What: The Owners Club
Where: Tailor Shop, 140 W. Via Lola, Palm Springs
How much: $20
Contact: 760-537-7227; www.tailorshopps.com
Why: It’s delicious, deep and unique.
It’s well-known among my friends that I love a good craft cocktail, but I loathe pretentiousness. I am happy to pay a premium for a great drink—but if you’re snooty and/or you’re ripping me off, we have a problem.
I wasn’t quite sure whether to expect great cocktails or annoying snootiness when I recently visited Tailor Shop for the first time. This craft-cocktail bar, with an upscale speakeasy vibe, is a project of chef Engin Onural, which gave me optimism; his local restaurants—The Venue Sushi Bar and Sake Lounge in Palm Desert, and Sandfish Sushi and Whiskey in Palm Springs—showcase quality sans affectation.
On the flip side, the Tailor Shop website reeks of pretention. It’s a complete disaster if you want useful information (like, say, an easy-to-find menu) beyond an address, hours and photographs.
I wasn’t quite sure when my drink arrived, either. I ordered the Owners Club, a cocktail with “Woodford Reserve Chef Engin’s Private Barrel,” walnut liqueur, coffee liqueur and “house chocolate.” While our server was friendly, the price tag ($20) and the fact that the “house chocolate” was not included in the cocktail—it’s literally a wrapped square of chocolate delivered along with the drink—gave me pause.
The bartender recommended taking small bites of the chocolate between sips of the cocktail—and it turns out the chocolate is no gimmick: The chocolate elevated a merely adequate bourbon drink into a deep, delicious experience.
My companions also enjoyed their drinks, and we all liked the bites of food. (Tailor Shop offers a small selection of small dishes; dumplings, meatballs, ahi tuna tostadas and a couple of other items were available during our visit.) All in all, it was a great experience—pretentious website aside.
