It’s no secret that the Mid-Market area is the most rapidly developing sector of the city. Twitter and other tech giants are gobbling up real estate and the seedy bars are being converted into more welcoming establishments—like Oddjob. With its plain façade and side-alley entrance, it has the feel of a contemporary speakeasy, with a more industrial look. But the true gem of Oddjob is SRO, a bar within the bar. There’s no menu for spirits or cocktails back here, just Joey Picchi and his mind-boggling ability to read people. Tell him what you like and he’ll come up with something designed for you; he handles most any request, from the precise (gin, dry and spirit-forward) to the more obtuse (I want something that reminds me of my first dog). Picchi’s back bar is a bartender’s dream, filled with all those crazy liqueurs we love like Genepé, Bonal, Fernet Angelico, Zirbenz, Cio Ciaro and such. He combines these with quality spirits that he has infused with often surprising ingredients, such as rye with chanterelle mushrooms and Tequila with Szechuan peppercorns. And if you don’t like it, you don’t have to fight through it. He’d rather mix you something else.
This review appears in the print edition of the October 2014 issue. Like what you just read? Subscribe now.
This story appears in the print issue of October 2014.
Like what you read? Subscribe today.