Dead Poet

Owner Drew Dvorkin was a bartender for 12 years, and then an English Lit. teacher for several more. He decided to merge the two occupations, and in August 2000, the Dead Poet came to life. Its cozy front room houses a 20-foot wooden bar, and the decor stays true to the bar's name: Framed verses, like Oscar Wilde's "Work is the curse of the drinking classes," hang on the walls alongside black-and-white photos of James Joyce, Hilda Doolittle and T.S. Eliot. Partially lit with a streetlamp, the petite backroom holds small tables and chairs, a pool table and bookshelves lined with vintage books that the clientele are encouraged to browse through. Don't worry, there's never a pop quiz. (Source: Citysearch.com)