The Waiting Room

“It’s almost like anesthesia,” says Albert Trummer, the man behind the incredible, theatrical cocktails at Bar Freud in New York City. He’s talking about the curative, soothing nature of this delicious tequila and tomato cocktail, which comes smoking on a cutting board with tangles of cured meat and syrupy balsamic vinegar pools at the restaurant, but is also easy to make at home if you don’t mind cutting back on the drama. All you need is some good, fresh cherry tomatoes and a will to muddle. “By muddling, you keep all the vitamins from the tomatoes,” he says. Shaken with basil leaves, blanco tequila and agave syrup, the cocktail is almost like a garden Margarita—especially if you rim the glass with salt, as Trummer suggests. Serve it at brunch or just before dinner as an incredible aperitif. Whenever you make it, you’ll immediately be convinced of the tomato’s versatility, and you’ll never confine it to Bloody Marys again.