The term “best-kept-secret” no longer applies to the bar area at this enduring izakaya, especially after legendary barman Murray Stenson did a turn here a few years back. Scarlet lanterns reading “Izakaya” light up the doorways of Tokyo snack bars, beckoning weary workers with early-evening belts and bites. Two such oblong fixtures dangle outside Kaname, where worn hardwoods and lager-promoting table tents feel as spot-on as the menu—fried chicken, chilled tofu, snowball-size panko-crusted croquettes—and the focus on shochu, an earthy spirit made from potato, barley, or rice that they sip like crazy in Japan. The place is filled with downtown white collars who hop the light rail from University Street Station with happy hour on their minds, and it remains a reliable destination for drinks and snacks before a concert, after a game, or just for the hell of it.