Open since 1919, Musso & Frank Grill is Hollywood's oldest restaurant, a steak-and-cocktails joint formerly favored by Charlie Chaplin and Raymond Chandler. The history here is palpable, but you don't have to be a movie star to try their famed martini. These beauties (gin is favored among the older crowd, vodka among the younger) are stirred, not shaken, and topped with two olives and only a splash of vermouth if requested. While the martini is served throughout the week, the steadfast crew here makes more than 800 on a Saturday night. If you aren't already a martini drinker, Musso & Frank's version will make you an immediate convert.
There are plenty of ways to drink a martini: shaken or stirred, dirty or dry, gin or vodka, a 50/50 blend or just a splash of vermouth. James Bond had his preferences, but so does every martini drinker, whether they're asking for one in an upscale cocktail bar or a haggard-looking dive. A Musso & Frank Grill martini is one of LA's signature cocktails, but there are plenty other variations that deserve a hat tip around town. Here are our favorites, from a gin martini accompanied by potato chips to a vesper garnished with a simple twist of lemon.
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