The Patterson House

The Patterson House Restaurant Review:

The Patterson House is named for Malcolm R. Patterson, governor of the Volunteer State in 1909, who vetoed the bill that brought prohibition to Tennessee. His efforts, overruled at the time by the legislature, are remembered today in this lively early-twentieth century-themed bar. Dapper bartenders use boutique spirits, seasonal fruit and house-made cordials, bitters and syrups to create classic cocktails and more modern libations, such as Don Lee's Bacon Old Fashioned (bacon-infused bourbon, maple syrup, coffee-pecan bitters). Depending on the drink you order (choosing from more than 60), you'll get one of eight kinds of filtered ice, which the bartenders will occasionally crack with a small wooden bat. The setting is intimate, dimly lit with bookcases lining the walls, and the bartenders are dressed in pre-prohibition garb. Shareable bar food ranges from chicken liver mousse, shrimp corndogs and a Cuban sandwich to s'mores for dessert.