I have a new favorite bartender. His name is Enrico, and he works at a place in Red Hook called Bar Mario. It’s been open for only about a month, though most of the people inside already know Enrico’s name as well. Before Bar Mario, he worked at restaurants in Manhattan for a couple decades and before that owned a bar and pizzeria in a mountain town in Italy.

“Early ’90s, lots of pretty girls,” he reminisces. His experience is immediately apparent as he greets each new guest with a “Ciao!” while preparing two drinks and remembering your order. From the moment I met him on a recent Sunday night in February, I knew I was in good hands, as was proven by the immaculate negroni before me.