Chris and my mom even enjoyed it! And they're not too keen when it comes to whiskey.

It was pleasantly sweet, like drinking my mom's homemade limoncello.

Holy crap it was fantastic! A delicious concoction of quality sugar, Irish whiskey, mango and a bit of time (and not thyme). Next, he had us have a taste of his housemade mango whiskey. Me and Tory took over the Old Weller (mom and Chris wouldn't appreciate it like we would-well, we didn't even ask, we just took it). He even brought over some rocks and spring water to try this special delight any way we preferred. He gave us a taste of some Old Weller antique straight Kentucky bourbon. He's a very nice and down to earth man with a lot of knowledge of the food and beverage world. While we were drinking and eating, Richard came over and introduced himself to the rest of my crew. For the quality of food, they could have easily charged double. One after the other we were thoroughly impressed, not to mention the price tag wasn't bad at ALL. Even Tory said she would definitely come back for the drinks and wings alone. The wings were so on point, they even paired very nicely with my Sazerac. The chef, Peter Mahoney, has created such an inventive menu using local ingredients as much as possible. Everything was so incredibly delicious, the wings were to die for, the cauliflower was so savory and different, and the sliders.gone before you knew it. We got the Keep Wings, chicken wings with a southern style dry rub served with house-made remoulade dipping sauce Pork belly sliders, Rye glazed pork belly with collard green slaw and housemade hot pepper relish and their herb-roasted cauliflower, served in a cold romesco sauce with charred scallions and black pepper. The Keep's menu seemed more tailored to apps and sharing, so we decided to order a bunch of things to share. Coming back to earth I'm starting to realize how hungry I am, I should probably eat some food. I probably shouldn't get majorly intoxicated since I'm kind of representing me and Chris' new business. As much as I would love to sit back and try every cocktail Luteh mixes up for me.

We all took our very first sips, only to look up and smile at each other.yeah, I could sit here for hours. All of us with our drinks in hand, cheersed one another to a great night out. Chris was very impressed with their beer selection and how crazy long their bourbon, rye, and whiskey lists were. And Chris had (beer-of course), a pint of Grimm Artisanal Ales. My sister had their Manhattan, with Rittenhouse Rye, Carpano Antica, and bitters. My mother ordered one of the house cocktails, Life Alive, with house-infused cucumber vodka, elderflower liqueur, basil, and simple syrup. Luteh (the bartender) made it with class and refinement, it even had a little clothespin to hold up a lemon twist. I always like to test the skills of the bartender by ordering a Sazerac America's first cocktail, originating in New Orleans in 1838. Even though it wasn't on their cocktail list, I asked for a Sazerac. When I got back to the table our server, Nick (also Richard's brother), was patiently waiting for my drink order. Up top, the walls were lined with old-looking Just a long narrow dining area with wooden tabletops, easy to mix and match to accommodate any sized party. On the other side, the dining room was classy, yet unpretentious at the same time. The bar setup was actually very similar to 20 Railroad's (where me and Chris both work) with crystal beakers, cubed ice (if you are at a bar with cubed ice-stay! It makes SUCH a difference in the making of a cocktail.), tons of bitters, jiggers.they had it all. On the bar side, they had a cozy little lounge in the corner to chill in as well as high tops lining the wall across from the bar. Right inside as you enter, you're greeted by the host station that sits on the divide of the room, with an elaborate bar on the right (the bar was already full), and a long dining room on the left. Very clever and kudos to the designer for this very impressive and interesting design (being surrounded by designers, I have a soft spot for great design). The tower of an old medieval castle, encompassed by a circle: the castle keep. Right as we arrived I immediately noticed how well designed the logo looked.

Rye and thyme bar mass