipe, I have to try that. That stuff was great!
@ Tim Clack; I love the hat too, even though the word squawking is misspelled as squaking. I picked it up in a convenience store years ago. I find it endearing! @ Zioum Zioum; yes, it is stylish I definately agree!
damn another great stop on the crawl...where does one start...
well hell...@jaws...you do look sharp in that 365 apparel...so much so I'm putting my order for one as soon as i can see...maybe it'll help me look sharp too...everybody likes a sharp dressed man...
wow what a place...no tv...dark...more vodka than i can count...usually a luksusowa consumer...i see it is on the vodka menu which is a plus...tonight i'm sipping some vesica...
@tim...thanks for the pics...don't recall too much about sidney...therein late '68...hell don't recall too much about yesterday...cheers...
Irina...a pic is worth a thousand words...KOC
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@clacky, thanks for reminding me, been years since i've been to the Nelson....i'll have to go next time i cant avoid having to go to Sydney....
@Jaws...."YOU BLOODY LEGEND!!! GOOD ONYA MATEY!!!!....enough said....
ironic on the koala front...knocked off work last night & was at a friends place having a barbie.....was telling the guys the awesome response Danny & Bazza received from you 365 mob as we cooked the BBQ out the front....next thing i notice my friends cat going into defense/attack mode, spooked bigtime!!!....then out of the darkness power walking down the middle of the footpath is the big arse male koala....i ran out & followed bout 2-3m behind him for 2-3 blocks or so (only had to stop 3cars when he crossed the road once) then he has turned into the driveway entrance of a 4.5star resort, walked straight past 10 or so bungalows then straight up a dirty big gum tree....phew, no drama, he made it.....as i walked out of the resort i was met by the resort caretaker who asked if he could help me....told what had happened & that he had a big male out the back...he says "Male?? there has been a female down near bungalow 10-11 for the last couple of days"....i replied..."yep well it is most definately mating season, & she's just got a mate tonight....pity your poor guests, doubt they get much sleep tonight" (koalas make a really, REALLY loud gutteral pig like grunting noise when they shag)....goodluck to the littl' guys!!
@fitzy what a what ever...i usually say 'that's it an' she says your lucky...
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Another beautiful place with a beautiful bartender. Love the booths that wrap around the walls. Garlic vodka, I would love to try that one! And marty, that seems to be a tshirt you are wearing? What gives?
@kari: My mom bought it for me, she was worried seeing me wearing black and hot clothes in the summer. So I now have a t-shirt!
Loved the pictures of the Lord Nelson Brewery. Went there when I was in Sydney in 2000 and enjoyed it immensely.
Ironically, Russian tea is made from vodka.
ahhh, I love that your mom bought you clothes. Guess moms never stop being moms no matter the age of their kids
@kari: Mine never does. She keeps telling me not to stay out late on my bar crawl and to get enough sleep. It's hilarious!