Harry’s Savoy Grill

Harry’s Savoy Grill is one of our favorite restaurants for special occasions. The prime rib is my usual, and I’ve never had a bad meal there. It is expensive, but sometimes you actually do get what you pay for.

The food is always was amazing, and is clearly the primary reason to go to Harry’s. The prime rib and the short rib are my personal favorites.

On the Whiskey front, they have a standard bar with standard quality. I usually start with a Harry’s Manhattan. You can see here that a year can change how a Manhattan is made. The example from a year ago (left side )was a bit watered down. A year later (right side) and the Manhattan actually tasted like bourbon, which is a good them. While it is an improvement over the last time we were there, there was still nothing special about it. It was good, it just didn’t have any pizazz.

Harry’s Manhattan over the Years

Next I tried the Boulevardier.

Harry’s Boulevardier Cocktail

I enjoyed the Boulevardier cocktail a lot. It has a little more sweetness than the Manhattan but not so much it hides the bourbon. The finish is smooth with a nice citrus zing. I’ll start with the Boulevardier next time.

Harry’s Savoy Grill Scoring

If you are looking for good food and have deep pockets, you can’t beat Harry’s. If you are looking for a Whiskey Bar with lots of choices, there are better options. Harry’s is earning itself a 67/100. The atmosphere is great, and the service is amazing. There are just limited whiskey options.

PlaceLocationScorePrice ScaleDrink
Cinder BarClarksboro, NJ96High CostManhattan
Saltgrass SteakhouseOrlando, FL91Moderate CostManhattan
The Irish WhisperNational Harbor, MD90High CostIrish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & SteaksNational Harbor, MD80High CostManhattan
The Dead RabbitNew York, NY75High CostMultiple
Iron Hill BreweryWilmington, DE71High CostKentucky Connection
Cadillac RanchNational Harbor, MD70Moderate CostMultiple
Harry’s Savoy GrillWilmington, DE67High CostManhattan
Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana GrillNewark, DE66Moderate CostNewly Fashioned
Creekside InnWoodstown, NJ65Low to ModerateManhattan
AlewifeRichmond, VA63High CostManhattan
roanokeChicago, IL55High CostBlack Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & BarChicago, IL53Low CostManhattan
Da AndreaNew York, NY50High CostManhattan
Negroni
Iguana CafeChicago, IL45Moderate CostManhattan
The Greene TurtleNewark, DE40Moderate CostManhattan
Restaurante Montserrat ManorPunta Cana, DR35High CostManhattan
Dave & Buster'sDeptford, NJ30Moderate CostManhattan
Cock'n BullLahaska, PA26High CostManhattan
Old Fashioned
The Brass TapNational Harbor, MD25Moderate CostManhattan
Carrol's Creek CafeAnnapolis, MD21High CostManhattan
Big Fish GrillWilmington, DE10High CostManhattan
The LegendNew Castle, DE5Low CostManhattan
TGI FridaysNew Castle, DE1Moderate CostManhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost

See all Whiskey Places!

Creekside Inn

Creekside Inn
Creekside Inn

The Creekside Inn is a restaurant and bar just off the golf course in Woodstown New Jersey.

The inn is a great place to grab a bite to eat and have a drink while sitting outside overlooking the gold course. They also host events with catering. My brother in law had his 50th birthday party there and everyone had a good time.

We had dinner there Friday night, and I went with my standard Basil Hayden’s Manhattan. It was served in a nice Martini Glass and presented as a little bit light in color.

Creekside Inn Basil Hayden's Manhattan
Creekside Inn Basil Hayden’s Manhattan.

The Manhattan was good, but I think they shook it too long and let it get just a tad watered down. My cousin had a Maker’s Mark on the rocks, and he said his was exactly what you’d expect.

I would describe this as a nice family restaurant. The servers are nice and the atmosphere is slightly upscale when compared to chain restaurants. If you are in the area and are looking for something that didn’t come out of an industrial chain kitchen, it is definitely worth a visit.

Creekside Inn Scoring

Overall, I’m giving the Creekside Inn a 60/100 and putting it in the Moderate Cost Price Scale. If you skipped the drinks it’s Low Cost, so you can get by with spending less.

The food is good and drinks aren’t bad, so why the 65/100? For me its the limited Whiskey and Bourbon selection, which is why I went with my standby, Basil Hayden’s. If your looking for a larger selection of Whiskey, your going to have to drive a bit further.

PlaceLocationScorePrice ScaleDrink
Cinder BarClarksboro, NJ96High CostManhattan
Saltgrass SteakhouseOrlando, FL91Moderate CostManhattan
The Irish WhisperNational Harbor, MD90High CostIrish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & SteaksNational Harbor, MD80High CostManhattan
The Dead RabbitNew York, NY75High CostMultiple
Iron Hill BreweryWilmington, DE71High CostKentucky Connection
Cadillac RanchNational Harbor, MD70Moderate CostMultiple
Harry’s Savoy GrillWilmington, DE67High CostManhattan
Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana GrillNewark, DE66Moderate CostNewly Fashioned
Creekside InnWoodstown, NJ65Low to ModerateManhattan
AlewifeRichmond, VA63High CostManhattan
roanokeChicago, IL55High CostBlack Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & BarChicago, IL53Low CostManhattan
Da AndreaNew York, NY50High CostManhattan
Negroni
Iguana CafeChicago, IL45Moderate CostManhattan
The Greene TurtleNewark, DE40Moderate CostManhattan
Restaurante Montserrat ManorPunta Cana, DR35High CostManhattan
Dave & Buster'sDeptford, NJ30Moderate CostManhattan
Cock'n BullLahaska, PA26High CostManhattan
Old Fashioned
The Brass TapNational Harbor, MD25Moderate CostManhattan
Carrol's Creek CafeAnnapolis, MD21High CostManhattan
Big Fish GrillWilmington, DE10High CostManhattan
The LegendNew Castle, DE5Low CostManhattan
TGI FridaysNew Castle, DE1Moderate CostManhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost

See all Whiskey Places!

Whiskey Places – Alewife

While in Richmond Virginia for business I was lucky enough to get a reservation ate Alewife. It is a small corner restaurant with a unique menu that can also adjust to make various vegetarian dishes. The staff were both knowledgeable and nice. I’m not a wine drinker, but others in my party were asking questions and our server was able to list off the tasting notes with ease to help them make a selection.

For starters we had Virginia Oysters as well as a potato dish. The oysters were amazing and had just the right touch of hot sauce to give them a kick.

For dinner I selected the Duck Breast. The duck was amazing. I have no idea what it was on, it looked like a sea based plant. I tried eating that but it was just a bit tough so I left it alone after devouring the Duck Breast. My only criticism of the food was the portion size. I’m a big guy and after going to dinner I don’t really like having to go get a snack. That could be a “me” problem, but even one of my fellow diners who is petite commented on the portion size.

You will note that the drink menu is relatively small:

Alewife Drink Menu

I selected the Linecaster as it was described as a type of Manhattan by the Alewife team.

Linecaster

The Alewife Linecaster was a definite highlight of the meal. I don’t like sweet drinks, and while the Linecaster has a touch of sweetness on the finish, it has wonderful notes of citrus that blend with the bourbon in delightful way.

Scoring

If you are in the Richmond area I would hit Alewife for appetizers and a few drinks. The duck was great, but needed to be paired with a better, more filling side. As a restaurant Alewife scores high marks, as a Whiskey Place it scores a 63/100 because of its minimal whiskey options.

PlaceLocationScorePrice ScaleDrink
Cinder BarClarksboro, NJ96High CostManhattan
Saltgrass SteakhouseOrlando, FL91Moderate CostManhattan
The Irish WhisperNational Harbor, MD90High CostIrish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & SteaksNational Harbor, MD80High CostManhattan
The Dead RabbitNew York, NY75High CostMultiple
Iron Hill BreweryWilmington, DE71High CostKentucky Connection
Cadillac RanchNational Harbor, MD70Moderate CostMultiple
Harry’s Savoy GrillWilmington, DE67High CostManhattan
Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana GrillNewark, DE66Moderate CostNewly Fashioned
Creekside InnWoodstown, NJ65Low to ModerateManhattan
AlewifeRichmond, VA63High CostManhattan
roanokeChicago, IL55High CostBlack Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & BarChicago, IL53Low CostManhattan
Da AndreaNew York, NY50High CostManhattan
Negroni
Iguana CafeChicago, IL45Moderate CostManhattan
The Greene TurtleNewark, DE40Moderate CostManhattan
Restaurante Montserrat ManorPunta Cana, DR35High CostManhattan
Dave & Buster'sDeptford, NJ30Moderate CostManhattan
Cock'n BullLahaska, PA26High CostManhattan
Old Fashioned
The Brass TapNational Harbor, MD25Moderate CostManhattan
Carrol's Creek CafeAnnapolis, MD21High CostManhattan
Big Fish GrillWilmington, DE10High CostManhattan
The LegendNew Castle, DE5Low CostManhattan
TGI FridaysNew Castle, DE1Moderate CostManhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost

See all Whiskey Places!

Whiskey Places – Da Andrea

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?

Da Andrea 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?

Da Andrea Negroni

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.

PlaceLocationScorePrice ScaleDrink
Cinder BarClarksboro, NJ96High CostManhattan
Saltgrass SteakhouseOrlando, FL91Moderate CostManhattan
The Irish WhisperNational Harbor, MD90High CostIrish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & SteaksNational Harbor, MD80High CostManhattan
The Dead RabbitNew York, NY75High CostMultiple
Iron Hill BreweryWilmington, DE71High CostKentucky Connection
Cadillac RanchNational Harbor, MD70Moderate CostMultiple
Harry’s Savoy GrillWilmington, DE67High CostManhattan
Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana GrillNewark, DE66Moderate CostNewly Fashioned
Creekside InnWoodstown, NJ65Low to ModerateManhattan
AlewifeRichmond, VA63High CostManhattan
roanokeChicago, IL55High CostBlack Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & BarChicago, IL53Low CostManhattan
Da AndreaNew York, NY50High CostManhattan
Negroni
Iguana CafeChicago, IL45Moderate CostManhattan
The Greene TurtleNewark, DE40Moderate CostManhattan
Restaurante Montserrat ManorPunta Cana, DR35High CostManhattan
Dave & Buster'sDeptford, NJ30Moderate CostManhattan
Cock'n BullLahaska, PA26High CostManhattan
Old Fashioned
The Brass TapNational Harbor, MD25Moderate CostManhattan
Carrol's Creek CafeAnnapolis, MD21High CostManhattan
Big Fish GrillWilmington, DE10High CostManhattan
The LegendNew Castle, DE5Low CostManhattan
TGI FridaysNew Castle, DE1Moderate CostManhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost