L'Oubli (now closed)

Father and son duos can kick serious ass -- for proof, look no further than Moskowitz & Sons Ass Kicking LLC. For a father-son team kicking barstaraunt ass, check out L'Oubli.

From a native Frenchman with 30yrs in the industry and his fils, who's hustled bar jobs since 14 and recently helped put together the cocktail program at Monkey Bar, this small plate drink den only offers hi-top/counter seating and has familiar Gallic touches including tin ceilings and a rustic barnwood bar backed by distressed mirrors, which probably got that way when you looked into them. The tapas-like menu will always feature fresh meat & cheese platters, plus a rotation of 10 dishes from a French-heavy stable of farmhouse fare that includes stuffs both froid -- country pate, duck rillettes, prosciutto-wrapped breadsticks dipped in bourbon -- and chaud, from oysters gratin, to bone marrow toasts, to beer/cheese-drenched Welsh rare-bit, though in your case the rare bit would be not being drenched in beer and cheese. In addition to standards, cocktail specials'll also rotate in threes (one original, one modern, one classic), with opening night exhibiting the absinthe & champagne Death in the Afternoon (classic), the modern Grand Marnier Smash (titular liquor w/ lemon & sugar), and an original blend of corn whiskey/mezcal/Averna topped w/ white pepper & root beer they call the Movie Theatre Classic, a potent mix helpful for anyone attempting to watch classics like Dersu Uzala.

In addition to hard stuff there's a large selection of local beer, plus vino not just French but also Spanish, Italian, South African, and Kiwi -- sample them all for the courage to confront your dad without the help of Moskowitz, and his son who knows karate.