Another nice day, but still on the cool side. Being sunny made it nice to be out and being cool made it acceptable to stop into a bar to warm up. Or at least that is my way of thinking.
482) Daddy-O
This place is located in the former home of Universal Bar and Grill at 44 Bedford Street, right on the corner of Bedford and Leroy. We are in Greenwich Village so the streets and corners are always a bit fun around here. Streets aren’t straight and many of them aren’t very long either. Suffice it to say you are not far from 7th Avenue. This is a fairly small place and, if you don’t look sharp, you may very well miss it. Not much on the outside except the name, in black letters, on the door and a few credit card signs and a Zagat’s review pasted on it as well. It has dark-green walls, a tannish tile floor with a bit of a marble-like design, and a tan ceiling with an overhead fan. There are windows on two sides with kind of brownish pink Venetian blinds. Black curved cushioned settees flank the door and each is wrapped around a small round table. Along one wall is a long, black cushioned bench with half a dozen small round tables and chairs in front of it. The bar itself has a black marble top and the front is wooden. It does have a silver bar rail. I like bar rails. The bar chairs are wood with black cushions and are taller versions of the other chairs in the place. Lights above the bar hang from long metal tubes and have pith-hat shaped glass shades. Glass shelves in a wooden frame hold a large liquor selection and glasses. Not much in the way of decorations, just a few lights mounted on the wall and a blackboard in the back with the specials written on it. There was also a television.
I had a Bloody Mary made from scratch and it was quite good. The bartender, when he realized it was Kentucky Derby day sent someone out for mint so he could make Mint Juleps latter. Those little touches make a place a bit special.
483) Mr. Dennehy’s
Although the address of Mr. Dennehy’s is 63 Carmine, you can also enter it through a smaller entrance on 7th Avenue. It has a good sized wooden bar with a top that looks like a well worn dining room table. Bar chairs have a lattice like back and black cushions and match the bar in color, kind of a reddish look to them. The floor has black and brown marble-like tiles and the ceiling is cream colored. Ten hooked copper tube spigots emerge from the top of the bar and pump the beer selection. The wall behind the bar is brick and the shelving matches the bar. There are lots of bottles and glasses and wine racks in the middle. Two guitars, one electric and one acoustic, are also back there. Two nice flat screen televisions are mounted behind the bar. Kentucky Derby coverage was on one and the Yankees were on the other. A lot of serious horse players, or so they seemed to me, were reviewing the newspapers and other racing related mater and discussing the possibilities. If the game lasts long enough people could watch Steinbrenner’s horse run while his Yankees play like horses asses (They had three errors in the tenth inning last night to lose the game and remain in last place). There are a few pictures of Irish whiskies on one wall and a couple of pictures on the expanse of brick wall to the left of the bar. The rest of the walls are cream with bench seating flush against them with tables and chairs in front. Small stained glass shaded lights hang over the bar and there is also spot-lighting embedded in the ceiling. Somewhat peculiar wooden extensions protrude from the shelving behind the bar and they too have embedded lights. Small candles were being placed on the bar.
I had a Widmer Hefeweizen
484) 1849 Bar and Grill
I guess the theme of this place at 183 Bleeker Street is supposed to be an 1849 era saloon. Of course the 12 flat-screen televisions strewn about the place takes away from that ambience. Kind of like serving Coca Cola at a renaissance fair (instead of ale and mead). There were a lot of animals killed to decorate this place. All kinds of mounted heads, from deer to bison, on the walls and stuffed foxes and even a rattlesnake poised to strike (are they ever poised any other way) stuck around. The chandeliers were made from antlers (where have I seen this before) hanging from the wooden plank ceiling. Large wooden statues of Indians (the Native American kind) flanked the door. The bar, all the way in the back, is rough brick with a dark wood top and is L shaped. It has a wooden foot rest and bar chairs, some with black vinyl seats, some with light tan. A dozen draft beers are served out of three brass stations. One side of the dining area has old-fashioned plush red seating and the other side has more of a picnic table look to it. There is an upstairs area but I didn’t get up there to check it out. Cabinets with glass doors in the corners behind the bar hold liquor and wine and glasses. Wood shelves, some backed by mirrors, hold the rest of a good sized selection of liquor. The female bartender was quite animated and friendly and seemed quite interested in sports. She wasn’t going to be serving Mint Juleps though because she had no mint.
I had a Magic Hat #9 and it was only $2.50, a very good price.
485) The Village Tavern, located right across the street from Daddy-O, hadn’t opened when I was there earlier. I decided to check it out on my way back to the subway and it luck was with me. This bar is also on the corner and has windows on two sides and the door is right on the corner of this somewhat convoluted Village intersection. A decent sized wooden bar with the all important brass rail. There were wooden bar chairs. An ornate set of wooden shelves and cabinets were behind the bar. Glass doors on the cabinets next to the ice chests and coolers with wooden doors. Mirrors above with tiered shelves in front hold more liquor. There are small cabinets with stained-glass windows in the doors at each side of the mirrors. Four televisions above the bar with Kentucky Derby coverage on two and the Yankees on the other two. The Yankees are winning but most of the crowd do not want Steinbrenner’s horse to win the derby. Even Yankees fans in this town don’t seem to like Steinbrenner. There is a back room with a large American flag over the arched entry. A pool table with red felt is back there and it has those nice green glass shaded lights hanging over it. There is also a neat little corner sitting area with a curved settee, coffee table, and low cushioned seats. A blackboard on the wall lists the beers and wines.
I had a draft Hoegaarden and headed on home.
A most pleasant walk around the Village and four bars hit making it 485 for the year and 515 to go.
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Cinco de Mayo
I decided to go out to celebrate Cinco de Mayo by heading to La Palapa Rockola’s sister restaurant and bar on St. Mark’s place. This is actually the original with the one on the west side opening up later in the game.
480) La Palapa Cocina
A fairly small white and gray marble topped wooden bar with a brass rail and wooden bar stools. As I mentioned, this is the original La Palapa, located at 77 St. Mark’s Place and somewhat older looking and not quite as large or as fancy as La Palapa Rockola. Gaily decorated with brightly colored doily-like things hanging from the ceiling. It is starting to crowd up and the bartender assured me that the place will get crazy later as people come in to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. It is kind of funny because this isn’t really that big a deal in Mexico where it is primarily a regional holiday celebrated in the Mexican state capital city of Puebla and throughout the state of Puebla. It is not, as many people think, Mexican Independence Day, that falls on September 16th. It actually commemorates a bit of a delaying action. For a number of reasons France invaded at the gulf coast of Mexico along the state of Veracruz and began to march toward Mexico City. On the way they encountered strong resistance at the Mexican forts of Loreto and Guadalupe. Lead by Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, a small, poorly armed militia estimated at 4,500 men were able to stop and defeat a well outfitted French army of 6,500 soldiers, which stopped the invasion of the country. The victory was a glorious moment for Mexican patriots, which at the time helped to develop a needed sense of national unity, and is the cause for the historical date's celebration. Of course a year later France invaded again with a much larger force and they were able to take over Mexico City and install Maximilian as the ruler of Mexico. And that, dear readers, is your history lesson for the day.
Just coolers with black doors behind the bar topped by tiered shelves holding glasses and liquors. Above that, mounted on a small expanse of brick wall is a small wooden shelf holding nine bottles of more exotic tequilas. Behind those bottles are three pictures of…palapas. To the right of the bar is another narrow expanse of brick wall with a circular arrangement of dried corn. The remainder of the walls are yellow with orange on the bottom and a thin, dark blue stripe. A large overhead picture of old Mexico City dominates one wall. On the opposite wall are another couple of framed pictures. There are three mirrors with wide ornamental metal frames, each flanked by lights, on the wall behind the bar. The back wall separating the bar area from the serving area, bathrooms, and hallway to an outdoor eating area has several lit niches containing Mexican statues and bowls. The lights above the bar have long metal cone shades. Lot’s of candles on the bar, tables, and on the shelves in the back room.
My wife and I decided to grab a bit to eat here after having a drink at the bar. The place seemed a bit disorganized. It was 5:00 P.M., just when people are getting off work and yet this was when they decided to hold their staff meeting. As a result, after we were seated and had cleared our tab at the bar nobody came around to see if I wanted another drink. When I finally did flag someone down they didn’t know what I had just had because the bartender that made that drink was in the meeting. I said I wanted a margarita, straight-up, with chili-salt. I was brought a margarita on the rocks. When I said that wasn’t what I ordered the person left with the drink before I could explain what I did want and then someone else brought it back with a slice of lime stuck on the rim. It took awhile, but I finally got it straightened out. On the plus side, the manager was very friendly and when my wife said she had never had tamales that weren’t wrapped in corn-meal dough the manager explained how this was a regional recipe and then took the price off the bill because it wasn’t what was expected. Basically it was tamale ingredients served in a corn husk, but minus the corn meal dough. I will have to check out the recipe book that the manager said she used for them because even the website for the Tamale Museum describes tamales thusly:
“Tamales are treasures. These fragrant, wrapped packages filled with warm corn dough and flavorful fillings are treats for all the senses. Tamales are a timeless food. They have existed in culinary repertoire of Mexico, the Southwest, Central and South America for centuries”
The food was very good though and not your usual run of the mill Mexican fare. I had a mushroom and dried pepper dish. I would certainly go back and give the place another try. No complaints about my margaritas but my wife didn’t like hers. She said it didn’t have any flavor and, considering that it cost $12.00, it should have. We may have been a bit spoiled by the attention and delicious margaritas that we got at their other location. Oh yes, the tamales at that place were wrapped in corn meal.
I had a margarita.
481) The Thirsty Scholar
I was going to try to hit this place a few days ago when I was doing on of my Second Avenue jaunts. It is right next door to Ame Russe at 155 Second Avenue, almost at 9th Street. You go down a few steps to get into this narrow, brick-walled bar. A copper-topped wooden bar with a brass rail. A wooden floor and some bar stools but not much seating elsewhere. The ceiling is fairly low and there are small, orange-glass shaded lights over the bar. A few mirrors and lots of shelving for liquor behind the bar. The bricks behind the lower shelves are painted black. A partial suit of armor greets you from above as you walk down the steps into the place. A narrow ledge runs around the wall behind the bar stools and there are some stools sitting in front of it. They do have a dart board, but it is one of those plastic affairs. Pictures of Irish authors adorn the wall. A ledge in the front, the one that held the suit of armor, holds a bunch of Irish antiques and a wide area holds a mock-up of a library complete with a desk and someone sitting at it. I am not sure who the person is supposed to be, however. There are lots of lantern like lights with orange glass panels mounted on the walls.
I had a draft Widmer Hefeweizen and it hit the spot.
A slow day. Got off to a late start and then had a couple of margaritas and eats at La Palapa Cocina. I will probably take tomorrow off, step up the pace a bit on Saturday, and then celebrate Mother's Day with my mother-in-law and family in Chinatown. That means I may not hit any bars on Sunday either. Not to worry though, will still make 499 before May 14th. My two today brings me to 481 for the year with 519 left to go.
480) La Palapa Cocina
A fairly small white and gray marble topped wooden bar with a brass rail and wooden bar stools. As I mentioned, this is the original La Palapa, located at 77 St. Mark’s Place and somewhat older looking and not quite as large or as fancy as La Palapa Rockola. Gaily decorated with brightly colored doily-like things hanging from the ceiling. It is starting to crowd up and the bartender assured me that the place will get crazy later as people come in to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. It is kind of funny because this isn’t really that big a deal in Mexico where it is primarily a regional holiday celebrated in the Mexican state capital city of Puebla and throughout the state of Puebla. It is not, as many people think, Mexican Independence Day, that falls on September 16th. It actually commemorates a bit of a delaying action. For a number of reasons France invaded at the gulf coast of Mexico along the state of Veracruz and began to march toward Mexico City. On the way they encountered strong resistance at the Mexican forts of Loreto and Guadalupe. Lead by Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, a small, poorly armed militia estimated at 4,500 men were able to stop and defeat a well outfitted French army of 6,500 soldiers, which stopped the invasion of the country. The victory was a glorious moment for Mexican patriots, which at the time helped to develop a needed sense of national unity, and is the cause for the historical date's celebration. Of course a year later France invaded again with a much larger force and they were able to take over Mexico City and install Maximilian as the ruler of Mexico. And that, dear readers, is your history lesson for the day.
Just coolers with black doors behind the bar topped by tiered shelves holding glasses and liquors. Above that, mounted on a small expanse of brick wall is a small wooden shelf holding nine bottles of more exotic tequilas. Behind those bottles are three pictures of…palapas. To the right of the bar is another narrow expanse of brick wall with a circular arrangement of dried corn. The remainder of the walls are yellow with orange on the bottom and a thin, dark blue stripe. A large overhead picture of old Mexico City dominates one wall. On the opposite wall are another couple of framed pictures. There are three mirrors with wide ornamental metal frames, each flanked by lights, on the wall behind the bar. The back wall separating the bar area from the serving area, bathrooms, and hallway to an outdoor eating area has several lit niches containing Mexican statues and bowls. The lights above the bar have long metal cone shades. Lot’s of candles on the bar, tables, and on the shelves in the back room.
My wife and I decided to grab a bit to eat here after having a drink at the bar. The place seemed a bit disorganized. It was 5:00 P.M., just when people are getting off work and yet this was when they decided to hold their staff meeting. As a result, after we were seated and had cleared our tab at the bar nobody came around to see if I wanted another drink. When I finally did flag someone down they didn’t know what I had just had because the bartender that made that drink was in the meeting. I said I wanted a margarita, straight-up, with chili-salt. I was brought a margarita on the rocks. When I said that wasn’t what I ordered the person left with the drink before I could explain what I did want and then someone else brought it back with a slice of lime stuck on the rim. It took awhile, but I finally got it straightened out. On the plus side, the manager was very friendly and when my wife said she had never had tamales that weren’t wrapped in corn-meal dough the manager explained how this was a regional recipe and then took the price off the bill because it wasn’t what was expected. Basically it was tamale ingredients served in a corn husk, but minus the corn meal dough. I will have to check out the recipe book that the manager said she used for them because even the website for the Tamale Museum describes tamales thusly:
“Tamales are treasures. These fragrant, wrapped packages filled with warm corn dough and flavorful fillings are treats for all the senses. Tamales are a timeless food. They have existed in culinary repertoire of Mexico, the Southwest, Central and South America for centuries”
The food was very good though and not your usual run of the mill Mexican fare. I had a mushroom and dried pepper dish. I would certainly go back and give the place another try. No complaints about my margaritas but my wife didn’t like hers. She said it didn’t have any flavor and, considering that it cost $12.00, it should have. We may have been a bit spoiled by the attention and delicious margaritas that we got at their other location. Oh yes, the tamales at that place were wrapped in corn meal.
I had a margarita.
481) The Thirsty Scholar
I was going to try to hit this place a few days ago when I was doing on of my Second Avenue jaunts. It is right next door to Ame Russe at 155 Second Avenue, almost at 9th Street. You go down a few steps to get into this narrow, brick-walled bar. A copper-topped wooden bar with a brass rail. A wooden floor and some bar stools but not much seating elsewhere. The ceiling is fairly low and there are small, orange-glass shaded lights over the bar. A few mirrors and lots of shelving for liquor behind the bar. The bricks behind the lower shelves are painted black. A partial suit of armor greets you from above as you walk down the steps into the place. A narrow ledge runs around the wall behind the bar stools and there are some stools sitting in front of it. They do have a dart board, but it is one of those plastic affairs. Pictures of Irish authors adorn the wall. A ledge in the front, the one that held the suit of armor, holds a bunch of Irish antiques and a wide area holds a mock-up of a library complete with a desk and someone sitting at it. I am not sure who the person is supposed to be, however. There are lots of lantern like lights with orange glass panels mounted on the walls.
I had a draft Widmer Hefeweizen and it hit the spot.
A slow day. Got off to a late start and then had a couple of margaritas and eats at La Palapa Cocina. I will probably take tomorrow off, step up the pace a bit on Saturday, and then celebrate Mother's Day with my mother-in-law and family in Chinatown. That means I may not hit any bars on Sunday either. Not to worry though, will still make 499 before May 14th. My two today brings me to 481 for the year with 519 left to go.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
One In Midtown
I decided to pretty much take today off. A friend of mine’s father passed away and their was a small gathering after the funeral at an apartment in midtown. After dropping by to pay my respects I didn’t feel like hitting a lot of bars but did stop at one on the way home.
479) Neary’s
An elegant Irish pub with a carpeted floor at 358 East 57th Street at 1st Avenue. Well, we are in a neighborhood where the elevators in the buildings actually have elevator operators so it is only appropriate that you have carpet on the floor of an Irish pub. An lod wooden bar with a brass rail. Cabinets with wooden doors behind the bar support a decorative wooden structure with mirrors and tiered shelves. At each end is a cupboard with stained glass doors. An overhang with a kind of recreation room type of “ceiling” and recessed lights is over the bar. The rest of the place has this same type of ceiling but with nicer lighting, old syle brass affairs with six small lights with small shades. Maps of Ireland and racing and golf related photographs are on the wall behind the wooden bar chairs. There is nice crystal-ware on the top shelf behind the bar. There is a good-sized dining area in the back. Real friendly, old-style Irish bartenders that are more and more of a rarity these days. It seems to be a neighbor kind of place because everybody seemed to know everybody, including the owner who prowled the place in his suit and tie. He was astute enough to recognize that I wasn’t a regular, although my mysterious Chinese companion pointed out that in her case, at least, he didn’t have to be too astute.
I had a Maker’s Mark Manhattan and headed for the subway home.
Just the one for the day moving me to 479 for the year and 521 left for the year. It is all about controlled pacing as I move toward number 500 at The Gate on May 14th. I sure hope you have your calendar marked.
479) Neary’s
An elegant Irish pub with a carpeted floor at 358 East 57th Street at 1st Avenue. Well, we are in a neighborhood where the elevators in the buildings actually have elevator operators so it is only appropriate that you have carpet on the floor of an Irish pub. An lod wooden bar with a brass rail. Cabinets with wooden doors behind the bar support a decorative wooden structure with mirrors and tiered shelves. At each end is a cupboard with stained glass doors. An overhang with a kind of recreation room type of “ceiling” and recessed lights is over the bar. The rest of the place has this same type of ceiling but with nicer lighting, old syle brass affairs with six small lights with small shades. Maps of Ireland and racing and golf related photographs are on the wall behind the wooden bar chairs. There is nice crystal-ware on the top shelf behind the bar. There is a good-sized dining area in the back. Real friendly, old-style Irish bartenders that are more and more of a rarity these days. It seems to be a neighbor kind of place because everybody seemed to know everybody, including the owner who prowled the place in his suit and tie. He was astute enough to recognize that I wasn’t a regular, although my mysterious Chinese companion pointed out that in her case, at least, he didn’t have to be too astute.
I had a Maker’s Mark Manhattan and headed for the subway home.
Just the one for the day moving me to 479 for the year and 521 left for the year. It is all about controlled pacing as I move toward number 500 at The Gate on May 14th. I sure hope you have your calendar marked.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Spring Street And Vicinity
There was another bar that I spotted when I was at The Ear Inn and P.J. Charlton I decided to head back and visit it today.
476) Emerald Pub
An Irish bar that is a bit out of the way, but not far from The Ear Inn, on the corner of Spring Street and Kenwick Street. The old wood bar is somewhat serpentine in an angular way. It has a black foot rest and there are plain wooden bar chairs. The wooden and mirror back of the bar follows the same angles as the bar itself. Shelves with glass doors sit below the ledge that holds glass shelves for glasses, a cash register, and a display of the bottled beers offered for sale. An old, non-working popcorn machine sits atop an old white refrigerator and leans up agains an old, non-working copper espresso machine. A human skull, loving cup, mugs, jars, and other stuff sit on a narrow shelf atop the mirrors. A television showing the Liverpool Chelsea soccer game sits there too and held most of the patron’s attention. The wall behind the bar chairs is brick and the tables alongside it are separated from the bar by a wooden divider with a brass rail on top. A couple of mirrors with kind of cut glass edging are on the brick wall and they flank a small fireplace with a small mirror above it.
I had a Guinness.
477) Antartica
Not far away at 287 Hudson is this bit out of the way bar. You have to keep your eyes open or you might walk right by it. There was another soccer crowd in here watching the same game. Four of the five televisions were showing the game with the fifth showing pool. Unfortunately it was men’s pool and I prefer the women’s game. The bar is a big old dark wood affair with a wooden foot rail. The walls are brick and the floor is wide wooden planks. The ceiling is painted tin. There are mirrors behind the bar above the open shelves of liquor. Blackboards on the wall with seemingly unrelated quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Barry White, and William Butler Yeats are mounted above the mirrors. Another one with a quote by Robert Burns is hanging on the side wall. There is a pool table in the back with nice green glass shaded lights hanging over it. A sign behind the bar offered free drinks from 5:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M. if your name was Gloria. Gloria could very well have a night she could never remember. A large picture of the interior of a bar that looked like it was taken in the late 1800s dominated the wall behind the bar chairs.
I had another Guinness, not a large as the 20 ounce one I got at the Emerald Pub and it cost fifty cents more.
478) Cody’s Bar And Grill
A corner place that is more bar than grill but does have a bit of a coffee shop look to it. Good sized windows on two sides of this corner bar (the corner of Hudson Street and Dominick Street) and light tan walls makes this bar much lighter than the norm. The bar is light wood with a wood foot rest. The bar chairs have black seats. A nice silver station with some brass decoration hold the four spigots for draft beer. A large American flag is mounted on the wall behind the bar chairs. Coolers with wooden doors and a shelf on top behind the bar. Mirrors line the wall with tiered shelves for liquor sitting in front of them. The bar has a large and elaborate overhang with slots with glasses hanging from them. Drawings to look like stained glass are on the bottom of the overhang. About eight tables with chairs make up the dining area. Overhead fans and track lighting hang from the light tan stucco ceiling.
I had a Dewar’s and soda.
Back to a more normal pace of three bars a day brought me to 478 for the year and 522 left to go. Just 21 to go to prepare for number 500 on Saturday, May 14th.
476) Emerald Pub
An Irish bar that is a bit out of the way, but not far from The Ear Inn, on the corner of Spring Street and Kenwick Street. The old wood bar is somewhat serpentine in an angular way. It has a black foot rest and there are plain wooden bar chairs. The wooden and mirror back of the bar follows the same angles as the bar itself. Shelves with glass doors sit below the ledge that holds glass shelves for glasses, a cash register, and a display of the bottled beers offered for sale. An old, non-working popcorn machine sits atop an old white refrigerator and leans up agains an old, non-working copper espresso machine. A human skull, loving cup, mugs, jars, and other stuff sit on a narrow shelf atop the mirrors. A television showing the Liverpool Chelsea soccer game sits there too and held most of the patron’s attention. The wall behind the bar chairs is brick and the tables alongside it are separated from the bar by a wooden divider with a brass rail on top. A couple of mirrors with kind of cut glass edging are on the brick wall and they flank a small fireplace with a small mirror above it.
I had a Guinness.
477) Antartica
Not far away at 287 Hudson is this bit out of the way bar. You have to keep your eyes open or you might walk right by it. There was another soccer crowd in here watching the same game. Four of the five televisions were showing the game with the fifth showing pool. Unfortunately it was men’s pool and I prefer the women’s game. The bar is a big old dark wood affair with a wooden foot rail. The walls are brick and the floor is wide wooden planks. The ceiling is painted tin. There are mirrors behind the bar above the open shelves of liquor. Blackboards on the wall with seemingly unrelated quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Barry White, and William Butler Yeats are mounted above the mirrors. Another one with a quote by Robert Burns is hanging on the side wall. There is a pool table in the back with nice green glass shaded lights hanging over it. A sign behind the bar offered free drinks from 5:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M. if your name was Gloria. Gloria could very well have a night she could never remember. A large picture of the interior of a bar that looked like it was taken in the late 1800s dominated the wall behind the bar chairs.
I had another Guinness, not a large as the 20 ounce one I got at the Emerald Pub and it cost fifty cents more.
478) Cody’s Bar And Grill
A corner place that is more bar than grill but does have a bit of a coffee shop look to it. Good sized windows on two sides of this corner bar (the corner of Hudson Street and Dominick Street) and light tan walls makes this bar much lighter than the norm. The bar is light wood with a wood foot rest. The bar chairs have black seats. A nice silver station with some brass decoration hold the four spigots for draft beer. A large American flag is mounted on the wall behind the bar chairs. Coolers with wooden doors and a shelf on top behind the bar. Mirrors line the wall with tiered shelves for liquor sitting in front of them. The bar has a large and elaborate overhang with slots with glasses hanging from them. Drawings to look like stained glass are on the bottom of the overhang. About eight tables with chairs make up the dining area. Overhead fans and track lighting hang from the light tan stucco ceiling.
I had a Dewar’s and soda.
Back to a more normal pace of three bars a day brought me to 478 for the year and 522 left to go. Just 21 to go to prepare for number 500 on Saturday, May 14th.
Monday, May 02, 2005
Trippin' In Tribeca
I figured I would pick up on Greenwich Street where I had left off on Saturday. Just kind of keep moving toward the heart of Greenwich Village.
472) Due South
Now this sounds like it should be some kind of a honky tonk or something, but in reality it is more of an Irish bar at 379 Greenwich Street. It is a corner bar with large windows with little checkered curtains on two sides. A good-sized old, and ornate, wooden bar with a brass rail. Wooden bar chairs with black vinyl seats. A couple of old brass stations sport spigots for six beers. Behind the bar are old brass clad coolers, three on one side of shelves for liquor and two on the other. A shelf on top holds more bottles, glasses, and an old fashioned silver cash register. Above that is a large wood mantle-like structure with three large mirrors. The columns sport carved mustachioed heads. A blackboard above the cash register lists the beers and wines in pastel chalk. A much larger blackboard on the brick wall to the left lists the daily food specials.
The ceiling looks like dark wood timber with black canvas or something similar covering the gaps. The floor is wood. There is a wood divider bith a narrow shelf and ornately carved end sections that separate the bar from the dining area. A large American flag leans against the wall up front. No smoking signs in five languages hang above the bathroom doors. A few pictures in a somewhat Caribbean style hang on the walls as well as a couple of abstract prints that have a vaguely Southwestern feel to them.
I had a Sam Adam’s Summer Ale.
473) Soso Borella
Just up the street at 460 Greenwich is this place with a small marble topped bar that has large jars of large cookies sitting on one end. A few wood bar stools and a wood floor. The front of the bar is light cream colored wood panels and pretty much the rest of the place, including the ceiling, is painted the same color. A large wood framed mirror is itself framed by the shelves that hold glasses, a small liquor selection, and wine. Wing shelves on the side hold more bottles, a lantern, glasses, and their beer selection. There is a floor to ceiling rack of compartmentalized shelves in the back holding wine, sodas, and other stuff. It kind of reminded me of an old grocery store. Blackboards perched on shelves inform you of their specialties and the hours of the bar. At the end of the bar opposite the cookie jars is a little espresso bar. A few wooden barrel-like containers, another lantern, some jugs and other paraphernalia sit on two high, narrow shelves in the back. In the front are two large pictures of an attractive woman holding a young child. Maybe the owner, or the owner’s wife.
I had a glass of red wine, Michel Torino Maitec, 2003.
474) The Ear Inn
Just a few steps off Greenwich Street at 326 Spring is the ultimate New York dive bar, but it has been around too long to be a dive anymore. Now it is an institution. A really beat up wooden bar with a brass rail. Old wooden plank flooring. A narrow planked wood ceiling painted yellow. Old metal tube and black vinyl seated bar stools. The place has been around forever, a sign in front says 1871 and the junk strewn around the place reflects this. There is a large sculptured ear hanging on one wall. Knick knacks and photos galore. An old, working, telephone booth sits up close to the front. A lovely, but beat-up, set of mirror backed shelves with a top that looks like peaked roof tops on each end. ESPN is showing old, classic, boxing matches and a small crowd is watching them with rapt attention and holding informed discussions amongst themselves. By all means stop in, if you can find it.
I had a Tanqueray and tonic.
475) P.J. Charlton
Back on Greenwich Street, at 549, was this interesting place with an old wood bar and with a wooden foot rest. The back of the bar has a bit of a fifties looking plywood paneled look with mirrors framed by two curved wavy glass lights. There is a bluish glass panel with an etched eagle grasping and American flag in the middle. There is a brick wall behind the wooden bar chairs with black fabric seats and backs. The other walls are kind of a light pea-soup green. A light wood divider with a shelf for drinks separate the bar from the row of tables next to the windows in the brick wall. Plates, bottles, a plow, and other stuff sit on top of the shelving behind the bar. Nice little cone shaded lights hang over the bar. Two televisions on the wall were showing CNN. Interesting pictures hang on the brick walls. There are wooden planked floors. A nice little bouquet of roses and small white flowers sit on the bar. Airplane propeller like fans with nose-cone lights hang overhead.
I had a Tanqueray and tonic and headed home.
A nice day and a nice walk. Four bars for the day and we are up to 475 for the year and 525 to go.
472) Due South
Now this sounds like it should be some kind of a honky tonk or something, but in reality it is more of an Irish bar at 379 Greenwich Street. It is a corner bar with large windows with little checkered curtains on two sides. A good-sized old, and ornate, wooden bar with a brass rail. Wooden bar chairs with black vinyl seats. A couple of old brass stations sport spigots for six beers. Behind the bar are old brass clad coolers, three on one side of shelves for liquor and two on the other. A shelf on top holds more bottles, glasses, and an old fashioned silver cash register. Above that is a large wood mantle-like structure with three large mirrors. The columns sport carved mustachioed heads. A blackboard above the cash register lists the beers and wines in pastel chalk. A much larger blackboard on the brick wall to the left lists the daily food specials.
The ceiling looks like dark wood timber with black canvas or something similar covering the gaps. The floor is wood. There is a wood divider bith a narrow shelf and ornately carved end sections that separate the bar from the dining area. A large American flag leans against the wall up front. No smoking signs in five languages hang above the bathroom doors. A few pictures in a somewhat Caribbean style hang on the walls as well as a couple of abstract prints that have a vaguely Southwestern feel to them.
I had a Sam Adam’s Summer Ale.
473) Soso Borella
Just up the street at 460 Greenwich is this place with a small marble topped bar that has large jars of large cookies sitting on one end. A few wood bar stools and a wood floor. The front of the bar is light cream colored wood panels and pretty much the rest of the place, including the ceiling, is painted the same color. A large wood framed mirror is itself framed by the shelves that hold glasses, a small liquor selection, and wine. Wing shelves on the side hold more bottles, a lantern, glasses, and their beer selection. There is a floor to ceiling rack of compartmentalized shelves in the back holding wine, sodas, and other stuff. It kind of reminded me of an old grocery store. Blackboards perched on shelves inform you of their specialties and the hours of the bar. At the end of the bar opposite the cookie jars is a little espresso bar. A few wooden barrel-like containers, another lantern, some jugs and other paraphernalia sit on two high, narrow shelves in the back. In the front are two large pictures of an attractive woman holding a young child. Maybe the owner, or the owner’s wife.
I had a glass of red wine, Michel Torino Maitec, 2003.
474) The Ear Inn
Just a few steps off Greenwich Street at 326 Spring is the ultimate New York dive bar, but it has been around too long to be a dive anymore. Now it is an institution. A really beat up wooden bar with a brass rail. Old wooden plank flooring. A narrow planked wood ceiling painted yellow. Old metal tube and black vinyl seated bar stools. The place has been around forever, a sign in front says 1871 and the junk strewn around the place reflects this. There is a large sculptured ear hanging on one wall. Knick knacks and photos galore. An old, working, telephone booth sits up close to the front. A lovely, but beat-up, set of mirror backed shelves with a top that looks like peaked roof tops on each end. ESPN is showing old, classic, boxing matches and a small crowd is watching them with rapt attention and holding informed discussions amongst themselves. By all means stop in, if you can find it.
I had a Tanqueray and tonic.
475) P.J. Charlton
Back on Greenwich Street, at 549, was this interesting place with an old wood bar and with a wooden foot rest. The back of the bar has a bit of a fifties looking plywood paneled look with mirrors framed by two curved wavy glass lights. There is a bluish glass panel with an etched eagle grasping and American flag in the middle. There is a brick wall behind the wooden bar chairs with black fabric seats and backs. The other walls are kind of a light pea-soup green. A light wood divider with a shelf for drinks separate the bar from the row of tables next to the windows in the brick wall. Plates, bottles, a plow, and other stuff sit on top of the shelving behind the bar. Nice little cone shaded lights hang over the bar. Two televisions on the wall were showing CNN. Interesting pictures hang on the brick walls. There are wooden planked floors. A nice little bouquet of roses and small white flowers sit on the bar. Airplane propeller like fans with nose-cone lights hang overhead.
I had a Tanqueray and tonic and headed home.
A nice day and a nice walk. Four bars for the day and we are up to 475 for the year and 525 to go.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Music Festival In Hoboken
It was a beautiful sunny day and perfect to head over to Hoboken again and partake in a street fair and music festival. The place was jammed and there were blocks of booths selling food and all of the usual street fair stuff. I actually passed by a couple of places because they were too packed and one was even charging a cover because they had live music, like it wasn’t for free on the street. On the other hand, in there you probably didn’t have to deal with the “new” Herman’s Hermits.
466) Wilton House
Just a short walk from the Path and a bit off the main drag at 58 Newark Street we came to this inviting looking place. Of course my first bar of the day always looks inviting. It had a long tan tile bar with a tan Formica type of finish, only it was kind of textured. It had a tiled foot rest. Old dark wood bar chairs. Light tan cupboard and drawers behind the bar topped with a black top and a step shelf holding the liquor. A mirror runs pretty much the length of the place and is emblazoned with the bar’s name and two horse heads. The ceiling is brown painted tin and hanging from it, over the bar, are overhead fans with white globe lights. The floor has the same reddish orange tiles as our kitchen. The walls are kind of a rough planking and there are large mirrors on one of the side walls. Three televisions, two with the Yankees Toronto game and one showing the Detroit Phillie basketball game.
I had a bottle of Samuel Adam’s Boston Lager, in the bottle, no glass offered.
467) Black Bear
On the crowded street where the festival was taking place, at 205 Washington Street was this crowded place. I guess this place is supposed to have some kind of a hunting lodge look to it. One wall is wood paneled and has two deer heads and a bear skin mounted on it as well as a pretty small northern or some other similar looking fish. Some old advertising signs and a U.S. Government Reservation No Trespassing sign. Over the bar are a couple of chandeliers made out of antlers. A set of moose antlers, a set of deer antlers, and a small black bear head are mounted high on the wall behind the bar. There are a lot of televisions, at least a dozen mounted on the walls both downstairs and in the upstairs dining area. The bar is a dark wood angled affair with a narrow rail. A carved bear in dark wood, along with a bouncer, keep an eye on the door.
I had a Tanqueray and tonic.
468) DaVinci
Walking up the street I passed by a couple of places that were just too crowded. One was a tiki bar but I simply couldn’t get up to the bar. I will catch it on a return trip. This was a small Italian restaurant with a small bar. The bar is wood with a brass foot rail and a brass rail on top that is held in place by the trunks of brass elephant heads. An overhead rack holds glasses and bottles. A tiered shelf behind the bar holds wine and liquor bottles and a mirror with a frosted image of DaVinci’s study of the proportions of man. The one with the four arms and four legs stretched out. The floor is white tile with black diamond shapes. The ceiling is black lacquer with embedded spot lighting and silver and wood overhead fans. A few pictures of seaside towns hang on the very light tan wash walls. A few old-fashioned lights hang on the walls as well. A fairly small dining area with about 15 small tables. There is an outdoor seating area as well.
I had a Tanqueray and tonic.
469) Court Street
Every place on Washington was getting pretty packed and some, with live music, had a cover charge. I am not a big fan of paying for the privilege of paying for drinks. I ducked off the path being well beaten and into this somewhat quieter, but still crowded, bar. Just a wood bar with a brass rail, nothing fancy. Glass shelving behind the bar holds glasses, bottles, and individual drink-sized cocktail shakers. There are large wood framed mirrors behind the shelves. Lots of sports and celebrity themed pictures hang from the cream-colored walls. There is a good sized dining area in the back. A black ceiling that looks like sound proofing has overhead fans and recessed spot lighting. There are large, paned windows on two sides. Four televisions showing the Yankees losing to Toronto
I had a Tanqueray and tonic.
470) Moran’s
We took a little walk around and found a nice park. Right by it was an unmarked bar. No sight outside advertising its name or even that it is a bar. It just looks like a bar. It is 501 Garden Street, right on the corner. The place had a lively crowd but it looked like regulars and not the overflow from the festival. A good sized wooden bar with a brass rail and old looking wooden bar chairs. Lot’s of dried vine type of arrangements decorated with colored Christmas lights. These are mounted on the wall behind the bar and in metal containers in the windows. A black patterned tin ceiling with school room type lights hanging over the bar. There is a well-lit dart board on one wall and a good sized dining area in the back. An old wood floor. The walls are the light tan walls have wood paneling that goes up about three quarters of the way to the ceiling. Yellow golf course flags hang above the mirror behind the bar. A couple of televisions, one showing the Yankee Toronto game and the other showing the Heat Net game.
I had a Tanqueray and tonic.
471) Bar NoCetti
I got off the Path at Christopher Street and the bar was just sitting there, waiting for me. And here we were, just back from Hoboken, the birthplace of Frank Sinatra and we walk into a bar playing Frank Sinatra on the sound system. Is that spooky, or what? This place is right on the corner of Christopher and Greenwich. A good sized dark wood bar with a bend in it. A silver set of taps with unmarked black handles. They did have the names of the four beers posted on a blackboard leaning up against the brick wall behind the bar. There was an old ornate mosaic floor that had been chipped away in places. Tiered shelves behind the bar held bottles. One section of the wall is white and has a large mirror in a wide wooden frame mounted on it. Windows on two sides of this corner place. A new looking tin ceiling with both recessed and protruding small spot lites. Dark tables and chairs separated from the bar by a wooden divider with a narrow shelf for drinks. A large Warhol Absolut poster is mounted on the rose colored section of the back wall. The rest of the walls are dark brown and brick with a mirror and some framed photos hanging from them.
I had a glass of Pino Grigio and headed home.
A most decent day with six bars under my belt making a total of 471 for the year and leaving me with 529 left to go.
466) Wilton House
Just a short walk from the Path and a bit off the main drag at 58 Newark Street we came to this inviting looking place. Of course my first bar of the day always looks inviting. It had a long tan tile bar with a tan Formica type of finish, only it was kind of textured. It had a tiled foot rest. Old dark wood bar chairs. Light tan cupboard and drawers behind the bar topped with a black top and a step shelf holding the liquor. A mirror runs pretty much the length of the place and is emblazoned with the bar’s name and two horse heads. The ceiling is brown painted tin and hanging from it, over the bar, are overhead fans with white globe lights. The floor has the same reddish orange tiles as our kitchen. The walls are kind of a rough planking and there are large mirrors on one of the side walls. Three televisions, two with the Yankees Toronto game and one showing the Detroit Phillie basketball game.
I had a bottle of Samuel Adam’s Boston Lager, in the bottle, no glass offered.
467) Black Bear
On the crowded street where the festival was taking place, at 205 Washington Street was this crowded place. I guess this place is supposed to have some kind of a hunting lodge look to it. One wall is wood paneled and has two deer heads and a bear skin mounted on it as well as a pretty small northern or some other similar looking fish. Some old advertising signs and a U.S. Government Reservation No Trespassing sign. Over the bar are a couple of chandeliers made out of antlers. A set of moose antlers, a set of deer antlers, and a small black bear head are mounted high on the wall behind the bar. There are a lot of televisions, at least a dozen mounted on the walls both downstairs and in the upstairs dining area. The bar is a dark wood angled affair with a narrow rail. A carved bear in dark wood, along with a bouncer, keep an eye on the door.
I had a Tanqueray and tonic.
468) DaVinci
Walking up the street I passed by a couple of places that were just too crowded. One was a tiki bar but I simply couldn’t get up to the bar. I will catch it on a return trip. This was a small Italian restaurant with a small bar. The bar is wood with a brass foot rail and a brass rail on top that is held in place by the trunks of brass elephant heads. An overhead rack holds glasses and bottles. A tiered shelf behind the bar holds wine and liquor bottles and a mirror with a frosted image of DaVinci’s study of the proportions of man. The one with the four arms and four legs stretched out. The floor is white tile with black diamond shapes. The ceiling is black lacquer with embedded spot lighting and silver and wood overhead fans. A few pictures of seaside towns hang on the very light tan wash walls. A few old-fashioned lights hang on the walls as well. A fairly small dining area with about 15 small tables. There is an outdoor seating area as well.
I had a Tanqueray and tonic.
469) Court Street
Every place on Washington was getting pretty packed and some, with live music, had a cover charge. I am not a big fan of paying for the privilege of paying for drinks. I ducked off the path being well beaten and into this somewhat quieter, but still crowded, bar. Just a wood bar with a brass rail, nothing fancy. Glass shelving behind the bar holds glasses, bottles, and individual drink-sized cocktail shakers. There are large wood framed mirrors behind the shelves. Lots of sports and celebrity themed pictures hang from the cream-colored walls. There is a good sized dining area in the back. A black ceiling that looks like sound proofing has overhead fans and recessed spot lighting. There are large, paned windows on two sides. Four televisions showing the Yankees losing to Toronto
I had a Tanqueray and tonic.
470) Moran’s
We took a little walk around and found a nice park. Right by it was an unmarked bar. No sight outside advertising its name or even that it is a bar. It just looks like a bar. It is 501 Garden Street, right on the corner. The place had a lively crowd but it looked like regulars and not the overflow from the festival. A good sized wooden bar with a brass rail and old looking wooden bar chairs. Lot’s of dried vine type of arrangements decorated with colored Christmas lights. These are mounted on the wall behind the bar and in metal containers in the windows. A black patterned tin ceiling with school room type lights hanging over the bar. There is a well-lit dart board on one wall and a good sized dining area in the back. An old wood floor. The walls are the light tan walls have wood paneling that goes up about three quarters of the way to the ceiling. Yellow golf course flags hang above the mirror behind the bar. A couple of televisions, one showing the Yankee Toronto game and the other showing the Heat Net game.
I had a Tanqueray and tonic.
471) Bar NoCetti
I got off the Path at Christopher Street and the bar was just sitting there, waiting for me. And here we were, just back from Hoboken, the birthplace of Frank Sinatra and we walk into a bar playing Frank Sinatra on the sound system. Is that spooky, or what? This place is right on the corner of Christopher and Greenwich. A good sized dark wood bar with a bend in it. A silver set of taps with unmarked black handles. They did have the names of the four beers posted on a blackboard leaning up against the brick wall behind the bar. There was an old ornate mosaic floor that had been chipped away in places. Tiered shelves behind the bar held bottles. One section of the wall is white and has a large mirror in a wide wooden frame mounted on it. Windows on two sides of this corner place. A new looking tin ceiling with both recessed and protruding small spot lites. Dark tables and chairs separated from the bar by a wooden divider with a narrow shelf for drinks. A large Warhol Absolut poster is mounted on the rose colored section of the back wall. The rest of the walls are dark brown and brick with a mirror and some framed photos hanging from them.
I had a glass of Pino Grigio and headed home.
A most decent day with six bars under my belt making a total of 471 for the year and leaving me with 529 left to go.
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