BEHIND BARS

Just how much business in town seems to be affected by the overall crackdown on driving under the influence, and the added presence of Charleston's finest? I put the question out there and as expected, the results were quite interesting. It seems, at least with downtown's bar scene, since the police have been more prevalent, numbers of guests in usually high-volume bars has dropped by as much as 20 percent. The resounding consensus seems that there are so many options closer to people's homes in this day and age, that patrons don't have to make the trip downtown to party.

Market Street chic

Saturday night, my buddy Nathaniel and I wandered up stairs to the Market Pavilion Bar, 225 East Bay St.

While being one of the most expensive bars in town, you clearly do enjoy the best view in the city from the rooftop vantage point. They serve a great menu late into the evening, and as long as you don't mind spending a few extra bucks, the clientele and the view are well worth the visit.

For more information, log onto www.marketpavilion.com.

Social

Social, 188 East Bay St., offers up a fun Thursday night for its guests. The establishment introduced Little Black Dress Night every Thursday. Let's face it, what girl do we know who doesn't like the world to be her runway? Ladies can purchase $2 champagne all night long. For more details, log onto www.socialwinebar.com.

Henry's

Henry's in Mount Pleasant, 816 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., is featuring Ladies Nuvo Night on Thursdays. One dollar from every Nuvo cocktail served will be donated to breast cancer awareness funds. The establishment also offers $3 flavored Smirnoff martinis. For details, give the place a call at 971-1777.

Healthy cocktails

This week's healthy cocktail involves our own version of sweet tea vodka and lemonade. While I am crazy for Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, it is not the most waist-friendly cocktail of choice. As a matter of fact it is loaded with sugar. So here is an alternative. Brew some iced tea and chill. Take 1 ounce of vodka on the rocks, pour in the chilled tea that is sweetened with Splenda and add a splash of sugar free lemonade. It's really a nice alternative.

Drop me a line at lroberts@postandcourier.com.