NOTICED: Splash Programs
Complimentary cocktails to welcome you are popping up all over town
Have a seat at Wayward Fare, the wonderful new Mediterranean wood-fired restaurant from chef Akhtar Nawab, and you’ll notice the little glasses, tulip shaped and delicate as petals, sitting in the center of your table. You may ask yourself, what are these beautiful glasses? And you may say to yourself, how did they get here? (Nod to Talking Heads, yes.) But soon, all will be revealed. Your server will appear with two carafes, offering a splash of something to welcome you, something delicious to quench the day’s thirst for the unexpected and bright.
The complimentary cocktail program at Wayward Fare, which is offered in non-alcoholic or full proof strengths, was developed by co-owner Michael Wetherbee. It’s what he calls a “Splash Program, a treat to start the night off with a warm welcome. First impressions are everything,” he said. “You never get a second chance at creating one.”
The program features a variety of cocktails that change often, all based on loose-leaf teas found along the spice route. “The Splash Program explores the roads less traveled of the Mediterranean (Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, etc.) through the lens of the spice routes,” Michael told me. “Since tea was such an important aspect of the spice route, we start each guest off with a small taste of something delicious and tea-based before their meal,” he said.
The night I was in for dinner, our Splash was based on mint tea, but he’s also offered rooibos red tea made with Pedro Ximenez sherry or Himalayan white tea with cane sugar and Cocchi Americano. Weatherbee also offers a zero proof version so that all are included in the festivities. “It's just a lovely nod at the beginning of the journey to say hello, thank you for coming in, and we're so glad you chose to dine with us.”
Michael’s not the only one pouring diners welcome drinks for free. These lovely little pre-dinner cocktails seem to be popping up all over town, perhaps replacing the free bread service of days gone by, or that little brioche or granola that used to be offered as a take home treat. Instead, now it’s a special little sip as a welcome.
Over at Cafe Mars in Gowanus, the team has been offering complimentary aperitifs since opening a couple of years ago. There, the surprise starts with the presentation of a chestnut basket, a beauty that’s handwoven by an 87-year-old artisan named Luigi Amarante in Tramonti, the same small village where chef Paul D’Avino’s great-grandfather grew up.
The basket is not piled with bread as you might imagine. Rather, it’s filled with a collection of rare vintage cordial glasses. Pick one and then it gets filled with a welcome splash. “You select a glass you like and then we pour a little Prosecco, or a non-alcoholic sparkling beverage to welcome people,” said Service Director Madalyn Summers, who was recognized by Michelin Guide with New York's outstanding service award in 2023. “It’s a way to welcome our guests and make them feel at home,” she says.It’s a delightful way to begin the meal, pursue the menu, relax with friends, and plan the meal ahead.
If you’ve been lucky enough to grab one of the 10 seats at chef Phillip Frankland Lee’s 16-course omakase restaurant Sushi by Scratch, you’ve had their welcome cocktail, served with complimentary canapés in the lounge as you enter for the evening. The cocktail is something the team calls the "Tozai Typhoon" —a mix of Japanese Whiskey, Sake, Lime and Housemade Ginger Syrup that’s “designed to awaken the palate and set the stage for what is to come,” said Gavin Humes, Sushi by Scratch’s beverage director. “The intention is to create a sense of generosity and complete immersion in the experience.”
“Our restaurant is really about transporting people into our world where they get to hear our story told through delicious bites of sushi.” said Humes. “The welcome cocktail, and indeed the whole welcome experience, is the first step in welcoming our guests into that world.” It’s a very nice world.
I love this concept, Andrea, nothing sets the guest up for wonderful experience like this wonderful gift. So happy you're noticing a trend! Gotta check it out!