Toast the show and party like 'Mad Men'
Doug Quinn, serves a Sidecar cocktail as he works at the bar at P.J. Clarke's in New York. P.J. Clarke's is one of many bars and restaurants in Manhattan featured on the AMC show "Mad Men," which returns March 25 after more than a year hiatus. (March 8, 2012) Credit: AP
"Mad Men" fans, it's time for a cocktail.
The return of the AMC show Sunday is cause for celebration, and there's no better place to raise your glass than in Manhattan at one of Don Draper's favorite haunts. Of course, the series is filmed in California, so what you see on TV are well-researched sets, not real Manhattan bars. But "Mad Men" fans will not be disappointed: Many establishments that turn up on the show retain a classy, retro vibe in real life. Judy Gelman and Peter Zheutlin, authors of "The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook," provide "A Handy List of Mad Men Haunts" in their book, along with recipes from them.
P.J. CLARKE'S
This "was the site of many 'Mad Men' parties," Gelman said. According to its real-life bartender, Doug Quinn, P.J. Clarke's "was a joint often frequented by Madison Avenue advertising executives during the 1960s." Quinn says he'd recommend a sidecar cocktail to any "Mad Men" fans dropping by -- "one part sweet, one part sour and one part strong."
WHERE 915 Third Ave. at 55th St.
INFO 212-317-1616, pjclarkes.com
THE PIERRE
This Taj Hotel, which in "Mad Men" housed offices for the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce firm, will host a party Tuesday at its Two E Bar / Lounge in honor of the new season. Fans are invited to dress up in their favorite "Mad Men" outfits and try cocktails like a "bikini martini," a gin, schnapps and blue Curacao drink created in honor of the character Joan Holloway. The $14 cocktails will be offered Tuesdays, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., along with a no-cover jazz duo.
WHERE 2 E. 61st St.
INFO 212-838-8000, tajhotels.com /Pierre
KEENS STEAKHOUSE
Zheutlin and Gelman found the steak here "sumptuous," and were amused to learn that Keens' top chef had no idea the restaurant turned up in "Mad Men." (It was the site of a client lunch in which Don and Pete Campbell discuss the sport of jai alai.) The restaurant dates to the 19th century, and the low ceilings are lined with thousands of old clay pipes. Patrons like Teddy Roosevelt and Babe Ruth stored personal pipes on the premises for use when they dropped by.
WHERE 72 W. 36th St.
INFO 212-947-3636, keens.com
CARNEGIE CLUB
If, like many "Mad Men" characters, you're a smoker, this newly renovated cigar lounge hosts a viewing party for the season premiere Sunday. The Carnegie is one of just a few places in Manhattan where you can legally smoke indoors while dining and drinking, just like they did in the '60s. No worries about the club's TVs, though -- they're big-screen plasmas, not vintage black-and-white.
WHERE 156 W. 56th St.
INFO 212-957-9676, hospitalityholdings.com
