Minetta Tavern

Oh Minetta Tavern...why do you make it so hard for us to meet?  It's a good thing I enjoy eating dinner early, especially since a friend of mine managed to snag a 5:30pm dinner reservation.  And so, at 5:30pm with the sun still bright and shining, I entered into the hush hush world of Minetta Tavern.

Surprisingly, its not what you would expect inside Minetta Tavern.  From the outside, all the windows are covered with heavy curtains so you can't look in.  When you step in, it's a retro yet classy old-school feel with its checkered floors, red leather booths, and wood bar (which, interestingly, is the original bar from when the restaurant first opened in 1937 and refinished by Keith McNally when he took over). 

Bar area when you enter (pic from http://minettatavernny.com/)

Since it was so early, I'm pretty sure it was still officially cocktail hour so who could resist order a cocktail?!  There were a couple unique cocktails on the menu so I was excited to try.  And I was pleasantly surprised at how great they were!

So I came to Minetta Tavern to try their Black Label Burger.  In fact, everyone at the table ordered the Black Label Burger.  At $26, this thing better be the best burger of my life.   

And how was it?  It was delicious!  This was a quality burger that was fresh, juicy, and nice and thick.  The sauteed onions on top were a great addition and of course no burger is complete without my pickle.  Our waiter recommended no cheese and I went with that.  I personally wish I added cheese, but my dining buddies (including Piggy KL) loved it just as it was.  The fries were great too.  In standard Piggy KK protocol, I finished all my fries and then moved on to those of my dining buddies hehe...

And for dessert, we went with the Chocolate Souffle.  Of course we had to make it a la mode so we added a scoop of ice cream on the side.  It took 20 minutes to make but wowza it was definitely worth the wait!  Not overly sweet, it had a light crispy top but the inside was all warm and airy until you got to the gooey magnificent center.  This is a definite must have!!

Both Piggy KL and I (and our other dining budding) enjoyed our trip to Minetta Tavern.  We can't wait to come back and try the Cote de Boeuf!  If only it weren't so hard to snag a reservation...if you snag one and have an extra spot give me a call!!!

Piggy says Yes!

Thanks for reading - Piggy KK