The Best Bars in America

Bringing up the subject of a favorite bar is like asking who should be president. Everyone has his own candidate, as we discovered when we polled a blue-ribbon panel of food, drink and restaurant critics, publishers, editors, authors, restaurateurs, chefs and bon vivants. The bars picked by our panelists run the gamut from swank hotels and restaurants to atmospheric joints that have served generations of regulars. Skybar in West Hollywood is a hotel bar that packs in the supercool with a shoehorn. Other chic stop-offs include Bix in San Francisco, Red Square in Las Vegas (main attraction: an entire wall of cold vodkas and a bar top that's frozen) and the Greatest Bar on Earth. And business has never been better at (continued on page 154)Best Bars(continued from page 94) down-home, funky, ethnic and shit-kicker bars, such as the Green Parrot in Key West and Chilkoot Charlie's in Anchorage. That these varied types of bars made the cut is a testament to the American drinker's quest for a great cocktail. Let's go barhopping.

Bix, 56 Gold Street, San Francisco (415-433-6300). Bix, named for its owner, Doug "Bix" Beiderbecke, is perhaps the most romantic saloon in San Francisco, America's most romantic city. This beautiful Thirties-style supper club has been open for 12 years. But, being hidden away speakeasy-style in an alley that borders the Financial District, it's tricky to find. Once inside, order a drink at the curved mahogany bar and take in the art deco decor that extends throughout Bix' dramatic three-story, two-level space. A Thirties-style torch singer may be crooning or the house band may be playing softly into the night. If you've reserved a booth in the dining room, better still: Bix' food is as delicious as the bar is sophisticated.

Casablanca, 40 Bratde Street, Boston (617-876-0999). Of all the gin joints in Boston, this is the one you want to walk into. Described as the club anyone can join, Casablanca has been owned since 1976 by Sari Abul-Jubein, who, with the help of donations from Casablanca devotees, has kept and refurbished David Omar White's impressionistic bar murals that commemorate the 1942 movie. Now French-trained chef Ana Sortun serves up superb Mediterranean-inspired ta-pas at the bar (the dining room has an extended menu). At Casablanca, you can listen to As Time Goes By on one of Boston's best jukeboxes while lifting a well-made martini or two.

Chilkoot Charlie's, 2435 Spenard Road, Anchorage (907-272-1010). The nights get long in Alaska, but Chilkoot Charlie's, in Anchorage's historic Spenard district, makes them seem a lot shorter. In fact, by the time you get to all three stages, three dance floors and eight bars in this 30-year-old establishment, the night may not be long enough. (Chilkoot Charlie is a fictional Alaskan character made famous by Ruben Gaines, a writer and radio personality.) At Chilkoot's, you can rock to the music of the Beach Boys, the Doobie Brothers, Megadeth and Van Halen, or retreat to the Forties Swing Bar and dance to big band music or sip a martini and watch a black-and-white movie. Just be careful not to sip too many. You might get the women and the grizzly bears mixed up when it comes to wrasslin' time.

China Grill, 404 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach (305-534-2211). The bar at the Delano, Ian Schrager's superstar hotel in South Beach, is right at the top of our must-visit list. However, drinks at the Delano are not always possible for visitors since you sometimes have to be a hotel guest to gain admission. Our choice? China Grill, which is more accessible and just as popular as the Delano. Start with cocktails at one of the three bars and try the sake-and-vodka-infused martinis. In the dining area, try to score one of the plush, Fifties-era booths, sink in, enjoy your dinner prepared by China Grill's talented chef Ephraim Radish (a former Israeli paratrooper) and bask in the glow of the beautiful people around you. Don't be surprised if you begin to glow yourself.

Continental Club, 1315 South Congress Avenue, Austin (512-441-2444). Austin is said to have more daily live music per capita than any city in the country. The Continental Club, which claims it's been "rockin' South Austin since 1957," still has the feel of the Fifties. Most of the music stars of country, swing, rockabilly and blues have played here. Big-name musicians from out of town consider a visit mandatory, often jamming with the evening's band. You may find yourself sipping suds alongside Buck Owens or Neil Young. The club's shoeshine man, Charlie Miller, is almost as popular as the bar itself.

Continental Restaurant and Martini Bar, 138 Market Street, Philadelphia (215-923-6069). This refurbished former diner in Philadelphia's revitalized Old City attracts a crowd of young professionals seeking good food and great martinis (try the $7 Dean Martini, served in a huge martini glass along with a Lucky Strike cigarette and a match-book). One of the black-clad waitstaff will mist your "Dino" with vermouth sprayed from an atomizer if you wish. The martini theme continues overhead in the shape of big green olives speared with monster toothpicks. After a couple of drinks, you'll want to order a plate or two of tapas. Delicious.

Coyote Café, 132 West Water Street, Santa Fe (505-983-1615). One of our favorite drinks is the margarita, and no-where can you find a better one than at this Santa Fe hangout, which the Zagat Restaurant Survey named as the city's most popular restaurant. At Coyote there are 35 brands of premium tequila ready to be poured. In fact, owner and chef Mark Miller has written a book on how to make great margaritas and other fresh-juice mixed drinks. (Fresh fruit juice is used in all Coyote margaritas, not bar syrup or synthetic lime juice.) Be sure to sample Miller's Southwestern-style cuisine, especially the barbecued duck quesadillas. In summer, the rooftop Coyote Cantina is where devotees gather to toast the owner and howl at the moon.

F.X. McRory's, 419 Occidental Avenue South, Seattle (206-623-4800). The inspiration for this great Seattle steak, chop and oyster house was the legendary New York bar of the same name. In 1977, Mick McHugh opened this homage to the original in the turn-of-the-century Stewart and Holmes Drug Co. building across from the soon-to-be-rubble Kingdome. Stewart and Holmes also happened to be America's largest wholesaler of fine American whiskey, which did no harm to business at a nearby brothel. The brothel has passed from the scene, but the whiskey dealing at F.X. McRory's is still a booming concern. The center tier of McRory's huge bar is a museum to America's native distilled spirit, bourbon. There are now 165 brands displayed, so the choice is incredible.

Froggy's, 100 Market Street, Pittsburgh (412-471-3764). Froggy's three-story tavern-cum-restaurant is a Pittsburgh institution catering to a clientele that owner Steve "Froggy" Morris describes as "celebrities and has-beens, sports heroes, politicians, jailbirds, the bad and the beautiful." The first-floor bar, the Table of Wisdom, is where Froggy himself holds court while pouring drinks that he claims are the biggest in North America. His steaks are big, too. At the bottom of Froggy's menu it reads, "Furnishings, including tables, chairs and artwork, are available for purchase. Please inquire with the hostess." Like the man at the circus says, "Come on in, folks, and enjoy the show."

Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse, 1028 North Rush Street, Chicago (312-266-8999). From Keegan's on the South Side to Simon's Tavern on the North, Chicago is a city of neighborhood saloons. But Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse, in the heart of Rush Street, seems to capture the essence of the City of Big Shoulders. Gibsons offers big drinks, big steaks, big noise and big fun. Mel Gibson hangs out there when he's in town, as do about 400 other celebrities whose signed photos are up on the wall. The bar, which holds 80, always seems full, and if you're lucky enough to snag one of the stools that snake along its perimeter you're set for the evening. Humongous gibsons are the signature drink. Cigar smoking is not only allowed, it's practically mandatory.

Greatest Bar on Earth at Windows on the World, One World Trade Center, New York City (212-524-7000). Campbell Apartment, Grand Central Station, New York City (212-953-0409). From Chumley's in the Village to midtown's Monkey Bar and the Plaza Hotel's Oak Room, this town is one incredible conglomeration of saloons with skyscrapers around them. Or under them, as is the case of the Greatest Bar on Earth, which is situated on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center. The Twin Towers are a city unto themselves, so don't let anyone tell you the GBOE is just a tourist trap. At lunchtime, it's frequented by tower and power people. After work, it's a Wall Street watering hole. At dusk, there's a predinner crowd; and from ten P.M. until two A.M. there is nightly dancing to great local bands. In newly renovated Grand Central Station, Campbell Apartment opened just last fall and is already one of the Big Apple's classiest places to linger over a drink. Formerly the offices of a tycoon named John Campbell, this splendid space (with 30-foot-high beamed ceilings) was tastefully renovated and furnished with big, luxurious sofas. You'll find a cross section of New Yorkers who commute to Campbell Apartment to drink in elegant surroundings.

Green Parrot, 601 Whitehead Street, Key West (305-294-6133). The search for the definitive Key West saloon ends at James Bean's Green Parrot, a haven for locals as well as passers-through such as Hunter S. Thompson and John Goodman. There's nothing fancy--decorations are whatever the customers are wearing at the large rectangular open-air bar. The music is eclectic: klezmer, Haitian, zydeco, boogie and blues. Local greats such as Barry Cuda sometimes play beneath the parachute canopy that holds up the ceiling. If you want a T-shirt, the Green Parrot sells several. The original says "See the Lower Keys on Your Hands and Knees." Another: "No Sniveling." There are a couple of pool tables, and a smokehouse next door. The management works tirelessly to avoid progress.

J-Bar, Hotel Jerome, 330 East Main Street, Aspen (970-920-1000). If you've done well off the IPO on your Internet site, you may want to saunter into the private Caribou Club (411 East Hopkins Avenue, 970-925-2929) and ante up the thousand bucks or so for a temporary membership and an opportunity to rub elbows (and perhaps more) with the rich and famous. But the atmospheric J-Bar in the historic Hotel Jerome is just as much fun. It has great live music and fine cognacs, armagnacs and single malts to sip with that rosy-cheeked beauty you met on the lifts. Lest you think the J-Bar is too sedate, keep in mind that Hunter S. Thompson has called it "the best hideout in town."

Lili's 21, 2930 Jacob Street, Detroit (Hamtramck, Michigan) (313-875-6555). So many bars, so much music, so little time. The Kress Lounge, Café Mahogany, Baker's Keyboard Lounge and, in Royal Oak, Gusoline Alley (yes, that's the spelling), all have their advocates. But where it's happening is Hamtramck, a classic Polish enclave with scores of bars on and around Joseph Campau Street. Our critics' choice: Lili's 21, where Lili Karwowski (who died late last year) is credited with starting the movement that revived the neighborhood. Suits, punks and yuppies hang out here. After dark, it changes from a belly-up bar to a nightspot that's unapologetically committed to pure rock and roll.

Madam's Organ Restaurant and Bar, 2461 18th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. (202-667-5370). Considering the political shenanigans that have emanated from Washington, Madam's Organ struck us as the perfect bar to represent our nation's capital. The funky name is a takeoff on the surrounding Adams-Morgan district. The building's large mural of a well-endowed redhead (much to the chagrin of the neighbors) gives you an idea of what you are in for: unadulterated, in-your-face fun. Billed as the place "where the beautiful people go to get ugly," Madam's Organ is where an eclectic mix of Washingtonians, congressional staffers and denizens of the bureaucracy go to escape lobbyists and congressmen. They come here to groove to great R&B and bluegrass. The hip crowd is always in a party mood and the prowling privileges are prime, particularly if you have a thing for redheads. The owner does, so he lets them drink for half price. If you get hungry, order a Bill Clinton Burger ("$1 off for women who have slept with the president. Limit: three per table.") Just hope they don't offer your date a discount.

Mercury Room, 1008 Prairie, Houston (713-225-6372). It's been reported that Houston has the fastest-growing downtown in the country. The revitalized Market Square district, where the Mercury Room is situated, is leading the charge. The owners spared no expense in restoring and refurbishing the former Isis Theater to its Roaring Twenties glory. At the bottom of a wrought-iron spiral staircase there's a 25-foot-long floor-to-ceiling bar that's accessible via a sliding library-type ladder. Vodka and caviar are available at the bar--or sample the appetizers and desserts from the menu. In the lounge, there's light jazz at cocktail hour, but the Mercury Room really heats up after 9:30 P.M., when the lounge becomes a nightclub and swings to the live sound of rock, Motown, Latin and blues.

Mumbo Jumbo, 89 Park Place NE, Atlanta (404-523-0330). Our sentimental favorite was the fine neighborhood bar Atkins Park on Highland Avenue (404-876-7249), which is the oldest continuously licensed tavern in Atlanta. The big nod, however, goes to the Mumbo Jumbo supper club, which opened just before the 1996 Summer Olympics and still is jumping. With banquettes flanking the 150-foot-long bar and waitresses semidressed in short black skirts and halters, this former nightclub is one sexy place, especially on Saturday nights, when Marc Allen, its star DJ, spins sounds. The restaurant, with chef Shawn Doty fanning the flames, is one of the best in town.

Napoleon House, 500 Chartres Street, New Orleans (504-524-9752). In Party Town, USA our experts recommend you begin with sundowners at the Napoleon House, savoring a little of New Orleans' long and wonderful history. The building itself was once the home of a mayor, and it's also said that Napoleon, with the help of pirate Jean Lafitte, was planning to escape from exile and make the Napoleon House his home. Unfortunately, the Little Corporal checked out before he could check in. The house drink is a Pimm's Cup, which the bartender will garnish properly with a slice of cucumber.

Red Square, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, 3950 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas (702-632-7404). At bars in Vegas you can visit Paris, Venice, New York, Monte Carlo and the Caribbean without leaving the Strip. But the place our critics choose to hang is retro-Russian Red Square, where the beheaded statue of Lenin oversees a vodka Valhalla. The bar top is made of solid ice to ensure that your choice from more than 100 frozen vodkas and infusions will remain bone-cold for sipping. Or rent a private locker in the walk-in vodka freezer. The $1500-a-year tariff includes the use of a Russian fur coat and cap or a Russian Army jacket when you enter. Only in Las Vegas.

Samba Room, 4514 Travis Street, Dallas (214-522-4137). The Samba Room came highly recommended by our critics, but when we read in The Dallas Morning News that it "fairly glows into the wee hours" and is "the bar where the young, reckless and self-absorbed find each other," we knew it was our kind of place. If you are going to be self-indulgent, what better place than this swank club that takes you back to pre-Castro Cuba days with a 25-foot Rolando Diaz mural, a tropical patio, a cigar lounge and a serpentine bar where you can get a great Cuba libre? The dining room is dimly lit. Patrons stirred by Afro-Cuban jazz and the rhythms of Brazil often dance table-side. Later, you can sink into a leather sofa in the lounge and fire up a stogie.

Skybar, Mondrian Hotel, 8440 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood (323-848-6027). Wine and spirits editor Anthony Dias Blue puts his recommendations succinctly: Bar Marmont ("New Hollywood, the hippest"), Polo Lounge ("Old Hollywood, a chic power scene") and Barfly ("Young Hollywood"), but other panelists chose Skybar as the place to soar. Nightclub entrepreneur Rande Gerber, who owns Skybar, has developed successful hangouts nationwide, including Aspen's Whiskey Rocks, the Whiskey Bar & Grill in Chicago and New York's Wetbar, Whiskey Park and Whiskey Blue, about which critic Bill Boggs (Food Network) says simply, "Women!" Gerber selects chic, modern architectural spaces (often in hip new hotels) and installs classy, intimate bars and lounges where the drinks are top-notch and the music doesn't drown out conversation. The formula attracts a beautiful, hip and often famous clientele.

Timber Wolf Pub and Grill, 740 East Apache Boulevard, Tempe (480-517-9383). It gets so hot in the Arizona desert that Perry Thompson thought it would be a great idea to build a log cabin with a huge beer hall and decorate it with snowshoes, skis and hunting and trapping paraphernalia. His going-north theme snowballed, and the Timber Wolf has become the place to howl in Tempe. The crowd is an eclectic mix of locals, Arizona State undergrads and out-of-towners who come to sample the 400 beers offered, including draft selections from the 150-tap beer wall. Special evenings include local band appearances and sporting events on big-screen TVs; and Wednesday is Big Ass Beer night, when a 32-ounce glass of beer goes for what Thompson calls a "half-assed" price--$6. After you buy the first beer, you can bring the glass back any Wednesday night for $2 refills.

With waitresses semidressed in short black skirts and halters, this former nightclub is one sexy place.

Choice Critics

Eric Asimov, restaurant critic and food writer, The New York Times

Tony Baker, executive chef, Montrio, Monterey, CA

Charles Baum, restaurant consultant, B.E. Rock, New York City

Terry Black, owner, Super Smokers Bar-B-Que restaurant, O'Fallon, IL

Elizabeth Blau, vice president of restaurant development, Mirage Resorts

Anthony Dias Blue, wine and spirits editor, Bon Appétit, Los Angeles

Bill Boggs, TV producer, the Food Network, New York City

Jerry Bokamper, columnist, The Dallas Morning News

Carl Butrum, Eastman Radio, New York City

Teresa Byrne-Dodge, editor and publisher, My Table, Houston

Janet Lai Cam, restaurant consultant, Pittsburgh

Viviana Carballo, restaurant critic, The Miami Herald

William Charney, aviator, Aero Club, Reno

Dennis Cole, freelance writer, Austin American-Statesman, Texas

John Companiotte, freelance writer, Atlanta

Jeff Cox, food and wine critic, Saw-to Rosa Press Democrat

John Crabtree, owner, Crabtree's Kittle House, Chappaqua, NY

Dale Curry, food editor, The Times-Picayune, New Orleans

Sanford D'Amato, chef-owner, San-ford Restaurant, Milwaukee

Dale DeGroff, bartender, New York City

Mimi Del Grande, owner, Café Annie, Houston

Joseph DeLissio, wine director, River Café, Brooklyn

Joe Distler, restaurateur, Riverrun Café and Blind Tiger Ale House, New York City

John Doerper, Pacific Epicure Quarterly, Bellingham, Washington

Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, authors, Dining Out

Barbara Fairchild, executive editor, Bon Appétit, Los Angeles

Barbara Pool Fenzl, Les Gour-mettes Cooking School and host of PBS' Savor the Southwest, Phoenix

Ray Foley, publisher, Bartender, Liberty Corner, NJ

George Germon, Al Forno Restaurant, Providence, RI

Tony Gordon, managing editor, Barfly, Chicago

Gael Greene, restaurant critic, New York

Dotty Griffith, restaurant critic, The Dallas Morning News

William Grimes, restaurant critic, The New York Times

Richard Carleton Hacker, smoke and spirits editor, Robb Report, Beverly Hills

Ann Haigh, restaurant critic, Pittsburgh

John Hansell, publisher, Malt Advocate, drinks consultant, Emma-us, PA

Thomas Head, executive wine and food editor, The Washingtonian, Washington, D.C.

Stan Hieronymus, editor, Real Beer, Inc., San Francisco

Chris Hoffman, publisher, Shecky's Bar, Club and Lounge Guide 2000, New York City

Andrea Immer, beverage director, Starwood Resorts, New York City

Michael Jackson, beer and spirits writer, London

Janet Kafka, president, Janet Kafka and Associates, Dallas

Fredric Koeppel, restaurant reviewer and wine writer, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis

Dolores Kostelni, Roanoke Times

Lawrence Kretchmer, president, Mesa Grill and Bolo Restaurant, New York City

Corby Kummer, senior editor, The Atlantic Monthly, Boston

Patricia Mack, food editor, Bergen Record, Hackensack, NJ

John Mariani, restaurant critic, Esquire and Virtual Gourmet, New York City

Ron Marr, editor and publisher, The Trout Wrapper, Ennis, Montana

Michael McCarty, owner, Michael's, New York City and Santa Monica

Dan McConnell, owner, Mosquito Coast Outfitters, Key West

Mike Mills, barbecue champion, owner, 17th Street Bar and Grill, Murphysboro, IL

Greg Morago, food and spirits writer, The Hartford Courant

Pat Mozersky, columnist, San Antonio Express-News

Eric Newell, managing editor, Ocean Drive, Miami Beach

Michel Nicschan, chef, Heartbeat, W New York Hotel

Steven Olson, Food Network, New York City

Paul Pacult, publisher and author, Spirit Journal and Kindred Spirits

Frank Prial, wine columnist, The New York Times

Josh Raynolds, national sales manager, Rosenthal Wine Merchant, New York City

Gary Regan, liquor writer, New York City

William Rice, food and wine columnist, Chicago Tribune

Michael Schachner, senior editor, The Wine Enthusiast, New York City

Bruce Schoenfeld, freelance writer, Boulder

Deborah Scoblionkov, wine columnist, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Doug Shafer, president, Shafer Vineyards, Napa, CA

Elizabeth Kuehner Smith, associate publisher, The Wine News, Coral Gables

Al Stankus, wine and food writer, Boston Herald

David Stevens, Modern Living editor, Playboy, Chicago

Rob Sunde, executive producer, WWOR-TV, New York City

Jasper White, chef and owner, Jasper's Roadhouse, Cambridge, MA

Unique, Down-Home, Funky and Ethnic Favorites

Anna's Cantina, Napa Valley, CA. "Tequila, poll, funky music and fistfights with the licals."--Doug Shafer

Back Eddy, Westport, Ma. "Maybe the only bar in New England where you can wear a Hawaiian shirt and it feels right."--Al Stankus

Bule Ribbon, NYC. "Great drinks, incredible oysters."--Andrew Dornebure and Karen Page

Broken Spoke, Austin. "An original country music bar untouched by modern times."--Dennis Cole

Chido's Pittburgh. "Huge collection of beers, war and sports memorabilia and customer's bras."--Ann Haigh

Congress Hotel Bar, Tucson. "Old West meets Gen X. Funky and fun."--Greg Morago

Dirty Frank's Philiadelphia. "Toothless hags and business titans rub elbows."--Bill Boggs

Dry Creek Cafe and Dock, Austin. "The owner, a Texas lady named Sara, might ask you what you want. That's where your luck will end."--Dennis Cole

F&M Patio Bar, New Orleans. "New Orleans. "New Orleans Saigon? The hip crowd led me to believe this wild place was still in America."--Terry Black

Frank Fat's Sacramento, CA. "Where legislators pass bills, vote and drink."--Dolores Kostelni

Fred's Lounge, Mamou, LA. "The time to be at Fred's is nine o'clock on a Saturday morning, when the tiny dance floor is packed with locals and tourists doing the two-step to a Cajun band."--Stan Hieronymus

Lamplighter, Memphis. "The kind of place where regulars have thier favorite stools."--Fredric Koeppel

Liberty Bar, San Antonio. "Funky, with great food, too."--Pat Mozersky

Lobby Bar, Algonquin Hotel, NYC. "Where I can commune with the long-gone wits of the Round Table."--Gael Greene

Pony Bar, Pnoy, MT. "The only business in an old Montana ghost twon. Incredible BBQ. Sign in bar says 'Dog capacity 49 (+ 1 mule)."--Ron Marr

Resi's Bierstube, Chicago. "This hangout has more than 150 brews by the bottle and a great beer garden to drink them in."--David Stevens

Riverrun, NYC. "Where American bullrunners at Panplona go to drink in the off-season."--Bruce Schoenfeld

Subway Inn, NYC. "You'll feel like you're in every movie made about a seedy New York bar. Don't expect to get picked upmdash;this is where you come to drink."--Chries Hoffman

Triangle Bar, River Edge, L.A. "Run by Big Nick, the crawfish-eating champion of the world."--Ray Foley

Vazac's NYC. "Great ancient horseshoe bar. A phenom from another era."--Joe Distler