Bonnie Borges, co-owner and general manager of Charmant, and her husband Chris, the chef, share more than 60 years of hospitality experience, but Charmant is their first restaurant together. “We live in this neighborhood,” Bonnie noted, “and tailored the concept to fill a gap.” She describes Charmant as “nice enough to take a date here, but casual enough the ladies from Sculpt swing by in their yoga clothes to get coffee.” Running a French bistro/wine bar allows Bonnie to lean into her love of “geeking out about wine.” Her goal is to get people to try to move beyond their drinking comfort zone, and 25 wines by the glass, including esoteric varieties, encourages that. Though open less than six months, Charmant already has regulars and its future seems promising. “I would not have gone into business with my husband if he wasn’t incredibly talented,” Bonnie said. “That would have been a recipe for disaster. I am very fortunate our chef makes incredible food.”
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz rose-hibiscus-infused vodka (See recipe)
1/2 oz rose hibiscus simple syrup (See recipe)
1/2 oz rose hibiscus simple syrup (See recipe)
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
Cold-brewed black iced
Garnish: Edible flower
- Rose Hibiscus Infused Vodka
6 Yogi brand Rose Hibiscus tea bags
750 ml vodka
- Rose Hibiscus Simple Syrup
8 Yogi brand Rose Hibiscus tea bags
4 cups sugar
Directions
- Shake all ingredients except black tea with ice, strain over fresh ice into a Collins glass, top with regular iced tea. Garnish with a flower.
- Rose Hibiscus Infused Vodka
- Add tea bags to vodka and let it steep for 48 hours.
- Rose Hibiscus Simple Syrup
- Bring 4 cups of water to boil. Add the tea bags to the water and let it steep for about 15 minutes. Add the sugar while the water is still hot and stir until it is dissolved. Syrup keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Notes
- 1. Lanique Spirit of Rose liqueur can be bought at Keife & Co. If you don’t want to buy it, you can substitute St. Germain or Crème de Violette. Similarly the Lanique Spirit of Rose liqueur can be used in cocktails that use St. Germain or Crème de Violette. The rose hibiscus simple syrup is delicious in lemonade.
2. Cold-brewing tea reduces the tannins and gets rid of the sometimes bitter aftertaste hot brewed tea can have.
3. Bonnie recommends experimenting with infusions until you get the balance of how much you want certain flavors to come through. She also notes that rose by itself can be too floral, and the hibiscus adds a tart note that balances the rose so it’s not overwhelmingly perfuming.
