Minetta Tavern — Restaurant in New York

As I stepped into the Mineta Tavern, the city I once knew had transformed. I had just returned from three weeks in Colombia, and New York City looked different through my weary traveler's eyes. The Mineta Tavern, nestled in the heart of this ever-changing metropolis, promised to be a sanctuary for my gringo soul.

Emilia, the remarkably friendly hostess, guided me to a seat at the bar. She suggested I try the signature cocktail, the Farmacia, crafted with mezcal. As the smoky elixir touched my lips, it was as if I could taste the essence of the Colombian countryside in each sip. It was a taste of nostalgia and adventure all in one.

I followed Emilia's counsel and ordered the medium rare Black Label burger. It arrived, a masterpiece on a plate, its juices oozing with promise. With each bite, the flavors danced upon my palate like a well-rehearsed tango. The Mineta Tavern had transported me from Colombia to culinary nirvana.

Yet, amidst this gastronomic delight, there was an odd juxtaposition. The bar was overrun with finance bros, their bravado echoing off the walls. However, fate had other plans for me. I found myself seated between two captivating souls, Anne and the bartenders, Matt and John.

Anne, a former gym enthusiast turned marathon runner, was fleeing her demons on the pavement, she confided. But despite her words, her beauty and apparent contentment betrayed her true feelings. She was like a character from one of Hemingway's novels, searching for meaning in the rhythm of her footsteps.

Matt and John, the bartenders, were masters of their craft. They mixed drinks with the precision of seasoned artisans and charmed patrons with their wit and humor. They were like old friends, sharing stories and laughter amidst the clinking of glasses.

In the Mineta Tavern, surrounded by finance bros and fascinating souls, I found a slice of New York City I had never known before. It was a place where the taste of mezcal and a perfectly cooked burger were just the beginning of the adventure. It was a place where strangers became friends, and the city's heartbeat pulsed with every conversation.

As I left that evening, I couldn't help but think that New York City, like Colombia, was a place of discovery. It had a story to tell, and in the Mineta Tavern, I had heard a chapter that left me craving for more. This was a night I would remember, a night where I saw the city in a different light, and for that, I...

Minetta Tavern, an old-fashioned French bistro known for their meat dishes, particularly the burger, the steak, the thick-cut bacon and more.

The exterior is quite elusive: showing nothing inside. The lightning is dark inside, with a light jazzy music. Upon entrance I was instantly hit with the a buttery aroma. Even when I am not that hungry, the classical conditioning made me salivate a bit.

The rumor is real, first and foremost, they do give lone eater a glass of champagne on the house, freshly and bubbly. Even for one person they gave a big loaf of semi baguette with butter on the side. The bread is chewy, warm, and crunchy on the outside. I do feel the butter is a bit lacking flavor though.

The Black Label Burger The toasted sesame bun is toasted with butter and tasted moldy sweet, has a bit cottony texture, yet when eaten with meat the meat flavor dominates. The top bun has a lot of nutty sesames, and they are super crispy when eaten. The bottom bun, on the contrary, soaks up all the meat juice and is crushed into a thin layer. Since it is dry-aged, the meat patty has a cheesy flavor besides beefiness even without the cheese. The patty is seasoned well, and they put an additional finished touch of salt on the surface. Outside is bit crusty, and inside is all juicy. The tomato is not watery, it has a texture when eaten with the patty and the sweet, mushed, caramelized onions. The pickle is outstanding: acidic, juicy, mildly sweet, and has a bit of crunch.

I replaced the fries with petite salad, which was coated with olive oil and salt, not bad and not super. I also had the thick-cut bacon, which comes in with 2 pieces. These are thick, fatty, come in on a hot plate so they still sizzle a bit. When hot, the smoked flavor really is prominent, I like when it is a bit cold so the smokeness doesn’t compete with the pork’s intrinsic sweetness that much.

The service is outstanding: my waitress is quick and accommodating. The food came within 5mins of ordering (yeah medium-rare burger doesn’t cook for long lol). I ordered a burger and bacon side but I went home a lot of leftover bacon with a semi-baguette, and a stomach full...

We, (the 4 of us,) decided to go someplace out of our normal comfort zone, and that has nothing to do with price but more with the menu and options. Before we got there I decided I wanted to look at the wine list and menu. I saw a couple of interesting selections but I felt that I'd prefer bringing my own as long as it wasn't on the wine list. I called up and asked what the corkage policy was and to my surprise they say you couldn't bring wine. Ok fair enough we went anyway. When we got there on time we were told we'd have to wait at the bar for a few minutes which we did and my friend decided to have a Tito on the rocks, I laughed to myself when the bartender measured out exactly the amount in a tumbler not a drop more more, even funnier was the price they charged. You don't go to Minetta Tavern if you're going to worry about the bill. The first table they gave us was a tiny both probably meant for a party of 2, after 10 minutes they were able to accommodate large enough for a party of 4 normal size adults.

The server came over as did the sommelier, I had a couple of different bottles in mind and out of curiosity I said why don't you have a corkage policy, his immediate answer is we do and it's a $100.00 per bottle, I told him that the people who answer the phones she know that because I was told we couldn't bring wine. I was a bit dismayed to say the least. We now decided it was time to look at the menu. We ordered the watermelon salad with feta and the pate. for entrees there were 2 of the Tavern's special burgers and my friend and i had the Dry-Aged Cote De Boeuf with roasted marrow bones. I'm not going to bother to critique the food other than to say it was prepared as it should be in this type of establishment but it was really nothing extraordinary. For desert we had the coconut layer cake and the Pots de Creme. The bottom line was the service was ok, not what was expected and giving them a 3 I truly believe is all...