Little Branch Bar - New York

(Image from Chowhound)

(Image from Chowhound)

I just returned from a week in New York, so there will definitely be a lot of New York posts in my future! The first of which is Little Branch, a charming Soho speakeasy with delicious vintage cocktails. Traveling downstairs to the lantern lit low ceiling bar is  a trip back in time with wood booths and vintage photographs. Drinks are served by suspender wearing mixologists who chip rectangle ice cubes from blocks of ice to achieve maximum coldness. A menu features custom drinks including delicious hot toddys for those cold nights, but you can also get the basics: a perfectly made martini. Drinks run around $10, not too bad for Manhattan. 

LITTLE BRANCH: 7 pm - 3am 7 days a week. 20 7th Avenue S. NYC 212.929.4360.

The Violet Hour Bar - Chicago

When I asked my friend Norm what bars he would recommend in Chicago, he immediately suggested The Violet Hour, and I think this bar is right up my alley.  The glamorous decor has the look of a French salon, combined with the coziness of an English Library, and the delicious sounding drinks include The Honeysuckle and The Fox Hunt. Food and Wine calls The Violet Hour one of the top bars in the country, and it already has one of my requisites for a perfect bar: a fireplace!