Bar Experience at Barnum Publick House in Bridgeport
I’m the wine guy, as you know. Well, with a lot of affinity towards Scotch, Whiskey, Tequila… Beer too. Okay, you got the point – and it seems that I’m drifting away from what I’m trying actually to say here. Okay, let me try to get back on track. The point I’m trying to make is that cocktail is not generally something I’m going for. Part of the reason is that I’m actually (shh, it’s a secret, don’t tell anyone) intimidated by the cocktails. I don’t know the names, have only a weigh idea of the ingredients, and have a hard time making anything decent myself, even following the recipe precisely.
But the point of the matter is that this is changing lately. After tasting all the wonderful concoctions during our recent restaurant visits (Nola Oyster’s Bar, Mama’s Boy, Bailey’s Backyard) I’m very much inclined to start the evening with the cocktail, as it is quite amazing what the passionate bartender can create for you.
The place I want to talk about in this post is the Barnum Publick House in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Our dinner destination was Bistro B (the subject of next post), located within the same block as the Barnum Publick House, but before going to the dinner we had an opportunity to get some cocktails at Barnum Publick House – and I’m glad we did.
Once you walk in, you are greeted by the sophisticated decor, and the bar, which is definitely a centerpiece.
The list of cocktails is all creative and unique:
I had The Bridgeporter (Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon,Vermouth, IPA Foam) – was definitely sold at the “IPA Foam”. Here it is in the making:
And here is the final result – very restrained, somewhat bitter, perfect to start the evening:
Here are few other cocktails ordered by the people in our group:
So the bar requires bar food, right? And the bar food we got! Three different dishes, all perfectly executed.
Stonington Calamari (Spicy Flour, Sweet Chili Sauce) had just right amount of breading, served with tangy, somewhat sweet and spicy sauce:
Lump Crab Cakes (Warm Corn Relish, Lemon Tartar Sauce) – perfect texture, big lumps of crab meat, nicely seared on outside, very tasty:
Last but no least was Nachos. Hmm, I’m sure you got picture in your mind right? Corn chips, yellow cheese (I always wonder if that is really a cheese), droplets of ground beef and sprinkles of salsa. Well, get that picture out of your head – and take a look below, this is how Nachos should always look like – Short Rib Nachos (Jalapeno, Tomato, Cheese Sauce, Sour Cream, House Potato Chips) – potato chips, slow cooked short rib meat, perfectly layered and outright delicious in every bite.
That concludes our quick visit to Barnum Publick House – it was definitely fun. If you are up for the great time at the bar, with good cocktails and good food, the place is definitely recommended. Cheers!
Disclaimer: I visited Barnum Publick House as a guest of the management. All opinions are my own.
Barnum Publick House
1020 Broad Street
Bridgeport, CT 06604
(203) 690-1044
http://www.barnumpublickhouse.com/
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Search This Site
Grape Count: 561
Recent Posts
Archives
Categories
1. Social Media Connections
2. Blogroll
- The Wine Century Club
- 1 Wine Dude
- Seth Godin Blog
- Fermentation Wine Blog
- Dr. Vino
- The Gray Report
- The Feiring Line
- Vinography
- The Wine Economist
- The Reverse Wine Snob
- the drunken cyclist
- SAHMMelier
- Flora's Table
- Vino In Love
- Clicks and Corks
- The Armchair Sommelier
- The Winegetter
- The Food and Wine Hedonist
- Eat with Namie
- My French Heaven
- The Fermented Fruit
- The Wine Raconteur
- Tasting Notes Radio
- The Winecurious
- Sólosyrah
- JVB Uncorked
- Dracaena Wines
- Napa Food and Wine
- Edible Arts
3. Buying Wine
4. Wine Travel

The food and drinks all look amazing!
thank you! I really hope the pictures help to convey the experience…
There is definitely something to be said for a well crafted cocktail. (I had a life-changing cocktail — a watermelon basil marguerita — in Key West), but I don’t make many myself . . . wine is just so much easier. Open, pour, enjoy! Salud!
When we consume both wines and cocktails, it is definitely easy. Making of a great cocktail, same as great wine, is the work of Art.
I enjoy a good cocktail- so many variations to choose from nowadays! What a great looking establishment.
I agree – similar to wines, I think there is an increasing number of great products – wine, cocktails, whiskey, tequila…
Very enjoyable post–
Cocktails are a fun way to add variety to life. This will serve to get me out of my little rut.
Thanks Tracy! Yes, I’m starting to appreciate cocktails more and more : )