Friday Cocktails: Aide Memoir

Bea is a neighborhood joint smack in the middle of Hell's Kitchen that sits waiting for regulars, show-goers, and visitors alike to stumble upon its charms. This little gem's unassuming broadway bulbs twinkle with an old-timey glow, ushering guests over the restaurant's threshold into an era of speakeasy elegance, with a killer cocktail menu to match. On a recent visit after a rousing matinée of Chicago, I sat at a table by the wooden-slatted windows watching the setting sun throw reflections off 9th Avenue's glass-fronted buildings while sipping one of Bea's signature drinks: the Aide Memoir. A bewitching blend of stirred sweet vermouth, yellow Chartreuse, and orange bitters topped off with fizzy prosecco, the libation proved to be just what its name seemed to promise—the closing snapshot to an utterly memorable day.