#2445 - Sazerac Bar, New Orleans - 3/16/2014

Yuri, myself, Ray and Russell
Ramos Gin Fizzes at the Sazerac Bar, New Orleans

Try the: Ramos Gin Fizz

The Sazerac's title as first ever cocktail may be in dispute, but it is my favorite classic cocktail, and there are few places better to enjoy it than the historic bar that bears its name in the city of its invention. But the drink that encouraged Huey Long to hold court in the Roosevelt Hotel bar -- to the point where the bar was known as "Huey's Office" and is said to have been the reason for the construction of the Airline Highway from Baton Rouge -- is the Ramos Gin Fizz. Thus our party started with the latter classic.

Sazerac Bar, New Orleans

The bar named The Sazerac traveled around town a bit. "It started out in a roughhouse back alley behind Royal Street in 1853 and stayed in more-or-less the same location for about 100 years before some enterprising businessman recognized the value of an emerging brand, purchased Peychaud’s original recipe, and moved the Bar to the Roosevelt Hotel.  Two more hotel name changes and one location change within the hotel would place the Sazerac bar in its current spot… right off the grand main lobby of what is once again, and finally, called the Roosevelt Hotel." (12bottlebar)

Meanwhile, the Roosevelt Hotel had quite a history of its own. The first part of building opened in 1893 as the Hotel Grunewald, which featured a basement lounge called "The Cave," considered one of the first nightclubs in America. The Cave was elaborately decorated with stalactites, stalagnites, pools, fountains and nymphs, and remained in operation hosting late night carousing, dancing, and Dixieland musics until 1935. In that year the hotel was purchased by a group headed by the aforementioned "enterprising businessman." This was Seymour Weiss, the former owner of a barber shop in the hotel, who would grow into becoming not only the owner and general manager but a valued confidante of Huey P. Long. Weiss converted The Cave to the Blue Room, which would host the likes of Glenn Miller, Guy Lombardo, and Tommy Dorsey. In 1938 they added the Main Bar, later to become The Sazerac:

Sazerac Bar, New Orleans, LA

'In 1949, Weiss purchased the rights to use the name "Sazerac Bar" from the Sazerac Company. The bar had previously been on Exchange Place before Prohibition and at 300 Carondelet Street afterward. He renovated a store front on Baronne Street which had previously held a wine-and-spirits store and opened the Sazerac Bar on September 26, 1949. As a sign of his marketing genius, Weiss announced through the news media that the new bar would abolish the previous 'men-only' house rule and admit women. Women from around the city flocked to the venue, and the event became known as Storming the Sazerac. The anniversary is celebrated every year at the hotel with vintage costumes and libations.... In 1959, the decision was made to close the Sazerac Bar on Baronne Street and transfer the name to the Main Bar. It is still named the Sazerac Bar today.' (wikipedia)

The bar and the rest of the hotel were shut down for four years after Hurricane Katrina, reopening in 2009 under the ownership of the Waldorf Astoria group. The room is handsomely dark, its bar framed by giant silver trophies and its art deco interior featuring murals by Paul Ninas. While the crowd tends to be sedate and formal, our well made gin fizzes were interrupted by a group of young women who told us they were on a sort of bachelorette party version of a scavenger hunt with their friend required to get a stranger to buy her a shot. If it wasn't a true story, it was good enough to merit a swig of tequila, and we happily obliged.

The Cave, Grunewald Hotel (wikimedia)

The Sazerac definitely belongs on your shortlist of bars to visit in New Orleans.


130 Roosevelt Way, New Orleans, LA 70112 - (504) 648-1200
Est. 1949 - Building constructed: 1893
Previous bars in this location: The Main Bar
Web site: therooseveltneworleans.com
Reviews: 12bottlebar - eater - youtube - nola.com - nola.com - atlasobscura - edibleneworleans - neworleans.com - yelp

#2440 - Kingfish, New Orleans - 3/15/2014

Kingfish Restaurant, New Orleans

New Orleans has, of course, many more than its share of famous chefs, and a number of top bartenders, and the Kingfish has had changes in both in this visit. On our stop we did not have time to sample the mix of Japanese street food, Cajun and French cuisines, but we did have a couple cocktails from legendary fourth-generation barman Chris McMillian. I've lost my notes on what we drank, but in any case McMillian has moved on to open his own place (Revel) in 2016, and both the kitchen and bar at Kingfish appear to remain in very good hands with new chef Nathan Richard and current bartenders.

Chris McMillian, Kingfish, New Orleans

As the name implies, the restaurant and bar are a paean to the era of prohibition and Huey Long, with bartenders and servers in white shirts and black braces. The cocktail menu is a mix of local classics and new inventions. There is a grand piano, pressed tin bar backing, 30s movies playing, and a large photo of Long. At dinner hours and evenings it is packed and lively.

337 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA 70125 - (504) 598-5005
Est. April 2013
Web site: kingfishneworleans.com - facebook
Reviews: nola.com - eater - countryroadsmagazine - bestofneworleans - yelp

#2438 - Broussard's (Empire Bar), New Orleans - 3/15/2014

On this visit our small group was not here for the elegant, old French restaurant which over it's nearly 100 years has served characters from Tennessee Williams and William Faulkner to Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett, and Elizabeth Taylor. Rather we were headed for the new Empire Bar, where the new owners had completed a million dollar remodel, and put its cocktail program in the capable hands of Paul Gustings, who has been granted various titles along the the lines of "the crustiest bartender on earth." Alas, I failed to note the specific cocktails we tried that day, but I do remember that they included a punch and that we enjoyed them all in the shade of the 100-year-old vine in the refurbished patio of the 1874 mansion that eventually grew into Mr. Joseph Broussard's restaurant.


819 Conti St, New Orleans, LA 70112 - (504) 581-3866
Est. 1920, current bar 2013
Web site: broussards.com - facebook
Best articles: nytimes - eater - countryroads - nola - nola - gonomad
More articles: theneworleansadvocate - yelp - tripadvisor - neworleans - 10best - punchdrink

#2436 - Cane & Table, New Orleans - 3/15/2014

Cane and Table, New Orleans, LA

The basement of my house started out being decorated as a goth bar and rather suddenly shifted to a tiki bar. How that happened is kinda a long story, but a similar thing happened to Pravda, this beautifully dark and ornately formal, Soviet-themed space on Decatur Street. I loved that bar and hated to see it go. But if the evil empire had to collapse, one could do a lot worse for a replacement than a "Rustic Colonial Cuisine and Proto-Tiki" joint. And we're not talking some cheesy, overly sweet bastardizations of tiki -- we're talking an ownership team from the highly regarded Cure and Bellocq hiring rum master Nick Detrich to devise a menu of well-balanced, Caribbean themed, pre-prohibition era and tiki style drinks.

The vibe has gone from dark to what feels like relaxing in a sunny plaza in Havana. This is especially true on the back patio, where strange gods mix unobtrusively, from tikis to faded Egyptian figures, all around one of the older buildings in all of New Orleans. There are nights with well known guest bartenders (including Beachbum Berry) and an "all you can drink brunch." It is now a place where it is easy to linger.

1113 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116 - (504) 581-1112               
Est. 2013
Previous bars in this location: Pravda
Web site: caneandtablenola.com - facebook
Articles ranked: eater - nola - nola - 10best - yelp - zagat - neworleansonline

#2411 #1217 - Tallulah's, Seattle - 2/1/2014

Tallulah's ("a neighborhood cafe") is one of my favorite new restaurants in the Seattle area. It is the first brand new space designed by Linda Derschang, who is better known around the neighborhood for transforming existing spaces with funky, hipster-friendly, rustic decor. This place is more sleek and elegant than most of her earlier places, and is said to be "inspired by a recent trip to Morocco and Spain, a love of mid-century design and the feeling of Big Sur in the 1970’s." (aneighborhoodcafe.com)

They describe the menu of chef Walter Edwards (Crush, Tilth, Golden Beetle) as "vegetable-driven without being vegetarian." I tried the grilled Halloumi cheese with roasted pears, which I thought was excellent, and a very nice lamb burger with zucchini, Harissa and fries. For cocktails I had a "Lost Acre" (rye, Dolin Blanc, Amaro Meletti, Peychauds), which I found excellent, and a "Benchmark" (rye, sweet vermouth, Campari, grapefruit) which was also quite good, and had pleasant conversation with various folks at the bar.

550 19th Ave E, Seattle, Washington 98112 - (206) 860-0077
Est. Dec 26, 2013 - Building constructed: 2014
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: aneighborhoodcafe.com - facebook
Reviews: seattletimes - seattlemet - eater - capitolhillseattle - seattlemag - thestranger - yelp - tripadvisor

#2403 #1209 - E. Smith Mercantile, Seattle - 1/22/2014

Update: This lovely bar closed June 30, 2018.

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The web site says:

"E. Smith Back Bar is an extension of the artful life we promote with our mercantile goods. Inspired by the history of using alcohol as a vessel for the medicinal qualities of plants, we create seasonal herbal, fruit and floral infusions in combination with classic cocktail recipes. Not only are they a great cure for sobriety, but they taste damn fine."

E.Smith Mercantile, Seattle, WA

I think that pretty much nails it. The little 15-seat bar in the back of the funky 19th century style general store is probably my favorite bar in the mid to south downtown area. A few years ago that would not have been saying much in this area, but it remains my favorite despite some considerable competition now. In addition to the charmingly dark decor and the very nice cocktails, I especially like the sort of (small) crowd the bar attracts. Owner Jessie Poole named it after her Southern Idaho gold miner grandfather, has her mother do interior design, make the perfumes, and make the bitters and infusions for the bar, had her father do the build out, and has her sister run the kitchen. I like every bit of the results.

E.Smith Mercantile, Seattle, WA

208 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 641-7250

Est. Sep 19, 2013 (bar; shop opened 4/4/2013)
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: esmithmercantile.com - facebook
Articles ranked: eater - seattlemet - thrillist - seattlemag - yelp - zomato

#2374 #S1197 - The Barrel Thief, Seattle - 12/21/2013

I always enter a bar within the ground-floor retail section of new condos with an anticipatory sense of discouragement, but the Barrel Thief owners have done a fairly nice job of instilling some character and romance into this space. More to the point, their unique, botany-based cocktails and prodigious selection of wines by the glass make it a fine bar stop regardless of setting.

Established earlier as Wine Tea Chocolate, in mid-2013 it was refashioned as a wine and whiskey bar, with an inventive cocktail program by Nicholas Utke. I enjoyed the "Surrender at Appomattox" (rye, sweet grass, and herbs) which as promised had a "grassy and smokey" taste. The bar also features approximately 200 whiskeys and offers almost that many choices of wine by glass, with the aid of a Coravin device, which extracts wine via a needle and without uncorking the bottle, filling the space with argon gas to prevent oxidation.

Bitters, tinctures, and other ingredients used in the unusual
cocktail program of Fremont's "Barrel Thief."

I haven't yet had dinner there, but the menu features some tasty sounding, locally sourced snacks and small plates. In addition to regular wine tastings, special events at BT include things like a "fancy single malt tasting," an "obscure scotch distillery tasting," and tango dancing. (If these seem like they might catch your fancy, you may want to add yourself to their mailing list, as I've finally remembered to do.)

3417 Evanston Ave N #102, Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 402-5492
Est. July 20, 2013 - Building constructed: 2012
Previous bars in this location: Wine Tea Chocolate
Web site: bthief.com - facebook
Reviews: seattlemag - seattlemet - tripadvisor - thestranger - beeradvocate - untappd - urbanspoon

#2358 - Narrow Lounge, Vancouver, BC - 11/29/2013

The entrance to the Narrow Bar has no sign, and it looks like an abandoned building, broken into by street people. For those in the know, the clue that the romantic bar downstairs is open is the red light out front. Down the stairs is a bar about the size of a train car, seemingly decorated for some gilded age robber baron, which serves quite nice cocktails and is packed and lively in the evenings. It may be my favorite bar that I've ever been to in Vancouver. We definitely need to come back in the Summer when the Hideaway secret tiki bar is open on the back patio. (Thanks to our local friend Peter for guiding us to in our Main Street bar crawl.)

1898 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5T 3B7 - (604) 839-5780
Est. 2008
Web site: narrowlounge.com - facebook
Articles ranked: followmefoodie - foodology - shermansfoodadventures - boredinvancouver - lonelyplanet - urbanspoon - bcliving - yelp

#2355 - The Shameful Tiki Room, Vancouver, BC - 11/29/2013

Owner Rod Moore took in some of the top new tiki bars around the country including Martin Cate's Smugglers Cove and put together a tiki bar in Vancouver that is top notch in both decor and cocktails. If you step into the darkness from a sunny day outside, you'll need a few moments for your eyes to adjust to the welcoming dark glow of the float lights and fishtrap lamps amidst the bamboo and thatch. Moore says Cate advised him "Don’t go cheap: even if no one in Vancouver knows what tiki is, they will all know what cheap is" (straight.com), and the attention to detail shows. The narrow space reminds me a little bit of Portland's Hale Pale,

The food is smallish menu of Trader Vics-like polynesian and Asian tastes, and the cocktails are reliably good, with shared, flaming Volcano Bowls and Mystery Bowls available, which are sometimes delivered Mai Kai Mystery Girl style, a gong, smoke, thunder and lightning. They also have a Rum Club and we had the good fortune of meeting our friend and Vancouver bon vivant Peter there on the night he became the very first person to complete a passport, having ordered 50 different rums.

4362 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5V 3P9 - (604) 319-1747
Est. March 2013
Web site: shamefultikiroom.com - facebook
Articles ranked: critiki - straight.com - vancitydrinkspecials - theglobeandmail - vanbrosia - winetimes - tikiroom - vancouversun - scoutmagazine - foodadventuretime - urbanspoon - yelp - foodology - bcliving - vancourier - 10best - lonelyplanet - kiosk - ooga-mooga

#2342 #S1187 - Roux, Seattle - 11/19/2013

Update: Roux closed Feb 18, 2018.

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I don't know how much of this is New Orleans and how much of this is Matt Lewis, but the food at Roux is demented. Root beer barbecue, watermelon pickle, frog legs with parsley, braised rabbit leg, crispy pig ear, turtle bolognese, fried alligator tail -- the menu reads like something you might see people forced to eat on a cruel Japanese game show. And yet everything I have here tastes really good.

NOLA native Lewis became well known around Seattle starting in 2010 with his "Where Ya At Matt?" food truck. In 2013 he opened this place in an historic Seattle bar location, the home of the Buckaroo Tavern since 1938 (and other bars slightly before that). Nothing can compensate for the demise of a great old dive like the Buck, but it's a bit comforting that it was not replaced by a Starbucks, but a unique contribution to the food and drink scene. There are some intriguing cocktails -- less weird sounding than the food -- and I was fond of the Doctor Boggs (pecan infused bourbon, chicory syrup, bitters). Lewis's chef (since departed) Michael Robertshaw was said to be combining Creole recipes with his classical French background and Northwest influence. All I can tell you is that the stuff sounds crazy, but tastes crazy good.


4201 Fremont Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 547-5420
Est. Nov 19, 2013 - Building constructed: 1908
Previous bars in this location: Buckaroo Tavern
Web site: restaurantroux.com - facebook
Articles ranked: seattletimes - seattlemag - gastrolust - foodhipster - eater - yelp - urbanspoon - thestranger

#2341 #S1186 - Le Petit Cochon, Seattle - 11/19/2013

I admire the ethics of "nose-to-tail" chefs like Le Petit Cochon's Derek Ronspies -- though less than I admire the ethics of vegetarians. But as a culinary moral reprobate myself, I'm just more likely to reach for dishes with terms like "pork belly" than I am for ones with "feet" or "face," let alone "legumes." Ronspies, who previously worked with his brother at fancy Art of the Table, actually revised the Cochon theme in 2014, shifting away from "fine dining" and more toward a "gastro pub." Whatever the case, I would be quite happy eating the rotating dishes here as well as some really nice cocktails.

I had a nice conversation with Bonnie, and older customer who loves Art of the Table and knows her restaurants, as well as with Derek and bartender Kate. I enjoyed an "Ole Smokey" (house made cedar infused bourbon, bitters, sugar, orange peel), and sampled the "Kurtwood Farms Loghouse Tomme (aged Tomme style cheese, with "D’s Nuts," pluot jam, and peppered honey) and the Duck Quacklins. And while it is less bar than restaurant, the quality and creativity of the drinks plus the fairly intimate and offbeat space make it a nice choice whether you're hungry or not.

701 N 36th St #200, Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 829-8943
Est. Oct 2, 2013 - Building constructed: 2001
Previous bars in this location: Showa
Web site: gettinpiggy.com - facebook
Articles ranked: thehungrydogblog - gastrolust - seattleweekly - seattlemet - seattletimes - thestranger - eater - yelp - urbanspoon

#2288 - Sidecar 11, Portland, OR - 9/14/2013

Sidecar 11 is an intimate location for fine cocktails, emphasizing whiskey and prohibition era drinks. It is a particularly good place to have an excellent craft cocktail or two in an atmosphere as relaxing as an old bookstore coffee shop.

3955 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97227 - (503) 208-3798
Est. March 2011
Web site: facebook - blog
Articles ranked: portlandmonthlymag - 360drinks - thebeerchaser - talkeatdrinkportland - thrillist - wweek - yelp - pdxbliss - portlandfood

#2266 #S1168 - The Old Sage, Seattle - 9/3/2013

Update: Old Sage closed June 17, 2016

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Oh man, do I love these guys' places. Old Sage is another restaurant/bar from my favorite Seattle chefs, Brian McCracken and Dana Tough (Tavern Law, Spur, Coterie). This place has an emphasis on smoked meats -- and a smokey vibe in general -- though the smokiness is more subtle than barbecue. And just as in their other places, they've delivered bartenders who craft excellent cocktails (here with a malty, smoky, scotch theme) and I love pretty much every item I order, even in a magician type way when the ingredients are not ones that would generally entice me. I started with the malted emmer, with a bit of local apples and mountain cheese, and it was delicious. Emmer! Emmer was delicious.

It was a little less surprising that they could also make Coho salmon, my second dish, so delicious. After getting a bit my tastes, bartender Miles added a pretty much perfect cocktail to top things off; the Expat was made with blended scotch, Carpano Antica, Campari, Averna and sassafras.

With the small plates and craft cocktails flowing, evenings at McCracken and Tough's places can quickly start to get a little pricey. But when I'm in the mood for a drink and fine meal there is simply no place in Seattle I like better.

1410 12th Ave Seattle, Washington 98122 - (206) 557-7430
Est. July 31, 2013 - Building constructed: 2007
Previous bars in this location: Local Vine
Web site: theoldsageseattle.com - facebook - blog
Ranked articles: seriouseats - seattletimes - thrillist - eater - seattlemet - seattlemag - eater - capitolhillseattle - thestranger - seattlemet - eater - yelp

#2207 #S1150 - Billy Beach Sushi and Bar, Seattle - 6/22/2013

I'm not a good judge of sushi. But not only has Billy Beach been running or worked at what seems like every modern sushi bar in Seattle (Japonessa, Wasabi Bistro, KushiBar, Rain, I Love Sushi), but this new ballard restaurant serves some very nice original and traditional cocktails. I especially enjoyed the Diesel Fuel (bourbon, Cocchi Torino, Zucca, whiskey barrel aged bitters), by bartender Cameron.

5463 Leary Ave NW Leary Ave NW, Seattle, Washington 98107 - (206) 257-4616
Est. May 1, 2013 - Building constructed: 1950
Previous bars in this location: Paratii Craft Bar
Web site: billybeachsushi.com - facebook
Reviews: onceuponabite - thrillist - ballardnewstribute - seattlemet - eater - yelp - thestranger