Teaser! Bill Grimes: Straight Up or On the Rocks

This is a Vintage Selection from 2005

The Banter

The Guys discuss the issues with destruction of certain animals and why eating them may be the will of the divine.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys are thrilled to welcome respected food and cocktail writer Bill Grimes to talk about the story of the American cocktail and Bill’s next book on the history of dining in NY. Bill tells where we've been and who helped us get here.

The Inside Track

The Guys relied upon Bill’s book Straight Up or On the Rocks while they built their cocktail bar (which is now the longest-running craft cocktail bar in the world!) While the three take their cocktails seriously, Bill thinks all drinks can play a part.

Bill: A cocktail that's like a well-made entree where the flavors are meaningful in relationship to each other and give pleasure because there's a certain tension or balance. But I'll also say there's a role for sort of the nutty, crazy, stupid cocktail too. I think a cocktail is a cocktail. It should encourage all kinds of kind of wacky inventiveness 

Mark: You believe that that the fuzzy wuzzy woo-woo does have a place in our society and serves a purpose?

Bill: It’s the price you pay for freedom.

Bio

William “Bill” Grimes is a longtime contributor to The New York Times. He has served in numerous editorial and writing capacities—magazine writer, culture reporter, and restaurant critic.

He has written many critically acclaimed books on food and drink: Straight Up or On the Rocks: The Story of the American Cocktail (a foundational cocktail history), and Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York 

His work earned nominations like the James Beard Foundation nod for culinary journalism.

Info

Bill Grimes NYT Cooking

https://cooking.nytimes.com/author/william-grimes

For recipes: TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com

Our Places

Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/

Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/

Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

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