If you haven’t checked out the Kimpton Maa-Lai recently, you may have missed out on the opening of its latest culinary gem. Situated right by popular pet-friendly cafe CRAFT is Ms. Jigger, an intimate restaurant and cocktails bar that’s all about delivering heartfelt, and welcoming experiences through elegant interiors—ivory hues, soft cushions and silky curtains —and, of course, well-crafted food and tipples.
Italian chef Danilo Aiassa heads the kitchen, from which wafts an aromatic and mount-watering blend of scents, notably of dough baking in the oven, ground oregano and melted cheese. Aiassa uses only the best local ingredients to passionately create Italian specialties such as Homemade Ricotta Spianata Romana (toasted sourdough bread slathered with housemade ricotta cheese, spicy salami and fresh chopped parsley), Polpette al Sugo Piccante con Pecorino Romano (moreish meatballs with spicy tomato sauce and pecorino cheese), and Arancini Funghi Selvatici e Tartufo (risotto rice balls with wild mushrooms and black truffles). We also foresee the fine Parma ham and handmade pizza being menu favorites.
A meal at Ms.Jigger is elevated by an array of cocktails mixed by skillful bartender Lorianne Spach, who tries to inject a narrative into each drink she brings to the bar. There’s Terra-Abruzzo, a drink that evokes dreamy images of idyllic strolls in an ancestral Italian vineyard through an aromatic blend of Alpine gin, pine liqueur, green chartreuse, rosemary and raspberry oleo. Also not to be missed are the classic cocktails, which can be ordered two ways: either “shaken” for a lighter touch with citrus or “stirred” for a more spirits-forward taste. Diamond-clear ice created using a Clinebell machine is used in drinks that require a cube or two. This special, artisanal ice, apart from being more aesthetically appealing, melts more slowly and dilutes cocktails less.