Townhouse Bar & Grill, Emeryville

###Five Things to Know About Townhouse Bar and Grill Townhouse Bar and Grill has served the community more or less continuously since the 1920s, assuming a lineup of titles that includes bar, restaurant, dining club, country-western destination, and grill along the way. Read on for more about Townhouse’s colorful—and sometimes checkered—history: * **It’s housed in an old speakeasy.** A local fireman had the building constructed in 1926, and leased it to a businessman known only as “Blackie.” His business, however, was less than above board. He spent the next decade running a bootlegging operation on the property during the height of Prohibition. * **Movie stars were regulars.** The speakeasy became a legitimate restaurant in the 1940s, and hosted such luminaries as Betty Grable, Tony Curtis, and Harry James. * **The bar has its own album.** As the country-western craze hit in the late ‘70s, the Townhouse became a full-blown—and extremely popular—western bar with dancing and live music. In 1982, a talent booker commemorated this successful era by compiling an album called _Townhouse Live!_. * **The executive chef has an impressive resume.** Chef Ellen Hope Rosenberg—who took over the space in 1989—received her culinary education in Paris, and worked at Michael’s, L’Orangerie, and and Wolfgang Puck’s Spago before moving to Townhouse. * **The menu is more adventurous than you might think.** Today, Townhouse Bar and Grill serves upscale American fare with a global twist. Expect plates such as baby-back ribs with coconut barbecue sauce, sesame-encrusted ahi tuna, and burgers with garlic fries.