after dinner sneeze

g says: I was browsing my Tasting Table emails last week and came across an advertisement for NYC Martini Week. I had no idea what that was or what it meant, but I sure liked the sound of it! I knew I must participate (at least for the sake of the sneeze).

After reading on, it became apparent that this martini week was indeed right up my alley – several restaurants around the city were serving special $10 martinis made with premium vodka or gin from 5:30-8:30 pm for a 2 week duration. We have been working really hard at the office, so a few of the girls and I set out to plan a little happy hour to celebrate our love of martinis and treat ourselves a bit. We knew it was meant to be when we saw that one of the participating locations was Tabla (located just across the park from our office); this was an offer we just couldn’t refuse!

3/2010, Wednesday 6:00 pm, Party of 3 – We arrived on time and were seated right away in the mezzanine dinner area. The atmosphere was comfortable, spacious, and afforded us a great view of not only the cool “bread bar” below (the lower level where there is more casual seating), but also the park right outside.

I have been to Tabla on 2 or 3 occasions before for lunch, and have never been disappointed. Their Indian food is creative, fresh, and always delicious. It has been a long while since I have dined there, so I don’t remember exactly what I have tried before, but I do remember being completely satisfied with my experience each time. I also don’t have a gauge for how authentic the food is; I am inclined to think it is more Indian-inspired than traditional, but it doesn’t matter to me as long as it’s tasty (and in my experience, it is).

The time came for us to order our drinks – I was so excited to hear what kind of special drinks they would be offering! They had an upgraded version of their signature Tablatini (pineapple with vodka — upped to grey goose from skyy) and something we referred to the entire night as the “green drink.” I forget what our server told us its real name was, and her description didn’t sound too fabulous either (green and spicy with muddled cilantro), but it was more interesting than pineapple and vodka, so I wanted to give it a whirl. Also, it was a gin drink, and I am usually a fan of those.

The girls ordered a dirty martini and a glass of cava respectively, and I ordered the mysterious green drink. Boy was I happy I did, for it was incredible! First, it was a more fresh, translucent green than the murky color I was picturing. Then I came to find out that it was composed of Bombay Sapphire, cucumber, lime, mint, and cilantro – not so much spicy as herbaceous and refreshing – a total hit for me. Gold star for drinks!

But what happy hour would be complete without something to nibble on as well? Tabla happens to also be a perfect place to get apps and small plates to pair with something from the bar. I was the only one of us who had visited there before, so I was able to make my recommendation: flatbread and chutney for all!

I love a good flatbread and chutney any time of day, and Tabla makes them both really well. We ordered both the rosemary and garlic tandoori flatbreads, as well as the 6 chutney sampler (cilantro-mint, tamarind-jaggery, mango, spicy chili, peanut, tomato), and a saag paneer pizza for good measure. My drink dates and I were delighted by the bold, yet approachable flavors of each item we ordered, and it was just the right amount of food.

I think the girls were pretty impressed, as we vowed to return again another time. I’m thinking that might have to be pretty soon…

t says: I’ll trade NYC our Cafe Spice for their Tabla any day …