Profile

At this Irish pub (f.k.a. Jimmy Walker's) any of the three rooms could stand as bars on their own. In the first, golden monkey heads poke at stool-sitters from the heavily varnished bar as silver flat screens proffer deep cuts from the ESPN family. The tap doesn't hold any surprises, but there’s one out back: a glass-enclosed dining area reminiscent of a contraband greenhouse that’s drenched in afternoon sun despite nearby office towers, and gets even cozier at night, when the fireplace heats up and the pitchers start to flow from the bar. In addition to a small downstairs stage where traditional Celtic musicians play on the weekends, the deep-pocketed first-time owners have provided ten flat screens, two pool tables, an internet jukebox (with the staff favoring mid-90s alternative), and pub fare highlighted by an 8 oz. English-muffin burger. Suitable for a place aspiring to emulate nearby Smith & Wollensky's, Blackstone's attracts young professionals, their office crushes, and a few old men who seem to have sprung from spilled Smithwick's. — Ned Vizzini