Last week I was in Columbus, Ohio for the Romantic Times Booklovers convention. I have to admit, I wasn’t too convinced about going to Columbus, but I was proven wrong in a big way. The city is lovely and charming, the downtown area we were in was well-developed and had plenty to offer in the way of restaurants and shops, and the hotel the convention was at, Hyatt Regency Columbus, was the best convention hotel I’ve ever been to, with amazing service, staff and response to needs. Kudos to them!

I was fortunate to have some pretty outstanding meals (made even better by the outstanding company) at a variety of restaurants, but there was one cocktail that outshone them all and that I’m still thinking about (and dying to make) even a week later.

On Thursday night, I went to M, which is a Cameron Mitchell restaurant. The food was divine, the service wonderful but the highlight of the meal was when I ordered and received a Black Orchid martini. Little did I know I was going to receive this…

Apologies for the poor picture quality (via my iPhone). The waiter brings a martini glass with a round ball of ice to the table. Within the ice is frozen an orchid flower. Once to the table, the waiter pours the martini over the round of ice and you now have a Black Orchid. But it wasn’t just the presentation of the martini that charmed me (though that helped) it was the taste. It was, simply put, delicious. Probably the best martini I’ve ever had, and I do like my martinis. So I asked for, and was graciously given, the recipe for the Black Orchid. Lucky, lucky us!

Black Orchid Martini recipe compliments of M, a Cameron Mitchel restaurant

1 oz Raspberry vodka (they use Belvedere…you should too better vodka makes for a better martini)

1 oz Elderflower liqueur (St. Germain)

1/2 oz simple syrup

1/2 oz fresh lemon juice

1 oz white cranberry juice

Shake and strain in a martini glass (props to you if you make ice balls with frozen flowers inside).

Enjoy!