Crispy was in town to pay her devotion to Nick Cave and she brought her two kids – now adult and very tall. rtb, peg, and I joined them for dinner before the show at the Beacon Theatre. We decided on Ashford & Simpson’s Sugar Bar since it was close by and it was someplace I had always wanted to try. The Crispy party got there early and enjoyed some delicious cocktails. I got there last and ordered a white sangria. The sangria had huge blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries and was very good – not too sweet like too many sangrias. Everyone enjoyed whatever cocktail they ordered. When peg mentioned that her Sugartini was not as sweet as she thought it would be, the waitress overheard her and immediately brought over a rocks glass with some of whatever was the alcohol was that added the sweetness.

For dinner I decided to get the whole grilled snapper with rice and beans and sweet plantain – a very Puerto Rican meal. All the entrées come with your choice of side. Normally I cover up the eye with something like a piece of lettuce but there was nothing available. And in the past my boyfriends were good at deboning a fish, a skill I never learned, so I was picking small pieces of bone out of my mouth. Despite that, it was one of the best grilled snappers I have ever had and the sides were also very good.

The restaurant is small and intimate with a fun décor (even the bathroom!) and they have live music. While we were not there long enough to hear the band, I am sure they were amazing.

As always, great company. And I wish I lived closer so that I could visit the restaurant more often, but I will try to make it a spot I go to whenever I am in the neighborhood.