Year opened 1976
Distinguishing features Red carpet, of course, and booths, plus five video-lottery machines. Thursday is Steak Night: $14 for ribeye, salad, bread, and two sides. Smoking was banned in 2008, but resinous walls still evoke a more decadent past.
Who drinks here Blue-collar locals, plus journalists, lawmakers, legislative staffers, and lobbyists from the nearby state capitol.
Signature drink Watermelon shots (vodka, pineapple juice, orange juice, Southern Comfort, crème de almond), $1.25.
Celebrity sightings Nick Nolte (he’s married two local women); Leslie Nielsen (the Airplane star was a fan of the Mountain State). One longtime patron swears she saw former First Lady Rachael Worby bark for a Red Dog Beer, as was required under house rules when ordering that brand.
Off the record If someone invokes the “Red Carpet Privilege,” it means everything you hear is on background.
Nickname Carpay Rouge.
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The Editors are the staffers of the Columbia Journalism Review.