Editor Review: Delivery.com in Jersey City and Hoboken

The Perfect Staycation Partner

Wine ordered from delivery.com

Every now and then, it's refreshing to stay in and do nothing. We mean NOTHING... not even go out for food. Enter Delivery.com (which now services Jersey City and Hoboken YAY!). Our editor, Nafeesa, recently took a staycation to get acquainted with the online delivery service. She used her complimentary credits on Thai food and wine. Here's what you need to know:

The Good

1. You can order more than takeout.

Of course, you can still order ally types of cuisine from a number of highly-rated restaurants. You just have other options. Feel like cooking? Order groceries. Need a little something to sip while you cook? Order wine and/ or spirits. Staring at a pile of dirty clothes that you refuse to wash? They've got that covered, too.

2. It deserves to be said again: you can order BOOZE!

Here in Jersey City, order minimums are under $30 (less than a decent bottle of reposado), and delivery fees fall under $5.

3. You can see the next available delivery time without extra clicks.

Most options on the list of locations that service your area are presented with an estimate of the next available delivery time. This saves you the extra effort of clicking and making selections, only to find out that it'll be three hours before you can eat or drink.

4. Rewards points. 

The more you order, the more you earn. They can be redeemed for credits toward orders or for really handy items (like a vacuum wine stopper or multi-tool for your home bar). You can also donate them to charity. (Karma points. Woot!)

Space for Improvement

1. Wine is a bit of a challenge.

The wine and spirit stores (at least the ones that service Jersey City) provide little to no detail about the flavor profiles of the wines they offer. Though, it usually only takes a couple of seconds to google a particular wine and find out what you need to know.

2. I wish only restaurants that are currently open would be presented in my list of delivery options.

If there's nothing open in my area at 2 AM, that's fine. Just say that. I'm in lazy mode. I don't want to have to look and see that my next delivery time is 8 hours away.

The Final Verdict

Thumbs up. The delivery drivers were all polite and professional. It was easy to know exactly when the items would be delivered, and the delivery minimums and fees were all beyond reasonable. Plus... that points system is pretty cool.

Spot-Light: Lantern’s Keep

When the Light’s on…

The rushing crowds and frenetic energy of Midtown Manhattan can be electrifying for newcomers and tourists, but if you’re among the horde of area worker bees, it’s actually more frazzling than anything. For a respite from the madness, duck into the Iroquois Hotel on West 44th Street and head straight back to Lantern’s Keep. You’ll step into an intimate (seats 30 people) turn of the century Parisian salon with a beautiful working fireplace, dim lights and romantic settees.

If the calm ambiance doesn’t help you breathe a sigh of relief, the retro-inspired cocktails- many crafted by head bartender, Theo Lieberman- will definitely do the trick. They’re all decidedly simple in construction because Theo (who’s like the Doogie Howser of mixology) likes the idea of someone enjoying a drink at the bar and then being able to go and make it at home. If your drink happens to require a straw, look forward to sipping from a stainless steel spoon straw, and don’t be surprised if you order the same drink twice, but the glasses aren’t identical. Lantern’s Keep uses a rotation of vintage glassware, some of which comes from Theo’s personal collection and all of which is stored in a chiller until it’s time to come out and play.

Those who enjoy a refreshing tropical tipple will delight in a Regal Rum Rickey. It’s tart, tangy and quite tasty.
Recipe:
2 oz Flor de Cana 7 year
.75 oz simple syrup (equal parts sugar & water)
.85 oz lime juice
Mix ingredients in a shaker and serve in a Collins glass.


My personal favorite was the Stay Up Late (from the Stork Club, 1946). Unfortunately I managed to drink the ENTIRE glass of complex, citrusy goodness without snapping one photo. However, Here’s the recipe:
1.5 oz Beefeater Gin (Their well gin for shaking)
.5 oz cognac
.75 oz lemon juice
.75 oz simple syrup
Shake, pour into a Collins glass, top with soda and garnish with an orange wedge and a cherry.
I recently attended a press event at Lantern’s Keep and joked to a table mate that it seems like the kind of place a man might bring his mistress. She replied, “I’d bring my husband here.” I upped the ante and suggested that she have him meet her and then pretend to be a mistress. Though the vibe is calm and chic, for some reason, there’s a slight air of mischievous sensuality in the air. Maybe it’s the lingering scent of grapefruit zest (ask Theo about his love for the fruit).

Technorati Tags: Bar Reviews,New York Bars,Stylescrybe,Iroquois Hotel,Lantern's Keep,Theo Lieberman,Cocktail Recipe,Flor de Cana Rum,Beefeater Gin,cocktails
Blogger Labels: Bar Reviews,New York Bars,Stylescrybe,Iroquois Hotel,Lantern's Keep,Theo Lieberman,Cocktail Recipe,Flor de Cana Rum,Beefeater Gin,cocktails

Booze Book Review: Cosmo’s Official Cocktail Book

 

Sipping Sexy

Not long ago, I was watching Today with Kathy Lee & Hoda (as I do almost every morning), and they were sampling drinks from COSMO’S OFFICIAL COCKTAIL BOOK: The Sexiest Drinks for Every Occasion (prepared by some of the sexiest bartenders in New York- see video HERE). As I envied their morning swill, I also made a mental note to purchase the book However, I didn’t have to. I was sent a complimentary copy to review!

I often refer to Cosmopolitan Magazine’s online drink guides for cocktails to pair with the shoes you see on this blog, and this book is a compilation of  their readers’ favorites. The first thing I noticed upon opening it was the Cocktail Recipe Visual Index. If you’re planning a party with a color theme, or want to remember the name of a drink that matches your new hot pink platforms, this feature makes it easy. In addition, it’s categorized by liquor type. I wish it was also indexed by occasion/ season, but that’s just because I’m spoiled. However, the recipes are broken down into six chapters, based on whether a drink is flirty, fun, fabulous, romantic, sweetly seductive or “What A Guy Wants.” Plus, there are cool tips and trivia throughout. For instance, some cocktail recipe pages also feature “Hook Him Hints,” while others include conversation starters or cool facts.

COSMO’S OFFICIAL COCKTAIL BOOK also includes quick, fun quizzes (it wouldn’t be Cosmo without the quiz, right?). Upon taking them, you’ll find out whether you’re a “Hell Raiser” or “Party Pooper, ”Flirt Fanatic” or “Flirt Averse”, a “Way Brave Babe” or “Shrinking Violet.” If I had my druthers, each “type” would be matched with an example cocktail or two, but the quizzes were still fun to take. I’m sure everyone can guess where StyleScrybe rated.

Then there’s the “Cocktail Crash Course” toward the end of the book, which puts lots of useful information into digest form. From which glasses to use with which cocktail types, to a metric conversion chart and a Q & A with Belvedere Vodka’s head of Mixology, Claire Smith, this chapter may have your friends thinking you’ve taken a bartending course (or studied Shoes N Booze from day 1). You know how you look at drink recipes in restaurants sometimes and wonder WTH bitters are? Well the “Liquors Worth a Shot” section answers that question and more.

I’d say this book is worth its weight in rim sugar. Plus it looks great on your in-home bar. Whether you’re hosting a girls’ night in, pregaming before the club or trying to score big with a new beau, you’ll find something suitable in COSMO’S OFFICIAL COCKTAIL BOOK.

*NOTE: Photos, information and images Reprinted with permission from Cosmo’s Official Cocktail Book, by the Editors of Cosmopolitan Magazine, copyright 2011, Hearst Books.

Technorati Tags: Book Review,Cocktail Recipe,Cosmopolitan Magazine