Cask Bar + Kitchen
167 E. 33rd St., Murray Hill, NY
Insert joke at the expense of Murray Hill…here. It’s so easy to tee up on a restaurant in this neighborhood that we almost feel bad doing it. That is until we see people all over the internet calling Cask Bar + Kitchen an “oasis” in the Murray Hill food desert. Allow us to set the record straight. There are all of three places you should be eating in this vicinity: Penelope, 2nd Avenue Deli, and Lamazou. A meal at Cask is hardly any different that what you’ll find at Vertigo, Tonic East, or any of the other area bars that serve food for the sole purpose of sobering up the idiots. Philly cheese steak spring rolls should pretty much tell the story.
If however, you are just in the ‘hood looking for a drink, Cask will do just fine. They have a good selection of beers, and are probably the only bar within three blocks that doesn’t have a weekly Jagermeister promotion. The downstairs Cellar Bar is also a great option for a birthday or a private party…we would just recommend setting up a dinner somewhere else first.
Food Rundown:
Philly Cheese Steak Spring Rolls
Sort of like the Northeast’s version of a Southwestern egg roll. We’ll recommend you pass on these.
Kobe Sliders
Perfectly fine sliders with a red onion marmalade. Three come to an order, and they’ll do the job of soaking up some booze, especially since they’re a little dry.
Bruschetta Flatbread
The flatbreads are a safe choice on the Cask menu, but don’t expect to be blown away. The bruschetta flat bread can be ordered hot or cold, and hot is definitely the way to go…we think. Either way, it’s a pizza.
Truffle Mac n’ Cheese
Usually putting truffle in Mac n’ Cheese is like putting Spanx on a fat girl…so forgiving and sexy. But somehow this mac n’ cheese still wasn’t attractive.
Braised Short Ribs
One of the better things we’ve had at Cask, but definitely not a short rib we’ll be coming back for. The mashed potatoes were good I guess.
