September 28, 2007
Drinks at The Volstead
Picture Al Capone with a nice Cantaloupe Daiquiri...
By Stephen Bailey

My good friend Carrie sent out an invite for a happy hour. This was partly because her birthday was coming up and partly because she hasn’t been around for happy hour in a while. So, despite my self-imposed booze sabbatical, I was more than happy to hang out. A bunch of folks were meeting at The Volstead (125 E. 54th St).

This subterranean place just opened in August and it really tries to live up to the prohibition-era speakeasy legend. The name itself is a playful jab at Congressman Andrew John Volstead of Minnesota who was behind the legislation which got prohibition rolling in 1920. The problem is this place is just too nice to be associated with that speakeasy legend.

Maybe I'm confused about speakeasies. Maybe they were super-fancy establishments. But as I read a bunch of online reviews, I pictured a dark, smoky room filled with ne'erdowells sneaking sips from jars of homemade moonshine. Instead I walked into a wide open, swanky place with dark wood finishes. Yes it was dimly lit, but more so in a romantic way rather than a hiding-from-the-law way. Maybe I've watched too many movies, or not enough. Anyway, there are twin bars and a couple of private corners for all sorts of gatherings.

There is an extensive list of fancy specialty concoctions the likes of which I doubt any scar-faced gangster would have ordered. Picture Al Capone with a nice Cantaloupe Daiquiri or Lychee Margarita in his hand. The Volstead also has a surprisingly affordable food selection. Combined with the atmosphere and games on the flatscreen TVs, this place is a pretty decent after work hangout.

Links:
The Volstead
Stephen Bailey