Welcome to the Manhattan Newsletter!
Welcome to our first ever Manhattan Newsletter.
We hope to provide you with interesting short articles on cocktails, food and entertainment.
COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH: THE MANHATTAN
For our initial issue we will start with our namesake cocktail the Manhattan.
The Manhattan does not have a clear history. The most repeated story is that it was invented by a man named lain Marshall for Winston Churchill's mother, Lady Randolph Churchill, at a party at the Manhattan Club in New York in the early 1880s. The problem with the story is that Lady Churchill was pregnant at the time and was in France.
The better story comes from the early 1920s from a book "Valentine's Manual of New York," which contended a bartender at the New York Hoffman House said it was invented by a man named Black, who kept the bar nearby on Broadway Street.
The most traditional recipe calls for rye whiskey, but bourbon whisky is used more frequently. The usual mixture of whisky, vermouth, and bitters creates a cocktail that has endured for over a hundred years. Maker's Mark has been the most requested whisky at Manhattan. We have also had it ordered with Southern Comfort, which makes an unorthodox but sweeter drink. That person will go unnamed to save embarrassment.
MUSIC OF THE MONTH: TAD SISLER
This month we are celebrating our long-time pianist and vocalist Tad Sisler. Tad is a man for all seasons, a musician, song writer, music and film producer, instructor, author and inventor. With over a thousand original works available on major platforms such as iTunes and Amazon, Tad has established himself as a prolific creator.
Tad plays and sings everything from the great American Songbook to today's modern hits from Manhattan's famous piano bar. Dinner seating at the piano is available Thursdays through Saturday evenings by reservation.
Tad's accomplishments are far too extensive for this little newsletter, so we recommend checking out his website.
On June 27th and 28th Tad will be celebrating fourteen years of entertaining at Manhattan!
PLATE OF THE MONTH: TABLE-SIDE CEASAR
The plate of the month is our Caesar salad. This is prepared in the kitchen for individual orders, or table side for two people. The table side service is how the salad was served when created by Caesar Cardini at his restaurant "Caeser's" in Tijuana in 1924. The story goes that the original salad was made by combining romaine lettuce leaves tossed in a large wooden bowl with croutons, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, raw egg, garlic and Worcestershire sauce.
Although it is unclear whether the original recipe included anchovies, Manhattan adds fresh anchovy paste which is a common addition today, complementing the flavor of the salad.