Where the elite go to drink: Hunters’ Tavern at Easton, Md’s Tidewater Inn {Classic Article}

Whether you want to impress a client, meet someone in a different social circle or just have a different kind of good time, it’s important to know where the real upper crust bends an elbow. Don’t be fooled by hipster hangouts, arrivistetraps, places that really boil down to flash mob spots that gain traction on Twitter. There are a lot of those types of places around town and you can sniff them out by their overpriced drinks and painful adherence to whatever “name” vodka is hot at the nano-second. Don’t be fooled by flashes in the pan.

If traditional and understated is more your style, head to Easton on Maryland‘s Eastern Shore. The Tidewater Inn’s Hunters’ Tavern has seen the likes of Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Gleason, John Forsythe, Ozzie Davis, Johnny Unitas, Serena and Venus Williams, and many others. Robert Mitchum, who lived in nearby Trappe, frequently entertained there, while President John Kennedy and brother, Robert, hunted in the area and came often to the restaurant. Whoopi Goldberg also stayed there while filming “Clara’s Heart” in 1988. More recently, it hosted Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, and Dionne Warwick.

The dark woods and cozy layout of Hunters’ Tavern make for a comfortable feeling; it’s subdued without being furtive. There are local and craft beers on tap for $5 — they don’t have to prove anything. Monday through Friday from 4-6 pm, appetizers are half-price. With a tv and friendly bartender, you won’t feel like an outsider and folks talk to each other at the bar. Happy hunting!