Your Guide To SF, NY & LV

The modern gentleman is a jet-setter. Whether for business or pleasure, he often finds himself in distant lands away from the establishments of sophistication that are his refuge while at home. Here, we have assembled a list of the best steak houses, martini bars, barbershops, wine and cigar stores, golf courses, and more. Each venue -- timeless, authentic, and independent -- is worth a visit, if not your patronage.

The modern gentleman's guide to San Francisco
The modern gentleman's guide to New York
The modern gentleman's guide to Las Vegas
The modern gentleman's guide to Washington, D.C.

Best Steak House: Harris'
Consistenly chosen by diners and food editors as the best steak in San Francisco, we love the throwback decor with half-moon booths, starched white tablecloths, and a nostalgic mural of California. The menu unabashedly celebrates monstrous slabs of meat and potatoes to be washed down with a stiff Martini.

2100 Van Ness Avenue
(415) 673-1888
www.harrisrestaurant.com

Best Martini: Bix
A true supper club hidden inconspicuously in an alley in the Financial District, Bix has been one of San Francisco's most stylish bars in the City. The ambiance is pure 1930's, with live jazz every night, and a world class wine list perfectly paired with a menu that changes nightly. Their barmen are pure professionals; we recommend the "Plymouth Gin Martini" or the "Perfect Maker's Mark Manhattan".

56 Gold St.
(415) 433-6300
www.bixrestaurant.com

Best Business Lunch Spot: Tadich Grill
Opened in 1849 (yes, 1849), Tadich Grill is the oldest restaurant in the State of California. Tadich's featured mesquite-grilled fish long before it ever became trendy, and the crusty waiters only add to the charm and the authentic feel. They don't accept reservations, so make sure to get there early to get your name on the list.

240 California Street
(415) 391-1849

Best Wine Shop: Cask
The team that has brought San Francisco the bar Bourbon & Branch - arguably the coolest speakeasy in the city - has now opened a liquor store downtown called Cask. Dedicated to the art and craft of artisanal distillers, the store has the most unique selection of limited edition and independent bottlings of spirits we like. 

17 Third Street
San Francisco, CA  94103
(415) 424-4844
www.caskspirits.com

Best Public Golf Course: Harding Park
Just restored and reopened to the public, Harding Park has reclaimed its stature as one of the great public golfing experiences in the country. Play the 18-hole course that was chosen by the PGA as the site of the 2005 World Golf Championships, or if you're short on time, play the 9-hole Par 3 Fleming Course to get your fix.

99 Harding Road
(415) 664-4690
www.harding-park.com

Best Private Golf Course: Olympic Club
Founded in 1860, the San Francisco Olympic Club is the oldest athletic club in the U.S. Boasting two championship-quality golf courses (and a 9-hole Executive Course), the premier Lakeside course that overlooks the Pacific Ocean has played host to four U.S. Open Championships -- most recently in 1998. Good luck getting on!

(415) 587-4800
www.olyclub.com

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Best Steak House: Peter Luger
Taken directly from Zagat's: "Nothing compares" to this "grand high poobah" of steakdom, a Williamsburg "temple of testosterone" (and "shrine to Dr. Atkins") that's voted the top chop shop in this Survey for the 20th year running; in sum, it's the "best steak in the known world."

178 Broadway Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 387-7400
www.peterluger.com

Best Martini: '21'
For over 75 years, '21' has been New York's place to see and be seen. The heart of '21' is its legendary Bar Room. If walls could speak, this would be the place to sit very still and listen. The watering hole of celebrities, captains of industry, world leaders and dignitaries of every order, the Bar Room at '21' is one of Manhattan's greatest treasures and a "must see" for any first-time visitor to New York.

21 West 52nd Street New York, NY 10019
(212) 582-7200
www.21club.com

Best Business Lunch Spot: Four Seasons Grill
For more than four decades, The Four Seasons has been synonymous with the power lunch, where high rollers break bread and, by meal and deal's end, more than the sirloin has been devoured. The modern gentleman has to dine in the legendary Grill Room, with its soaring ceiling, rosewood walls, leather banquettes and rippling curtains made of brass beads.

99 E 52nd St New York, NY 10022
(212) 754-9494
www.fourseasons.com/newyorkfs/vacations/dining_75.html

Best Cigar Shop: Barclay Rex
Among Gotham's top tobacconists, this is one of the largest and most accommodating. From its own blends of pipe tobacco to cigars from nearly every top maker, there is no more complete tobacconist in the city. Barclay-Rex now has four locations around Manhattan, but our favorite is the 1600 square foot flagship on Broad.

Downtown: 75 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004
Midtown: 570 Lexington, New York, NY 10022
(212) 962-3355
www.barclayrex.com

Best Cigar Lounge: Club Macanudo
"Club Mac", as it's better known, is a restaurant, bar, and cigar lounge on the Upper East Side. While it looks like a private club, you are welcome to step inside and enjoy the New American cuisine, the finest premium cigars, and of course a drink menu to match. For those that frequent New York often, you can even lease your own personal humidor for just $500/year!

26 East 63rd Street New York, NY 10021
212-752-8200
www.clubmacanudonyc.com

Best Wine Shop: Sherry-Lehmann
For over 70 years, Sherry-Lehmann (originally Sherry Wine & Spirits) has been the wine store in New York City. But no one would argue that it is probably one of the top wine stores in the entire country. A tremendous selection of wines is nice, but it is their Futures business that makes the store truly unique.

679 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10021
(212) 838-7500
www.sherry-lehmann.com

Best Barbershop: John Allan's Club
For the past 16 years, John Allan has perfected the art of masculine grooming, honoring the sanctity of old style barber shops while providing the modern amenities of a full-service salon. Whether it's the perfect haircuts, relaxing manicures or notoriously expert shoe shines, customers relax in leather tuck-and-roll club chairs while enjoying a cold beverage, a cigar, or a game of billiards.

Downtown: 95 Trinity Place New York, NY 10006
Midtown: 46 East 46th Street New York, NY 10017
(212) 922-0361
www.johnallans.com/

Best Public Golf Course: Bethpage Black
Most golf courses that host a United States Open golf tournament are private clubs that most golfers will never be able to play. In 2002, however, the U.S. Open was played on a truly public golf course for the first time. That course was Bethpage Black, one of five golf courses at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York. Let it be known: getting on this course may involve sleeping in a car overnight.

Bethpage State Park Farmingdale, NY 11735
(516)249-4040

Best Private Golf Course: West Course at Winged Foot Golf Club
Golf ranks it among the "Top 100 Courses in the U.S." while Golfweek recognized it as one of "America's 100 Best Classical Courses." The best way to describe it, however, comes from long-time who once said, Winged Foot has the eighteen best finishing holes in golf.' Playing Winged Foot for the first time evokes a sensation similar to the first time you go to a ballgame and walk up the runway to see the immaculate green grass of the field.

Fennimore Rd Mamaroneck, NY 10543
(914)381-5821
www.wfgc.org/

If you have a suggestion for a category, or for a different choice in a category listed, email us at contact at onthefly.com.