Hamlet & Ghost

A former plumbing supply store isn’t the first place that comes to mind for date night. But this corner plot on Caroline Street has all the makings of a romantic spot: the old brick building feels like a two-room speakeasy hidden in plain sight, with one space where you can watch the busy bar, and another looking into the bustling kitchen. There are plenty of delicious mocktails and cocktails (try the new Unlikely Pear, where blended scotch, grapefruit, bitters, and egg white are mixed to enhance the pear brandy), and the food menu is packed with seasonal dishes and highlights like the farm sourced squash and parsnips, or the autumn staple, cider-battered cheese curds. Go for duck-fat french fries, anything involving heirloom tomatoes, and entrees like the grass-fed burger and the NY strip steak. Something else we love about Hamlet & Ghost: whenever it’s raining, they take $2 off their dark and stormy cocktails, and if it’s snowing, they’ll take $2 off a hot toddy at the bar.