12-Step Guide to the Perfect Bloody Mary

The Cocktail Contessa strikes again...finally. While the origins of the cocktail might be unclear (the French seem to have taken a decent idea and spiced it up to the greatness it is today) the deliciousness factor is definitely not. Three cheers for the perfect Bloody Mary concoction!

As your Cocktail Contessa, I feel that the time has arrived for me to up my number contributions to the Nairobi Nightlife Guru’s blog from one to two.

Anyone who lives in Nairobi knows it’s nearly impossible to find a decent mixed cocktail beyond your basic gin and tonic – and even those can be questionable. I’m banned from most of my friend’s kitchens for safety reasons – but I’m always the go-to for Bloody Mary’s. DO YOU DOUBT ME? Don’t doubt me.

Without further adieu, I give you the 12-Step Expat Guide to Bloody Mary’s.

Kentucky Fried Chicken

Between traveling for work and visiting home for the holidays I have been absent from the Nairobi social scene and foodie adventures for a few months.  Now that I am back in town I am ready to eat! 

Did you know that Colonel Sanders did not find his true calling of selling hot, fried chicken to the masses until he was 70?

La Salumeria

Fellow foodie, frequent dining companion, and drinking buddy, Cocktail Contessa, writes about one of our favorite (and conveniently located) Italian joints in Nairobi: 

One of my favorite culinary discoveries since first arriving in Nairobi two months ago has been a little Italian joint by the name of Salumeria, located dangerously close to my flat on Gitanga Rd. It's dim candlelit atmosphere and inside/outside seating options offers the perfect environment for both casual indulgence and/or emotional overeating, depending on your state of mind. Start off with a litre/half litre carafe of the house red (again, depending on your emotional state of mind) while gorging yourself on the bread basket, which comes with an assortment of slightly undercooked and slightly overcooked options. According to our Nairobi Nightlife Guru, Micah, "The squishy bread is the best, the hard bread sucks. It's like a rock." I have to agree, although I was forced to consume large quantities of the hard stuff due to Micah's aggressive nature when it comes to bread baskets. Drowning it in oil helps.