The Wayland: Can You Feel The Love?
Great food, great drinks, great music. A nice space, a nice energy but not pretentious.
I sometimes find it difficult to find a bar of which I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, truly feels “like home.” A place where I can feel the warmth in the atmosphere, the staff is beyond friendly, and the cocktails are a true work of art. I have finally found that destination at The Wayland, a new cocktail joint in Alphabet City.
Jason Mendenhall and Rob Ceraso, owners of The Wayland, have taken their talents as both food and drink experts and put them into this creation — a place that specializes in unique and seasonal cuisine, and a stellar cocktail list. Rather than having an extensive list of cocktails, forcing people to narrow it down to their favorite two or three before making a final decision, Mendenhall has one cocktail for Bourbon, Tequila, Moonshine, Rum, and Gin. Clean and simple, and handcrafted with love. No muss, no fuss.
“It’s very culinary based. A lot of what we’re doing is sharing ingredients. We want to go to the local purveyors and see what they have and see how that’s going to form our menus,” says Mendenhall. “We wanted it to be even keel across the board. Great food, great drinks, great music. A nice space, a nice energy, but not pretentious.”
While Mendenhall had a hard time deciding which was his favorite cocktail on the menu right now, I had no issue deciding on mine. The Old Back Woods (I hear banjos), is made with Apple Pie Corn Likker, homemade spice apple bitters, and apple wood smoked ice. For this cocktail, the presentation is half of the enjoyment, while the other half is the cocktail itself. Mendenhall filled a glass bulb-shaped bowl with applewood smoke, then put it over the drink. He then told me to inhale the smoke from the bulb, and take a sip.
If you’ve ever wondered what a campfire in the woods tastes like, this is it. Sweet, smoky and warm, I was moved to a childhood camp out in the woods, complete with a warm campfire. I have never experienced anything quite as enjoyable.
This cocktail may have taken the cake for me, but the others on the menu are equally enjoyable. My other favorite was the Rum cocktail, called The Bimbo Rivas, made with white rum, a malbec-ginger reduction, fresh lime juice and angostura bitters. It starts out sweet, and has a satisfyingly dry finish. A marvel for wine and cocktail lovers everywhere.
Midway through my cocktail enjoyment, a man walked in to wonder about having a birthday party there, and what a “pretention-free libation” is. Mendenhall immediately gave him a sample of their Fernet Branca and homemade Coca-Cola from the soda gun. He took a sip, and smiled. At that moment, The Band came on the speakers, telling me to “Take a Load Off, Annie.” I’m not Annie, but I couldn’t argue with them.
Yes, I am definitely home.
Image: Ellen Swandiak via http://hiphostessnyc.blogspot.com
