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Where to Eat, Drink, and Think This Fall

Season’s Greetings

Our list of the bars, restaurants, spirits, and cookbooks you need to check out this season.

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Courtesy Of Blacktail

As of 10:21 a.m. EDT Thursday morning, fall has officially begun. While the weeks between Labor Day and the autumnal equinox feel often like a cruel reminder of now distant summer vacations and relaxing days spent at the beach, we can finally put the season in our rearview mirror and get on with our lives. And there is really quite a bit to look forward to during the next few months, from new restaurants and bars to the release of delicious spirits and cookbooks. Here’s your guide to get the most out of fall.

BARS TO VISIT:

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BlackTail, 22 Battery Place, New York

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The team behind the highly acclaimed Lower Manhattan bar The Dead Rabbit just opened this Cuban-themed watering hole. Think Hemingway’s Havana complete with four different Daiquiris variations, including a memorable banana version, and the bar’s own unique twist on the venerable Rum & Coke.

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Vnyl, 100 Third Avenue, New York

Thanks to the likes of PDT, Death & Co. and Pouring Ribbons it’s hard to open a bar in the New York’s East Village and get noticed. But the brand-new 7,000-square-foot-spot, Vnyl, has managed to do just that. It’s no surprise, since it was created by James Morrissey, who also owns the very popular Late Late Bar on East Houston. True to its name, Vnyl takes music seriously and actor and musician Adrian Grenier is in charge of creating the soundtrack for the establishment.

Chumley’s, 86 Bedford Street, New York

It looks like the historic New York bar Chumley’s may finally open this fall after being closed for nearly a decade. The watering hole was forced to shut down when a chimney from a neighboring building fell through its wall. The reconstruction dragged on as the establishment was brought up to modern building codes. As a result, the bar and dining room were reconfigured and have a vaguely familiar feel.

Here’s Looking at You, 3901 W 6th St., Los Angeles

LA bound? You should check out one of the newest editions to the city’s nightlife scene, Here’s Looking at You. The Koreatown spot offers 13 impressive drinks created by the talented Allan Katz and Danielle Crouch

RESTAURANTS TO EAT IN:

Union Square Café, 101 East 19th St., Manhattan

Danny Meyer helped reinvent fine dining in America when he opened Union Square Café back in 1985. After an astronomic rent hike, Meyer opted to close the restaurant in December 2015 and look for a different location. The new incarnation of the restaurant is reportedly set to reopen in a few weeks and is just a short walk from its old address.

Thompson Nashville, 401 11th Ave S, Nashville

Chef John Besh, who is the unofficial king of the New Orleans restaurant scene, is expanding his empire to Nashville this fall with the opening of the Thompson hotel. Guests will be able to choose from a seafood restaurant, a coffee shop and a rooftop bar created and run by his team.

Sfoglina, 4445 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, D.C.

One of the most highly anticipated openings in D.C. is Fabio and Maria Trabocchi’s latest restaurant, Sfoglina. The 2,800-square-foot casual pasta bistro, which is set to start serving in December, will be the award-winning restauranteur couple’s fourth establishment in the city.

BOOKS TO READ

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Appetites: A Cookbook by Anthony Bourdain with Laurie Woolever ($37.50)

Anthony Bourdain is famous for his myth-busting memoir Kitchen Confidential, but this October 25th he’s releasing a cookbook (his first in a decade) with recipes that he makes for his friends and family.

Big American Cookbook by Mario Batali and Jim Webster ($40)

While you may not aspire to wearing orange Crocs, being able to cook like celebrity chef Mario Batali would be pretty great. In less than two weeks, he’s releasing a new book with 250 of his favorite recipes from around the country, including everything from Oysters Rockefeller to Navajo Frybread Tacos.

SPIRITS TO DRINK:

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Lagavulin 25 Year Old ($1,200)

Lagavulin has been producing deliciously smoky, peaty whisky on the Scottish island of Islay for 200 years. To mark this major milestone, next month the distillery is releasing a very special and extremely limited 25-year-old Scotch. The bottle even features a listing of all the distillery managers, including Georgie Crawford who is in charge today, who we can thank for making the spirit all these years.

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Plantation O.F.T.D. Rum ($32)

What happens when you get seven of the world’s greatest rum drinkers in one room? Old Fashioned Traditional Dark Rum. The new spirit from Plantation was created with input from authorities including Smuggler’s Cove’s Martin Cate and The Daily Beast’s own senior drinks columnist David Wondrich. At 138-proof the liquor isn’t for the faint of heart but works beautifully in punches and cocktails. Look for it on shelves in late October.

Glenfiddich India Pale Ale Cask Finish ($70)

If you’re a fan of craft beer and Scotch you need to try Glenfiddich’s new India Pale Ale Cask Finish whisky, which combines both beverages and will be out in the next few weeks. The brand filled some of its barrels with local highland IPA, which was then dumped out. The casks were then refilled with its whisky to create this special dram.

Beefeater Gin Burrough’s Reserve Edition 2 ($70)

Three years ago, Beefeater introduced a gin that it had aged in casks that had previously held French aperitif Lillet. This fall the brand is releasing a second edition of its barrel-aged gin, but this time the spirit has been matured in a mix of red and white Bordeaux barrels picked by its legendary master distiller Desmond Payne. The gin should be available in late fall.

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The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old ($65)

Macallan’s signature flavor is created by aging Scotch in casks made from European oak that have previously held sherry. This fall the brand is changing things up a bit by releasing a new Double Cask bottling. It was created by aging sherry in new American oak barrels. Those special barrels were then emptied, filled with Macallan’s whisky and left to age for a dozen years. This special whisky was then combined with Macallan’s regular 12-year-old Scotch.

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