Book 'Em
Beer, Books and a New Burger

Your problem with libraries—no booze, of course.

Your problem with library-themed bars—no kitchen, of course.
 
Well, you'll be happy to know that all your demands have finally been met. Library Bar officially debuts its new kitchen tonight.

If you just stumbled in without doing your homework (as if that would happen), you wouldn't initially realize anything had changed. You'll still find couches by the fireplace, Tom Wolfe tomes on the well-stocked bookshelves and prime beers alongside literary-themed cocktails like the vodka-Chambord concoction Paradise Lost. (You might've named it after the sequel, Paradise Found, but to each his own.) But the owners have been reading up on kitchen construction, which means they no longer have to rely on meager deliveries from Wolfgang Puck's nearby cafe.
 
If you and your date are just in the mood to impress each other with literary references over small bites, try the Pork Belly Skewers, the Deviled Marrowbones—or the Steak Fries tossed with pork fat and sea salt. (As all things you ingest should be.) But if you're looking for meatier fare, you might want to try out The Library Burger, a notable accomplishment in the city's burger oeuvre, with grilled onions, arugula and housemade pickles.
 
Because you never judge a burger by its cover.