Photo by Isaac Harrell
Old Faithful Can Can has great house drinks, but if I see "V" (that's how he introduced himself) behind the bar, I'm asking for a Manhattan (pictured) . His take isn't flashy — good rye, standard vermouth and even a nuclear-red maraschino cherry. But V loves this drink, too, so he mixes it better than most bartenders. It's balanced and smooth, every time. 3120 W. Cary St., 237-7795 Perfect (as it were) My first memory of Balliceaux includes the "Perfect" Manhattan: a half-sweet-half-dry-vermouth variation. It's not on their cocktail list anymore, but they'll still mix it for you by request. 203 N. Lombardy St., 355-3008 Fine Dining Option Some of my best evenings have started or ended with an inventive drink at Acacia Mid-town. But a dining room of this caliber means a Manhattan equal to the food, using High West Double Rye, Carpano Antica Formula vermouth and a Luxardo cherry in the glass. 2601 W. Cary St., 562-0138 Virginia Love The Roosevelt has an all-Virginia wine list and a refined Southern menu. The most appropriate Manhattan, then, uses Virginia's own Catoctin Creek Organic Roundstone Rye. It's a mellow rye, and the skewer of whiskey-soaked cherries is a nice touch. 623 N. 25th St., 658-1935 Cocktail Wizardry Mattias Hägglund has given Comfort a great bar program. Visiting him there, I asked him to mix the best Manhattan he could. He used Sazerac 18-year rye, Carpano Antica Formula vermouth and an orange peel in place of a cherry. The aroma from the orange peel had me reconsidering the cherries in my fridge. This fall, Hägglund will take his mixology to the new Heritage restaurant. 1627 W. Main St., 353-4060
