There's a special mystique about a great hotel bar. Small or large, set in the lobby or tucked away, the bar of a fine hotel offers its patrons a comfortable, sophisticated oasis, a quiet "home away from home." Meet Me in the Bar is a celebration of America's historic hotel bars. It acquaints readers with some of the best hotel bars across the country-from the richly appointed Compass Rose Bar in San Francisco's St. Francis Hotel to the slowly-rotating Carousel Bar in New Orleans' Monteleone Hotel to Bemelmans Bar, with its whimsical mural by Madeline's author, the bar's namesake, in New York's Carlyle Hotel. This entertaining book transports us to a time of graciousness and romance, beginning in the late nineteenth-century through the pre- and post-World War II eras when cocktail drinking was all the rage. A brief introduction to the history of the hotel bar and its importance as a social environment, combined with delightful vignettes as told by the men and women tending these bars, paints an evocative picture of the ambience and clientele over the years. This engaging text provides a colorful backdrop for the famous cocktail recipes that emerged from these luxurious rooms. Wonderful archival shots of the bars and gorgeous color photographs of some of the signature drinks complete this guide for the cocktail enthusiast.