Thought for Food

Yesterday, we went on an all-day date. A late brunch at an old favorite, Five Points (I had the baked egg whites with smoked mozzarella and spinach for the first time and oh. my. god.), a matinee of “Where the Wild Things Are” (I especially adored James Gandolfini’s performance), and then we headed downtown to catch the Ikea Water Taxi to Red Hook.

We were early so we wandered the deserted streets of the financial district (where safety always comes first) and found a net on a tugboat near the South Street Seaport that looked just like a Wild Thing.

The late hour and unseasonable chill meant we had the ferry to ourselves (save for two workers, thanks be). But it was cozy inside, and the views were amazing. And it was free and fast!

Our destination (no, not a romantic trip to Ikea, not that there’s anything wrong with that) … Fort Defiance, a new neighborhood cocktail joint and restaurant.

When I read about the cocktail program’s Pegu Club credentials, the Kold-Draft ice machine, and the custom seltzer set-up, I knew I had to take my Serious Drinker there.

The menu was so small and inviting that we ordered everything on it, except the dessert (an after-dinner coffee with rum, cream, and cinnamon was more to my speed).

We had a ball, and then we called a car and crossed the river by bridge — rather a let-down after the glamor of sea-faring. Ikea’s complimentary customer shuttle service ends when the store closes, which I think is bogus but whatever.