At the Intersection of Bar and Grill
Silver City's got a new place to lunch, dine or just throw 'em back — Isaac's Bar & Grill.
Situated in the historic and massively renovated Isaac Cohen Building at the intersection of Bullard and Broadway, Isaac's Bar & Grill offers fun food, a full bar and four separate dining areas, each with its own unique flavor.
The first dining room has a full bar with seating, with more than a dozen brews on tap and an ample slate of bottled domestics, imports and micro-brews. Sun-drenched at noon, the cafe-style high tables here are the perfect place to perch with my gal pals for lunch (generous sandwiches, burgers and pasta dishes, $7.50 to $9). At night, it's the perfect place to see and be seen, enjoying drinks and a casual dinner.
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Tonight, though, hubby and I head to the larger and somewhat quieter dining room to the left. In addition to standard dining tables, there are some with loveseats and low chairs. Couples and foursomes are hunkered down there, next to the small live-music stage.
We snag one of the window tables—away from it all and with a birds-eye view of the street scene. The reasonably priced wine list offers a number of choices by the glass ($4-$7) and by the bottle ($12-$40). Drinks ordered, I decide to scope out the rest of the scene.
On the patio (smoking allowed), a group of ladies has commandeered two of the five tables, having a fine time over cocktails and platters of mix-and-match appetizers.
Isaac's has three levels of cocktails. Basic "well" drinks run about $4.50. "Premium" and "Top-Shelf" drinks are priced according to the liquors used. Caveat emptor! Yes, you can pay $12 for a good martini here. Prevent sticker shock: Confer with your server.
To the right is the sports dining room, where games are splashed up huge by projection-screen television. Tonight it's Game 6 in the NLCS: Saint Louis Cardinals versus the New York Mets. Cards are up three games to two. New York needs to win this one to stay alive.
Back in dining-room two, our wine has arrived. We consider the extensive appetizer menu and tonight's specials. More than a couple of times, we've put together a tasty and filling dinner from the appetizers menu alone.
Isaac's has all the usuals—buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks and steamers—and more. Maryland or New Mexican crab cakes ($9.50) are flavorful. Chicken, scallop, tuna and shrimp skewers ($8.50-$9.25) come in Asian, Cajun or (my favorite) "Island" varieties. "Cold Side" options include shrimp cocktails ($8), sushi rolls ($5-$6) and a share-able sashimi plate ($9.75).
I pick the Southwest Buffalo Burger. We'll share a couple of starters, including the Brie Quesadilla. We toast our creative decision-making and I run to check the score again. Mets are up, but a true Mets fan doesn't relax until the last pitch.
In no time, it seems, our dinner arrives. The Buffalo Burger is cooked just right, the apple-smoked bacon, cheddar and green chiles a perfect balance of sweet and heat. The quesadilla is crisp, not greasy, and hot from the grill. We dig in.
Though one certainly can linger over a "serious dinner" here, or enjoy drinks and apps for hours, Isaac's is great for a quick bite, too. We snag our check and run.
It was a night of winners, all around—the Mets won, and so did we.
Isaac's hit a home run.
Isaac's Bar & Grill, Broadway & Bullard, serves lunch and dinner seven days, Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-midnight or later; Sun., noon-whenever. You must be 21 to enter.