55 Comments - Anon3 - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 9:38 am: The Sangamo bar you just never know who you will see . - Anon3 - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 9:41 am: Sorry rich typing on the road I mean the Sangmo Club both Grillroom and main dinning room. - 1776 - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 9:42 am: DH Browns. Classic, long-time watering hole that has served politicians and staff for years. It’s like Cheers - everybody knows your name and the owners are known to buy drinks for the regular customers. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 9:42 am: Please nominate in both categories. Thanks. - Bill - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 9:44 am: The No Name after 11pm is the best place to advance your agenda. Plus you can be carried to the elevator and get to bed safe and sound. Gotta go with the Lux for deep fried losbter, pun intended. - walkinfool - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 9:44 am: Bar: Globe because almost everyone shows up there sometime Restaurant: Augie’s, for deals away from the gaze of the eminence grise in the corner of Saputo’s. - Dirty Red - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 9:50 am: Bar - The Globe. The place is hot. Restaurant - Sangamo Club. Unlike others, there has ALWAYS - even during the day - been a meeting taking place at Sangamo. - k3_Spfld_Chi - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 10:00 am: Bar/Resaurant: Gabatoni’s. Without a doubt the best hideout for legislative leaders. The bartender is in the know. - downstate hack - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 10:02 am: Best Political Bar, D.H. Brown, Lively discussions, becoming a hangout for both sides of the aisle. Good drinks, reasonable prices, open debates. Restaurant, Saputo’s, great food, and almost always interesting political clientele during session. - WizzardOfOzzie - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 10:07 am: The Globe is dead. The geniuses at the Abe decided to move it back to a conference room. Very sad. Best Bar: Basement at Sebastians. Feels more like a political hangout than anywhere in Springfield and a lot of work gets done there. Best Restaurant: Three nominations. All places people in the know go when they want to get away from downtown. 1) Old Lux: Something charming about getting a steak from a place where the waiters where tuxes with neon signs on the wall. And I’m not sure if I feel more or less safe due to the security guard stationed in the parking lot. 2) Sam’s Pizza- Has a number of pictures of Nancy Sinatra and Joe Piscopo on the wall, but what really makes it authentic is that there are 4 campaign posters on the wall: Jimmy DeLeo, Skip Saviano, John D’Amico, and former mob attorney and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman. 3) Sportsman Lounge- Come for the fried chicken, stay to lobby members of the General Assembly. - Way Way Down Here - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 10:14 am: Bar: D.H. Browns because it’s old school and everyone knows it. Restaurant: Sangamo Club—sooner or later you’ll run into everyone there—and how about Fight Night—is that weird or what! - Cincinnatus - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 10:18 am: Bar - Rich’s basement Restaurant - Rich’s kitchen - Lou - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 10:20 am: Best political bar-still the GLOBE…but if they don’t finish the remodeling by the time Spring session starts, its going to crash and burn pretty quick! Best political restaurant-try AUGIES…always people there to talk to - Sine Die - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 10:25 am: bar; DH Brown’s, no food- just drinks and conversations! (and new home of White Sox Caucus!) restaurant; Saputo’s-where else does the Speaker have a standing reservation? nuff said! - CircularFiringSquad - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 10:41 am: Bar: Bob’s Butternut Hut (where reality rules) BTW this could Bob’s last year for competing for this honor. Second choice is any where Capt. Fax’s wallet land Restaurant: Hard to go wrong with Saputos. But it is tough to ignore Gabbatoni’s as another place featuring reality - wordslinger - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 10:55 am: When I lived in Springfield, I lived on and at Gabotonis. Only decent pizza in town at the time. - dave - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 10:56 am: Bar- no name bar. Convenient, always legislators and lobbyists there, best bar tender in town, cheap drinks Restaurant- Augies- best food in town, though they have a new chef now, so we’ll see. And never a night without multiple legislators there. And half price wine on Tuesday nights. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 10:58 am: WizzardOfOzzie, Sam’s changed their gravy recipe. I’m afraid they’re out of the running. - Toi Hutchinson - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 11:10 am: I think the Globe for the reasons above but I have to say for restaurant, I give it to Ross Isaac’s. The food is great and I don’t think I’ve ever been there on a session night where the restaurant isn’t literally packed with legislators and lobbyists, past and present. Its a little further out, but the food is really really good. - Springfield Dem - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 11:11 am: Best Bar - JP Kelly’s - a good Irish bar that’s close to the Capitol. And there are a ton of old school pictures of Springfield famous people who visited over the years (i.e. Kennedy at the Springfield Airport) Best Resturant - Maldaners - Some of the best food in Springfield. Chef Higgins has a great place and great food. - Way Way Down Here - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 11:15 am: Word: IMHO still the only decent pizza in town. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 11:19 am: The bar is THE GLOBE …stay at the Hilton, … but work at the GLOBE. You can make the case for the Rail being the number one place to get work done, THEN the GLOBE second. You hit both places, you are doing ok. Restaurant… For me, by default is Saputo’s for your day-today dinner, but Sangamo Club for dinner “with a purpose”. You can casually eat, drink and work at Saputo’s and that is great, but if I am talking restaurant and I want to work, it’s Sangamo Club. Bar- The Globe Restaurant - Saputo’s (Hon. Mention - Sangamo Club) - Jaded - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 11:20 am: D H Brown’s is the best. The owner is as colorful as they come. He is not afraid to tell you his opinion of everything, and then buy you a drink. If you’re a regular, your drink is usually waiting for you as you approach the bar. Used to be the best Republican bar in town, but as downstate hack mentioned, both sides frequent these days. Lot’s of places I like to eat but it is hard not to argue for Saputo’s for the “political” restaurant. The owner ran for mayor last year, and the place is filled with legislators and lobbyists every session night. Food is legendary. - Jimmy87 - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 11:29 am: Bar - JP Kelly’s. The place is packed seemingly every night during session. Mostly lobbyists and staff, but a few legislators too. I think most members probably prefer the more reserved grill room at the Sangamo Club or the Hideout at Sebastians. My vote is for JP Kelly’s though for top notch service and stiff cocktails. Restaurant - Saputos. THE place to go. Packed with lobbyists, legislators, consultants, insiders…where you want to go on session night. Not necessarily my favorite food, but there are a few standouts on the menu. - Soooo... - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 11:32 am: Bar: JP Kelly’s. Even on non-session days and weekends there are always politicians or politically connected people there. Restaurant: Cafe Moxo. It may just be a small cafe but the breakfast, lunch and atmosphere is always amazing and I know it is a favorite of legislators when they are in town. It is used a lot by Springfield politicians for meetings as well. - Todd - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 11:33 am: best bar — which ever one Skip is at. Best restaurant - Sebastians — bring back the duck enchaladas. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 11:38 am: C’mon, Toddy, don’t cop our on us. - siriusly - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 11:44 am: Restaurant - Skip’s house - great food and unbelievable stories. It’s old school fun. Bar - don’t stay out late enough to know for sure but I like Celtic Mist even if it doesn’t have clout - LilLebowski - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 11:58 am: Best Bar- Totally agree on Bob’s Butternut Hut. Several reasons: 1) Best name 2) Bob himself 3) The weird nick knacks Best Restaurant: Osaka. Martinis. Sushi. Or watching a legislator light their eye brows on fire. - CircularFiringSquad - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 12:07 pm: Hate to seem negative, but those picking The Globe don’t have a good understanding of what makes a good bar —- which could explain why Springfield is not what it once was… A good bar does not feature a design that pins half the customers against a window or shoves them into the hallway or divides the less congested space with too many barriers One might argue the Globe should be disqualified on design/style points - Ace Matson - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 12:10 pm: Bar: Sangamo Club, where the elite meet to greet. Restaurant: the old Southernaire (now the Chesapeake), still the place for those illicit assignations! - AdidasBoy - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 12:15 pm: Best Bar - I have a conflict of interest. Can’t vote. Best Restaurant - There is no doubt that Ross Issaac is the best Restaurant in town. PERIOD. But since it doesn’t seem to be getting the support it deserves, I will vote for Saputos. The best bad Italian there is and you can assuredly get some work/networking done there. It is the place to be on a Mon/Tues/Wed night. - MC - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 12:16 pm: Rich, it should change each year, browns is for guys that have been around since the Thompson era and aren’t really in the know anymore in my opinion and saputos is good but it’s not really the hot spot. For the previous session, it was JP Kelly’s and Ross Isaacs. You know who I am and u know I know the bars and restaurants. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 12:25 pm: ===But since it doesn’t seem to be getting the support it deserves=== Don’t go wimpy on us. - eddy - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 12:27 pm: Bar: Globe. The reason….Kathleen Hunter. She’s the best Restaurant: lunch at Maldaners: cheap (unlike dinner) and awesome food - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 12:41 pm: ===You know who I am=== No, I don’t. - ozzy - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 12:52 pm: Browns is the best by far. When the amateurs come to town that might have other ideas. Those of u s who play the home game know the best bars. Hint they are not in hotels. Moxo is a great place.for lunch. The wannabes can get excited by a glimpse of the speaker at another restaurant but the pros go where the food is good - Obamas Puppy - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 1:02 pm: Bar: Old Globe since it was in exitence for all of the regualr session Resteraunt: Ross Isaac - KGB - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 1:55 pm: Ozzy, not sure what you mean by “amateurs come to town” but Springfield would be a backwater hole without the out of towners doing business there. So your remark about hotel bars not not being the best is wrong. That’s usually the last stop before..whatever. Anyway, i endorse No Name bar because a ton of legislators stay at StateHouse so its easy to find/work them there before and after dinner– and I agree that the staff is the best there as well. And I have to heartily endorse Ross Isaac’s, not only for being the best food in town but fo also attracting a slew of legislators every night. If you get a table at the back, working your way through that place saluting and shaking hands is like a scene out of Goodfellas (without the mobsters, of course). - TwoFeetThick - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 1:58 pm: Part of my answer is prospective: Best Political Bar: Boone’s Saloon. Sure, it’s not there yet but, after a long hiatus, she’s once again open for business. Location: can’t get any better. Beer garden: great. When the warm weather comes back around in the spring, I predict this will become the place where everyone goes to breathe some fresh air, quaff a few, and discuss the day’s happenings under the Dome. Best Political Restaurant: Ross Isaac. People are there, food is great, and they make a fantastic dirty martini. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 1:59 pm: ===(without the mobsters, of course). === Usually. - The Captain - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 2:45 pm: Even though Boone’s doesn’t have a lot of votes it’s going to win this for three reasons: 1) I’m always right 2) It’s open again 3) We want it to remain open so we’re going to be nice to Boones. Stay open this time. Restaurant, I’ve always preferred Sebastians but I don’t feel that strongly about it. - Team Sleep - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 4:16 pm: I don’t go out much to drink anymore because I’m getting older and have kids now, but I always enjoy going to D.H. Brown’s. You can always find lots of plugged in types during session, the State Fair and most regular weekends. This may sound like an off-the-wall restaurant for this list, but I have found D’Arcy’s Pint to be frequented by plenty of political types - especially visitors who love grabbing that once a year or once a session horseshoe. - CicularFiringSquad - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 4:48 pm: Brown’s does have the best name, too many GOPies - Garbage Collector - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 5:10 pm: Ross Isaac by far is the best restaurant in town. Food is always good and they don’t serve horseshoes. Best bar is a toss up…… Sportsman or Boones - Casual Observer - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 5:20 pm: This won’t be counted but I’ll say it anyway. Yhe best political bar and restaurant of ALL TIME: Bar: The Caucus Room Restaurant: Bauer’s - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 6:19 pm: My own personal faves… Bar: A certain cubby hole on the 6th floor Sorry, can’t say more than that. But Schnorf will back me up on this one. Restaurant: Sangamo. You can see the Speaker (and Senate President) and have a decent meal. Plus, they keep the riff-raff out. Yeah, I’m getting old. - Old School - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 6:40 pm: Bar: Scandals, not everyone goes there but the people who do are the people you want to lobby. Restaurant: Room service. I prefer to do my lobbying in private. - CicularFiringSquad - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 6:49 pm: You are riff raff Looks like Butternut Hut wins - uncle jed - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 7:30 pm: Best Bar D. H. Brown. the place has been there for decades and outlasted everybody. Decent drink prices along with good service (most of the time) Best Restaurant Saputos no contest there either - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 7:38 pm: ===You are riff raff=== And proud of it. - Way Way Down Here - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 7:40 pm: —Yeah, I’m getting old.— Amen brother. - Garbage Collector - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 7:40 pm: Rich, your own personal faves………… Also a great location. - Don't Worry, Be Happy - Tuesday, Dec 6, 11 @ 9:21 pm: Bar - No Name gets a great mix of legislators and lobbyists and other hangers-on. Second choice would be Sebastian’s basement - there’s always someone there. Restaurant - Maldaners always has a bunch of heavy hitters having dinners there. And the food is great. Second choice is Augie’s, for the same reasons. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Dec 7, 11 @ 7:49 am: –I don’t go out much to drink anymore because I’m getting older and have kids now,– Dude, you’re confused. Those are reasons TO go out and drink. 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