Whiskey Places Archives - Page 2 of 3

Whiskey Places – Carrol’s Creek Cafe

October 2, 2022October 2, 2022 TJ Provost

We spent a few nights in Annapolis Maryland to celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary this past week. Parking is nearly impossible, so make sure your hotel/inn has parking or a valet service. Trust me that trying to find parking is a huge pain in the butt and not what you want to do be doing when you should be relaxing with a drink in your hand.

We asked a few locals where to go eat, and Carrol’s Creek Cafe was mentioned several times, so off to dinner we went.

The first thing you are going to notice when looking through the menu is that there is a beer menu and a wine menu, but no Whiskey menu. The nerve.

For dinner my wife chose the Sautéed Chicken Breast and couldn’t eat it. The first bite was fat and gristle and she spit it out. She said the chicken was rubbery and had an odd texture. The mushroom sauce she loved, and ended up using bread the sop that up. The chicken she couldn’t eat. No, we did not send it back or ask for it to be taken off the bill.

My dinner on the other hand was amazing. I had a shrimp cocktail for starters and it was nicely seasoned with old bay. For my main course I had the Sautéed Jumbo Shrimp and pasta. The shrimp and pasta and lemon basil cream sauce was just heaven.

The main issue is that while my wife loves the beach, she can’t eat seafood. Absolutely hates it. So she got chicken at a seafood restaurant and it was not edible. I on the other hand had shrimp and shrimp (yes I was craving shrimp) and it was to die for. Remember that if you are heading there for dinner with non seafood eaters.

When it came time to order my drink, I asked if they had Blanton’s and the server wasn’t sure. After confirming they didn’t have it, I asked about Basil Hayden’s, and while he didn’t think they had it, after going to the bar, I got lucky with my second choice.

So I went with my old standby the Basil Hayden’s Manhattan.

Carrol’s Creek Cafe Basil Hayden’s Manhattan

While my shrimp and pasta was amazing, my Basil Hayden’s Manhattan was just bad. I ordered a second to see if maybe the first was just a bad pour but the second was just as bad. Whatever vermouth they were using was super acidic and didn’t have any sweetness – which I did clarify on the second order to make sure the bartender knew I wanted it sweet, not dry. What came out was the exact same thing as the first.

While I’d go back to Carrol’s Creek Cafe for seafood, it’s not a stop I’ll make with my wife as their non seafood options weren’t great. It is also not a restaurant I’ll be heading to when I want my Whiskey Fix. As a Whiskey Place, Carrol’s Creek Cafe earned itself a 21/100.

My dinner was great, and our server was juggling a very busy seating section while making it look easy as he made sure everyone had what they wanted. My rating is driven by their lack of a Whiskey Menu and the horrible Manhattan, and when it comes to Whiskey, its a “Will Never Go Back” score.

Place	Location	Score	Price Scale	Drink
Cinder Bar	Clarksboro, NJ	96	High Cost	Manhattan
Saltgrass Steakhouse	Orlando, FL	91	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Irish Whisper	National Harbor, MD	90	High Cost	Irish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks	National Harbor, MD	80	High Cost	Manhattan
The Dead Rabbit	New York, NY	75	High Cost	Multiple
Iron Hill Brewery	Wilmington, DE	71	High Cost	Kentucky Connection
Cadillac Ranch	National Harbor, MD	70	Moderate Cost	Multiple
Harry’s Savoy Grill	Wilmington, DE	67	High Cost	Manhattan Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana Grill	Newark, DE	66	Moderate Cost	Newly Fashioned
Creekside Inn	Woodstown, NJ	65	Low to Moderate	Manhattan
Alewife	Richmond, VA	63	High Cost	Manhattan
roanoke	Chicago, IL	55	High Cost	Black Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & Bar	Chicago, IL	53	Low Cost	Manhattan
Da Andrea	New York, NY	50	High Cost	Manhattan Negroni
Iguana Cafe	Chicago, IL	45	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Greene Turtle	Newark, DE	40	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Restaurante Montserrat Manor	Punta Cana, DR	35	High Cost	Manhattan
Dave & Buster's	Deptford, NJ	30	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Cock'n Bull	Lahaska, PA	26	High Cost	Manhattan Old Fashioned
The Brass Tap	National Harbor, MD	25	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Carrol's Creek Cafe	Annapolis, MD	21	High Cost	Manhattan
Big Fish Grill	Wilmington, DE	10	High Cost	Manhattan
The Legend	New Castle, DE	5	Low Cost	Manhattan
TGI Fridays	New Castle, DE	1	Moderate Cost	Manhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost

Whiskey Places – roanoke

August 10, 2022August 10, 2022 TJ Provost

A coworker and myself were super excited to hit roanoke after a long day of travelling to get to Chi town and headed over after checking into our hotels.

We started with the cheese plate and then I had the Steak Frites and my coworker had the Sea Bass. She really liked the Sea Bass but my Steak Frites was way overpriced for the quality and size of the cut.

Of course I had a Manhattan, or in this case a Black Manhattan with my meal:

I’m honestly not a huge fan of Woodford Reserve, and that preference shines through when I give roanoke a 55/100 as an overall score. The primary drivers for that score are poor choice of Whiskey’s overall, and an average at best Black Manhattan combined with expensive food that didn’t really warrant the price. For two people the meal came out to $200 bucks, and that is just not in sync with the quality and value we received.

I’d only go back to roanake If I Had Limited Choices or if someone else were paying.

Place	Location	Score	Price Scale	Drink
Cinder Bar	Clarksboro, NJ	96	High Cost	Manhattan
Saltgrass Steakhouse	Orlando, FL	91	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Irish Whisper	National Harbor, MD	90	High Cost	Irish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks	National Harbor, MD	80	High Cost	Manhattan
The Dead Rabbit	New York, NY	75	High Cost	Multiple
Iron Hill Brewery	Wilmington, DE	71	High Cost	Kentucky Connection
Cadillac Ranch	National Harbor, MD	70	Moderate Cost	Multiple
Harry’s Savoy Grill	Wilmington, DE	67	High Cost	Manhattan Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana Grill	Newark, DE	66	Moderate Cost	Newly Fashioned
Creekside Inn	Woodstown, NJ	65	Low to Moderate	Manhattan
Alewife	Richmond, VA	63	High Cost	Manhattan
roanoke	Chicago, IL	55	High Cost	Black Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & Bar	Chicago, IL	53	Low Cost	Manhattan
Da Andrea	New York, NY	50	High Cost	Manhattan Negroni
Iguana Cafe	Chicago, IL	45	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Greene Turtle	Newark, DE	40	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Restaurante Montserrat Manor	Punta Cana, DR	35	High Cost	Manhattan
Dave & Buster's	Deptford, NJ	30	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Cock'n Bull	Lahaska, PA	26	High Cost	Manhattan Old Fashioned
The Brass Tap	National Harbor, MD	25	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Carrol's Creek Cafe	Annapolis, MD	21	High Cost	Manhattan
Big Fish Grill	Wilmington, DE	10	High Cost	Manhattan
The Legend	New Castle, DE	5	Low Cost	Manhattan
TGI Fridays	New Castle, DE	1	Moderate Cost	Manhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost

Whiskey Places – Dave & Buster’s

August 9, 2022August 9, 2022 TJ Provost

We went to the Dave & Buster’s in Deptford New Jersey with one of my older sons for fun, drinks, and games. It was the first time I’ve been in a Dave & Busters in decades, literally.

The food was basically upscale fast food, but the giant pretzel does stand out as being really good.

I went with my standard Manhattan, but they don’t have a great Bourbon selection, so they were made with Makers Mark, which is okay, its just doesn’t stand out to me as a great bourbon.

We were there for a while, and I think I drank four or five of these Manhattans, because the bartender came over and asked me if I enjoyed them, which of course I told him I did. The staff were really nice, and the bartender was a genuinely nice guy, so I really feel bad about giving Dave & Busters a score of 30/100.

To be clear, the staff were 100/100, but if you are a Whiskey drinker Dave & Busters shouldn’t be on your list of places to go to enjoy a sip or two. When it comes to Whiskey, Dave & Busters I’d only go back If I Had Limited Choices. Add the fact that it’s relatively expensive for fast food, and it just not my first choice.

Place	Location	Score	Price Scale	Drink
Cinder Bar	Clarksboro, NJ	96	High Cost	Manhattan
Saltgrass Steakhouse	Orlando, FL	91	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Irish Whisper	National Harbor, MD	90	High Cost	Irish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks	National Harbor, MD	80	High Cost	Manhattan
The Dead Rabbit	New York, NY	75	High Cost	Multiple
Iron Hill Brewery	Wilmington, DE	71	High Cost	Kentucky Connection
Cadillac Ranch	National Harbor, MD	70	Moderate Cost	Multiple
Harry’s Savoy Grill	Wilmington, DE	67	High Cost	Manhattan Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana Grill	Newark, DE	66	Moderate Cost	Newly Fashioned
Creekside Inn	Woodstown, NJ	65	Low to Moderate	Manhattan
Alewife	Richmond, VA	63	High Cost	Manhattan
roanoke	Chicago, IL	55	High Cost	Black Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & Bar	Chicago, IL	53	Low Cost	Manhattan
Da Andrea	New York, NY	50	High Cost	Manhattan Negroni
Iguana Cafe	Chicago, IL	45	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Greene Turtle	Newark, DE	40	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Restaurante Montserrat Manor	Punta Cana, DR	35	High Cost	Manhattan
Dave & Buster's	Deptford, NJ	30	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Cock'n Bull	Lahaska, PA	26	High Cost	Manhattan Old Fashioned
The Brass Tap	National Harbor, MD	25	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Carrol's Creek Cafe	Annapolis, MD	21	High Cost	Manhattan
Big Fish Grill	Wilmington, DE	10	High Cost	Manhattan
The Legend	New Castle, DE	5	Low Cost	Manhattan
TGI Fridays	New Castle, DE	1	Moderate Cost	Manhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost

Whiskey Places – The Brass Tap

August 2, 2022August 2, 2022 TJ Provost

The Brass Tap Craft Beer Bar was the low point of our trip through the establishments in National Harbor. It’s not that large, was packed, and the music was so loud you had to scream to talk to the person next to you. Ordering food and drink? Don’t even try to talk to the server, you just have to point at stuff on the menu because no one is going to hear you.

You can hear the music outside, which is probably what helps them pull people in, but someone needs to tell the owner they can put a speaker outside (or hide it in their sign) and then turn down the inside volume.

Could amazing drinks have saved our impression of The Brass Tap? Sure, it could have, if the drinks were decent.

My son and his friend got tap beer. No surprises, its beer.

I ordered a Basil Hayden’s Manhattan. I’d had one at dinner so I had something to compare it too fresh in my memory. It is really hard to say they were remotely similar. What I got was anything but recognizable.

The color was really dark, and the flavor was anything but bourbon. It reminded me of when I’d fill bottles with water so my dad didn’t know we were into his booze. The Manhattan was watery and bland, and honestly I have no idea what bourbon they used, because it definitely was not Basil Hayden’s. Or, if it was, it was 9/10s water.

My wife ordered what should have been a safe choice. She went with a bottle of lite beer – which the bartender dropped while handing it over the bar to the server. The bottle hit the ground (I think there was a rubberized mat on the ground) but didn’t break. A minute later the same beer was served to my wife, with about 50% of it foam. Unfortunately none of us took a picture of it.

We each drank our one drink and left half our appetizers uneaten as it was time to go. It was just too loud inside and the quality of the cocktails was Just Bad.

The Brass Tap scored a 25/100, making it Just Bad. This is not a place I’ll be going back to.

Place	Location	Score	Price Scale	Drink
Cinder Bar	Clarksboro, NJ	96	High Cost	Manhattan
Saltgrass Steakhouse	Orlando, FL	91	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Irish Whisper	National Harbor, MD	90	High Cost	Irish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks	National Harbor, MD	80	High Cost	Manhattan
The Dead Rabbit	New York, NY	75	High Cost	Multiple
Iron Hill Brewery	Wilmington, DE	71	High Cost	Kentucky Connection
Cadillac Ranch	National Harbor, MD	70	Moderate Cost	Multiple
Harry’s Savoy Grill	Wilmington, DE	67	High Cost	Manhattan Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana Grill	Newark, DE	66	Moderate Cost	Newly Fashioned
Creekside Inn	Woodstown, NJ	65	Low to Moderate	Manhattan
Alewife	Richmond, VA	63	High Cost	Manhattan
roanoke	Chicago, IL	55	High Cost	Black Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & Bar	Chicago, IL	53	Low Cost	Manhattan
Da Andrea	New York, NY	50	High Cost	Manhattan Negroni
Iguana Cafe	Chicago, IL	45	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Greene Turtle	Newark, DE	40	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Restaurante Montserrat Manor	Punta Cana, DR	35	High Cost	Manhattan
Dave & Buster's	Deptford, NJ	30	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Cock'n Bull	Lahaska, PA	26	High Cost	Manhattan Old Fashioned
The Brass Tap	National Harbor, MD	25	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Carrol's Creek Cafe	Annapolis, MD	21	High Cost	Manhattan
Big Fish Grill	Wilmington, DE	10	High Cost	Manhattan
The Legend	New Castle, DE	5	Low Cost	Manhattan
TGI Fridays	New Castle, DE	1	Moderate Cost	Manhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost

Whiskey Places – Big Fish Grill

July 24, 2022July 24, 2022 TJ Provost

I few weeks ago we went to Big Fish Grill for lunch with my sons and their girlfriends. The seafood is always good, but it does get pricey.

For my drink I ordered a Manhattan and didn’t specify the Bourbon, so I ended up getting Jim Beam as their default whiskey – or at least on the day I was there.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 2021_A_BigFishGrill_WhiskeyMenu.jpg — Big Fish Grill Spirits Menu

How was it?

Honestly it was fairly tasteless and not that good, and when you are paying a premium for the meal, that kind of sucks. Still, the seafood is always good, I would just skip the pasta seafood dishes, your paying a lot for a dollar of pasta and a handful of seafood in the sauce.

The Jim Beam Manhattan at Big Fish Grill is getting a 10/100, making it Just Bad. I will make sure I order the Bulliet or Makers next time. My advice is to go for the food but not if you are looking Whiskey Dreams.

Place	Location	Score	Price Scale	Drink
Cinder Bar	Clarksboro, NJ	96	High Cost	Manhattan
Saltgrass Steakhouse	Orlando, FL	91	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Irish Whisper	National Harbor, MD	90	High Cost	Irish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks	National Harbor, MD	80	High Cost	Manhattan
The Dead Rabbit	New York, NY	75	High Cost	Multiple
Iron Hill Brewery	Wilmington, DE	71	High Cost	Kentucky Connection
Cadillac Ranch	National Harbor, MD	70	Moderate Cost	Multiple
Harry’s Savoy Grill	Wilmington, DE	67	High Cost	Manhattan Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana Grill	Newark, DE	66	Moderate Cost	Newly Fashioned
Creekside Inn	Woodstown, NJ	65	Low to Moderate	Manhattan
Alewife	Richmond, VA	63	High Cost	Manhattan
roanoke	Chicago, IL	55	High Cost	Black Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & Bar	Chicago, IL	53	Low Cost	Manhattan
Da Andrea	New York, NY	50	High Cost	Manhattan Negroni
Iguana Cafe	Chicago, IL	45	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Greene Turtle	Newark, DE	40	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Restaurante Montserrat Manor	Punta Cana, DR	35	High Cost	Manhattan
Dave & Buster's	Deptford, NJ	30	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Cock'n Bull	Lahaska, PA	26	High Cost	Manhattan Old Fashioned
The Brass Tap	National Harbor, MD	25	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Carrol's Creek Cafe	Annapolis, MD	21	High Cost	Manhattan
Big Fish Grill	Wilmington, DE	10	High Cost	Manhattan
The Legend	New Castle, DE	5	Low Cost	Manhattan
TGI Fridays	New Castle, DE	1	Moderate Cost	Manhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost

Whiskey Places – Da Andrea

July 17, 2022July 17, 2022 TJ Provost

Da Andrea is located at 35 west 13th Street in Manhattan. They special in Italian Food and based on what one of my friends told me, the wine list is decent, but not huge. I’m not a wine drinker, so I’m trusting their opinion that the wine list was well constructed to match the price point of the food. The Whiskey Menu however, is not very big at all.

I had the Pappardelle (Pappardelle, sweet sausage ragout, truffle oil) and paired that with their Manhattan. The food was good, and for Manhattan I guess it was priced reasonably. What does that mean? For me a $26 dollar bowl of pasta better be amazing. It was good, but I think we were really paying for the fact that its a comfortable sit down restaurant in Manhattan.

How was the Manhattan?

The Cinzano 1757 is the star of this Manhattan. It takes the Bulleit Rye and just adds so much depth and a wonderful finish to each sip. When it comes to ingredients, Cinzano 1757 is at the top of my list of bottles I need to add to my shelf. Is this Manhattan worth $20 bucks? Only if you are drinking it with friends in Manhattan.

Next I moved on to the Negroni. Since there only two whiskey drinks on the menu, I had to try both right?

I’m not in love with the Negroni (as a drink) like I am with a Manhattan. I enjoy them now and then, but I am one those people people that find Campari to taste a little medicinal. It was good, but I went back to the Manhattan after the Negroni. Yes, I had a headache when I woke up the next morning.

Da Andrea is scoring a 50/100. Putting it dead center in the “If I had Limited Choices” category. I enjoyed the food and Manhattan was good, but Da Andrea has a very limited Whiskey Menu.

If you are in New York and are after a larger Whiskey Menu, try The Dead Rabbit instead.

Place	Location	Score	Price Scale	Drink
Cinder Bar	Clarksboro, NJ	96	High Cost	Manhattan
Saltgrass Steakhouse	Orlando, FL	91	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Irish Whisper	National Harbor, MD	90	High Cost	Irish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks	National Harbor, MD	80	High Cost	Manhattan
The Dead Rabbit	New York, NY	75	High Cost	Multiple
Iron Hill Brewery	Wilmington, DE	71	High Cost	Kentucky Connection
Cadillac Ranch	National Harbor, MD	70	Moderate Cost	Multiple
Harry’s Savoy Grill	Wilmington, DE	67	High Cost	Manhattan Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana Grill	Newark, DE	66	Moderate Cost	Newly Fashioned
Creekside Inn	Woodstown, NJ	65	Low to Moderate	Manhattan
Alewife	Richmond, VA	63	High Cost	Manhattan
roanoke	Chicago, IL	55	High Cost	Black Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & Bar	Chicago, IL	53	Low Cost	Manhattan
Da Andrea	New York, NY	50	High Cost	Manhattan Negroni
Iguana Cafe	Chicago, IL	45	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Greene Turtle	Newark, DE	40	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Restaurante Montserrat Manor	Punta Cana, DR	35	High Cost	Manhattan
Dave & Buster's	Deptford, NJ	30	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Cock'n Bull	Lahaska, PA	26	High Cost	Manhattan Old Fashioned
The Brass Tap	National Harbor, MD	25	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Carrol's Creek Cafe	Annapolis, MD	21	High Cost	Manhattan
Big Fish Grill	Wilmington, DE	10	High Cost	Manhattan
The Legend	New Castle, DE	5	Low Cost	Manhattan
TGI Fridays	New Castle, DE	1	Moderate Cost	Manhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost

Whiskey Places – The Dead Rabbit

July 16, 2022July 16, 2022 TJ Provost

The Dead Rabbit is a famous cocktail bar located on 30 Water St in New York and I was lucky enough to go there with my coworkers. We booked a table upstairs which means a bit more space. Trust me when I say that is a good thing because this place gets busy. Then we started to drink.

I tried two of their signature drinks, of which there are many, but I have to be honest when I say I didn’t enjoy them as much as I did when I switched over to Redbreast 12. They were interesting, but they were honestly just a bit too sweet and a bit too funky for me.

I may be too old for The Dead Rabbit, or maybe just too much of a whiskey snob. After the first two mixed drinks I changed over to neat Irish Whiskey before ending the night with Red Breast 12, which you can never go wrong with.

I had fun and enjoyed the huge selection of Irish Whiskey. So why did The Dead Rabbit score a 75/100? The fact that the mixed drinks were a bit too funky for me cost them points, as well as the cost. I know this is in Manhattan but I’m a country boy and the prices seemed astronomical to me.

The other factor that cost The Dead Rabbit some points was how busy it got. It is a popular bar, and once our private table expired we went downstairs to the main bar area. It was just a press of people. It is hard to enjoy a drink when every movement jostles you up against someone else.

Please let me know if you’ve been there and what you thought of The Dead Rabbit in the comments.

Place	Location	Score	Price Scale	Drink
Cinder Bar	Clarksboro, NJ	96	High Cost	Manhattan
Saltgrass Steakhouse	Orlando, FL	91	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Irish Whisper	National Harbor, MD	90	High Cost	Irish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks	National Harbor, MD	80	High Cost	Manhattan
The Dead Rabbit	New York, NY	75	High Cost	Multiple
Iron Hill Brewery	Wilmington, DE	71	High Cost	Kentucky Connection
Cadillac Ranch	National Harbor, MD	70	Moderate Cost	Multiple
Harry’s Savoy Grill	Wilmington, DE	67	High Cost	Manhattan Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana Grill	Newark, DE	66	Moderate Cost	Newly Fashioned
Creekside Inn	Woodstown, NJ	65	Low to Moderate	Manhattan
Alewife	Richmond, VA	63	High Cost	Manhattan
roanoke	Chicago, IL	55	High Cost	Black Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & Bar	Chicago, IL	53	Low Cost	Manhattan
Da Andrea	New York, NY	50	High Cost	Manhattan Negroni
Iguana Cafe	Chicago, IL	45	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Greene Turtle	Newark, DE	40	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Restaurante Montserrat Manor	Punta Cana, DR	35	High Cost	Manhattan
Dave & Buster's	Deptford, NJ	30	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Cock'n Bull	Lahaska, PA	26	High Cost	Manhattan Old Fashioned
The Brass Tap	National Harbor, MD	25	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Carrol's Creek Cafe	Annapolis, MD	21	High Cost	Manhattan
Big Fish Grill	Wilmington, DE	10	High Cost	Manhattan
The Legend	New Castle, DE	5	Low Cost	Manhattan
TGI Fridays	New Castle, DE	1	Moderate Cost	Manhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost

Whiskey Places – Cinder Bar

July 10, 2022July 10, 2022 TJ Provost

One of my sons lives a few miles from Cinder Bar and pre pandemic we would meet there for dinner and drinks on Friday nights. Cinder Bar has excellent pizza, the most amazing Deviled Eggs of any restaurant I’ve ever been to. I know its a simple dish, but simple dishes done well is sometimes the hardest thing.

My family loves the pizza, but my favorite meal is the Short Rib Cheesesteak.

The meat is just mouth watering. Juicy and full of flavor that is just rich and decadent. The fontina cheese, aioli, and caramelized onions just combine into the most amazing bite – every bite. The sandwich is rich. Its not huge, but somehow it fills me up more than sandwiches twice its size.

What I’m trying to say is that the food is really good.

So what do I normally drink with my meal? A Manhattan of course.

While my Basil Hayden’s Manhattan was amazing, its just a fraction of what’s available at Cinder Bar. This is a real Whiskey Drinker’s restaurant. The Whiskey Menu is so large it takes up multiple pages on the menu.

Cinder Bar has a great selection of Irish whiskeys.

I can’t even get a screen capture of the full Whiskey Menu because its several pages long. But you can view it here. There are six pages of whiskey to choose from.

When it comes to having a great selection of Whiskeys and amazing food, you can’t go wrong with Cinder Bar.

Cinder Bar is scoring 96/100, putting near the very top of places I Will Go Back to. Like most things in life you pay for quality, and Cinder Bar is not cheap if you have a few drinks, appetizers, and everyone eats an entrée.

Is it worth it? Yes it is. I have yet to have a bad meal here.

Place	Location	Score	Price Scale	Drink
Cinder Bar	Clarksboro, NJ	96	High Cost	Manhattan
Saltgrass Steakhouse	Orlando, FL	91	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Irish Whisper	National Harbor, MD	90	High Cost	Irish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks	National Harbor, MD	80	High Cost	Manhattan
The Dead Rabbit	New York, NY	75	High Cost	Multiple
Iron Hill Brewery	Wilmington, DE	71	High Cost	Kentucky Connection
Cadillac Ranch	National Harbor, MD	70	Moderate Cost	Multiple
Harry’s Savoy Grill	Wilmington, DE	67	High Cost	Manhattan Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana Grill	Newark, DE	66	Moderate Cost	Newly Fashioned
Creekside Inn	Woodstown, NJ	65	Low to Moderate	Manhattan
Alewife	Richmond, VA	63	High Cost	Manhattan
roanoke	Chicago, IL	55	High Cost	Black Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & Bar	Chicago, IL	53	Low Cost	Manhattan
Da Andrea	New York, NY	50	High Cost	Manhattan Negroni
Iguana Cafe	Chicago, IL	45	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Greene Turtle	Newark, DE	40	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Restaurante Montserrat Manor	Punta Cana, DR	35	High Cost	Manhattan
Dave & Buster's	Deptford, NJ	30	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Cock'n Bull	Lahaska, PA	26	High Cost	Manhattan Old Fashioned
The Brass Tap	National Harbor, MD	25	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Carrol's Creek Cafe	Annapolis, MD	21	High Cost	Manhattan
Big Fish Grill	Wilmington, DE	10	High Cost	Manhattan
The Legend	New Castle, DE	5	Low Cost	Manhattan
TGI Fridays	New Castle, DE	1	Moderate Cost	Manhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost

Whiskey Places – TGI Fridays

July 5, 2022July 5, 2022 TJ Provost

My wife and I used to hit this TGI Fridays on a monthly basis as we both worked nearby and would meet for lunch whenever we could.

My suggestion, get the Whiskey-Glazed Sesame Chicken Strips. These are the reason I go to TGI Fridays and they really do make it worth the visit.

However, we are here to talk about whiskey, and TGI Fridays is just not a place to go if you are looking for whiskey selection. The cocktail menu is just very limited:

Our server was incredibly nice and helpful, but when I asked what the whiskey’s they had I couldn’t help but chuckle internally when she said they had Jameson, Maker’s Mark, and Straight Kentucky, which is just the descriptor on their menu for Maker’s.

So of course I went with a Maker’s Mark Manhattan. As our waitress delivered the drink she apologized and said the bartender was new, so your experience with TGI Fridays may be different.

What I got was a watered down glass Maker’s Mark. I don’t think there was any vermouth in it and hardly any whiskey either.

I told the waitress no worries, everyone has to start somewhere, and drank the drink – but did not order another, and yes, I still left a nice tip.

The Whiskey-Glazed Sesame Chicken Strips are the reason to go to TGI Fridays for me, but when ranking it as a Whiskey Place I have to give it a 1/100, setting a new record low for “Will Never Go Back” Whiskey Places.

Next time I pass a TGI Fridays I’ll go in and give them another try, but with such a limited whiskey menu, I can’t really imagine it getting much better.

Place	Location	Score	Price Scale	Drink
Cinder Bar	Clarksboro, NJ	96	High Cost	Manhattan
Saltgrass Steakhouse	Orlando, FL	91	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Irish Whisper	National Harbor, MD	90	High Cost	Irish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks	National Harbor, MD	80	High Cost	Manhattan
The Dead Rabbit	New York, NY	75	High Cost	Multiple
Iron Hill Brewery	Wilmington, DE	71	High Cost	Kentucky Connection
Cadillac Ranch	National Harbor, MD	70	Moderate Cost	Multiple
Harry’s Savoy Grill	Wilmington, DE	67	High Cost	Manhattan Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana Grill	Newark, DE	66	Moderate Cost	Newly Fashioned
Creekside Inn	Woodstown, NJ	65	Low to Moderate	Manhattan
Alewife	Richmond, VA	63	High Cost	Manhattan
roanoke	Chicago, IL	55	High Cost	Black Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & Bar	Chicago, IL	53	Low Cost	Manhattan
Da Andrea	New York, NY	50	High Cost	Manhattan Negroni
Iguana Cafe	Chicago, IL	45	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Greene Turtle	Newark, DE	40	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Restaurante Montserrat Manor	Punta Cana, DR	35	High Cost	Manhattan
Dave & Buster's	Deptford, NJ	30	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Cock'n Bull	Lahaska, PA	26	High Cost	Manhattan Old Fashioned
The Brass Tap	National Harbor, MD	25	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Carrol's Creek Cafe	Annapolis, MD	21	High Cost	Manhattan
Big Fish Grill	Wilmington, DE	10	High Cost	Manhattan
The Legend	New Castle, DE	5	Low Cost	Manhattan
TGI Fridays	New Castle, DE	1	Moderate Cost	Manhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost

Whiskey Places – Iguana Cafe

July 1, 2022July 1, 2022 TJ Provost

As always, remember that when I’m ranking a Whiskey Place, that is exactly what I’m doing. I’m primarily ranking it as a Whiskey Place, and while the food and setting can impact that, I’m really ranking the place based on if I’d go there solely to have Whiskey Dreams.

So how does Iguana Bistro + Cafe stand up? The staff were really nice, and there was a “Chess meat up” going on while we were there. It was interesting to see this smallish bistro turn into a very friendly game night. It made the place very homey.

On the whiskey side, I got a little worried because other than the martini list, and a Jameson Moscow Mule, I didn’t really see any whiskey drinks.

They do have a bar though, and thankfully didn’t blink when I asked for a Manhattan. Made with what? I have no idea. The waitress was zooming around and I’m not sure if there was also a bit of a language barrier. Just to be clear, I’m not complaining. She was really busy and got our drinks very quickly, she was just super busy and didn’t have time to stand around and chat.

I’m guessing they used a rye whiskey. The sip starts very mildly sweet, then turns to cinnamon and finishes with a nice pepper and subtle wood char. Overall, a very nice Manhattan. I liked it so much I ordered another and enjoyed it as I watched a ten year old kid demolish three adults in quick succession in chess.

I didn’t order any food, but one of my friends had a meatloaf sandwich and said they enjoyed it. I got the sense from everyone who was eating that the food was excellent.

As a Whiskey Place I’ve got to give the Iguana Café a 45/100. It is a nice café and I would go back for lunch to try the food, but it is essentially an upscale neighborhood bar with the whiskey’s you’d find there.

Place	Location	Score	Price Scale	Drink
Cinder Bar	Clarksboro, NJ	96	High Cost	Manhattan
Saltgrass Steakhouse	Orlando, FL	91	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Irish Whisper	National Harbor, MD	90	High Cost	Irish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks	National Harbor, MD	80	High Cost	Manhattan
The Dead Rabbit	New York, NY	75	High Cost	Multiple
Iron Hill Brewery	Wilmington, DE	71	High Cost	Kentucky Connection
Cadillac Ranch	National Harbor, MD	70	Moderate Cost	Multiple
Harry’s Savoy Grill	Wilmington, DE	67	High Cost	Manhattan Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana Grill	Newark, DE	66	Moderate Cost	Newly Fashioned
Creekside Inn	Woodstown, NJ	65	Low to Moderate	Manhattan
Alewife	Richmond, VA	63	High Cost	Manhattan
roanoke	Chicago, IL	55	High Cost	Black Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & Bar	Chicago, IL	53	Low Cost	Manhattan
Da Andrea	New York, NY	50	High Cost	Manhattan Negroni
Iguana Cafe	Chicago, IL	45	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Greene Turtle	Newark, DE	40	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Restaurante Montserrat Manor	Punta Cana, DR	35	High Cost	Manhattan
Dave & Buster's	Deptford, NJ	30	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Cock'n Bull	Lahaska, PA	26	High Cost	Manhattan Old Fashioned
The Brass Tap	National Harbor, MD	25	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Carrol's Creek Cafe	Annapolis, MD	21	High Cost	Manhattan
Big Fish Grill	Wilmington, DE	10	High Cost	Manhattan
The Legend	New Castle, DE	5	Low Cost	Manhattan
TGI Fridays	New Castle, DE	1	Moderate Cost	Manhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost