open ~ closed ~ evolved
This was a heck of a way to spend the COVID crisis! During this exercise, I did dig around the liquor cabinet and frankly, I'm just not much of a drinker anymore. Also, the sugary liqueurs brought their own troubles, as we ended up battling an ant problem while having a couple of fifths on the kitchen counter.
Being a stats and numbers girl, here's what I found:
OPEN! These are places that are still operating under the original establishment's name. Relocations, re-openings, and new owners are permitted. Of the 100 greatest bars, 29 are still open for business.
CLOSED. This is pretty easy, no longer in business. RIP to 53 former hot spots.
EVOLVED. Kind of a sticky, murky category. Operating under a new name or after a remodel of the business to keep up with changing times. Kept the name but is doing a different kind of business, like a rehab center. Merged their business with another business. I considered 18 to be evolved, and lots of hotel bars found new life in this category.
east ~ midwest ~ pacific
Whoever put the book together did a credible job of making sure they spread around. Of the 100, 40 were on the East Coast, 34 in the Midwest, and 29 on the Pacific coast. All told, 23 states and the District of Columbia were represented.
Two cities, however, account for a startling number of entries: 12 entries were places in New York City and 10 were from San Francisco.
Cultural shifts.
What was the catalyst for many establishments to open? There’s a handful of places that opened in the 30s, a direct response to prohibition lifting. And closings? The anti-drunk driving campaigns of the 80s and neighborhoods going bad were cited on numerous occasions and patrons stayed away.
Drink stats!
How did I select the drinks to feature in the blog? Each location had one, two, or even three recipes to choose from. I selected the recipe based on personal taste or nostalgia: the primary criterion was if I remembered my dad making it. Like I said at the beginning, lots of dessert drinks.
There is a total of 16 drinks featuring either vanilla ice cream or sherbet as an ingredient. I feel like this may also be under-representing things, as there were so many more that featured whipping cream or half and half, ice, and a blender, a recipe for making your own alcoholic ice cream.
As for the alcohol, liqueurs dominated the book - shout out creme de menthe and blue curacao! Rum followed, then brandy, then vodka.
As for the extras? I learned how to spell maraschino cherry due to extensive practice.
This n' That
Oldest bar still open: Landmark Tavern, since 1868, followed by Pfister Hotel, since 1893.
#1 Hotel bar by USA Today: Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel.
Dubious Distinction: Downey's voted Worst Irish Pub in America, and featured in season one of Bar Rescue.
A glimpse of the 70s: all the pirate, tiki, or disco-themed places that are RIP.
Signature dishes: I managed to find recipes for Pimlico Cake from the Pimlico Hotel and Cavalier Lounge and the Jimmy's Milan salad, dressing for sale!
Legend: Ol' Blue Eyes features prominently in the legend of a number of restaurants in both LA and NYC, namely the Scandia in LA, where he had his own office. Didn't know Frankie was such a fan of the Swedish meatball.
Suck on this, COVID: visiting so many of the websites for these places, I was heartened to see how some establishments adapted, including take-out, and at Clyde's, opportunities to shop for ingredients as well as sharing the recipes online for home cooks to assemble favorite dishes themselves. Special props to Silky's for selling event door passes to benefit area struggling musicians.
Cool characters, cool stories: the colorful owners like Bob Sikora of Bobby McGee's, Buck and Cindy Scott of Colorado Mine Company, Butch Weaver of Charley Magruder's, and John Donovan of Donovan's Copper Bar, to name just a few.
Then there's the novel about The Mutiny, the Food Network favorite Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista, and a 2013 movie centered around the Fool's Gold Sandwich from the Colorado Mine Company. Can’t forget the famous Harvey Wallbangers at Butch McGuire's!
The saddest, without a doubt, was the story behind the destruction of Windows on the World, 9/11/01.
So, how many establishments have I been a patron of? Two for sure - TGI Fridays and Houlihan's. Five, possibly: Archibald's in Detroit, and Butch McGuire's and Arnie's in Chicago.
On my list: truly, any of the 47 that are open/evolved are fair game. I'd love to see some live music at The Blind Lemon. And I could eat and drink my way through San Francisco.
Want a copy of this recipe book for your own? They're listed on eBay for a low of $4, up to $19.94. Don't go on Amazon, the lone copy for sale there is $923.01.
And for one final stat: of all the drinks in the book, only one was a virgin. So help yourself to Rosie O Grady's kiddie cocktail:
Drink stats!
How did I select the drinks to feature in the blog? Each location had one, two, or even three recipes to choose from. I selected the recipe based on personal taste or nostalgia: the primary criterion was if I remembered my dad making it. Like I said at the beginning, lots of dessert drinks.
There is a total of 16 drinks featuring either vanilla ice cream or sherbet as an ingredient. I feel like this may also be under-representing things, as there were so many more that featured whipping cream or half and half, ice, and a blender, a recipe for making your own alcoholic ice cream.
As for the alcohol, liqueurs dominated the book - shout out creme de menthe and blue curacao! Rum followed, then brandy, then vodka.
As for the extras? I learned how to spell maraschino cherry due to extensive practice.
This n' That
Oldest bar still open: Landmark Tavern, since 1868, followed by Pfister Hotel, since 1893.
#1 Hotel bar by USA Today: Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel.
Dubious Distinction: Downey's voted Worst Irish Pub in America, and featured in season one of Bar Rescue.
A glimpse of the 70s: all the pirate, tiki, or disco-themed places that are RIP.
Signature dishes: I managed to find recipes for Pimlico Cake from the Pimlico Hotel and Cavalier Lounge and the Jimmy's Milan salad, dressing for sale!
Legend: Ol' Blue Eyes features prominently in the legend of a number of restaurants in both LA and NYC, namely the Scandia in LA, where he had his own office. Didn't know Frankie was such a fan of the Swedish meatball.
Suck on this, COVID: visiting so many of the websites for these places, I was heartened to see how some establishments adapted, including take-out, and at Clyde's, opportunities to shop for ingredients as well as sharing the recipes online for home cooks to assemble favorite dishes themselves. Special props to Silky's for selling event door passes to benefit area struggling musicians.
Cool characters, cool stories: the colorful owners like Bob Sikora of Bobby McGee's, Buck and Cindy Scott of Colorado Mine Company, Butch Weaver of Charley Magruder's, and John Donovan of Donovan's Copper Bar, to name just a few.
Then there's the novel about The Mutiny, the Food Network favorite Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista, and a 2013 movie centered around the Fool's Gold Sandwich from the Colorado Mine Company. Can’t forget the famous Harvey Wallbangers at Butch McGuire's!
The saddest, without a doubt, was the story behind the destruction of Windows on the World, 9/11/01.
So, how many establishments have I been a patron of? Two for sure - TGI Fridays and Houlihan's. Five, possibly: Archibald's in Detroit, and Butch McGuire's and Arnie's in Chicago.
On my list: truly, any of the 47 that are open/evolved are fair game. I'd love to see some live music at The Blind Lemon. And I could eat and drink my way through San Francisco.
Want a copy of this recipe book for your own? They're listed on eBay for a low of $4, up to $19.94. Don't go on Amazon, the lone copy for sale there is $923.01.
And for one final stat: of all the drinks in the book, only one was a virgin. So help yourself to Rosie O Grady's kiddie cocktail:
Red Baron
- 3 oz. 7-Up
- 2 1/2 oz. half and half
- 2 oz. pina colada mix
- 1 oz. grenadine
- 1 maraschino cherry
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