“Jim Dandy on the Cape” Cocktail

Philadelphia is a food lovers dream. The city is filled with amazing restaurants around every corner. I love living here because no matter where I go to eat, I am inspired by what the restaurants are able to deliver. I do my best to emulate my favorite dishes and drinks throughout the city, with a bit of a twist.

I recently attended a new menu launch event at Serrano. An Old City staple, Serrano has been open for over 25 years. I’ve only eaten here once before, before attending a show at Tin Angel upstairs, so I was excited to revisit the restaurant. Serrano is a cozy restaurant that’s warm atmosphere feels like miles away from the busy Old City streets.

from Serrano’s website

Chef Gina Rodriguez has compiled a truly delicious spring seasonal menu. The restaurant was also debuting two new cocktails, The 6th Thyme and Jim Dandy in the Everglades. The 6th Thyme is made with in house made mead (made with locally sourced honey), Aperol, thyme, and white cranberry juice. The drink was garnished with a sprig of thyme, a perfect spring drink. Jim Dandy in the Everglades, made with orange vodka, peach bitters, and Proscecco was refreshing and right up my alley.

The 6th Time (Left) and Jim Dandy in the Everglades (Right)

I decided to do my own spin on the Jim Dandy in the Everglades to go along with my review of Chef Rodriguez’s menu. My recipe uses a homemade cranberry-orange vodka but keeps the rest of the drink true to form. (The addition of the cranberry is why my drink references the Cape instead of the Everglades).

I, along with other Philadelphia bloggers/media, were able to sample some of the new appetizers as well as sit down for a meal paired with wine’s offered at Serrano. The night began with a cocktail hour where we sampled hors d’ouevres such as shrimp mousse in French brick with truffled herbs, corn fritters with cayenne honey drizzle, and heirloom tomatoes with house made ricotta. I honestly couldn’t pick a favorite, each embodied spring and were so tasty, it was difficult to not go for seconds!

After being seated, we were brought some appetizers from the new menu, including steamed mussel with spring tomato, white wine, and herb broth, a watermelon salad with baby spinach, frisee, sliced watermelon and a bleu cheese vinaigrette, and flatbread that was topped with the restaurant’s famous meatloaf. (Note: the flatbread changes daily so you’re always in for a tasty surprise!)

For dinner, we were offered lamb, scallops, or vegetable curry. The lamb dish, called the 20 S. Spring Lamb, was a Guinness braised lamb in a corn crepe with sauteed pea tendrils, served with herb mashed potatoes and a Dijon lamb sauce. The Jumpo Scallops were seared and served with mushroom, sausage, and fingerling potatoes in an arbol chili gastrique while the spring vegetable curry was served over couscous. The lamb sounded intriguing (corn crepe?) so I went with that. The dish was fantastic. The lamb was fall-apart tender and wrapped in the corn crepe. I completely cleaned off my entire dish, I actually can’t wait to go back and have this again. The Scallops and Curry both looked equally as delicious but I didn’t get to taste them. I honestly didn’t think I could eat another bite after such a delicious meal, but the apricot tart with vanilla ice cream looked so fantastic I just had to dig it, and it was well worth it!

As I mentioned above, I absolutely loved the Jim Dandy in the Everglades cocktail. It was the perfect amount of refreshing and bubbly. I wanted to recreate my own at home, so here’s my version!

Ingredients:

Cranberry-Orange Vodka:

• the peel of 1 orange
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 cups vodka

Jim Dandy on the Cape

• 1 1/2 oz cranberry-orange vodka (recipe below)
• 1 sugar cube
• 2-3 dashes of Peach bitters
• Prosecco

To make the vodka, add the cranberries, sugar, and water to a saute pan over medium heat.

Cook until the cranberries begin to pop.

Pour the mixture into a large jar and add the orange peel.

Fill with vodka.

Cover and let stand for 4 days or up to 1 month. Strain.

Add a sugar cube to a glass and add the bitters until the sugar cube is coated.

Add the cranberry-orange vodka.

Mix until the sugar dissolves.

Fill with Prosecco. If desired, garnish with blackberries.

So mine didn’t taste exactly like Serrano’s version but I still really enjoyed it! It’s refreshing and flavorful with a little bit of sweetness. If your prosecco and vodka are not cold, add ice to the glass after dissolving the sugar. You can mix and strain it if you like, after adding the prosecco, but it’s good with the ice cubes too!

Many thanks to Chef Rodriguez, Serrano, and Aversa PR for setting up such a wonderful event, and be sure to check out Serrano the next time you are in Old City!