We Are Classy (When We’re at Slowly Shirley)
Cocktail: The word sounds glamorous, right? Like an event? Like something important people do? We think so.
So isn’t it annoying in New York, it can seem like there are only two kinds of places to get one — the club scenes, with their cold velvet ropes, underage clientele, and bottle minimums, and the dirty dive bars, which we keep hoping we’ve outgrown?
Lately, it seems like someone’s picking up on the fact that there’s a whole bunch of people who’d like to bring back the civilized cocktail. That’s certainly the vibe we got from Jim Kearns and Jon Neidich’s new spot Slowly Shirley, a cocktail bar with the 1940s-feel that’s nestled neatly below The Happiest Hour (one of our fave places to grab a burger). The space is decidedly different from its laidback upstairs neighbor, and isn’t afraid to dress up its cocktails with a bit of glamour. The booths are rich tan leather, pictures of movie stars line the walls, and the servers wear bowties and vests. One of our friends, upon entering Slowly Shirley, said, “I feel fancy!” and we agreed. The drinks are both new creations and classics, and all feel festive and fresh. Don’t get us wrong — this place isn’t stuffy — just posh enough to feel like there was a reason we got all dressed up in the first place. We’ll be heading to Slowly Shirley when getting a cocktail is the occasion in itself.