Cocktail Bar Review: Nightstand

A cocktail bar in my bedroom

Cocktail hour looks very different to me today than it did three years ago. Around 4:45 pm, I would put on a pair of loafers and a jacket and hop in a cab to my favorite bar in Chicago, Volume 39. On the way, I would text the maitre d', and she would always hold two seats at the bar. One for me and one for my wife, who was arriving via the 'L.' The Martinis were ready on our arrival.

Then we moved to Ann Arbor, MI and had to find a new place for our evening ritual. We tried lots of places. New bars that still smelled like fresh paint and wood polish. Old bars that smelled like a basement or worse. We had good drinks and bad ones but finally ended up at the bar of a restaurant called Pacific Rim. The staff was friendly and remembered our names and, more importantly, our drinks. It turns out after plenty of research; they make the best Martini in town. It quickly became our perch.

We would dine there a few times a month, always starting with two Martinis apiece. When we would walk in, the manager would smile and hold his hand out to the bar, knowing we wanted a seat there if it was chilly out, or he would promptly seat us outside at the same two-top we sat at last time if the weather allowed.

Last year, before the weather allowed outdoor seating, Covid hit, and going out stopped altogether. No more happy hours. No more smiling staff. No more wonderful Martinis made in their slightly too-large glasses. Cocktail hour again had to move.

For the last year, we found ourselves in the kitchen for cocktails. I never mind making our Martinis, but having one made for you at a bar is always better. Sometimes we ordered takeout from Pacific Rim, but Martinis don't travel well, so I make a round while keeping the takeout food warm in the oven.

At home, I have to control the lights and the music and all the other things I like to forget about when I am at a restaurant. I find that if you are ever thinking too much about the music or the lighting at a bar or restaurant, something is wrong.

So for a year, we enjoyed our cocktails in the kitchen. We talked about traveling and where we can't wait to go when all this is over. The routine works well. I mix the drinks, and my wife runs down to the basement freezer to grab the cold glasses that live there. We joke about the exercise—she's the stair master!

Then last week, we added a puppy to the family. Her name is Laila. She is still very young, so she sleeps on and off throughout the day. For cocktail hour, she stays in her crate in our bedroom, but she likes us nearby, or she cries. I'm not too fond of the sound, but we found she stays quiet, curls up, and goes right to sleep if we are close. So cocktail hour once again had to move.

I was relieved to hear about the recent opening of Nightstand—a new cocktail bar tucked away in our bedroom. My wife puts Laila down to sleep, and I make the drinks. I keep the music low and the lights lower. We have been listening to France Musique, a French national public radio station that plays classical and jazz. I have no idea what the DJs are saying, but they play operas around cocktail hour, and I like that. It is very fitting for the small bar.

The bar top is a small Danish modern nightstand with a single drawer. On top, it holds a few books, an amber bottle full of the probiotic I take before bed every night, a small lamp, and my reading glasses. In the drawer, there are two leather coasters that fit perfectly on the front corners of the nightstand. I sit on a chair borrowed from the home office across the hall, and my wife sits on the edge of the bed. We enjoy our drinks in the dim light and talk quietly so as not to disturb the snoozing puppy.

Drinks-wise, the Martini isn't a traditional Dry Martini. They use a few dashes of something that gives the cocktail a rounded taste with a hint of anise. It reminds me more of a Turf Club. Delicious nonetheless, and I appreciate the change of pace. I think I will order the same thing again next time, as will my wife.

It's a perfect little cocktail bar, but there are only two seats, and they don't plan to expand. I heard from the manager that they are booked for the foreseeable future; it's already extremely popular. This part of town really needed some nightlife, and I assume that it will be fantastic for our property value due to the proximity (it's within walking distance). I called in a favor and lucked into reservations for tonight on my wife's insistence. We are excited to go back for another one of their house Martinis!

Nightstand
Drinks: 10/10
Food: N/A
Ambiance: 10/10
Location: 10/10

Hours: 5 - 6 pm Daily
Directions: Down the hall and take a left