Midtown Happy Hour: Get Your Haggis On at St. Andrews
If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent “Mamacita” will post about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap- although in this case, the “chaep” part seems to be ignored. Thankfully she ate some haggis to make up for that.
In a late celebration of Robert Burns Day (the birthday of the national poet of Scotland) we headed out this week to the only Scottish bar in NYC, St Andrews, to commemorate the holiday with some haggis. Now St. Andrews is a rather upscale bar and restaurant, especially if you consider the places I’ve reviewed before. There is casual seating in the front, a long bar stretching along the right wall and a formal dinning in the back room. In keeping with its namesake, golf paraphernalia is festooned upon the walls.
The Scotch list is long and covers a wide range of single malts categorized by region from Islay, Lowland, Speyside, and Campbeltown and all points in between. Also present are many Scottish draught beers and even some from Ireland and England (hey, we can all get along right?). If that was not enough they also have approximately 100 different bottled beers including a few American, German and Belgian. St. Andrews is also home of the kilted bartenders. In due respect to Zach, I did not check if said kilts were worn regimental. I’m sure he is delighted not to have that pic in his inbox!
The bar was crowded with many post-work businessmen and a few UK ex-pats. I found a spot and ordered a Harviestoun “Old Engine Oil” for $6.75. It was black, rich and smooth. My companion ordered a Fullers London Pride ($7) and a couple other friends ordered Stoli drinks ($8). Most beers start at $6 and Scotch is priced according to the age and quality, which is fair. The flyte of the month was a Glenlivet 12 year, 15 year, and 18 year for $20 bucks. You can do worse, but enough of this! Let’s talk haggis!
Great chieftain o’ the puddin-race!
When I thought of haggis I imagined a pungent sac of offal. A mushy pudding of sheep’s innards all wrapped up in its own stomach casting or at least slopped up into a bowl like gruel. I was expecting, hell, I was demanding the worst. What appeared before us was a beautifully layered torte. Mashed potatoes, ground organs, and ‘neeps’ ($10.95). It actually tasted fantastic.
Also ordered were ½ dozen fresh oysters of the day (12.95), a turkey club (13.95), tandoori chicken skewers (9.95), and crispy calamari (13.95). All were pricey but tasted good. The winner (aside from the haggis) was surprisingly the hand cut fries. We finished off with another round and headed out.
Now for a little +/-,
THE + (What someone who likes this place would say)
- Men and women in kilts, awesome!
- I love good Scotch and beer and this place has a staggering amount of both (it also helps if money is no obstacle)
- Lovely place to have an upscale dinner and drink with coworkers or a date: “Scottish cuisine? Who knew!”
- Lots of lovely UK accents
THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)
- Much to pricey for your usual after work tipple
- No happy hour deal! What is up with that?
- Nouveau haggis! (AKA Updated for the American palate)
- Too crowded and though the staff is friendly, they are inattentive
- Clientele is a little too corporate
- Not your local hangout
St. Andrews, 120 W 44th St. (btw. 6th Ave and Broadway), 212-840-8413
Posted by Zach Brooks at 3:00 pm, January 30th, 2009 under Midtown Happy Hour.
17 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
17 Comments
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St. Andy’s, while solid, would’ve died a long time ago if it wasn’t on the same block as a very large law firm and the WSJ (which moved, I believe).
That’s me 2 cents, lads.
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AS usual,great revue.
But Irish Whiskey(note the ‘e’) is the best.
And no stuffed spuds, whats up wid ‘dat?
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i was in st andrews a few weeks back. bartender told me they are relocating with in the neighborhood to a bigger space.
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The best way to serve haggis…is over Xmas after a shoot(Boxing day) Steamed for 30 minutes then sliced open,each one being a serving the size of a baseball, then drizzled with a 40 yr old Glen Tallahmun Malt and eaten with a plastic fork in the woods, in the rain.
But thats just me.
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I’ve had haggis in Edinburgh (sorta rhymes with ‘bread-and-butter). It was very tasty, kinda spicy and bland at the same time. Also saw lots of haggis for sale in various meat shops. Whatever they’re serving at St. Andrews, that is not haggis. Not even close.
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@Rudy: *drool*
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Two points:
1. True haggis cannot be made in US commercial establishments because purveying sheeps’ lungs is verboten. St Andrew’s does what they can given the rules and it’s damn tasty. So stop complaining stevenp you haggis poser2. First no invite from mamacita and then not even a shout-out for the reference… sniff …
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I would have invited you but you would have had to wear a kilt…. with only shoes underneath.. as the Scots….
Thanks for the Recommendation! Keep ’em coming folks!
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Mamacita,Prince Harry is single.
Just say’in.
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St. Andrew’s has a really good unlimited wine dinner. For $50, you get a three course dinner (you pick any app, entree and dessert off their normal menu, so not limited like a pre-fixe) and there is umlimited wine throughout — champagne, white and red, and they are very liberal with the pours and refills. Considering that you leave filled up with really good food and drunk, it ain’t a bad deal….
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Just as aside, are the steaks from this place grass fed or grain fed…or are they imported Scots Mountain Cattle?
Just wondering…you know to keep in keeping with the theme of the place.And those Whisky measures looked generous!…all for you Mama?
Also, kevin , yes that seems good value.
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In what universe are oysters cheaper than a turkey club? Oy.
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wayne, what’s your problem? (“haggis poser”???) Even without the tasty lung bits, haggis is not served in a nice little ‘shepherds-pie-like’ presentation with neat layers of mashed potatoes and turnips. It *should* come out as a “a mushy pudding of sheep’s innards all wrapped up in its own stomach casting or at least slopped up into a bowl like gruel”! By serving this hoity-toity fancy dish, St. Andrews is the “haggis poseur,” not me.
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btw, wayne, it is ‘poseur,’ not ‘poser.’ I forgot to change to the proper term in my second reference above.
Haggis should be at least a little bit scary.
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steviep, you are the first person in history to take seriously being called a haggis poser
but know this: haggis everywhere are appreciative that you defended their honor
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This *is* serious stuff, y’know.
I have always wanted to try Haggis!