Drink of the Week

I don't really understand why, but I just adore Deluxe. Does it have the best bar in town? Not even close -- in fact, the bar lacks both depth and breadth. Best food? I'm a huge fan, but I'm no professional food critic. Best service? Good, but definitely not the best. Still, Deluxe is one of my favorite places to sip a cocktail. I love to sit at the bar that circles the open kitchen and have a martini and a couple of appetizers while chatting with (okay, disturbing) chef Dylan Moore and his crew. It feels like you're sitting at the counter at your friends' house while they prepare dinner for the rest of the guests. It certainly doesn't feel like work: Everyone on the job at Deluxe seems to actually enjoy being here. There's none of the cranky waitstaff attitude so common at other restaurants that have wait lists on a Friday night. The first week Deluxe opened, one of my friends ordered a margarita -- which is when they discovered the restaurant didn't have any tequila. Rather than tell my friend they couldn't make a margarita, one of the waiters ran down the street to purchase a bottle. Now, well past their first anniversary, Deluxe's crew members still aim to please. So when I asked for a "specialty cocktail," it didn't surprise me that Moore had something up his sleeve. A variation of what's known as a Moscow Mule, he renamed it Dylan's Ass ($8) on the spot, mixing up Grey Goose Citron, ginger beer, lime and freshly grated ginger. (Hey, the man's a chef.) Deluxe may have a drink that makes Dylan an ass, but this restaurant will never be the butt of the joke. -- Nancy Levine