889) Radio Perfecto
Radio Perfect is located at 190 Avenue B and, as perhaps you might guess from the name, there are a lot of radios in here, probably about fifty on the bar side and more in the dining area that is in the room next door. They look like they are from the 50’s and 60’s and sit on shelves mounted on the pale yellow tiled walls.
The tiles have a raised pattern on them similar to what you see on old tin ceilings. The ceiling, on the other hand, is covered in what looks like red floor tiles. The floor is wood. Old overhead fans hang from the ceiling and there is a lot of track lighting with small spotlights.
The bar is old wood with bar stools but now foot rail or foot rest. The bar back is kin of an assemblage of dark wood drawers and doorless cabinets down below with a slightly lightere wood framed mirror and recessed tiered shelves for the liquor. On each side of that setup are what looks to be homemade shelves of light wood that hold glasses, more liquor and, on the narrow shelves to the right, just papers and stuff. Bottles in dispensers sit on one side of the bar back and a set of empty dispensers sit on the other.
On the wall up front by the windows and across from shelves of real radios is a sculpture that looks like a bunch of little radios.
The light fixtures on the walls are old power drills with long clear lightbulbs where the drill-bit would normally be. The place is decorated for Halloween with cobwebs and blood dripping from the top of the mirror. On the wall immediately opposite the bar is a mirror.
I had a Hofbrau Munchen Octoberfest, quite tasty.
890) Rue-B
Right next door is this crowded and noisy place with a small informal dining area up front and a small metal topped bar in the back. The bar has a wooden front, a foot rest, and old fashioned bar chairs with curved backs and armrests. The wall behind the bar is old brick, not that you can see much of it. Glass shelves filled with liquor bottles, two mirrors, one with an art-deco metal frame, and a metal beer station with six spigot cover most of it. Amongst the liquor bottles and next to a bottle of Ruma is one of those transparent medical models of a man outfitted with little blinking lights. To the immediate right of the bar are black and white photos of musicians, one of Joe Lewis, and movie stills. The larges movie still is of Marlon Brando on his motorcycle (a Triumph, not a Harley) from The Wild Ones. You might want to check it out, but I don’t think there were any Harley’s in that movie.
There are a lot of pictures on the walls in here but none on the wall opposite the bar. There you have wood paneling toped by a ledge for drinks and short, ice-cream parlor type stools in front. Wall mounted lights with perforated metal shades hang over the ledge. The lights above the bar have deep inverted plate white glass shades. There is a lot of track lighting on the ceiling with small spots, similar to Radio Perfecto.
I had a Bloody Mary. The Mysterious Chinese Woman had some kind of a smoothie and she said it was delicious. It was made in the open kitchen area in the back and looked like a malted milk. You needed a spoon to eat most of it.
891) Lucky Stiffs
Over at 211 Avenue A at the corner of 13th is this friendly place with a dark brown wood wavy L shaped bar with brown and black bar stools. Orange walls with brown wooden pillars and wooden floors. The window frames and doorway are painted a dark blue. Behind the bar are a large L and a large S in a somewhat abstract style. The bar back with the liquor bottles is back lit with blue lights. Large globe lights hang from the ceiling over the bar and the small dining area in the back. The bartender, Clint, was arranging yellow and orange flowers in small vases to for the tables in the back.
Clint, Bartender and Floral Arranger
There are two large flat-screen televisions over the bar and I got to watch the exciting end of the Vikings/Packers game. The Vikings managed to win with a 56 yard field goal as time ran out. There are a few Halloween decorations scattered about and a jukebox beside the doorway and a Pac-Man machine. The glass doors open onto the street and gives the place an airy look.
I had a Bombay Gin Martini, shaken, not stirred.
A decent enough day with three bars hit making 891 for the year and leaving 109 more to go. It would be nice to hit 910 before the month is out so that I can begin to take a bit of a breather. Can’t really be out carousing on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Well, I could be, but it would be best if I wasn’t. Mysterious Mother-In-Law wasn’t too happy with me on New Year’s day.
No comments:
Post a Comment