24 Small Plates in 24 Hours: Happy Hour
3:25 p.m.: Home
We finish at Manifesto a little ahead of schedule, and our next destination, Barrel 44, doesn't open until 4 p.m. So we decide to give in to the food coma that's quickly settling in and run home for a quick nap.
Admittedly, it probably would've been better to take a brisk walk, or swing by the gym, or do anything that might facilitate digestion. When I wake up after a longer-than-anticipated hour-and-a-half, it feels like there's a rock in my stomach.
I'm feeling so sluggish, I could easily call it a day (not even halfway through!) and crash for the night.
Luckily, my obsessive documentation ends up being a motivation to continue on. My Twitter followers are waiting intently for the next dish pic, after all. I can't let them down!
On to Barrel 44.
5:36 p.m.: Bar at Barrel 44 Short North
For a fairly no-frills whiskey bar, Barrel 44 has a surprisingly diverse menu of small-plate treats. And luckily for me, they're truly small-just a couple delicious bites, the ideal size for a happy hour snack.
I like the crunch factor of the Tuna Wakame Cups ($10), teensy wonton cups filled with rare ahi tuna. Seaweed salad and wasabi aioli add to their alterna-sushi feel.
I order a cup of coffee rather than my usual whiskey cocktail-there's no way I'll make it five more hours without plenty of caffeine. Coffee doesn't pair very well with the ahi tuna, but it goes great with Beef and Blue Cheese Crostini ($10). Three rounds of toasted Cuban bread are loaded with thin-sliced flatiron steak, Maytag blue cheese crumbles, roasted red peppers and snipped chives.