Mojito

This Cuban drink was born in Havana, in a small family restaurant that still exists today. The name mojito, according to legend, comes from “mojadito,” which means “slightly moist.

The composition of the mojito is rum, sugar syrup, soda (Sprite), mint and lime.

Cosmopolitan

According to one version, the cocktail was created as part of an advertising campaign for Absolut Citron lemon-flavored vodka. According to the second version, the author of the cocktail is Cheryl Cook, a bartender from Florida, and Toby Cizzini from Manhattan perfected and “replicated” it in the now familiar recipe. For a while, Cosmopolitan was popular among visitors to gay clubs, but after the TV series “Sex and the City” the cocktail became fashionable everywhere.

The composition of the cocktail is orange liqueur, cranberry juice, lemon juice, vodka, and orange peel essential oil.

Pina Colada

Pina colada – “filtered pineapple” – was originally the name given to freshly squeezed pineapple juice. Then it was mixed with rum and later in the twentieth century a cocktail based on these ingredients was born in Puerto Rico.

The composition of the Pina Colada is white rum, coconut syrup, and pineapple juice.

Margarita

This Latin American cocktail was born in 1936-1948 and in one way or another is associated with the name of a girl – Margarita. The first version dedicates the cocktail to the American actress Marjorie King, who could not drink any alcoholic beverages. The proportions of the modern cocktail were chosen for her. The second legend insists that a certain bartender from Juarez mixed up the order of the cocktail and made it on his own. He named the drink, which immediately became a hit, after the flowers of the daisies. These are not all the versions of the cocktail’s origin, but since none of the authors patented the recipe, there is still controversy surrounding it.

The composition of the Margarita is tequila, orange liqueur, and lemon juice.

Screwdriver

According to the version of origin, the screwdriver got its name from American petroleum engineers working in Iraq, who mixed vodka and juice with the screwdriver tool.

The composition of the cocktail is vodka and orange juice.

Bloody Mary

Again, there is no consensus on who the author of this iconic cocktail is. One source says that it was invented by George Jessel in 1939 as a hangover cure. And others link the cocktail with the name of the English Queen Mary I Tudor, who was called the Bloody Mary behind her back for her cruel treatment of Protestants.

The cocktail contains vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, fresh celery, Worcester sauce, Tabasco, salt, and ground pepper.

Tequila Sunrise

This cocktail was invented in the 1930s and 1940s at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel and had a very different recipe. It got its name for its appearance – the components of the cocktail settled to the bottom, mixing with the juice, a game of color, similar to a sunrise was obtained.

The composition of Tequila Sunrise is tequila, orange juice and pomegranate syrup.

Daiquiri

The story of the cocktail’s creation takes us back to Cuba, where a certain engineer named Jennings Coxe went to the Daiquiri area on an expedition. To quench his workers’ thirst, he used rum he had and lime juice and sugar he borrowed from the locals, diluting the simple cocktails with ice.

The composition of the cocktail is white rum, lemon juice and sugar syrup.

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• Purpose of the visit:

First you need to decide with whom and on what occasion you go to a bar or cafe. Restaurateurs divide the purpose of the visit into four groups:

1. family and friendly get-togethers;
2. business meeting;
3. romantic date;
4. banquet (birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc.).

Each group has its own selection criteria. For a romantic date important factors are: quality service, cozy interior, live music.

When choosing a place for a business meeting pay attention to: the prestige of the institution and the contingent of its visitors, the speed of service, the noise level (the less, the better).

For a holiday with friends or family are guided by these indicators: the best price / quality ratio (cost of food should be adequate to its quality, in this case there is no sense to overpay), proximity to home (especially if the company will be children), a wide range of alcohol, speed of service.

In the case of a banquet, the availability of a spacious hall, secure parking and the cost of food are important indicators.

• Gathering information:

Once the purpose of the visit is known, move on to the selection of a particular institution. First, you need to gather as much information as possible about the candidates closest to your home. Perhaps one of the institutions will suit you. If you don’t find any, you will have to widen your search.

You can get information from directories, brochures, the Internet, or ask acquaintances about their favorite places. Now more or less respectable restaurants, bars and cafes have their own website, which indicate: the exact address, map, pictures of interior and even the approximate cost of food.

The advantage of the Internet and the fact that the forums can find reviews from visitors who were there. I advise you not to ignore such a source of information. If there are a lot of negative reviews and specific shortcomings, it may be an indication of problems in the institution.

• Pre-visit or phone call:

A very important stage, during which the institution is evaluated. Of course, it is better to go and orient yourself on the spot, but not always there is such an opportunity, so many make an order by phone.

During the visit or a phone call, I advise you to evaluate the politeness of the staff’s answers and the completeness of answers to questions. The representative of the place, talking to you, should give out as much information as possible, and not wait until they start asking questions.

An important factor is the time after which you were given attention. Indirectly, it indicates the speed of service. If no one came to the phone a couple of minutes, or during a personal visit you had to wait a long time for the representative of the institution, it is possible that the ordered dishes or the waiter will also have to wait for an eternity.

In addition to questions that depend on the purpose of the visit, you need to ask the representative of the institution the following:

• The availability of ventilation (air conditioning) system in the hall where you will rest;
• style of cuisine (Russian, French, Italian, etc.);
• whether there are alcoholic beverages that your company prefers, for example, people who are used to drinking grappa, find this drink not in every bar;
• whether there is security;
• the number and contingent of other people who will be in the same room with your company;
  payment methods (cash only or cashless payment is possible).

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This seemingly simple restaurant is located in SoHo, and it appeared there only a few years ago. The familiar burritos, tacos, and quesadillas don’t seem to surprise anyone, but the quality of the dishes was appreciated by many New Yorkers and visitors, and soon establishments opened all over New York (South Park Avenue, Greenpoint, Williamsburg). But the authentic Calexico Cart restaurant is located at the intersection of Prince St. and Wooster St.

Olive Tree Café

This cafe on McDougle Street in Greenwich Village is first and foremost notable for its entourage. For example, Charlie movies are projected on the walls 24 hours a day, and every table has crayons on it for you to draw or write on the black table while you wait for your order. The basement is home to a once-famous club that has lost its popularity in modern times.

Important

In New York City, it is by no means impossible to ignore the many Italian restaurants that are scattered not only in Little Italy, but basically all over the city and, first and foremost, Manhattan. Some of them are of truly important historical significance or are just wildly popular among New Yorkers, which speaks volumes about the quality of the establishment better than any advertising.

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, The Grimaldi’s neighborhood has two things going for it: a visit under the Brooklyn Bridge and the best pizza in New York City. At first glance, Grimaldi’s looks like a club-a long line at the door of an old, unassuming building. But the harsh truth is that it’s not a club but rather Grimaldi’s, a pizzeria that is so beloved by New Yorkers that the line is long enough to get there in no time at all. Part of the reason for the line is that you can’t reserve a table here. But as soon as the Grimaldi’s specialty pizza appears in front of you, all memories of the wait fade away – there’s hardly any better pizza in New York.

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