Liz's Book Bar + Bar Bête — A Girl's Guide to Drinking Alone

Hello! Hi! In case you didn’t know, I have a book coming out this week!! SPIRITED WOMEN: MAKERS, SHAKERS, AND TRAILBLAZERS IN THE WORLD OF COCKTAILS, my second cocktail book with illustrator extraordinaire Olivia McGiff, publishes on Tuesday March 4 and I couldn’t be more excited to get this beauty out in the world and into your hands! Very soon, you’ll be able to get it wherever books are sold.

All of this is to say, we’re embarking on a book tour, and we’d love to see you there. You can find all tour info and RSVP links here and here! In addition to New York, we’re making stops in Portland Oregon, Chicago, Southern California, London, and more :)

So when I have a free night, rare these days and will soon be even rarer, I’m carpe-ing that diem. After dropping a pair of pants off at the tailor (Teodoor Tailor is my guy) I hit up a spot that really should already be a regular hangout for me, as well as a delicious restaurant bar. And I still made it home in time for the season premiere of Survivor, and I am not ashamed to say it!!

Liz’s book bar, 315 Smith St at President St, Carroll Gardens

The Place: A bookstore that’s also a bar, opened last year by novelist Maura Cheeks. A perfect intersection of my favorite things: books and bars. Like, come on.

The Time: Wednesday February 26, 5:15pm. My tailor is only a few blocks away, and with it being not-quite-dinner time yet, I decide to finally check out Liz’s Book Bar. No time like the present.

*A glass of Pinot Blanc and my current reading*

The Vibe: Adorable cozy bookstore meets adorable cozy wine bar. There’s a few tables and a bar upfront, while the back consists of bookshelves and display tables, in addition to more cafe seating. I take a stroll around the shop looking at books, until I decide I’m ready to hunker down with a glass of wine. The lighting is bright like a bookstore, the music is chill like a wine bar. It’s pretty crowded, but there’s a spot at the bar available that I have my eye on. Nearly everyone is here solo and on a laptop or reading. I’m a child of the 90s and was a regular viewer of the classic television show What Not To Wear so I recognize Stacy London immediately, sitting at the bar with two friends. Not that she is looking at me, but I’m suddenly very conscious of what I’m wearing!

The Bartender: There’s one, and poor girl seems stressed. I order my drink from the register but I might not have needed to since I’m planning on sitting at the bar. It’s a little confusing, but soon I discern that her coworker is running late, so there’s not usually just one person having to take drink orders and ring up book-shoppers.

The Drank: A glass of Pinot Blanc. Classic, yummy, I think for like $12? They don’t have a liquor license, so it’s just beer, wine, and coffee. There’s also a small selection of pastries and snacks, like olives and cheese, which is actually how I find out that our heroine bartender has been left in the lurch, because someone tries to order a cheese plate, and she says “uh well actually I can’t do that right now, because I’d have to go to the back for like 10 minutes and my coworker’s not here yet, so.” Been there, it’s a shitty position, but she’s doing a great job!

Was I Hit On?: No but I end up talking to the woman to my left, Julia, for a little while. She’s in grad school, and regularly comes here to do work and get some reading done. I imagine a book bar is the a perfect place to chat up a hot nerd about what they’re currently reading, but it also seems like a safe space to just chill in your own bubble. Best of both worlds, really!

Should You Drink Here Alone?: Yes! Buy some books, drink some drinks, support your local indies!

bar bête, 263 Smith St at Degraw St, on the border of Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens

The Place: A sweet, casual, modern French bistro that somehow I hadn’t patronized until now!

The Time: I leave Liz’s a little before 6pm, with the idea to try somewhere new up Smith Street on my way home. I look in the windows of Bar Bête and it doesn’t seem too busy, so I give it a whirl.

The Vibe: Cozy and lovely, with a round edged black bar right by the door, marble tables, hanging globe lamps, banquettes. The host is super friendly and seats me at the corner of the bar. It’s casual but still nice, ideal for date nights or catching up with a friend over a leisurely dinner. And even though I’m near the entrance, I don’t get a miserable cold draft every time the door opens! This is a huge plus.

The Bartender: Ryan, who I wind up chatting with for most of my time here. He immediately asks me about my Spirited Women pin (you can get one too at our events so RSVP!!) and we chat about the industry, the difference between bartending/living in New York vs. LA, and plenty of other things I don’t remember because I was having too nice of a conversation to remember the details!

The Drank: I start with a pet-nat rose, which is delightful and a great compliment to the food: tuna toast with fermented chili and garlic, and a little gem salad with mushrooms, herbs, and crispy shallots. The tuna toast is bomb, and after one bite, I immediately text my boyfriend saying we have to come back. The salad is also delightful: crunchy, herbaceous, definitely not healthy. I get a pour of oloroso sherry as dessert, but apparently their yellow cake is where it’s at. Again, another reason to come back.

I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but the only drawback here is price: $21 for tuna, $16 for both salad and wine, yadda yadda yadda. Listen, I live in New York, the world sucks, and that asteroid might hit us in 7 years anyway (!?) so I’m gonna treat myself to nice things once in a while.

Was I Hit On?: Nope, just had a lovely dinner with myself and an intermittent dining partner in Ryan.

Should You Drink Here Alone?: For sure. Bring yourself, bring a date, bring your friends. I’ll be back, asteroid or bust.