I visited this lovely eatery, Jon Doe on another event. I must say, this place has never even been on my radar, but I was so happy that I got to attend this event, for I have found another awesome spot in NYC!

As they are a “Bar and Kitchen,” they have extensive drink menu, as long as good food selections. They offer live music as well, as well as Happy Hour and $1 oyster special. Sounds pretty good to me! What else is great here? The decor! From outside, it didn’t look like much, but once you step in, it is beautiful inside.

 

It had cherry blossom branches that are lit up for Spring time, without it being too much of fluff. The furniture was simple and elegant, and the red brick wall brought out comfort and cozy atmosphere. They had a few table seating at front, then a large bar and more seating at the back.

 

They really pay attention to the beautiful interior, without making it too loud, but just the right amount of color, texture, and ornaments. There were not much artwork on the walls, but rustic wooden framed mirrors on the brick wall. I really liked the way it looked!

At this event, we got to try some of their food and drinks. We started off with drinks, the first one up was The Ty Webb, which is made with Vodka, fresh lemonade and ice tea. It came in a cool, antique looking jar with ice, and it was awesomely delicious! It is basically a spiked Arnold Palmer and oh boy it was a good one! I know this is more of a basic cocktail, but they somehow brought it to the next level. It was high quality, tasty, and flavorful. I guess they have a pretty good lemonade and tea to begin with.

Then we had Rosemary Baby, made with Gin, rosemary syrup, lemon juice, angostura bitters and lavender bitters. This was very aromatic, had great herbal scent and flavor. The rosemary and lavender was very much noticeable. Delicate, but yet strong and solid. Really enjoyed the pretty rosebuds on top!

Then, we had Catcher in the Rye. This one was made with Rye, aperol, grand marnier, and green chartreuse. This was more of a grown-up adult drink, had depth and robust. The kind that you want to have while sinking into a comfortable sofa, relax & rewind from the busy day.

The last one we tried was their Sangria. It was made with red wine, spiced rum, blackberry brandy, applejack and pineapple. It was very festive, lots of fruity flavor which I love, strong and super tasty. I always enjoy having the fruits at the end, after they have soaked up the yummy flavors…

So, all of the drinks we have tried were solid, flavorful, high quality and amazing! They really know how to make awesome drinks here.

But, how about their food? Well, they certainly have brought more than enough food for us to taste them. They had Shepard’s Pie that was very creamy and velvety, and packed with flavor. It was much better than I expected, so it was a great surprise. It had juicy meat underneath fluffy mushed potato, a total delight.

Mac & Cheese was nice and cheesy, I liked the bread crumb (?) on the top, it gives the nice extra texture. The golden crisp top was extra nice. The macaroni was cooked just right, soft without being too soft. Good cheesy flavor, good comfort food.

Fish & Chips were ok, not the best I’ve ever had, but it was not bad. The pizza (or flat bread?) was very tasty, cheesy goodness. Crunchy crust and grilled veggies all cuddled by cheese, simple yet comforting.

 

Then the sampler platter! This was great, it had onion rings, wings, mozzarella sticks, and jalapeño poppers. Yes, all things mostly fried, not-very-good-for-you but all-so-tasty options. They were all average, not great, but they were yummy for sure. Wings were juicy and flavorful, maybe the best ones off this plate.

The jalapeño poppers had two kinds, with and without cheese. Again, it was not the best I’ve had, but it still was good. Not too spicy, which I get afraid of sometimes. Overall, this sampler was fun and yummy treat.

They also brought a hand sandwiches with ham, cucumber and…maybe goat cheese and chutney? I don’t have a good memory on the ingredients, but it was refreshing.

The service here was great, server, Julie was a delight, she was friendly, and super kind! I had a little trouble getting to the food in this crowded event. Julie saw me (with my super sad face), and she told me that she will come right back with more food. Then, she came straight to where I was sitting with a tray of food! From them she came over each time when new food was brought out to made sure we got all the food offerings. How sweet is she??? Seriously, she was an angel!!! Then, their manager, Donna, was another wonderful, warm, sweet person here. Even thought they were the only two people we encounter this evening, but what are the odds that both of them to be such wonderful people? I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone who works here are really nice people. I would definitely go back for their amazing, high quality drinks, comfort food or maybe try $1 oysters, and for the great service with warm smile!

John Doe – 253 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016