Rating: 💋 💋 💋
Hello hello, we are popping back in to celebrate my sister Shannon's birthday!
On the eve of her birthday, I met Shannon and her friends Austin and Sophie for drinks at the Roxy Hotel bar. They had visited her for a wonderful weekend full of pizza, skeeball, cafés, bookstores, and the Sunday matinée of Chicago on broadway. Then I joined them after the show.
I am not much of an expert on hotels anywhere because I haven't traveled much recently and, when I did travel, I was a hostel girlie. I can say, however, that I highly recommend the Roxy as far as New York hotels go. I had been there years prior to see an indie film in their very cool cinema in the basement, and the lobby interior has a gorgeous vintage aesthetic. The oyster bar is supposed to be very good as well. This time, I got to check out the Roxy bar and hotel rooms, and I thought they were fabulous! Plus points for the elevator with windows that allows you to wave goodbye to the lobby as you rise up to your room. I may be a toddler, but I was squealing. It was so cool! We love cheap thrills over here!
We got drinks in a back booth at the bar, across from the neon 'Roxy' sign and piano that sent snazzy notes our way. Shannon ordered the Lola, which mixed together aperol, St. Germain, pamplemousse and sparkling wine. We laughed about how pamplemousse is one of the best French words and a personal favorite of mine. It simply means grapefruit, but it has such flare and is so fun to say! I once called Shannon a pamplemousse in jest because my sense of humor leans toward the ... completely random and silly, so we shared that story because Shannon finds it amusing. In my defense, when she gets a cocktail it is often gin with some sort of grapefruit, so the name suits her. I regret to say I do not know what Austin and Sophie ordered - it was a cocktail and a beer, but I have no specifications. They enjoyed them though, and Shannon was pleased with her beverage, so all was going well. They also ordered appetizers for the table. We had the snack trio, which included 'chili lime potato chips' that tasted exactly like your standard Lay with no chili lime, and much better-reviewed truffle popcorn and smoked almonds. When we left, the snack trio tiered tray had only crumbs and grains of salt remaining. We also tried out the Roxy Mezze, which offered a delightful selection of lemon hummus, baba ganoush, labnah, local pita, carrots, broccoli rabe, cucumber and watermelon radishes. The radishes with hummus were my personal favorite. Now, I arrived after they had been served, but I still had time for a drink. I went for a cocktail comprised of reposado tequila, mezcal, sweet vermouth, cherry brandy, vanilla, and mole bitters. It had a very deep flavor that was nice for just one drink, but I would not have ordered a second. They called it A Star is Born, but I swear I did NOT order it just for the name because I am not that unreasonable. That being said, I have zero chill soo ... the name may have helped.
Sadly, Austin had to part ways with us at the Roxy. He had a flight out of LaGuardia that he had to catch in order to be at work on Monday. Sophie, Shannon and I schlepped through the rain up to SoHo. They actually had an open table immediately at Little Ruby's Café, so we swooped right in. This restaurant was Shannon's special request so she could have some glühwein on her birthday! Not to mention, she is a sandwich girl and that is a Ruby's speciality.
Sophie and I both ordered the Aussie Mule - their twist on a classic with an Australian ginger beer. Ruby's is an Australian restaurant so it is a little nod to their origins, and it was so refreshing and yummy. Shannon of course got her mulled wine, which she absolutely loved. Our waitress, Michelle, also recommended That Watermelon Drink, which is made of vodka, fresh watermelon juice, lime, and mint. I am definitely interested in coming back on a warmer day to try it. I loved Michelle. She was super cool and helpful, had a stunning set of nails - she told me she has been going to her nail technician ten years because the woman is just so good - and was very easygoing.
We had a table by the door but I am happy to report it was not too cold, though we were there on on a very damp January night. They kept the restaurant at a comfortable temperature and made sure the door closed tightly and did not blow in any wind gusts. Overall, Ruby's has nice but casual vibes, and we spent a very fun birthday dinner there.
Though Shannon is a sandwich person, we all opted for bowl-based meals. We needed warming food. When I am back in warmer weather I will try the burger or chicken sandwich with my watermelon cocktail. Sophie ordered the Malibu Bowl, which comes with brown rice, poached egg, avocado, broccolini, edamame, pea shoots, our fave - watermelon radish, charred scallion salsa, and herbs. It was a delicious way to get a nice, healthy meal. Shannon actually ordered a dish I had been torn between, the Creamy Chicken, which topped grilled chicken over a steaming dish of rigatoni sauced up in sun-dried tomatoes, basil, parmesan and cream. Absolutely scrumptious and perfect for a rainy night! Let's be real - sun-dried tomatoes are the superior tomato. I wound up ordering the Pesto Pasta, which I absolutely loved. I am iffy on kale, specifically I do not like it raw but cooked is okay, so I was curious to see how this would turn out for me. The Pesto Pasta blends kale, zucchini, baby peas, snap peas, parmesan and pumpkin seeds together to make a gorgeous nut-free pesto, and stirs it all up into a bowl of hot spaghetti that is then artfully sprinkled with more parmesan. I inhaled it. The other vegetables zapped the bitterness right out of the kale, so the dish had a bright flavor. Zero complaints. A bowl of pesto pasta really is the ideal meal for me in all seasons, temperatures and moods.
Of course, we were celebrating a VIP, so dessert was a must!
Michelle brought out a warm brownie with ice cream and chocolate beads on top and three large spoons. She smiled shyly and told us she would not sing because she did not want to ruin the celebration with her voice (😂🥺), but wished Shannon a huge happy birthday. Sophie and I sang to Shannon, she made a wish, and we all dug in. We laughed about the soup spoons we had been given - they were huge! Maybe a warm brownie with ice cream is basic, but I would call it more "tried and true." The brownie at Ruby's was dense and chewy and perfectly rich, and the thick vanilla bean ice cream melted over it gorgeously. The chocolate beads made it fawncy. We were all very happy with the meal. It may not have been anything lavish, but it was exactly what the birthday girl wanted - which is my only requirement for someone's celebration - and we all really enjoyed the meal. Having a great waitress was just the cherry on top. Ruby's for the win!
Happy birthday Shannon!
XX,
MK