I have an almost religious relationship with this bar. Founded in 1892 and located just off Union Square, Old Town is a historic and venerated institution, yet to my surprise, it still manages to float a little under the radar. It boasts a majestic old world grandeur: there’s a marble and mahogany bar, stained glass windows, metal cash registers,... See more

Anthony Bourdain, like Fran Liebowitz, has become an untouchable. That said, how can you not love a man who said, "Is there any place left in New York where an old guy can have a drink in the afternoon and, you know, be a little depressed?"

But where do these rituals come from? Often they come simply from sitting at the bar and chatting with the bartenders while watching them work. Perched on a stool, belly to the bar, you may learn not only about the minutiae of taste and technique—why grapefruit peel is better than orange peel in certain drinks, how to correctly “wash” a glass with... See more