Manhattan
@ Specs' Twelve Adler Museum Cafe

The Dish:

There's nothing better suited for drinking in the dark on a sunny day than a Manhattan. At Specs' they stir them mean and proper with no fancy embellishments. I don't mention this particular drink because it's unique or special, because having a drink here is more about where you're drinking and who you're drinking with than what's in your glass.

Key Ingredients: Bourbon, sweet vermouth, maraschino cherry

The Place:

Specs, as it's generally called (despite that word only being indicated on the sign by a line drawing of an old-fashioned pair of glasses), is dark and hidden, but friendly and welcoming once you get through the door. Set back from Columbus just off Broadway in an alley shorter than most driveways, it's the sort of spot where locals go to get away from the scene and everyone seems to know each other by name, like a community center with a bar. I'd describe the decor, but my eyes have never fully adjusted well enough to know.

Insider Secret:

With the money you save drinking here, order a cheese and cracker basket. There's usually a whole wheel of cheese behind the bar.

Recommended By:

Quinn is an artist, educator, and enthusiast for every aspect of creating and consuming all manner of food and beverage. When he's not in the studio or classroom, he can quite often be found experimenting in the kitchen or concocting new cocktails.

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