Blaggard, Blaggard, and Barry

No, not a law firm that I retained to represent me in a drunk and disorderly case, but it sounds like it could be. These are actually the three bars that I hit today. As promised I followed up and visited the other two Blaggard’s and then popped in for a final one across the street from the third Blaggard.

537) Blaggard’s



This is an older, more authentic looking Irish pub than the fancier one I went to yesterday. It is located not too far away at 210 West 35th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues. A good place to hang out after an event at Madison Square Garden. Very nice, and comfortable. More of a place I would feel comfortable hanging out in. The other one would be more of a date place. I was surprised the Mysterious Chinese Woman didn’t show. But back to this Blaggard’s (it is all so confusing). There is an old wood bar with a foot rest and dark wood bar chairs with green and rose patterned cloth seats. Domed glass light fixtures hang over the bar. There is old, but not overly fancy, cabinetry behind the bar with four gold framed mirrors. Plenty of wooden shelves hold the liquor and glasses. Cabinets and coolers with wooden doors are down under. There are three white hard-hats hanging above the shelves between the mirrors. They are covered by signatures, but I do not know whose. I would guess they are those of workers at the World Trade Center site. The floor is a black and white hexagon pattern.

There is dark wood paneling with narrow ledges lining one wall and above the paneling it is painted a lemony yellow. Mirrors and pictures of old Ireland provide most of the decoration. Up front there is a large dark painting featuring a bar scene with the name Blaggard’s prominently displayed. There is another bar scene painting with two carousers toward the back that reminded me of a few nights I have had with a buddy of mine. Actually, many nights with different buddies. There is also a pleasant looking dining area in the back. Lights with small stained glass shades hang from the ceiling and smaller stained glass shaded lamps are mounted on the walls. Not too crowded but the few people who were there must be regulars. When the bartenders starts making your drink before you order, or even sit down, you are a regular.

I had a fresh (first one from the keg) Guinness.

538) Blaggard’s



I took a hike to the Blaggard’s at 45 West 39th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenue. See, this is how you keep the weight off. This Blaggard’s is another old style Irish pub and I believe it was the first one. Until they open another this is the last one to visit. This place has a younger and more boisterous crowd. Maybe it is because this one has a cute blond female bartender wearing a snug pink top with a deep scoop front. Not that Bar Man notices such things. No, Bar Man focused on the luscious, smooth, creamy looking...head on his Guinness. Yeah, that’s it, the head on his Guinness.

Green glass shaded lights hang over the old, somewhat scuffed up wooden bar. Plain wooden bar chairs, old wooden floors, and a low green ceiling. There was the same general décor as the last place and similar style paintings were on the walls. One of the paintings is of an Irish policeman. A blackboard announces that there is a pool table upstairs but I never made it up there. There is a similar looking setup behind the bar but this one is festooned with little white Christmas lights.

I noticed that all three Blaggard’s served whatever you ordered in Killian’s Red glasses and this place was also festooned with Killian’s Red paraphernalia proclaiming that they are the official beer of St. Patrick’s Day. Excuse me; a Coors product has become the official St. Patrick’s day beer? I don’t think so. And Guinness should probably lodge a complaint about their beer being served in Killian's glasses.

Hard to believe, but my Guinness here was even fresher. They had to tap a new keg just for me.

539) John Barry’s



Just across the street at 38 West 39th Street is this restaurant and bar. It is narrow and deep enough to be a classic Irish pub but has been fancied up a bit. I suspect that in it’s earlier incarnation it was a more traditional pub because the bar looked to be older than anything else in the place. There is a solid panel of mirrors behind the bar above what looks to be the bottom of whatever cabinetry was there from an older place. Recessed red and white lights illuminate the area behind the bar and the little sitting area up front. The sitting area up front has a couch, a settee, and a patterned rug on the floor. It is probably for people who are waiting for a table at the back but don’t want to sit or stand at the bar. I can’t imagine such a thing myself.

Cone shaped parchment shaded lights hang directly over the bar. The ceiling is kind of an arched, gold-shaded, patterned tile that somehow reminded me of being in a European subway. The walls on the bar side of the room are kind of a pea soup green and the walls on the opposite side are a deep rose. Little round tables with chairs line the wall behind the bar chairs. Small lamps with tan shades are mounted on the walls above them. There is a dining area in the back that is separated from the front by drawn curtains. All kinds of interesting art and artsy photographs adorn the wall.

I had a Pete’s Wicked Rally Cap Ale just because I liked the name. It was quite good. I like most Pete’s Wicked products

I was going to eliminate this line but got requests, well one request, to leave it in so here goes. Three beers for the day making 539 for the year and leaving 461 to go. Okay Kim, that was for you and all of your friends in Dallas.