Dolly's

Experimental Cocktail Spot Dolly Varden Opens in Hell’s Kitchen | Eater NY

"Opening in the first week of March in Hell's Kitchen at 302 W. 51st Street (at 8th Avenue), this new bi-level restaurant and bar puts experiential, lavishly decorated specialty cocktails front and center, priced $14–$16. I note executive chef Forster Sorensen (who spent time at Chicago destination Au Cheval) and head bartender Artemio Vasquez (formerly of renowned PDT) lead the imaginative project. Cocktails include the Witch of the West Side, a tequila- and mezcal-based drink finished with a single giant liquid-smoke bubble that releases citrus aromas when popped, and a pineapple rum–based cocktail topped with the fruit’s spiky leaves. In the kitchen Sorensen will serve a $17 burger he’s likely hoping will compete with Au Cheval’s crowd-drawing version, though Eater senior critic Robert Sietsema panned the burger at the restaurant’s New York location; other American comfort staples on the menu include fried chicken and a hefty sausage spread. The downstairs bar caters to casual, lively walk-ins while the upstairs restaurant offers more traditional dining; both levels accept reservations and together seat about 120. Owned by HK Hospitality, the concept replaces earlier tenants as the owners pivot toward upscale cocktails." - Erika Adams