Amity Hall

That’s right folks – this is a little piece of heaven on a Sunday morning – almost.  Recently a friend and I decided to try out  Amity Hall  (80 West 3rd Street, Manhattan) for brunch.  I go there for happy hour on occasion (decent, and a good space for parties), but this was my first experience dining in.  I had heard there was a make-your-own Bloody Mary Bar as well as unlimited Bloody Marys and Mimosas (for $12) – awesome.  As you can see from the photo above, there are various options for the Bloody Mary base.  The waitstaff gives you a 16 oz. water glass with ice (way too much ice – I would recommend asking for less) and a decent dose of vodka.  You can opt for house ($5 each) or premium ($8 each) vodka, but if you are going for the unlimited option, house vodka it is.  The Bloody Mary Bar’s (somewhat eclectic) options included the following:

• V8 Juice, Tomato Juice, or Bloody Mary Mix
• Crispy Bacon
• Lemons and Limes
• Carrots and Celery
• Olives (mixed, though the menu says “Juicy Green Olives”)
• Slim Jims
• Twizzlers
• Atomic Fireballs (candy)
• Pickled Cornichons
• String Cheese
• various hot sauces, A-1 Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, and horseradish

As excited as I was to make my own Bloody Mary, I have to admit that I was a little surprised at the quality of the many options.  For example, the lemons and limes were not fresh, and the peels looked dull.  The olives looked like they were about a month old and sitting in a grimy brine.  There were about ten olives in the container though I was the Bar’s first customer for bunch.  The tiny carrots and celery were living in a water that made them look less than appetizing.  On a side note, there was no clam juice option, which for many people is a staple in the creation of a good Bloody Mary.  To me, why half-ass a great idea like a Bloody Mary Bar?  I expected it to be brimming with the finest (or at least fresh) versions of the ingredients above.  I was honestly afraid to put one of the olives in my drink.  It would have been really nice to have a fresh, large stalk of celery, rather than a sickly, rubbery, tiny piece, which would get lost in the large glass.  Maybe I just went on the one day that they didn’t get their act together?  Who knows.

As for the food, my friend ordered the Belgian Vanilla Bean Waffle with mixed berry compote, whipped maple pecan butter, and crispy candied pepper bacon ($10).  The only flaw in his dish was that the waffle wasn’t crispy, which is too bad.  The whipped maple pecan butter was delicious, and the the crispy candied pepper bacon, which had a maple essence to it, was THE BEST BACON I HAVE EVER TASTED.  I would easily go back for this bacon again and again.  Amazing.  I got the Grilled Chicken Cobb Sandwich, with bacon, avocado, tomato, crumbled bleu cheese, and lemon-herb mayo.  It was very tasty.  Still can’t get over the crispy candied pepper bacon, though, even as I write this.