South City restaurant and bar The Wicked Lady Pub closed in late August. Less than two weeks later, the venue at 4534 Gravois Ave., reopened as The Parlour, offering food and beverage menus that matched a South City penchant for decent-sized portions and moderate pricing.
Working within that framework, new partner and general manager Mike LaMartina, whose background in drink culture includes having developed a mixology program to launch absinthe-like French spirit Le Tourment Vert in venues in Los Angeles, created two cocktail menus for The Parlour. One features all Pearl Vodkas, the other is a trio of classic cocktails – currently an Old-Fashioned, a Mojito and a Margarita.
When ordering from the Pearl Vodka menu, try the Aspen Fresh (pictured), made with pomegranate vodka, muddled cucumber, lime juice and simple syrup and garnished with a cucumber slice. The fresh cucumber does its job of cutting through the sweetness of the pomegranate vodka – enough so that it tastes more like cucumber vodka (instead of a fruit-flavored liquor) is the base. This drink is one of only two drinks on the Pearl menu that’s served up; the remaining seven are all served generously tall in pint glasses – a pleasant surprise considering that when Pearl Vodka is on the menu, it’s usually poured in drinks that end in “–ini.”
All drinks on both the Pearl and classic cocktail menus ring in at $6.50. But thrifty folks who want a mixed drink for even less can order a $4 call cocktail and be assured that bottom-shelf liquor isn’t being used. Instead, The Parlour uses Sobieski vodka, Bacardi rum, Jim Beam whiskey, New Amsterdam gin and Juarez Gold tequila.
Need an even deeper deal? Hit The Parlour during happy hour for slashed prices on food and drinks. On Tuesdays, that means a $5 burger. On Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, all appetizers are priced at $5. (Order the spinach and artichoke pastry: four wedges of Parlour’s spin on spanakopita). Catch these discounts all day on Tuesday and from 5 to 8 p.m., Wednesday through Friday.
This article appears in Sep 1-30, 2011.