"I learned that Scott Crawford recently opened his first cocktail bar beneath his French bistro, Jolie, at 620 North Person Street in Raleigh. The 35-seat bar, led by Crawford Hospitality beverage director Jordan Joseph (who got his start at Chapel Hill’s famed Crunkleton), focuses on classic cocktails—martinis, Manhattans, Negronis—and will evolve daily to include originals from the team. Joseph says the dedicated cocktail bar lets them take experimentation further with no limits and that they aim to make the best version of each drink by treating every aspect seriously—from specific glassware to hand-cut ice and controlling the temperature of every ingredient to improve mouthfeel. They’ll also maintain a library of vintage spirits to sip, from Chartreuse and amaro to pre-Prohibition whiskey. Sous Terre is open nightly starting at 5 p.m. and hosts industry nights on Sundays to offer discounts to members of the food and beverage community." - Erin Perkins