Boston's Best Bartender Finally Has His Own Place

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City Editions: Boston | Chicago | Las Vegas | Los Angeles | Miami | New York City | San Francisco | more Nov 24, 2011 BAR OF THE WEEK The Hawthorne Why? It's already the best cocktail bar in the city (probably). Few people have done as much to elevate the art of the cocktail in Boston as longtime Eastern Standard barman Jackson Cannon. Often mentioned as one of the best bartenders in the country, and certainly the most renowned here, he's finally opened his own place (located, naturally, between the ES and Island Creek Oyster Bar locales he helmed in the Commonwealth Hotel, the owners of which he'll share operational duties of The Hawthorne with). No surprise that the cocktail list here is going to be top notch, but the real draw is how unique the old Foundation Room space looks now -- it's like a cross between a furniture design showroom and a rich artist's loft. There's art on the menu here too.   ADDRESS: 500A Commonwealth Ave., Boston PHONE: 617-532-9150 WEB: thehawthornebar.com   CASUAL RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK Casbah Why? Bringing flavor to a culinary desert. There aren't many reasons to head over to the Fresh Pond area of Cambridge, unless you want to sit in traffic on the way to Route 2, or go to a really depressing movie theater. The new Middle Eastern restaurant Casbah will possibly remedy that somewhat. From the owners of the recently closed Harvard Square institution Casablanca, Casbah will feature dishes like date and goat cheese cigars rolled in Yufka dough with a caramel balsamic reduction, and Kofte skewers of spiced ground beef. Sadly, Casablanca's charming decor scheme seems to have been lost along the way -- but the food is all that counts in the end anyway, right?   ADDRESS: 25 New St., Cambridge PHONE: 617-245-0440 WEB: casbah-cambridge.com   REVAMP OF THE WEEK Julep Why? Anything is better than what it used to be. In this space's former location, Revolution Rock Bar was everything that's wrong with the ideas of both rock 'n' roll and bars. A gimmicky “rock!” themed club, it was nonetheless a seemingly popular after-work spot for people who haven't been to an actual rock show in years. A group of restauranteurs behind Petit Robert Central, Blue Inc., and others are overseeing a change into a new spot called Julep, which will be a brighter, more comfortable loungey space, I'm told, with fewer Marilyn Manson posters than one would guess. Expect high-concept snacks like spicy tuna tartare tacos, foie gras gravy on cheese fries and what they're calling a “garden-to-glass” mentality in the cocktail program.   ADDRESS: 200 High St., Boston WEB: julepbar.com   LAST WEEK'S TOP PICK El Pelon Why? Everything old is new again. Taco-heads were thrilled to see the second location of this venerable taco standout open in Brighton after the old Fenway area location burned down, but now the original is back in operation after a lengthy absence. That just makes it easier for us to load up on their fish tacos made with crispy, spiced cod, arbol chile mayo, limed onions, pickled cabbage, and cucumbers; or a carne asada torta on a toasted roll with refried beans, limed onions, lettuce, salsa, spicy mayo and guacamole. "Fresh ingredients smuggled in daily," they used to say. We plan on smuggling a few of these into our face.   ADDRESS: 92 Peterborough St., Boston PHONE: 617-262-9090 WEB: elpelon.com   If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by changing your preferences. To read about our privacy policy, click here. Copyright 2011 IGN Entertainment, 625 2nd Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco CA 94107. All Rights Reserved.