A Sunny Stroll

Ah, springtime in New York, just perfect for spending time in dark bars. At least my dermatologist will be happy that I am staying out of the sun.

364) Barrow Street Ale House

A good sized, dark Village type of place on 15 Barrow Street. Fairly narrow, but quite deep. Small octogon windows on the doors with a semi-circle window above and small, retangular windows on either side admit a bit of sunlight. A good-sized old dark-wood bar with a fairly ornate wood front. About a dozen dark-wood bar chairs. Nice old shelving behind the bar with three arched niches set off by large, ornate wood columns. The two end enclaves have mirrored backs and bottles on the wide, stepped ledge below the mirrors. A cash register and a little cooler for Red Bull sits in the middle niche. Four lamps with nice, stained-glass, shades hang above the bar.

Numerous narrow tables extend out from the walls and each has four wooden stools. There are two small, wall mounted lamps above each table. There are a cople of deer heads mounted on one wall and a boar's head with an American flag in its mouth and wearing Madi Gras beads hangs behind the bar. There were five televisions all showing the Yankee/Red Sox game.

I had a Newcastle Brown Ale.

365) Boxers

A corner bar, corner of West 4th and Barrow, to be precise. Large windows on two sides makes this place as light as the last one was dark. A large, rectangular dark-wood bar with a dark-wood front and a black-cement ledge for your foot. The bar-stools had burgandy vinyl seats fastened with large-headed brass studs. The center area is old dark wood as well and has two see-through arches. Garlands of white and blue flowers hang over the arches. A large picture of a dog, a boxer, of course, hangs above the area between the arches on my side of the bar, the side closest to the door. Three light-fixtures with three red bulbs each and nice stained glass shades hang above each side of the bar.

Dark wood half-walls with brick support columns and a brick ceiling, kind of unusual. Above the wood on two of the walls are serpia colored paintins of authors, Behan, Twain, Joyce, Wilde, and Hemmingway. The floor is worn black linoleum. Lots of little tables, some round, some square, with green and white checked tablecloths and small wooden chairs with the same type of seat as the barstools fill up the place. Red-bulbed lamps with flower-shaped white glass shades are mounted on the walls. Some black and white pictures also adorn the place.

I had a Meyer's Rum and coke.

366) Slaughtered Lamb

Named after the pub in the movie "Werewolf In London" (and there is a movie poster hanging one the wall) this place is owned by the same guy that owns Jekyl and Hyde. It is on the corner of West 4th and Jones. It has similar characteristics, but isn't quite so over the top. Still, there are a few skeletons about the place and charicatures of English sportsmen, mostly cricket players, hanging no the walls.

This place used to be the Peculier Pub and it then stocked over 180 kinds of beers. This one stocks a number of beers, but not nearly that many. The place downstairs where the Peculier Pub used to store their inventory is now called, what else, The Dungeon, and is open on week-ends to provide additional room to drink.

The place has a nice dark-wood beer with matching bar-chairs. A shelf above the bar holds glasses and step-shelves behind the bar, backed by a mirror, displays their beer selections and other liquors. A model train mounted high on the wall runs around the bar area (well, when it runs). There is a nice wooden floor and a fire place. Hanging lights look like coach lanterns. There is also a nice sized back room for drinking.

The bartender Mitch, very friendly, was interested in what I was writing and after I told him I got him to write a few comments of his own:

"The Slaughtered Lamb, unlike other theme bars, is fun for more than one visit. Make sure when you come you ask for Mitch, then, maybe, I'll get a better shift than Wednesday afternoons."

I agree, it is a nice place. If you visit do be sure to ask for Mitch so he can get a shift where people acutally tip and not people like The Bar Guy who is saving his money to go to the next place.

367) Tio Pepe

Located on 168 West 4th is this Spanish/Mexican restaurant and bar. It has a decent sized lightish-wood bar with nine bar-stools with dark vinyl seats wrapped around its half-rectangle shape. A nice matching set of wooden coolers and a shelf behnd the bar with tall, mirror-backed shelves holding bottles and glasses above. Recessed spot lighting above the bar.

Big windows in front look out at the Pink Pussy Cat Boutique that is almost directly across the street. Brick walls and half-walls add to the Spanish/Mexican look of the place. Dusty pinkish plaster walls above the bridk with the fronts of fake wine barrels and crossed swords hanging on them. Nice Spanish looking chandeliers hang from the ceiling. Three minature suits of armor stand guard over the stairs leading to the bathrooms. A couple of large landscape paintings of what I would imagine to be Spain hang on the side wall in the back and on the back wall. There are a lot of tables with comfortable looking chairs and a small, pleasant looking, outdoor eating area in the back.

I had a glass of merlot and headed off home.

Four for the day brings the total to 367 for the year with 633 remaining to go.