Gothamist, like half of New York, left town last week. But perhaps unlike the other four million people in the exodus we stressed over making our own drinks. Sangria, the wine-based drink where we like to get our fruit portion of the food pyramid, can be made several ways. The most common variation is a red wine sangria and our favorite is from Cafe Noir. The drink, like the restaurant and bar with open windows making most of the tables feel outdoors without the grime of the sidewalk, is sexy and kind of dark, a little surprising. The citrus taste without too much sweetness makes it taste adult (the darker red they use, a pinot noir, we think, also helps) and the half and full carafes, paired with tapas, are great for a date. The most frequent complaint about this Soho mainstay is the crowd, which admittedly isn't perfect, with too many cufflinks to count taking out workday issues on the the bartenders. Honorable mentions go to Xunta, an afforable East Village tapas bar with a great happy hour that include 2-for-1 sangria that's not quite as strong, but just as drinkable, especially during the weather advisory days of summer and the year-round version at Barrumundi.
Because Gothamist couldn't pry the recipe from Cafe Noir we went to one of our favorite wine stores, Vintage New York, tried their version at the back tasting room (the sangria is also being served with small plates at their very new adjoining Winebar) and nabbed the recipe for those of you who want to try this at home.
