Talk-A-Vino

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:

Cocktail menu at Barnum Publick House

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:

The Bridgeporter

Here are few other cocktails ordered by the people in our group:

THE CLOCK STRIKES RUM

MOON GODDESS

MOON GODDESS

SO CLUTCH

SO CLUTCH

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:

Stonington Calamari

Lump Crab Cakes (Warm Corn Relish, Lemon Tartar Sauce) – perfect texture, big lumps of crab meat, nicely seared on outside, very tasty:

Lump Crab Cakes

Lump Crab Cake

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.

Short Rib Nachos

Short Rib Nachos

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/