A Ruinously Good Time At Mother's Ruin

On a gorgeous Saturday night after a movie, my date and I decided to check out this little bar in Nolita. We had no expectations and were game for anything so hopefully a good night was in store. You could easily walk by Mother's Ruin since it has no visible sign outside and never know that you're about to walk straight pass one of the best experiences of your life.

We walked in and there's a small crowd; young and preppie and definitely chatty. The cacophony of voices nearly drowns out the 90's eclectic music blasting. The place was spacious enough for us to find a cozy spot by the bar without the crowds overwhelming us. I had heard about the wonderful fried spicy chickpeas and I knew I was definitely going to get them even though we had eaten before coming. The question was what to drink? The female bartender adorned in suspenders kept slamming down doctored cans of Mexican Tecate beer in between rhythmic gyrations and I thought; I'll have whatever she's making.

I had my Tecate served up Michelada style with a generous dousing of Tabasco, lime juice and salt just as my chickpeas arrived. My date and I dug into the hot, garam masala spiced chickpeas and I patted myself on the back because they were the perfect accompaniment for my beer and my date's Captain Lawrence brew.

The crowd slowly trickled in as I greedily licked my spice-covered fingers in between swigs of beer. The music seemed to get louder throughout the night and even though there was no one dancing besides the bartender and my occasional attempts at booty shaking on my date, the vibe was definitely energetic.

My date and I surveyed the patrons and wondered who was on their first or second date as we kept eating the chickpeas which made us want more Tecate which made us want more chickpeas...it was going to be a good night. I wish I had ordered gin as a nod to the bar's prohibition era styled name, but next time for sure.  

This bar is worth visiting for the good conversation, strong libations and the food. I wish I had come on an empty stomach because the crab dip the guy next to us was eating looked delicious.  Overall, it was a fantastic experience and I highly recommend you get down to Nolita before everyone else does.