PDT

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PDT is the hot-dog joint for grown-ups. Actually, it’s the cocktail-lounge annex to Crif Dogs, an East Village mainstay known for its deep-fried Jersey-style franks. Accessed through a vintage phone booth within Crif Dogs, PDT (short for Please Don’t Tell) is a snug, sexy speakeasy with a twist: Along with its high-quality classic cocktails and a well-chosen selection of beer and wine, patrons can order food from Crif’s kitchen next door. Oddly, it works: A paper boat of foil-wrapped waffle fries goes nicely with the Proverbial Apple, a refreshing martini derivative. PDT’s abbreviated menu offers a smallish, bacon cheeseburger, and four kinds of deep-fried dogs—although you can put in special requests from the full Crif Dog menu next door, which includes our favorite, the New Yorker, Crif’s sole grilled all-beef frank. The idea is genius and a time-saver: food you eat when you’re drunk, served while you’re in the process of getting that way. — Rob Patronite and Robin Rainsfeld

As well as rendering classic cocktails with unparalleled expertise, mixologist Jim Meehan (formerly of Gramercy Tavern and Pegu Club) offers up irresistible original creations (an old-fashioned made from bacon-infused bourbon and maple syrup). A highlight is the Staggerac, a potent Sazerac made with 140-proof bourbon and absinthe. — Daniel Maurer

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New York Magazine Reviews

• Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite's Full Review (11/5/07)
• Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite's Full Review (6/11/07)

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