This month the Mount Washington restaurant formerly known as Ethel and Ramone's celebrated its first anniversary as its new incarnation, Ethel's Creole Kitchen.
Among the improvements at the new Ethel's are an upstairs terrace and a seated bar, which gives diners a fine view into the restaurant's open kitchen.
The proper bar, an amenity the old Ethel's never had, inspired co-owner and executive chef Ed Bloom and his team to create a cocktail menu that would complement the restaurant's hearty Cajun and Creole cuisine.
On the lineup are a few classic cocktails associated with New Orleans — the Sazerac, of course, and the Vieux Carre. But some of the cocktails are pure Ethel's inventions.
I took a quick shine to the Creole Coffee, which gives a Big Easy twist to the classic Irish coffee. The rye helps to balance out the syrupy qualities of the coffee and Irish cream liqueurs without masking their flavors. So you get a rich and nutty flavor with each sip.
And the drink has two notable grace notes — a dollop of homemade whipped cream, scented with brandy, and the uplifting aroma of orange peel.
Bloom said he tried making the Creole Coffee with ingredients associated with New Orleans cocktails, like Herbsaint, an anise-flavored liqueur, but nothing tasted right.
It's the rye that did it for him, Bloom said. "Rittenhouse is high-proof but still velvety like a good rye should be," Bloom said.
The Creole Coffee is served at Ethel's with considerable table-side flair.
The alcohols are brought to the table, layered in a shot glass, ignited and then poured into a tempered glassful of the restaurant's good, strong coffee.
"It's really about the coffee," Bloom said. Ethel's has its own blend of coffee and uses different grinds, depending on whether the coffee is being made with a press pot, drip or espresso methods.
Enjoyed at Ethel's bar, or at the table, the Creole Coffee is a civilized pleasure, the perfect end to a satisfying evening.
And if you haven't had Ethel's gumbo, make a date with it now.
How to make Creole Coffee
1/2 oz. Kahlua
1/2 oz. Baileys Irish Cream
1/2 oz. Rittenhouse rye 100 proof
1/2 oz. grain alcohol
Hot, or cold, coffee
Brandied whipped cream
Orange peel
Using the back of a bar spoon, gently layer the liquor into a shot glass – Kahlua first, then Baileys, Rittenhouse rye and, finally, the grain alcohol. Apply a flame to the surface of the layered alcohol and let flame for one minute. Smother the flame, twist the orange peel over the glass. Fill a thick-walled glass with hot (or chilled coffee) and quickly pour the liquors into the coffee. Stir with a long spoon, top with brandied whipped cream and garnish with the orange peel.
Where to get Creole Coffee
Ethel's Creole Kitchen
1615 Sulgrave Ave., Mount Washington
410-664-2971