October 20, 2011 - 1:00am
Food Wars: Martinis
BY DAILY ARTS STAFF
Bar Louie, 401 East Liberty St.
You can’t just order a plain martini at Bar Louie. For a martini with gin, you have to order The Abbey, which contains a mix of Hendricks, fresh grapefruit, pure cane syrup, grenadine and a lemon rind garnish that accents the glass. The $9 drink is definitely for the ladies, but don’t be deceived by its pink tint. The gin overpowers the sweet grapefruit flavor and leaves a strong alcoholic taste.
Sava's, 211 South State St.
Martinis are a secret special at Sava’s, not on the menu but available to those in the know. However, the gin martini here doesn’t go down smoothly at all. It tastes more like straight gin than watered-down gin with vermouth ... though granted, there’s already a fine distinction to be made there. It’s not hard to believe this joint got its liquor license just last year — clearly, it’s a learning process.
The Black Pearl., 302 South Main St.
You’re not just ordering a martini at The Black Pearl — you’re ordering a classy evening. Rather than daunting, the lengthy martini menu opens up a wide array of possibilities. The signature martini achieves that delicate balance of sweet, sipable flavor with enough alcohol to keep the conversation flowing. With the swanky atmosphere and drink in your hand, you can’t go wrong here.
Red Hawk, 316 South State St.
Red Hawk’s version of the gin martini on the rocks is three ounces of pure pleasure. This drink is smooth from start to finish. Their basic well martini costs just over $7 and is served with Bombay gin rather than the darling of rapper Snoop Dogg (and former Red Hawk well gin), Tanqueray. The drink is inexpensive, full of alcohol and smooth. Bond would be proud.
And the winner is: Red Hawk
Each week, one Ann Arbor staple menu item becomes a battlefield as Daily Arts editors butt heads over which restaurant makes it best. Where should you go for your burger, fro-yo or garden omelette? Daily Arts will fight for the truth.
