Martinis are an art, an elixir, not a science. There are lots of different strokes for folks: stirred, shaken, in the rough; twist or olive; ice or no ice; new fangled or old; dirty, dry. The whole thing is getting a martini the way you want it, and that’s what happens at The Bitter End. Some places it’s like taking your car into a garage where they don’t listen to you and think they know better. Here they listen and then perform bartending magic. “In the last 10 years,” says owner Michael Leigh, “vodka has really taken over as the martini base.” Current bestsellers: sour apple and a delight called Jolly Rancher: Polar Ice vodka, Raspberry Sour Puss and lemon sour mix.
Runner-up: Fireside, 1500 Brunswick, 423-5995
