Black Pepper Martini

I've been wanting to try this recipe from chowhound.com for a while. I first saw it before all the comments were made and, to be honest, had I read those first, I probably wouldn't have made it. I don't like sweet drinks but I liked this enough to make another one tonight (what else am I supposed o do with all the sweet syrup?). It's not as sweet and it has a little more bit.

Here's the recipe

http://www.chow.com/recipes/13430

Manhattan #4 (sort of)

This lovely cocktail was procured at Highland Kitchen in Somerville. My friend and I got there around 6 pm on Friday night and the place was already getting crowded. The bar stools don't have backs so we opted for the dining room. Our server was and older guy (OK, not old. Maybe about 40 but that was old in comparison to the other servers). He was very knowledgeable about the drinks being offered and this one was on the special board. It's called the Beehive and was made with Jameson's, Lemon Juice and Bahren Jaeger (a honey flavored liquor). I didn't ask about the proportions but I found it a bit too lemony.

The appetizer I got was the gnocchi with braised beef. Better in concept than execution. The gnocchi were over cooked and half of them were burned. Yes, burned. After boiling, they must have been put in a pan but had been left on one side for way too long. The meat, on the other hand, was fantastic. The bread, although not a generous portion (1 smallish piece per person), was used to soak up the broth.