Ron Ciavolino’s top wine bars

Bar Stuzzichini

Why he loves it: “They have a magnificent selection of Italian wines. Also, I was able to train the bartender, Adam, to make my Manhattan the way I like it. What he did was something that irritates me with inexperienced bartenders: You make the drink, and the drink is sitting in the cocktail shaker. It’s on the ice. At that particular moment, you can’t imagine the things that can go wrong: The phone rings. We answer the phone and we let the ice melt into the drink, so it’s completely ruined. Somebody comes to the bar and asks for directions to Tibet—we could pour the drink and then give directions to Tibet, but we don’t do that. Do you know what that does to all martini and Manhattan drinks?”

Um, it destroys them? “You hemorrhage through all of your apertures.”

Bar Stuzzichini
928 Broadway
between 21st and 22nd Sts.
212-780-5100