Six Glasses of Sangria at Versailles

Versailles is an odd place. Long legendary as a pow-wow spot for local politicos, celebrities, gangsters, and politically connected celebrity gangsters, this fabled Cuban restaurant’s got all the ambiance of some kitschy-haute cafeteria at an upscale senior citizens’ resort. But, hey, that’s OK because you’re not here for the Louis-XIV-explodes-all-over-Denny’s décor, you’re here for the food. And, by “food,” you mean booze. 

Of course, since this is a Cuban joint, your first instinct will tell you to order the mojito. But that’s all wrong. There’s no food in a mojito, unless you consider that mint leaf to be a very, very tiny salad. The solution: Order Versailles’ sangria ($16.95 per pitcher, or $11.95 per half-pitcher), a hearty cocktail of peach, pineapple, cherry, and mango chunks swimming in sweet red wine. Now, that’s the kind of drink you can eat. 

Again though, Versailles is an odd place. So contrary to what you might fancifully imagine, your sangria doesn’t come to the table in a pretty crystal decanter. Instead, it’s served in the kind of crappy plastic pitcher that’s used for Pepsi at a pizzeria. But, hey, that’s OK because you’re not here for the classy dinnerware, you’re here for the food. And, by “food,” you mean booze.