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So… you want to take a local power broker our for drinks or meal and you want them to be at ease.  Where should you go?

If you’re courting a Democrat, member of metro Atlanta’s finest, a theater person, or beat writer, there is no other place than Manuel’s Tavern.  Manuel’s was named for Manuel Maloof, whose family still runs the bar.  Democrats have been meeting here for years and many a political deal has been cut in this establishment.  Members of Atlanta’s finest, theater folks, and reporters also all mix here depending on what time of day you get there.  Just look on the walls.  You can’t be a Democrat and win the general election without coming to Manuels.  Anyone can get in and anyone can walk around.  It helps however, to know which group your trying to reach as they all sit in different parts of the tavern.  Particularly progressive Democrats have also been known to congregate at Thinking Man’s Tavern.

Republicans have more money and have not really established a single watering whole as their own.  However, the Capital Grille seems to meet the needs of Republicans and their well heeled lobbyist clientele quite nicely.  Apologist Neal Boortz has been throwing his “power lunches” there for some time and the staff makes sure that deals can be made with the utmost discretion.  Some Republicans have also taken to hanging out at the River Room.  First, it’s right next to Matt Towery’s offices, and second, it’s in a Post Community where it looks like a town, but there is no civic authority to create regulation.  Instead, it’s entirely corporate controlled.

In Atlanta, African Americans are a substantial power structure on their own without regard to party (though there are more Democrats than Republicans).  Still, all must pass through Paschal’s at some point.  Many folks don’t even realize that the venerable restaurant is still in business, but it has a lovely location just west of Castleberry Hill.   A visit there on any given Sunday will still show you class of Atlanta’s African American Elite.  As the “Unofficial Headquarters of the Civil Rights Movement”, and as the  place where Morehouse and Spellmen graduates celebrate big events, Paschals remains a vibrant part of the scene.  The tea is sweet, the steaks are good, the cobbler is hot.  Anyone who has not been should go.  Anyone who has been knows that if you want to meet the elite, Paschals is the place to which you should beat your retreat!

Libertarians?  Apparently, you’re free to meet where ever you’d like… but they seem to tend toward the Piccadilly Cafeteria in Cobb County.  That’s scary.  C’mon guys, couldn’t you find a bar in which to drink about Ayn Rand?  Or does the cafeteria form create the best culinary representation of informed consumer choice?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007 at 1:50 am and is filed under Politics, as Usual, Stupid Development Tricks, Venues and Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.