121 Fulton Street: Sexy Pub in FiDi

“FiDi’s first gastropub.”  Per 121 Fulton Street’s website.

The bar at 121 Fulton Street (photo by MJ Byers)

Eatery:   121 Fulton Street (the name IS the address – see what they did there?), New York, NY

The Financial District – where Husband and I reside – is not renowned for its cool and trendy eateries.  So I was excited to discover 121 Fulton Street while walking around the ‘hood one day.   This is exactly the sort of establishment I’d like to see more of nearby – dark woods, low lights, TVs set behind glass, upscale pubby décor.  Kind of a sexed-up pub, if you will.  The type of place you can see yourself sneaking into for a rendezvous or, less scandalously, a spot where you’re happy to take friends and houseguests.

Black Angus Sliders at 121 Fulton Street (photo by MJ Byers)

We’ve now been twice and – so far – there’s not a bad thing on the menu (the braised short ribs are particularly tasty).  Because I am burger-obsessed, I’ll use this space to talk about the Black Angus Sliders.  There are three to an order and they are lovely to look at – the tomato, 1000 Island, grilled onion and cheese toppings paired with the golden brown sesame seed buns makes a beautifully colorful presentation that you don’t normally get with sliders.  And, they tasted as good as they looked – meaty, juicy without making the bun soggy, all the ingredients working well together with nothing dominating and thus throwing off the gestalt.  Husband had the Lamb Burger, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

Lamb Burger with Fries at 121 Fulton Street (photo by Tony Byers)

A word about the specialty cocktails:  there are 12 on offer, most with names pertaining to the neighborhood (i.e. Wall Street Spritz, The Battery).  I tried The Roebling (presumably named for the guy who built the Brooklyn Bridge), which is a mixture of cognac, Grand Marnier, dry vermouth and bitters.  It was tasty and quite boozy (yay!), though I think a martini would have been a better pairing with the sliders…..the cognac base was a bit heavy and sweet for the food, better as a pre-meal aperitif or as a finisher than as an accompaniment.  I’ll make sure to try the slider + martini thing next time round.

The Roebling at 121 Fulton Street (photo by Tony Byers)

Price:  Black Angus Slider, $15.00; The Roebling, $15.00

Destination Burger:  If you’re in FiDi then, by all means, pop by.

Optional French Fry Rating:  No fries for me on this visit, though Husband had, and enjoyed, them.

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