In February, Jeff Gordinier passed through Cleveland in his role as Food and Drinks Editor for Esquire magazine. While here, he stopped at places like Alea, Larder, Spotted Owl and Happy Dog, two of which appear in the pages of the summer issue.
In the magazine's annual round-up "the Best Bars in America," Happy Dog and Spotted Owl (along with the wonderful Law Bird in Columbus) earn a spot among 30 or so of the best watering holes in the nation.
"Happy Dog is a rock 'n' roll bar to its bones, with Christmas lights and a no-bullshit beer list," Gordinier writes.
As for Tremont's Spotted Owl, Gordinier muses about the cocktail bar's unique mood wheel that doubles as the drinks menu.
"Instead of ordering from a cocktail menu, I was instructed to select my desired mood," he writes. "The bartender would then conjure something for me to drink. I figured this was all some sort of gimmick until I tasted my cocktail... It was absurdly delicious, and it was then that I decided this is a next-wave mystic temple of cocktailing."
