Serious Eats: New York
Raising the Bar: Home Runs and Goals at Warren 77
"Good food at a bar isn't easy to come by, but good food at a sports bar is near miraculous."
[Photos: Tia Kim]
Ever since Joe Torre stopped managing the Yankees in '07, I have to admit, much like the Yankees, I've been slacking. I don't follow every single game and when I do find myself at a home game, it's only because I finagled a ticket from work. This year, however, the boys have advanced post-season and the Series may be a possibility. Which means only one thing, lots of beer and bar food.
This weekend, I did some recon for Friday's game against the Angels and came up with Warren 77, a vintage-styled sports bar (owned by Sean Avery of NHL fame and hipstaurant impresarios Chris Miller and Matt Abramcyk), which along with '80s arcade games, sports memorabilia, and several flat panels to watch the game, serves up good grub and a killer Dark & Stormy.
All the food at Warren 77 is your standard American pub fare, but fancified, as is the space. For example Dini's Mac & Cheese ($10) is made with cavatappi and fontina, and topped with caramelized onions. The color on the caramelized onions was a bit weak and the sprinkling of breadcrumbs a little sparse, but the sauce was creamy and smooth with a nice onion flavor. Overall it was quite addictive, the way a good mac n' cheese should be.
Likewise, the Onion Rings ($7), beautifully fried golden, puffy, and crunchy, were served with a chipotle aioli. It wasn't too spicy, but it had just the right amount of kick so I didn't miss the ketchup.
At a sports bar, I would normally get a pitcher of whatever's on tap, but since this was a bar owned by Chris and Matt, I knew cocktails were the way to go. I ordered a Dark & Stormy ($12) and as expected, it was home run (or in this case, perhaps a goal); strong, bubbly, and made with freshly grated ginger.
This postseason, I'm hoping to follow the Yankees all the way to the Series, but even if it doesn't happen, I still may find myself over at Warren 77. Good food at a bar isn't easy to come by, but good food at a sports bar is near miraculous.
Warren 77
77 Warren Street, New York NY 10007 (b/n Greenwich & West Broadway; map)
212-227-8994
warren77nyc.com