GEMINI - Key Persons
Pauly Graves has served as the welcoming face of the bar at Gemini Bistro, a neighborhood gem in Chicago's Lincoln Park, since the restaurant opened its doors in 2009. He keeps his cocktail philosophy rooted in the classics, but every recipe twist has a little story associated with it - from The Heater, a spicy margarita he originally started making for a member of law enforcement who frequents the restaurant; or The Squirtsky, his house made version of a citrusy vodka drink friend and Owner Ryan O'Donnell used to serve up at parties. Graves amuses guests, many of them once- or twice-a-week regulars, with these tales of their favorite cocktails while effortlessly mixing up drinks with a liberal hand and sans pretension. "When our guests come in, they know they're getting a friendly environment to enjoy a drink that's well-poured," he says. "It's about balance, but it's also about serving something generous at an appropriate price."
It was at that time that he reconnected with O'Donnell, who was preparing to open a restaurant in Miami's South Beach and wanted to invite Graves down for a three-month stint to launch the bar program. Afterward, Graves moved back to New York and worked at The Smith, a cocktail-centric American brasserie on the Lower East Side, until he received another call from O'Donnell saying that he planned to open up a concept in Chicago and wanted to recruit Graves again for the beverage menu and staff training. So Graves packed up for what he thought would be a quick trip to the Midwest in July 2009. He helped open Gemini Bistro two months later - and he's still manning the bar today.