The Riddler
GO HERE: for a pre-dinner pregame. Or for a big way to celebrate something big (there are magnums!). Whatever your reason is for popping open a bottle of Champagne, The Riddler has some seriously special bubbles to get your night started.
ORDER THE: Champagne! Owner Jen Pelka and her enthusiastic, knowledgeable team stock over 100 bottles of Champagne and curate a not-too serious by-the-glass list (See: “A Joan, for when you’ve had a hard day, a glass of cheap house wine...filled all the way to the rim.”). If you’re feeling peckish, get one of the tater tot waffles, which are just as good as they sound.
THE VIBE IS: chill, despite how busy it can get. It feels like you’re dropping in at a friend’s house party, where you can squeeze at the wood bar decorated with vintage Champagne buckets or sprawl out at a table for a hour or two. If it’s warm out, snag one of the two-tops on the sidewalk and imagine you’re in Paris, sitting on the rattan chairs and sipping a condensation-dotted glass of sparkling wine.
PRACTICAL STUFF: Open Tuesday to Thursday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Monday. You can book a table ahead of time via OpenTable.
—Elyse Inamine
