Leslie Ross and Laurie Sheddan Harvey want people to put just as much thought into ordering their cocktail as they do their food. This is one of the principal concepts behind the Ladies of Libations’ newly renovated Sanctuari bar, which opened last Thursday (November 6) inside of Triniti restaurant.
Ross and Harvey are an award-winning duo — they recently took home the 2014 Houston Culinary Award for Bar Service — and had been successfully running the front bar of Triniti with their innovative cocktails and a guest bartender series that began in January. But Triniti partner/chef Ryan Hildebrand thought it was time the two ran a concept of their own.
So plans began to transform the front bar of Triniti into a sexy, swanky space (designed by Dennis Brackeen Design Group) that is harmonious with their glamorous, polished cocktail menu. The space includes the bar that seats 15, the lounge that seats 60 and the adjacent private dining room. Hues of blacks, browns, caramels and creams are weaved throughout the space, from the tufted leather banquette booth that wraps around the lounge’s outer edge to the marble-topped tables to the chic bronze accents that line the black leather chairs.
Ross and Harvey created more than three dozen cocktails and have organized them under creative categories: “Communion” [classics that have been reconstructed with sophisticated twists], “Drink Me” [original cocktails], “Effervescent & Bubbly” [sparkling wine cocktails], “Sunday School” [non-alcholic drinks] and “Afters” [night caps].
Harvey explained, with slight laughter, that the duo tries to take a drink that is simple and tried and true, deconstruct it and make it as complicated as possible. Basically, they aim to create drinks that ooze with booze and sophistication.
We would have loved to try the dozens of cocktails on offer, but we did the best we could and sampled just a handful, all worthy of recommendation. Three standouts were the “Tiger Cried” ($12, photo above) with Fernet Branca, Thai chili-infused green chartreuse, crème de cacao, citrus, cream, egg white and ginger beer; the “Sparkler” ($10) with Dolin Blanc, Cocchi Americano, bubbles and grapefruit zest; and “The British are Coming” ($12) with Earl Grey-infused gin, Dolin dry vermouth, honey, dandelion and burdock bitters.
Sanctuari also has a bar bites menu created by Hildebrand and features dishes such as glazed baby ribs, figs stuffed with gorgonzola dolce wrapped with candied bacon, a super-sized slider with brie, prosciutto and arugula and a Cuban sandwich. If the drinks and decor have you feeling snazzy, order the Golden Brook Trout Roe Caviar Service with avocado blini and egg yolk pearls. Sanctuari guests are also invited to order off the complete Triniti menu.