6. Chad Phillips
At Lantao Social Club at the Surfcomber Hotel, a typical discourse between you and bar chef Chad Phillips might include his asking if you like poultry or beets. You might, at first, think, "Who would even think of making duck fat-infused bourbons and beet-infused gins?" Allow yourself to trust the dapper young man in the vest and tie and you'll be rewarded with cocktails that are complex, daring, and delicious. Don't forget to ask Chad about the story behind the drinks, because each cocktail is fashioned after a person or moment in Phillips' life -- proving that all great drinks start with a story..and all great stories start with a drink.
5. Ashley Danella
A good steak house needs a good cocktail program. After all, are you really going to ask for a diet Coke with your porterhouse? Ashley Danella spearheads the beverage program at PB Steak, the newest and most (dare we say) traditional entry into the Pubbelly lineup of restaurants. But you'll never mistake traditional for boring when you sip Danella's Murdered Out Manhattan or a Negroni made with tequila instead of gin.
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