Turning down certain West Village blocks in the nighttime always has a transportive effect, especially when that night is the first bestowed with the crispness of fall and a light misty fog. But now when you visit the block of West 11th between Greenwich and Washington Streets, you can step into a fairly convincing recreation of an Orient Express train car–think luggage racks and vaulted ceilings–and imagine you’re on your way to Istanbul from Paris, as the famed locomotive of that moniker did a century ago.
My favorite cocktail companion isn’t above a little make believe, so we sidled up to the Caesar stone bar at Orient Express to impose upon barkeep Sam. Aptly, Sam is French, which helped with my leaving-from-France reverie. I’m not sure what’s the most appropriate beverage for a train ride of mystique and intrigue, but I’m fairly certain that an old fashioned Champagne coupe isn’t the best to sip from if you’re in motion. Nonetheless, I chose the Herkules from the cocktail list crafted by Cory Mason (of Boom Boom Room and Beatrice Inn fame); made with Powers Irish Whiskey, Yellow Chartreuse, Carpana Antica, and bitters. It’s smoky, sweet, and herby. My travel partner enjoyed a Zaharoff, with Gran Centenario Plata tequila, lime, and honey-grapefruit soda topped with Campari. The drink immerses a hunk of ice carved from the 300-pound block that’s delivered to the bar each morning, and it’s a bit like a posh, prohibition-era margarita.
Orient Express offers a menu of small plates, and we chose the Tarama: red caviar blended with olive oil and lemon and served with warm pita. It’s incredibly rich and the perfect accompaniment for potent cocktails.
Our train trip over, we hopped next door to dependable Turks & Frogs. The proximity isn’t an accident, of course. Orient Express’ space is the recent reincarnation of a laundromat; when it was vacated earlier this year, Turks & Frogs owner Osman Cakir seized the opportunity to create Orient Express. As its mature, six-years-older sister, Turks & Frogs is a Turkish and antiques themed wine bar with a fine worn-in yet sophisticated feel to contrast Orient Express’ sparser interior.
Just about all of the antiques you’ll find adorning Turks & Frogs are for sale, but so far I’ve mostly been interested in procuring the wine and cheese. The wine list’s extensive and international, but since you’re here and not at one of the more Italian wine and cheese bars in the West Village, I’d recommend sampling Turkish wines. Sitting in a dark back corner, we sipped the Kalecik Karasi (supple and highly drinkable) and the Okuzgozu (dry, rich, and pleasantly nutty) with homemade, curried dolma; hummus and olives; and a fantastic Mediterranean cheese plate you won’t find anywhere else in the city.
Turks & Frogs has always been a romantic date spot, and a stopover at Orient Express while you’re on your way can only sweeten the evening. Where else can you journey over 2,000 kilometers in just a few footsteps?
Orient Express
325 West 11th Street, between Greenwich and Washington Streets, West Village
212-691-8845
www.orientexpressnyc.com
Open 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Sunday and Monday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Tuesday-Thrusday, 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday, afternoon tea service to be introduced in addition
Turks & Frogs
323 West 11th Street
212-691-8875
www.turksandfrogs.com
