The Mix with Robert Simonson

5 days ago | robertsimonson.substack.com | Robert Simonson |Mary Kate Murray

You keep The Mix with Robert Simonson running. To support us, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or a Bar Regular!About a year ago, Robert quoted A. J. Liebling, saying, “Freedom of the press is confined to the people who own one.” He mentioned that Liebling was referring to the big press, but even still, this applies to The Mix too. We write whatever we want here, free of interference from sponsors or advertisers, because you, the independent readers, help keep us going.

1 week ago | robertsimonson.substack.com | Robert Simonson

In the decades leading up to the cocktail revival, which arrived in the mid-1990s, the London cocktail scene was dominated by Italians. Bartending in hotel bars—the main places where you could get a cocktail in London then—was not seen by the British as a desirable career with room for advancement, so they were content to cede those positions to immigrants.

1 week ago | robertsimonson.substack.com | Robert Simonson

The Rhubarb White Negroni at Fort Hamilton. Around this time every year, you begin to spot ramps in the local farmers markets. And a week after that, you start to see ramp cocktails appear on drink lists. This year, however, appears to be a little different. I have yet to see my first ramp Gibson, which is the cocktail equivalent of spying a robin, sprin…

2 weeks ago | robertsimonson.substack.com | Robert Simonson

Some regional foods are so ingrained in a local culinary culture that you barely notice their presence until someone with a big megaphone starts making some noise about them. This has happened in recent years with such once-below-the-radar dishes like Italian Beef (thanks “The Bear”) and thin-crust, tavern-style pizza. More recently, it has started to happen with the humble Disco Fries.

3 weeks ago | robertsimonson.substack.com | Mary Kate Murray |Robert Simonson

One thing you realize the longer you live in New York City is that each generation to arrive here thinks that they discovered it, as if nothing had existed before they laid eyes on it. It was no different for me. This is key to becoming a New Yorker. Somehow, we each take personal ownership of a city that belongs to more than 8 million people. Which can be very problematic now, as developers often act first when it comes to their plans, and apologize later. Even the skyline is at risk.