Underballs
200 Ninth Ave., nr. 22nd St.; 212-257-4363
Down a staircase at the back of the Chelsea Meatball Shop is this cheekily named drinkery, a low-lit space with a geometric reclaimed-wood floor that offers a mellow respite from the commotion above. Taking a cue from the ordering process upstairs, Underballs has a laminated menu with boxes to check for classic cocktails mixed with American-made spirits (like a Moscow Mule with Brooklyn Republic vodka), along with a grid for hooch lovers to select a Sazerac, say, with a choice of bourbon, rye, or Tennessee whiskey (each $10). The space can be rented for private events (from $750), whether to screen a movie via the ceiling-mounted projector or throw a raucous birthday party that finishes up with rounds of the daily jelly shot—past selections have included a riff on a Manhattan, complete with a cherry ($3).