Commander's Chef Tory MacPhail's Favorite Dive is Ms Mae's

Tory MacPhail, the chef of legendary and almost-painfully classy landmark, Commander's Palace, apparently loves Ms Mae's, the uptown dive bar featuring the "cheapest drinks in town." Find. Eat. Drink. polled bartenders and chefs to name the best (or perhaps just favorite) dives around the country, and New Orleans represented the South with four contributions.

Polled for their recommendations for New Orleans were MacPhail, Chris Hannah, bartender at Arnaud's French 75, and Lu Brow, bartender at the Swizzle Stick Bar.

· Ms Mae's: Uptown dive bar usually featuring blaring heavy metal, a biker with a python, frat boys playing air hockey, and much, much more. Ms Mae's recently tested their clientele's love by doubling their prices (and changing their name to "The Club Ms Mae's"), but at $2 for a drink, they're still the cheapest drinks in town, and the bar is still open 24 hours.
· Snake and Jake's Christmas Club Lounge: Farther uptown, also open 24 hrs, this bar features a Schlitz special, and the promise (myth?) of free drinks for as long as you're naked. Yes, get naked in the bar, get free drinks. It helps if you're a lady (men tend to get thrown out).
· The Saint: Garden District dive that, like Snake and Jake's, doesn't have any windows, so you'll never know that the sun came up. Heavy emphasis on beer and well whiskey shots. Both Snake and Jake's and The Saint were recommended by Chris Hannah.
· Vaughn's: Suggested by Lu Brow of the Swizzle Stick Bar, Vaughn's claim to dive status could be called into question with the recent popularity of Treme and the suddenly huge interest in heading here Thursday nights, when Kermit Ruffins and the Barbeque Swingers play a late night show and serve free red beans.

[Photo: NolaNiteLife.com]