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MULTIMEDIA »  VIDEO: A tour of the Red Door Cresta Smith, bartender and manager of The Red Door in Portsmouth, creates a delicious ginger pear martini on a recent Saturday night. Photo by Deb Cram

Manager and Bartender of the Red Door, Cresta Smith, interacts with a customer on a recent Saturday evening in the Portsmouth martini bar. Photo by Deb Cram

Editor’s note: This is the first in a new monthly series of stories and multimedia presentations that take our readers into the clubs and bars that make the Seacoast such a fun place to live.

A short walk up a flight of sharp and narrow stairs from busy State Street below, The Red Door is Portsmouth’s answer to suave and sophisticated hotspots more often found in cities like Boston or New York.

The vibe is mellow cool — accented by wood floors, comfortable couches and brick walls — and is in no way snooty.

Opened on Oct. 29, 2003 by Jay McSharry (aka the Donald Trump of Seacoast eateries — as in Jumpin’ Jay’s, Radici, Little Louie’s, Dover Soul, Dos Amigos Burritos and The Dunaway), The Red Door is run by Cresta Smith, one of the few bar managers who is both down to earth and strikingly beautiful.

Watching her interact with patrons is reminiscent of a friendly party host who wants to make sure everyone is happy, has a full glass and in a good mood. On weekends and busy nights you’ll find Cresta’s younger sister, Abrah Smith, behind the bar helping out. This tag team makes one heck of a cocktail, which is part of what sets The Red Door apart from other pubs and clubs along the Seacoast. The martinis here are top shelf, with a hefty pour and a scientist’s flair for invention.

The Japanese Sunflower, for example, combines sake, Van Gogh pineapple vodka, a splash of lime and ginger ale ($8). Most of the drinks are in the $7 to $8 range, are a good value, and except for a few mainstays follow a seasonal rotation. New to the menu this winter is the Truman Capote (Southern Comfort with orange mandarin spice — $8), named for the author of “In Cold Blood,” and the subject of the new movie starring Philip Seymour Hoffman. “I wanted to do something with Southern Comfort because everybody says it’s the best buzz ever,” Cresta says without hesitation.

Let’s talk about the buzz

“Every drink has its own following,” she continues. “I don’t have the luxury of space so everything up there has a reason to be there. I’ve pared it all down to what sells, what works.”

While the techno music spun by DJs such as Lord Bass (aka Chris DeVries, the host of WUNH-FM 91.3’s Trance Lab radio show) can get a bit loud at times, The Red Door is not a booty shaking dance club. “We want the music low enough so you can have a conversation,” says Cresta. “We really don’t have the room for dancing, although we do let people dance as long as they’re not knocking drinks over. But nine out of 10 shouldn’t be (dancing)because they’re just rubbin’ butts.” (For a taste of the techno groove listen to Trance Lab on Monday night’s from 9 to 11 p.m., or go to www.trancelab.com where you can down-load the full show each week for free.)

In addition to the great martinis, friendly smiles and smooth lounge music, The Red Door also plays host to one of the most consistently hip and happening nights of original music to be found anywhere on the Seacoast. Every Monday night, from 8 to 10 p.m., the stage is set for the Hush, Hush, Sweet Harlot series, which brings together up-and-coming local and national acts — mostly acoustic rockers and singer-songwriters, but also avant-garde and hip-hop. There’s a suggested $5 cover for the bands, and if that leaves you short on cash you can always nurse the $2 PBRs.

Add to that the upcoming resurgence of Tong, another original music series formerly held downstairs at the Muddy River Smoke House, and you have all the makings of one very cool space indeed.

One last bit of advice, this is the primo after-dinner date spot. The next time you take your best babe or boy-toy (aka husband/ wife/ boy -and-or-girlfriend) out for a delicious dinner, save dessert for a liquid nightcap at The Red Door. Try the Espresso Martini made with Absolut Vanilla vodka, Kahlua, Bailey’s and caffeine — as in a fresh shot of excellent espresso for just $8. It’s almost as yummy as the medium-rare chocolate cake at Lindbergh’s Crossing, and the buzz will give you the requisite second wind, without the stumble and stammer, to keep the night going long after you both get home.

Michael Keating is managing editor/ features at Seacoast media Group. He doesn’t get out nearly as much as he oughta

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