Bar Openings: Jul/Aug 2014

Classic and original drinks star at Harlowe in Los Angeles, and Caesars debuts Bound by Salvatore at The Cromwell in Las Vegas.

West Hollywood, California's Harlowe, which offers a spirits-heavy menu of craft cocktails, features a large circular bar, antique steel stools and a hand-painted mosaic tile floor.
West Hollywood, California's Harlowe, which offers a spirits-heavy menu of craft cocktails, features a large circular bar, antique steel stools and a hand-painted mosaic tile floor. (Photo by William Bradford)

What’s Old Is New Again At Harlowe In Los Angeles

Classic Hollywood is reborn at Harlowe, a drinks den that opened in West Hollywood, California, in May. The venue marks the West Coast debut of New York City mixology icon Dushan Zaric, who created a menu that boasts handcrafted, spirits-heavy drinks, including bottled and draft cocktails and local craft beers on tap. Harlowe’s cocktail menu is divided into sections for new concoctions and reimagined classics (signature drinks are $12 to $14). Standouts include the Shandy Koufax, a blend of Caña Brava rum, Meletti amaro, Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA, Angostura bitters, fresh lemon and pineapple gomme, and the Rye the Long Face, made with Rittenhouse 100-proof rye, honey, lemon, apple cider vinegar and rhubarb “boba” tapioca bubbles. The venue’s classic cocktails, which are all premixed and served from either tap handles or large bottles, includes updates like a smoked Negroni and a carbonated Paloma. The venue’s food menu, created by consulting chef Eric Greenspan of Foundation Hospitality Group, is equally diverse, offering everything from oysters and charcuterie to funnel cake ($7 to $15). Operated by 1933 Group—which also manages Sassafras, La Cuevita, Bigfoot Lodge and Thirsty Crow—Harlowe aims to capture the grace of the early 1900s.

Bound by Salvatore serves specialty drinks at The Cromwell, a new hotel in Las Vegas.
Bound by Salvatore serves specialty drinks at The Cromwell, a new hotel in Las Vegas.

Vegas Hotel Launches With Cocktail-Focused Lobby Bar

Caesars Entertainment Corp. unveiled the luxury boutique hotel The Cromwell on the Las Vegas Strip in May. The property houses a slew of new bars and nightlife destinations, including the upscale lobby lounge Bound by Salvatore. The drinks haven highlights specialty cocktails ($16 to $60) created by renowned mixologist Salvatore Calabrese. The 10-page menu offers signatures like the Breakfast Martini, made with Bombay Sapphire gin, Cointreau orange liqueur, fresh lemon juice and orange marmalade, as well as Champagne cocktails and espresso-based concoctions. The venue offers a selection of craft and imported draft beers ($8 to $10) and wines by the glass ($13 to $18). The Cromwell also houses the casino lounge Interlude, the rooftop nightspot Drai’s Beach Club and a restaurant from celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis.

Briefs

 

  • Named after the first cocktail bar in Cuba’s Old Havana, Pleasant Storage Room debuted in late April in Austin, Texas. The bar serves rum cocktails and over-proof punches, boasting some 70 rum labels on its menu, along with Caribbean-inspired street food.
  • The Experimental Group brought its Parisian wine bar concept to Manhattan in April with the debut of La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels. The venue features nearly 600 wines from around the world, including several offerings poured from Enomatic machines and dozens available by the glass. Roughly 70 percent of the wines offered hail from France.
  • The Chicago dance hall Slippery Slope opened in May in the city’s Logan Square neighborhood with a glowing red interior and numerous signature drinks. The venue offers cocktails by the bottle or glass and has several specialty beers, including one made exclusively for the bar by Dark Horse Brewing Co. The space houses Skee-Ball machines and a large dance floor.
  • Located in a nearly 100-year-old space, Brick House is a Prohibition-style drinks den with a vintage vibe. The venue opened in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood in May and specializes in small-batch whiskies and craft beers.