A Soggy Tribeca Street Fair

It was a damp and chilly day so much more time was spent inside than on the street. I pretty much confined myself to Greenwich Street which is where most of the fair took place.

461) Roc

On the corner of Greenwich and Duane Streets is this elegant Italian restaurant. It has a modern looking dark wood bar with metal trim that looked like it was brushed aluminum. It also has a chromed bar rail. A huge display of Japanese cherry blossoms in a clear glass vase sat on one end of the bar. Two living room style lamps with metal bases and cloth-like shades also sit on the bar. An nice set of shelves in dark wood and metal that matches the bar sits behind the bar. The bottom has refrigeration units and two built in shelves for liquor. Three framed mirrors, two with a tiered shelf for liquor in front and the one in the middle has the cash register sitting in front. The top of this unit is arched with shelves holding two large water or wine jugs decorated as heads wearing garlands of wines and what looks like oranges. Some brandies in fancy bottles sit on a shelf between the heads and above them are a couple of green pineapple looking things. The walls are white with curtained windows looking out at a park. There are shelves holding wine bottles and knick knacks. Two large mugs with faces on them sit on little shelves towards the back. The overhead lights are metallic looking and reminded me of the breast plates on the robot in the movie Metropolis. The tables outside were decorated with old scenic Italian postcards.

The female bartender was very pleasant and we had a nice conversation as I drank my Tanqueray and tonic.

462) Viet Café

As you walk down Greenwich Street, at 345, you can’t help but notice the painting of a large, smiling face of a Vietnamese peasant woman with a caption that says “Designation For The New Millenium.” The painting is on the wall of a restaurant and bar. The bar has a dark cherry wood looking top and, coincidently, has a huge display of Japanese cherry blossoms in the vase that was the same type as the one in Roc. They probably use the same florists. These blossoms were pretty sorry looking though, most of them seemed to be dead. A display of bronzed flowers in a dark, squat jug sat on the other end. These were holding up much better. The bar stools appear to be cherry wood, matching the bar. They were uncomfortably high though and too close together. The somewhat height impaired Chinese lady had a hard time climbing up and down. Large cylindrical orangish yellow lights hung over the bar and, somewhat improbably, had the Chinese word for health inscribed on the bottoms. Larger and narrower versions of these lights hang from the burgundy ceiling throughout the rest of the restaurant. Nice mirror back matching wood shelves behind the bar held bottles, Asian statues, jugs, an incense burner, and three gold Buddhas. The brick wall in the back was adorned with Asian prints and the pale yellow walls towards the front featured pictures of Vietnamese children. There is an attached store which sells Vietnamese objects of art and furniture.

I had a glass of Hugel Gentil Gewürztraminer while the Chinese lady had some non-alcoholic concoction that contained lemon grass and who knows what else and was kind of a carroty orange color.

463) Dominic

Whew! Another gorgeous place at 349 Greenwich Street. A rectangular bar with a top of pale green ceramic squares with a confetti-like pattern to it. The front of the bar is dark and there is no rail or foot rest. The bar stools are square and have dark-blue velvet-like cushioned seats and are very comfortable. A welcome change from the last place. Just a simple center serving station with shelves for bottles and glasses. Very interesting lighting hangs from the ceiling. Three of them look like colorful glass condoms, the ones with the reservoir tips. Another three are golden-colored affairs and another lighting fixture has blue shades. The lights above the bar look like inverted metal desk lamps, the kind you see jumping around in the at the beginning of movies by Pixar. Little lamps with blue shades sit on the bar. One long brick wall has an ornately framed mirror and various old photographs. Plates are mounted on the wall toward the back. The high-backed tan booths make you feel, or at least look, like a small child. The flat screen television mounted on the wall at one end of the bar was showing “Singing In The Rain.” Unfortunately, for a movie that is a musical and is about making the move to talking movies, it had the sound turned off. The floor has a wave pattern of black and white tiles in front and wood in back. Downstairs there was an intimate little dining room with just one long wood table with five chairs on each side.

I had a glass of red wine, Feudi Di San Gregorio Pinot Noir, quite tasty.

464) Pig & Whistle

Just down the block a bit at 365 Greenwich Street is a place with a big wood bar with brass rails. The bar chairs have green seats. The coolers have black doors and there are wooden shelves holding liquor and a large mirror above. At the very top is a shelf holding statues of characters such as Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers. An old brass spittoon also sits behind the bar. There is old, English-style lighting. It looks like the street lights you see in Sherlock Holmes movies. This is an old looking place with a wood floor and brick walls with mirrors, posters, and a map of Ireland mounted on them. There were several televisions showing the Yankee Toronto game.

I had a draft Weisse, very refreshing.

465) Ivy’s Bistro

A bit further down Greenwich at 385 is a little, somewhat informal looking Italian restaurant with a bar. It was getting about dinner time and companion was getting a bit peckish, even though she ate something the bar at Dominic. I have to be honest though, I took a couple of bites myself. She found a table while I had my drink at the bar before joining her.

It just has a small bar that was fairly crowded. English style lighting mounted on light pink walls. The floors are blue carpeted and add a bit of poshness. Framed photos on the walls and candles on the table.

I had a shot of Metaxa, a nice Greek brandy, at the bar and then sat down for dinner.

A nice day with five bars hit bringing my total for the year to 465 with 535 left to go.

I Love Tribeca

I love the joy of discovering new places and Tribeca is full of them. I am going to go back here again on Saturday because they are having a street fair related to the Tribeca Film Festival.

456) Mocca Espresso Lounge

On a corner at 78 Reade Street is a place that looks like a fifties soda shop, as it would appear in Grease. A black marble bar top is supported by a large wood frame which surrounds two framed pink plastic panels that are lit from behind. The bar chairs have low backs and lime green cloth covered seats. Behind the bar is a set of coolers with metal doors. The metal top is covered by two bright rubber mats. Behind the mats are pink Lucite tiered shelves holding the liquor. The wall above the shelves, and going up about five feet, is a shiny bluish gray with 3 black and metallic shelves mounted on it. These shelves hold a few more liquor bottles. The wall above that and wrapping around to the right is a yellowish green with a large “Mocca…Feel Different” poster.

On the left behind the bar is an industrial type metal ladder going up to a little platform. A similarly constructed stairway on the other side of the bar goes up to another little platform. I am not sure what these are for, maybe a DJ at night. To the right of the bar along the wall is a pastry display and a place to buy sodas and coffee. The booths are red with holes in the backs and the chairs are the same color as the bar chairs. The front and one side wall are brown wood but dominated by large windows. The floor is black marble-like tile and the ceiling is pale green. Two nice flat-screen televisions are mounted on the walls one each side of the bar.

I had a Tanqueray and tonic.

457) Fresh

This is a sister restaurant to Shore that I visited the other day and Coast, where I haven’t been yet. This one is at 105 Reade Street. The space is large and quite impressive. The bar itself is kind of mundane, old dark wood, plywood with a metallic stain in front and a wooden foot rest that looked like a miniature deck. Metal coolers behind the bar with interesting grayish Lucite shelving on top that holds liquor and glasses. A wooden wine rack sits to the left. Several vases with colorful flowers sat on the bar. The bar chairs were mod looking chrome and dark brown plywood. Small spot lights with yellow cons shaped glass shades hung over the bar. The walls are kind of a sea foam grayish blue and one wall is curved to give the impression of a breaking wave. The ceiling is white and narrow, tubular glass lighting hangs from it. A line of columns bisects the large dining area with white table cloths and elegant place settings. The back wall provides open views into the spic and span and well organized kitchen. Primarily a seafood restaurant, the manager said they only have one non-fish entrée and that only at night. It smells like its name, fresh, and I am noting this as a place to return to for dinner sometime.

I had a Tanqueray and tonic.

458) Reade Street Pub

A long, narrow, fairly dark place. Wood-grained Formica bar with a tile foot rests. Shaded globe lights hang over the bar. The wall behind the bar is paneled with mirrors. Cooler with brown doors along with shelves holding bottles behind the bar. Chalk and white boards hanging on the wall list the beers and a few meal specials. Four televisions and some photos on the walls. There is a shelf above the mirrors that holds a lot of caps and a neat sculpture of iron workers sitting on a metal beam. Dark wood flooring and a brick wall above dark green paneling. A small fireplace. Lots of pictures, photos, and beer company mirrors hang on the walls. A black tin ceiling with school room type lights and fans hanging from it. A suspended railroad track held a non-operating train. An old globe sits on one end of the bar.

I had a Reade Street Ale. How could I not?

459) Dekk

A wide place at 134 Reade Street with an expanse of windows doors open onto the street. A dark blue plastic-like bar with tubular metal barstools with orange seats. Sprays of flowers in various containers, including a 5 gallon water jug, sit on the bar. The walls are a combination of old bricks and white ceramic tiles. Several screens showing movies and the back room is set up somewhat like a screening room. Overhead fans and black shaded lights hang from the white ceiling. A large outdoor eating area in front that was probably quite warm in the sun but inside it was a bit chilly because all of the doors were open. This is an interesting place that would probably be a lot of fun at night. A couple of round benches with the center raised in the middle held a couple of interesting displays of vegetation. Small vases with lilacs and a yellow tulip sit on the tables.

I had a Tanqueray and Tonic.

460) Yaffa’s

Located at the corner of Greenwich and Harrison Streets is Yaffa’s with impressive copper-clad restroom doors that are way down stairs. As you may have guessed, I had to go to the bathroom when I got here. There is a very nice old wood bar with a metal foot rest. The lights over the bar are very intricate beaded affairs and the two lights hanging from the ceiling elsewhere are interesting as well. One is similar to the lights over the bar, but larger, and the other one looks like an inverted bowl of fruit. Nice wood paneled, mirrored, and shelved bar back above coolers with wooden doors. A very large clock hangs on the wall to the right of the bar next to glass windows on Greenwich Street. The tables are covered with decoupage movie themed postcards. A small outdoor eating area on the street as well. A new tin ceiling and an old wood floor. The Tribeca Film Festival Street Fair is scheduled for tomorrow so there is a lot of activity on the street what with booths and stages being set up.

I had a Tanqueray and tonic and then, because I got into an interesting discussion with a couple who were looking to rent in the area, a couple of glasses of wine as well. Ah well, it was the last bar of the day and the subway was near.

Well, back to the numbers, 460 down and 540 left to go. Just two more weeks and I will hit the hump, then it is all down hill, probably in more ways than one.

Tribeca Again

Got to love this little neighborhood. Just so many places to go. I had a decent day today and think I am going back one more time tomorrow.

448) Nathan Hale’s Bar

On 6 Murray Street, very close to the Park Place subway stop, is this somewhat typical Irish bar. The wooden bar has a black top and a heavy looking paneled front. It also has a brass rail. Nine beers on tap out of spigots mounted on three brass stations. Brown wooden bar chairs. The bar has a wooden overhang with recessed spot lights. The front of the overhang is decorated with framed soccer shirts and those pennant scarf things. Mirrors and shelves behind the bar with a small wooden cabinet on the left side. Everything sits on top of wooden cabinets that hold glasses, fruit juice, and condiments. Dark wood paneling and dark mustard yellow walls. Wooden floors and a gray ceiling. A couple of neat illuminated English beer signs, Boddington’s and Newcastle, extend out from the walls where the dining area starts. A few televisions but not a lot of decorations. A pennant proclaims NATHAN HALE’S OFFICIAL HOME OF THE METROSTARS AND U.S. SOCCER. Two Irish whisky dispensers behind the bar. There is a dartboard up front but you would have to move a couple of tables to use it.

I had a gin and tonic.

449) 2 Rivers

Just down the block is another place with a black topped bar. This bar top was shiny though. The front was smooth wood and there was a footrest. The bar chairs are black. Two small sets of shelves behind the bar hold the glasses and liquor. Another two shelves mounted on the red and yellow wall hold a few more bottles. There are several mirrors in ornate gold frames on the wall with the three higher ones angles so you get a view of the place. Ornate, somewhat globular lights hang above the bar and a small stained glass hangs from the ceiling in the back. There is original artwork, for sale, hanging on the walls and some small, framed Broadway playbills hanging high on the back wall just below another mirror. There were a few yellow booths up front.

I had a gin and tonic.

450) Murray Bar and Restaurant

Moving across the street and up a bit at 17 Murray Street was this place that had a kind of a 1950’s feel to it. Pale yellow walls with yellowish, inverted mushroom shaped lights hanging over the good sized wooden bar. A black foot rest and mostly black bar chairs (the back rest was more of a dark brown). A nice long, old wood and mirror cabinet combination behind the bar. Coolers and shelves below with a cabinet with glass shelves on top at each end. Two large mirrors between them with tiered shelves for the liquor in front of them. Toulouse Lautrec posters and French liquor posters hang on the walls in the back dining area. A gray tile floor and a vacant looking nook at the street-side of the bar. There is a window in it and it looks like something has just been removed. Perhaps it is being remodeled. A couple of old clocks, one looking like an old school clock and the other looking like a larger version but with the face and hands only, no frame. Two televisions, one showing CNN and one showing ESPN.

I had a gin and tonic.

451 20/20 Lounge

Not far away, (Is this a great street, or what?) at 20 Murray Street is the 20/20 Lounge. A really neon looking place. Panels of back lit colored plastic line the space above the bar and to the left. Inverted cone-shaped shades cover yellow, rose, and turquoise lights over the leather topped wooden bar with a wood topped footrest. The wall behind the somewhat Asian looking bar chairs with wine-colored brocade fabric seats has neat blue lights and plastic squares of red and blue. The back room has a fluorescent mural of Latin musicians. There are more blue lights back there as well. A fun looking place and I enjoyed myself.

I had a Tanqueray and Gin (the bartender talked me into a name brand here).

452) Shore

Moving down the street a bit to 41 Murray Street is this place that, yes, does have a bit of a shore look to it even though it is in downtown Manhattan. An old dark wood bar with a brass rail and rattan and black metal chairs. A large part of the bar has a Plexiglas covered ice bin with oysters. Sitting on top of the Plexiglas covering are several small model sailboats. The sides and back of this has a wide metal surface for opening them. In front the bar is wider so you can sit there and eat your opened in front of you oysters.

There is old dark wood cabinetry behind the bar with coolers on the bottom and mirrored shelves holding the liquor above. Square, fabric covered lights hang over the area behind the bar while small round spots with little disk shades illuminate the bar itself. White brick walls on one side and a raised dining area in back with red walls and black paned windows. Lots of little, and not so little, fishing pictures hang on the wall. One neat booth is built into what looks like an old elevator.

I had a Beefeater and tonic.

453) A&M Roadhouse

Still on Murray Street, but a bit further down at 57, is another Tribeca roadhouse with a real roadhouse look to it. A big wood bar with a brass rail and a combination of wooden bar chairs and metal bar stools with black seats. Brick walls in the back where there is a pool table. Lots of neon bar sighs and one large “Ben Caffrey’s Pic-A-Rib” sign with a large neon pig. There is a good-sized display of hot sauces in a shelf mounted on the wall. Wooden coolers with wooden doors below wooden shelves behind the bar. The shelves hold the liquor supply, glasses and, more stuff. A collection of Susan B. Anthony dollars, shot glasses, fire department and police department patches, stuff. There are sport caricatures mounted on the over hang hanging over the bar. Tables in the back where the walls are brick and there is a hammerhead shark mounted overhead. Neon beer signs on the ceiling and a wood floor. Stop in, you will like it. Friendly people.

I had a gin and tonic.

454) UKNEWYORK

Headed over to Warren Street and at 22 Warren Street found this British restaurant and bar. It has a modern looking dark wood bar and brown wood stools with mustard colored vinyl seats. A brick wall behind the bar with mounted wooden shelves and a mirror. There is a refrigeration unit with glass doors. Pictures of London cityscapes are hung on the pale green walls behind the stools. Interesting double rounded cone lights over the bar gave off a kind of a keep-the-mosquitoes-away yellow glow. There are nice looking booths in the back. A fairly small place and I was the only customer.

455) Spaghetti Western

There are just so many bars in this little area that it kind of blows your mind. I was actually headed for the subway and home when I passed, or, almost passed, this place at 59 Reade Street. It is an Italian restaurant with a old wood bar and a black footrest. The same kind of puffed out cylindrical lights that I have seen before hung over the bar. Dark yellow wall and mirrors behind the bar were framed with heavy wooden shelves. Angled mirrors above lights in the back. The lights look like they belong in Grand Central Station, quite ornate. Black overhead fans and a yellow, what looked to be fake tin, ceiling. The bartender was the pinkest bartender that I have ever seen, pink jacket, pink blouse, pink skirt, pink glasses. Just really, really pink.

I had a Tanqueray Ten martini, a drink to seal my doom after a day like today, and headed to the subway and home.

A good day of drinking but with a bit of a sad note to it. One of the reasons that I hung around as late as I did was to wait for a bar named the Orange Bear to open. It was a really nice dive bar, and the mysterious Chinese lady once knew the owner. But, alas, I was informed that the place is now closed. If anyone has any information about the fate of this fine establishment, please let me know.

But, anyway, I hit eight bars today for a year-to-date total of 455 leaving 545 to go. My more immediate goal, of course, is number 500 on May 14th. I need to hit 44 more before then.

Trip To Tribeca Redux Again

There were a couple more bars that I had heard that I should try in this neighborhood so I figured I would pop back for a quick peek. I wasn’t disappointed as both bars were worth the visit.

446) Brady’s

Located at 67 Murray, is this narrow place that is quite deep. A good-sized dark wooden bar in front and a bunch of tables and chairs in the back for eating. A brick wall behind the bar with a few mirrors, some photographs, a small shelf to display beer. A broad shelf above ice chests and coolers behind the bar hold the liquor. A couple of bottles of Irish whiskey are mounted upside down for easy dispensing of shots. A narrower shelf above the mirrors and other stuff holds an eclectic collection of stuff: a Jets helmet, a fireman’s helmet, beer steins, lanterns, horse shoes, model cares, bottles and jugs, just stuff. A good-sized Statue of Liberty sits in the middle of the shelf down below. Above the bar is a dark wood overhang with recessed lights. The generic “stained glass” lights hang over the brown wood bar chairs with pea soup green seats. Mirrors and dark paneling behind the bar chairs. The walls are off-yellow with dark wood paneling going half way up in front. There is a narrow shelf on top of the paneling for drinks and chairs to sit on. There is a dart board for competitive playing.

I had a Tanqueray and tonic.

447) Dakota Roadhouse

At 43 Park Place is this not-to-be-missed place. A long wooden topped bar with a corrugated tin front and black foot rest looks normal enough, until you notice that it is lined with mouse traps. Then there are the two large screen televisions behind the bar playing someone’s personal video mix featuring everything from videos of street violence, workout videos, sports highlights, music, and who knows what else. You are actually warned by the female bartender that it might be best not to pay too much attention to it. Behind the bar is a set of brown wooden coolers and the wide top holds tiered shelves of bottles, a couple of cash registers and glass shelves holding glasses and a display of beer bottles. The wall is mirrored. Above the bar are two strings of Budweiser Christmas lights. Above that the wall is a faded dark green corrugated metal with Atchafalaya Fish Co. painted in large faded red letters. A bunch of neon beer signs hang on it but most of them weren’t working so I don’t know if they were broken or just turned off. Some kind of large papier-mâché crocodile hangs behind the bar as well wearing paper clothes. Lots of stuff to see, a wooden skeleton, a large paper moon face, mounted deer heads. There is a large American flag on one wall.

This place is quite large with a couple of pool tables and a foosball machine in the back. The lights over the pool tables have nice purple shades. On one wall in the front is a large mirror totally covered with glued on empty hot sauce bottles. Kind of a nice affect. There are booths in the back and an upstairs area that I didn’t get around to checking out. Lots of stuff to see in here and they have very good spiced peanuts on the bar.

I had a Tanqueray and tonic and headed home. I hope to go back again tomorrow and hit a few more. I will probably go later in the day so I can pick up a few places that don’t open until then.

A slow day, but planned that way. Crept up to 447 for the year with 553 left to go. Hoping to make a bit better headway tomorrow, but we shall see how it goes.

Trot To Tribeca Redux

Another decent day and I knew there were more bars waiting for me not far from where I was yesterday. I hopped on the subway and headed back to Chambers street where I resumed my quest.

442) Odeon

In the heart of what is known as downtown Tribeca at 145 West Broadway, between Thomas and Duane, is Odeon, a very nice restaurant and bar. It has a long wooden bar with the standard black foot rest. The chairs are bamboo-like and have bright red, purple, and black woven plastic seats. A metal-lined well built into the bar that holds crushed ice and glasses. Only four beers on draft, but an interesting selection, Guinness, an Irish stout and not that uncommon anymore, Dentergems Witbier, an unfiltered white Belgium ale, Gaffel Kolsch, a German blond ale, and Fuller’s London Pride, an English pale ale. A large clock illuminated with pink and green lights hangs on the wall to the right of the bar. Large globe lights hang from the ceiling. Behind the bar is a large, art deco type of wooden structure with glass shelves, mirrors, and tubular yellow lights that gives it somewhat of a jukebox look. The walls are light yellow with grayish green trim that matches the ceiling.

Angled mirrors above let you see the very crowded dining area that is separated from the bar area by a long black and red booth like sofa with a glass divider mounted on top. Although there are small tables in front of the seating people seemed to prefer either eating at the bar or waiting for a “proper” table.

I had the Dentergems Witbier, very tasty.

443) City Hall

Located in an 1863 landmarked cast iron building at 131 Duane Street, between Church and West Broadway, is a very elegant restaurant and bar. Pretty much everyone was in business attire so I felt a bit scruffy myself. The fairly large bar has a metal surface that is almost mirror -like. The front of the bar is wood paneled with a setback metal grid at the top. An unusual bar rail, a bit like a metal band with the wide side facing out. The wooden bar chairs have brown cloth seats with a light brown floral pattern. There is a set of mirror backed wooden shelves behind the bar. Globe lights hang by small black chains from the high ceiling above the bar. A good-sized set of wine racks behind glass doors on the wall to the right of the bar and large wine-racks above the shelves that hold the liquor. A small stairway leads up to a little platform that appears to have dining table. Behind and to the right of the bar were two large pictures of an old Kosher wine shop and storage area.

The walls are a combination of brick and light yellow. Paneled glass doors at the back lead out to what looks to be a narrow walkway and a brick wall. A small fountain is mounted on the wall. The floor is large black and white checks and there is a nice outdoor eating area. Someone at the bar was eating raw oysters and the presentation was very nice.

I had a draft Allagash White, from New England’s original Belgium style brewery.

444) Raccoon Lodge

Ah, a bar that lives up to its name on the corner of West Broadway and Warren Street. A good-sized old beat-up wooden bar with metal bar stools that had pretty beat-up green vinyl seats. The whole place is kind of old and beat up. Behind the bar it is a total clutter of bottles, bags of chips, mirrors, glasses, baseball caps, police shoulder patches, photos, gumball machines, just stuff. A decent pool table towards the back and, somewhat incongruously, a well-maintained aquarium. Plastic looking stained glass shaded lamps hang over the bar. Some slow-moving overhead fans hang from what looks like a tin ceiling. There are a bunch of video games and an out of place ATM. A stone wall in the back and a dark, wood-planked wall on one side. A few tables and chairs. A couple of large moose heads are mounted on the wall along with what looked like a smaller deer head. No raccoons that I saw. A very loud female bartender was discussing the personal relationships of show business personalities with a guy at the end of the bar. They knew way too much.

I had a Sam Adam’s Boston Lager

445) Biddy Early’s

A narrow, but quite deep, Irish bar at 43 Murray. It is old and dark, like a good Irish bar should be. A long wooden bar with a metallic looking top. Several mirror backed shelves hold the liquor supply and glasses. This place also has a lot of stuff on the shelves, and hanging from the ceiling and walls. More stuff than can easily be described so you just have to go there and check it out. You can also read a biography of Biddy Early, if you are so inclined. Irish road signs point the way to Eatharlack Glen of Aherlow, Beal Atha Poirin Ballyporeen, and other places you might want to go. More of those generic stained glass lamps hang over the bar. There is a dartboard off to the side with a couple of tables against the wall out of the shooting lane. There were several television sets and most of the interest seemed to be focused on the Washington D.C. New England soccer match. A friendly crowd and female bartender. I ended up ordering hot buffalo wings and although they weren’t overly hot they were very tasty and you got a very large portion.

I had a draft Old Speckled Hen and headed on home.

Well, 445 for the year and 555 left to go. Got to get 54 of them knocked off before May 14th. Should be a piece of cake.

Trot To Tribeca

Another pleasant day, although a bit blustery. I didn’t want to go too far so I headed to lower Tribeca. Just took the subway to Chambers Street and hopped off. Didn’t have to wander very far to find a large selection of bars. I think I am going to head back again tomorrow.

437) Mudville 9

Right on Chambers Street between West Broadway and Church Street. This place has a long, copper-topped wooden bar with a black and red checkerboard front and a black ledge for a foot rest. Cherry wood colored bar chairs with dark red vinyl seats and backs. The built in cabinets behind the bar have black doors with tiered gray shelves on top that hold the liquor and glasses. There were narrow mirror above the top shelves. Six televisions above the bar and at least another six around the rest of the place. The World Juggling Federation competition was showing on a couple of them and Toby Walker had just taken the lead in the Advanced Club division.

Pale orange walls with wood paneling going halfway. The ceiling was black and the floor was a somewhat faded turquoise and black checked tile. Lights in black cylindrical metal shades hanging from the ceiling keep the place pretty bright. Lots of sports related, mostly baseball, pictures on the walls along with a few framed mirrors. A friendly female bartender and a largely regular crowd. The bartender told an entertaining story about how she got into the business that involved someone passing out naked on the toilet.

Vova Galchenko just overtook Toby to win the hotly contested Advanced Club event and I had a draft Mudville Bock Beer.

438) Ecco, the Italian Saloon

An elegant Italian eatery just next door to Mudville 9. The front holds the good sized wooden bar with a half dozen wooden chairs with wine colored vinyl seats. A large black bowl-like vase at one end of the bar held a large, colorful bouquet of mixed flowers. Lovely dark wood cabinets behind the bar has shelves with glass doors, some drawers, and mirrors. The friendly female bartender told me it was imported from Austria and had been in a pharmacy there. This restaurant is about thirty years old but the cabinet was estimated to be between 150 and 200 years old. It really was very nice. The cabinet held a large selection of liquors and wine.

The wall behind the bar has a large booth-like bench with five tables in front and chairs on the other side. The tables are covered in white cloth tablecloths and the place settings were quite nice. Large mirrors that match the ones behind the bar line the dark cream colored wall. Above the mirrors are framed old playbills. This same decorative scheme is carried out in the small dining area in the back as well. Those same inverted mushroom shaped lights that remind me of the ones that you find in school rooms hang from the ceiling. The floor is a light tan and black mosaic tile with the tan tiles forming squares and the black tiles framing them. The ceiling and trim is ox blood.

The bartender was from Spain and when she found out that I was going there in the fall she gave me some useful suggestions regarding places to visit and sights to see. I had a very pleasant stay and had a nice Chianti, no fava beans.

439) The Patriot

At the other end of the fairly short block was this bar that was kind of at the opposite end of the spectrum from Ecco. It was a real honky tonk bar, but in a kind of a good way. The female bartender was about as hyper as you could imagine, singing, dancing, and whistling (very well too) along to the music while encouraging the customers to drink up. She was a fairly good job of it too, from what I could see. A group drinking shots of Jack Daniels and beers at two in the afternoon on a Monday always impresses me. I also liked the large crocodile riding a surf board with a bra in its mouth that hung from the ceiling.

There is a big old wooden bar with a black foot ledge. Mixed bar stools and chairs. There is a brick wall behind the bar with mirrors and shelves for bottles. One side wall looks like it was used by a painter to clean his brushes. Also, as you would expect in a bar named The Patriot, was a large American flag. A few skulls hung on the wall and from the old, wagon wheel lighting fixture that hung from the ceiling. One of the steer skulls sported a large set of elk horns. There is an upstairs area that I didn’t get a chance to see and a good selection of songs on the jukebox. Kind of a must-stop-in-to-see-it kind of place.

I had a draft Bass Ale and felt a bit conspicuous seeing as how everyone else seemed to be drinking bottles of Bud.

440) Mary Ann’s

On the corner of West Broadway and Reade Street is this Mexican restaurant and bar that, unfortunately, uses a margarita mix instead of fresh lime juice. A real turn-off for me. A dark wooden bar with a bit of a jot to it. The front is a weird metallic relief of some type that looked somewhat medieval to me. The floor and foot rest is Mexican tile. The walls are a dark orange wash. Mirrors and a fairly simple shelf behind the bar. The wall separating the kitchen and dining area had a turquoise and rust colored Aztec design relief. The ceiling was a dark bluish green tile with what looked like wood and cement beams. Nice hanging lights that had a Spanish look to them.

Now maybe I was sour on this place because of the lack of fresh lime juice, but this was another place where the female bartender was much more interested in talking to her two friends at the other end of the bar than paying attention to her customers. It looked like you were supposed to get a bowl of chips and salsa with your drink but only a half empty bowl of chips and no salsa was in front of me. No offer was made to refresh it or get me salsa. On the other hand, I did learn that the bartender’s friend was going to get her nails done and then they were going to get together later after the bartender got off of work at 5:00 P.M. She did ask me if I wanted another drink as I was getting up to leave though. Great timing.

I had a Tanqueray and Tonic.

441) Delphi

Right across the street from Mary Ann’s is this kind of a combination of a Greek diner and bar. The bar top is dark wood inlaid with two lighter wood strips. It has a brass rail. The bar chairs are wooden with backs and they swivel. The ceiling looks like a wooden grate and has glass bulb lights, single and clustered, in wrought iron holders hanging from it. There is low wood paneling with white plaster above. Arched windows and doorway face Reade Street and there is a glassed-in dinning area on the West Broadway side. What I presume are Greek landscapes hand on the walls. There are two arched glass windows behind the bar above tiered shelves holding liquor and wine above more shelves holding more liquor and glasses.

I had a glass of some kind of red Greek wine that the bartender recommended. It was very good and I regret that I didn’t get the name.

Not a bad day with 441 bars for the year and 559 left to go.

Another Hop To Hoboken

433) The Shannon Lounge

This is an Irish bar that, if not for its size, looks like it could be somebody’s well appointed basement recreation room. Located right downtown at 106 First Avenue, it has been in business for 50 years and is still owned by members of the same family. I guess that helps to account for its homey atmosphere. One of the owners, Marie, was cleaning up the place after what she said was a wild Saturday night. Kind of wish I had been there. She was most friendly and after she found out that I was taking notes showed me around (an impressively large back room, currently just being used for storage until some “issues” are resolved) and told me a little about the place. It has a large oval bar with a kind of reddish wood top and a paneled front. It has a tiled foot rest and wooden bar chairs with green cushions. A large set of coolers with wooden doors sits in the middle of the bar area. Its top is covered with bottles, a cash register, and a case for cigarettes (you can still smoke in the bars in New Jersey). Light colored wooden paneling goes halfway up the pale yellow walls. There are lots of green Guinness pennants hanging from the ceiling. Guinness, Smithwick’s , and Harp mirrors hang on the walls. They have a dartboard and host dart leagues.

This might very well be the bar I would hang out in if I lived in Hoboken, after I checked out the action on Saturday nights. I had a draft Smithwick’s.

434) McSwiggans

Just down the block at 110 First Avenue, on the Corner of First Avenue and Bloomfield Street, is another Irish pub that has that traditional look about it. It has a pool table in the back. The bar looks like it has a newly finished top and has a brass rail. The bar chairs are wood with pale green vinyl seats. There were three televisions behind the bar and the large one in the middle tinted all flesh blue. Made the baseball game much more interesting. Flanking the Blue Man Group television were blond wood tiered shelves holding bottles. More of the Guinness pennants hung from their ceiling (not as many as at The Shannon Lounge, however) and it had Bass and Harp mirrors hanging from their walls. There was a brick fireplace and brick and dark wood walls. Stained glass lights hung from the ceiling and the bar was lit with recessed spots. The bartendress here was quite pleasant as well and turned out to be a pal of Marie next door. Another comfortable place.

I had a Guinness

435) Mulligan’s

An Irish soccer bar at 159 First Avenue. At least eight televisions that I counted with soccer on all of them but one. A large collection of soccer team shirts were displayed on the ceiling behind the bar. There were also soccer team pennants that looked more like fringed scarves. A large Jets banner and a little guy dressed in a kind of Jets uniform were also on display. There was a pool table in a back room. The bar was brown wood with a brass rail and there are wooden bar chairs with brown vinyl seats. The walls are brick with wood paneling that goes half-way up. The ceilings are wood with brass overhead fans. Irish themed pictures are on the wall behind the bar chairs. The floors are old wood except right around the bar where they are tile. There are three different pumping stations on the bar, one a brass tube, one a more ornate brass one, and a ceramic Carlsberg one. A dartboard was also hanging on a wall.

I had a Sam Adam’s White Ale.

436) Busker’s Bar and Grill

On the corner of First Avenue and Bloomfield Street (kitty corner from McSwiggans), and right behind City Hall is this eye-popping Irish bar and grill. There is so much stuff in the place that it looks kind of like an Irish themed gift shop. The interior was designed by O’Sullivan Interiors from Waterford, Ireland so I guess it is an authentic looking upscale Irish pub. The wooden bar is beautiful with a twisted iron bar rail. The cabinets behind the bar is a combination of mirror backed shelves, little drawers, some with brass handles, some with wooden handles. There are what look to be Irish antiques all over the place. Beautiful floor that is a combination of tiles and wood. The lamps over the bar look like opaque cupcakes viewed from the bottom. Glass exhibit cases hold all kinds of neat stuff. The place really is gorgeous and deserves a look if you are in the neighborhood. After a beer at the bar my wife and I had dinner at a table in front of a nice stone fireplace with large candles on the mantle. My lamb shank was delicious but, unfortunately, my wife’s seafood dish, the chef’s special, was lacking. The wine, however, Pepperwood Cabernet, was delicious and reasonably priced. My wife enjoyed it and she usually prefers white wines. The staff was plentiful and very attentive. The hand driers are far and away the most powerful I have ever encountered and actually did the job they were designed to do.

I had a Blue Moon Belgian Ale at the bar before dinner.

After dinner we caught the Path back under the river to Manhattan and then a subway home to Brooklyn. Not a bad day. The bottle of wine with dinner slowed me down a bit but I did hit four which makes 436 for the year and leaves 564 to go. Need 63 more before May 14th so I can celebrate my 500th at The Gate. The frenzy builds.

Quick Trip To Greenwich

It was a bit of a blustery day with just a threat of rain in the air so I didn’t feel like planning anything to strenuous. About 4:00 P.M. in the afternoon though I felt like I needed a breath of fresh, or at least Pub, air so I caught a subway and headed back to Greenwich Village.

431) Chumley’s

Well, it was just a matter of time until I hit this Village landmark. It is famously located by an almost unmarked door at 86 Bedford in what looks to be a largely residential area. Only a small paper announcing brunch on Saturday and Sunday gives away the fact that there is a bar here at all. The other entrance, through a courtyard at 58 Barrow Street is even more difficult to find. This place has been here just about forever and has a somewhat lurid history of being a speakeasy, gambling den, and an enclave for off-beat political gatherings. Hidden rooms and secret passages abound. The term “being 86ed” supposedly originates here. Back when this was a speakeasy the police, by prior arrangement, would always raid the place by entering through the courtyard entrance. The management would then holler out “everyone 86 it” and this would be the signal to run out of the place through the 86 Barrow Street door. Over time to be 86ed came to mean being asked to leave and, even more onerous, being prohibited from ever returning, at least until suitable penance had been paid, generally by staying away for some period of time.

A fairly large place with three rooms. The middle room houses the old, beat-up bar with a large wooden bar rail. A strange looking copper-backed trough with eleven beer spigots is behind the bar. Unfortunately, it looks disturbingly like a communal urinal. Most of the brands of beer being served have Chumley’s name associated with them, as in Chumley’s Wing and Prayer Wheat, Chumley’s Captain Drennan’s Irish Red, Chumley’s Spring Sun Rye Ale. You get the picture. There is all kinds of junk on the shelf above the spigots; a wooden fire truck, a wooden tug boat, a red and a green lantern, just stuff. Book covers and pictures of authors, many of whom frequented this watering hole, cover most of the wall space but there are also several pictures of firemen on the wall. A niche above a small fireplace holds a large wooden goose. Old wooden tables and booths fill the place and old fashioned square shaded lights hang from the ceiling. A Mets game was playing on the television. I think it is almost a requirement that you carve you initials into the bar or a table. At least it looks like thousands of others thought so.

I ahd a draft Heather and Honey Brown Ale.

432) Kettle of Fish

This bar is now located at 59 Christopher Street, but it has traveled a bit. Kettle of Fish moved from 130 West. 3rd Street and reopened at 59 Christopher Street in June of 1999. It originally opened on McDougal St. in 1950 where it people such as Kerouac, Ginsberg, Dylan and many other 60's artists, poets and musicians hung out. They moved to their West 3rd Street location for 12 years. and then, most recently, moved to 59 Christopher St. which used to be the Lion’s Head where people such as Norman Mailer and Pete Hamill used to drink.

You step down a few stairs to enter this place where the bottoms of the windows are at street level. It has a low ceiling but has a nice sized back room with comfortable sofas, tables and chairs, a large screen television, and a couple of dart boards. The bar itself is a good sized old wooden bar with a brass rail and plain wooden bar chairs. Lots of small multi-colored Christmas lights are strewn about the place giving it a festive look. A few Halloween lights are still up as well. They have a big pumpkin carving contest here every year for Halloween. Very cluttered wood shelving behind the bar holds a good sized collection of reference books for resolving disagreements. There are a lot of bottles back there too and all kinds of knick knacks and baseball caps. Green inverted cone shaped lights hang over the bar and tan and gold stained glass lights hang from the ceiling throughout the rest of the place. Dark paneled walls everywhere except behind the bar where the wall is dark brick. There is a large stuffed dog on a shelf by the back wall and a small live dog sitting on a barstool between two women at my end of the bar.

I got excited when I saw a classic Williams Fish Tales pinball machine, in working order, tucked away. I tried my hand at it but didn’t very good. I blame this on the fact that the lighting was too dim, and it was.

I had a glass of Australian Chardonnay, made from grapes stomped by kangaroos, I would imagine, and then headed home.

Making progress with 432 down and 568 left for the year.

Times Square

Today was a chillier day than the past couple that we had so I threw on a jacket and planned on making a visit to the East side of town. As I stood waiting on the crowded subway platform I spotted an East side train pulling into the station just down a tunnel from me so, being an opportunist, I jogged over and hopped on. Got to get in some exercise every once in awhile.

428) Bar 41

A small hotel bar on 41st Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. There was a decent lunch crowd, mostly construction workers from the construction sites on the block sitting at the bar and white collar types at the little green glass topped tables with plush gray chairs. I always get a bit concerned when I see a bunch of constructions workers dumping down beers at lunch and then heading back to the job, but hey, not my problem. The bar is black marble with a green glass front that matches the table tops. The bar chairs are plush gray, just like the ones at the tables, only higher. Spot lights recessed in the ceiling manage to light the tables and the bar while still keeping the place looking dark. Behind the bar are glass shelves in front of a back lit frosted glass panel. There is a television mounted in the wall behind the small dining area and a bank of six small televisions above a curved ledge with chairs where you can sit with a drink. Wood paneled walls and a wooden floor. There are pictures of nudes on one wall.

I had an Old Speckled Hen, in a bottle, no glass offered.

429) Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

There is no depth to which one will not sink in the restless quest for 1000 bars. This is an unabashedly touristy restaurant and bar located at 1501 Broadway, right in the heart of Times Square. You know it is touristy when you are offered your beer in either a pint glass or a 22 ounce souvenir glass that you can keep. On the bright side, they did have women’s 9 ball on two of the televisions above the bar. On the downside they also had Forrest Gump on the bigger one in the middle. A nice enough wooden topped bar with a metal front and metal bar chairs with red vinyl cushions and backs. There is really nothing wrong with the place other than how contrived it is, kind of like a T.G.I. Friday’s on steroids. Plenty of “country” memorabilia on the walls and an impressive displays of hot sauces on shelves. Quite a lunch crowd waiting in line to be seated in this upstairs dining and eating area.

I had a draft Brooklyn Lager and, no, I did not get the souvenir glass.

430) Manhattan Chili

Across the street at 1500 Broadway, but actually more on 43rd Street, is this colorful restaurant and bar. In fact, the place is a bit of an explosion of colors. The bar has a somewhat Southwestern design but with a wide wavy strip going down the middle that is supposed to represent Broadway. Behind the bar is a large kind of three dimensional, wildly colored, cartoon-like representation of Times Square. It looks like it could have been designed by Red Grooms. It is all lit up with multi-colored Christmas lights. There are a couple of similar types of hangings on two other walls. Lot’s of framed Broadway show posters on the walls as well. Overhead stage lights illuminate the walls and, along with overhead spot lights, the bar. Wooden bar chairs with ox-blood colored leather padded seats. Sea green, light orange, and yellow walls. The dining is down a few steps from the bar. Looks like it could be a touristy place, but doesn’t really seem to be. At least not in comparison to Bubba’s. It would be worth stopping in here if you are in the neighborhood, just for a look see. Ah hell, you might as well go over to Bubba’s and take a peak too then.

I had a draft Sam Adam’s Summer Ale and headed for the subway home.

Greenwich Again

Another fine day and I left a bit later so I could begin to hit bars that don't open until late afternoon. I will probably be doing this on a more regular basis, at least a couple of times a week now that the weather is nicer and the days are longer.

425) Fat Black Pussycat

A strange name for a bar on 130 West 3rd Street, kind of by the intersection of MacDougal and 6th. I knew I would like this place when I noticed that Akira Kurosawa's classic 1954 film "Seven Samurai" was playing on two of its televisions. A dark, narrow, but deep place. An old beat-up bar with a black linoleum topped foot rest. Bar chairs, some with cushions, some without. Mirrors behind the bar with tiered shelving for the liquor. Above the mirror is a collection of neon beer signs and a large clock with a fat black cat on its illuminated face. A very nice back room with a pool table and two dart boards. Pretty much of a dark wood interior with several lights hanging from the ceiling, each different than the other but old looking and quite nice. Large school room type lights hang above the bar. A wide assortment of framed mirrors hang on the wall behind the bar chairs.

Keeping with the them of the name I had a bottle of Magic Hat Fat Angel.

426) The Town Tavern

Just down West 3rd Street a few doors from Fat Black Cat is this wider, lighter establishment. It is much louder too. Maybe this is because the pizza place like dining area in front of the bar was occupied by several families with young children. It looked like some kind of a party was going on. The brick and plaster walls kind of amplified the noise. The bar had a not very well fitting copper top tht looked like it was just slapped on the top of an old wood bar. A bar rail that looked like it was made of old plumbing pipes. The brick wall behind the bar feature a couple of mirrors in antiqued frames on either side of a large flat screen television showing the Mets/Marlins game. A decent selection of liquors sit on the tiered shelves underneath the mirrors and television. The place was really packing up when I left at about 6:45 P.M.

I had a Sam Adam's Boston Lager.

427) Slane

This newer looking place is on 102 McDougal. It is a L shaped bar in what appears to be an L shaped place. Large glass windows and glass doors dominate the narrow front on McDougal. The short side of the bar is in front of the windows with the longer side extending down the relatively deep, and narrow, side of the place. A nice dark wood top to the bar that has a front made up of closely packed round ceramic pieces set in cement and a wooden foot rail. Lights with what looks like wrap-around sugar candy hang above the bar. The coloring is primarily light pea soup green with dark blue/green trim. Interestingly enough, the fixture for the draft beer hangs down from the ceiling instead of sticking up from the bar. I don't think I have ever seen that before. There is kind of an Asian style decor behind the bar with mirrors, bottles, and little teddy bears wearing green vests and green bowlers. They are probably still there from St. Patricks day, lost in a drunken haze. The wall on the long side of the place is old, light, brick.

Despite the interesting beer dispensing device I decided to have a Tanqueray and Tonic.

That was it, 3 for the day, 427 for the year, 573 left to go.

A Mixed Bag

It was a lovely sunny day and late in the afternoon I got a hankering for a nice Belgium beer. I decided to head to Greenwich Village and hit a place that I had been thinking about for awhile (saving it, kind of).

422) Bruxelles

As you might imagine from the name, this is a Belgium restaurant and bar. It is located at the angular corner of Greenwich Avenue and 13th Street. This makes the place somewhat triangular with a narrow, blunt end at the intersection and then gradually widening as you make your way back into the dining rooms. There is a small window on the very narrow wall with a little table there and windows on the other two walls in the bar area. The bar has a wooden top largely covered by what looks like hammered tin sheeting. It has a brass foot rail. Black bar stools with black vinyl cushions. A large selection of bottled Belgium beer (nothing on draft). Wooden floors and walls that are light green on top and dark green below window level. The narrow wall in front and the walls with the doorways to the dining areas are old brick. A dark wood beam with protruding brass tubes hangs above the bar and serves as a glass-holder. Wine selections and dinning specials are written in white chalk on three small blackboards that hang on the walls. Black shelves, wine racks, and coolers sit behind the bar. There is one large mirror next to the window behind the bar.

I had a refreshing bottle of Vuuve and headed back to Brooklyn.

423) Henry Street Ale House

There were a couple of places in my neighborhood that don't open until a bit later in the day so I figured this might be a good time to check them out. Henry Street Ale House is a narrow, dark place located on, guess what, Henry Street, between Orange Street and Cranberry Street. It has wood paned windows opening onto the street. A dark wood bar with a marble topped foot rest. Dark bar chairs. A large mirror behind the bar with bottles on tiered shelves flanking an impressive pumping station with 16 beers on draft, and a very nice selection of beers, I might add. On either side of the tiered shelves were bookcase like shelves holding a good selection of single malt Scotch, CDs, and glasses. It looks like patterned tin paneling on the walls to about waist height and dark red paint above. Small, orange cylinderical lights hang above the bar and blue lights hang on the walls. Small tables and chairs and a couple of booths in a nook in the back. A tannish tile floor.

The bartender was quite knowledgeable about beers and local bars so we had a nice chat.

There was, as I said, a large selection of beers but I had Belgium type beers on my mind so I had a Brooklyn Weiss, very nice indeed. Shameless plug here, I like Brooklyn Brewery beers.

424) Chez Henry

Well, this is a no-brainer, a French bistro located at 60 Henry Street, On the corner of Henry and Cranberry Streets. The very friendly bartendress engaged me in conversation from the moment I entered so I didn't have much of a chance to take notes. Talking to her was more fun anyway. The bar was copper topped and the walls were salmon colored. Copper pans hung on tile walls and the floors are old wooden planks. There are glass shelves behind the bar and an nice mirror with cut-glass edging. There is a nice selection of liquors. Old style lights hang from the ceiling and copper colored track lighting illuminate the bar. No restaurant on this corner ever seems to last and, given that the owner of this place owned a bar and restaurant just around the corner from where I lived that recently shuttered, I don't hold out much hope for this place. I hope I am wrong but it is a nice looking place with, as I mentioned, a very friendly bartendress.

I had another Brooklyn Weiss and headed on home.

This makes 424 for the year and 576 to go.

Around The Old Work Place

I used to work where the new W hotel is located across from Union Square. I decided to check out the neighborhood again but decided to take the west side subway. As a result, walking east on 12th I first hit:

416) Gotham Bar And Grill

An upscale bar and restaurant at 12 East 12th Street. A very elegant long pink marble topped bar with a black front. The foot ledge has a similar pattern to it but is just linoleum. There is a narrow ridge in the front of the bar and extending out from the front is a thick round wooden rail. Kind of strange because if you eat at the bar they put your place setting on a wooden board that has a slot that fits over the ridge and then extends across the rail. Seems like they could have just made the bar wider and and eliminated the ridge and rail. A matching marble ledge sits on metal coolers behind the bar. On top of that, and in front of a large arch-topped mirror is a black metal rod and greenish glass set of shelving. It has a bit of an art deco look to it. A large selection of liquors and a an impressive selection of grappas sit on the shelves. Lights over the bar are drapped in a muslin like fabric, as are the overhead lights throughout the rest of the restaurant. Very elegantly decorated in a dark-yellow, olive-green, dusty-rose, and light-gray color scheme.

I had a Tanqueray and Tonic.

417) Buena Sera

A small Italian restaurant on the corner of 12th and University Place. Large wrap-around windows provide the feel of street-side dining without actually being on the sidewalk. This is usually a good thing when the streets are busy as they are at this intersection. A small black marble and wood topped bar with a red cement block foot rest. An old, not overly fancy, wooden structure frames two good-sized mirrors behind the bar. There are narrow cupboards on each side that are somewhat disguised. Just a narrow shelf in front of the mirrors holds what looks like a fairly meagre liquor supply. There is, however, a fairly large wine rack. A large spray of some kind of small white blossoms (where is that Chinese lady when you need her) in a brown clay vase sits on one end of the bar. The walls are kind of a rose/orange color with some brick trim. A beamed yellow ceiling with overhead fans.

I had a Tanqueray and Tonic.

418) Piola

Located on 12th Street between University Place and Broadway is this combination of a pizza place and Italian restaurant. It does have a small white and gray marble-topped bar with a metal front. A narrow silver-pipe foot rail. Black bar stools with black vinyl padded seats. Hanging over the bar and throughout the place are multi-colored lightbulbs in multi-colored glass shades. Very festive looking. Just a small tiered, blue lit Lucite shelf holding liquor and glasses. The wall behind the bar is dark gray then switches to a bright red. The rest of the walls are orange, dark green, purple, beige, and aqua. Surprisingly it works. An interesting warren of restrooms and sinks. An eclectic collection of black framed pictures on the walls. There are blue lights over the bar and just in front of it.

I had a Tanqueray and Tequila.

419) Hotel W Lounge

Located at 201 Park Avenue South in the former home of Guardian Life Insurance (previously Germania Life Insurance). There is a cold-to-the-touch metal covered bar with some kind of a tan, textured front. The center island has glass panels that look a bit like very large hard candies. Huge windows with lacy curtains covering the side being hit by the sun. You enter through a revolving door. Glass shelving holds the impressive liquor selection. They also have a decent selection of draft beers. One wall, between the two large windows looking out on Park Avenue South, is covered with ivy. Whether it is real or not, I do not know. There is a nice little lounge area next to the windows with sofas, chairs, and tables. Nice chess and backgammon sets are available. Huge sprays of some kind of pink-blossomed flowers (there we go again, missing the expert on these matters) sat in large black vases in each of the two windows over looking Park Avenue South. Ornate black metal candle holders with small votive candles sat on the bar and by the curtained window. Only complaint is that the restrooms are a long ways away, through the main hotel lobby and up a long winding staircase.

I had a Tanqueray and Tonic.

420) Park Avalon

Just up the street at 225 Park Avenue South is this fairly fancy bar and restaurant. I ordered my drink and then overheard the manager telling someone how good their margaritas were. I said I was sorry I didn't order one and she offered to replace my drink, that I already had taken a few sips of. I didn't accept the offer though. There is a lovely, polished copper-topped bar with a wide wooden arm rest. A narrow, but functional, silver foot rail. Large floor to ceiling windows opening on Park Avenue South. Very high ceilings. Large tannish glass disk shaped overhead lights make it looks a bit like you are being invaded by flying saucers. Tall shelves for liquor and wine racks behind the bar. Walls and pillars are covered by deep carmel ceramic tiles. Marble tiled floors and lots of mirrors. Large candles come out at night.

I had a Tanqueray and Tonic.

421) Lemon

Located on the corner of Park Avenue South and 19th is this bar and restaurant. It has an old dark wood bar with blond wood panels in front that are separated by metal strips. The bar has a bit of a jog to it and has an old wooden bar rail. Regular old wooden bar stools. Shelves, backed by mirrors, are behind the bar. The place was really empty, I was the only one there. It is quite large with a second, kind of a balcony like, level with dark booths. Probably gets much busier in here later in the evening. The top of the winding steps to the second-level is guarded by a red and white paper mache dragon. Nice pictures of rock stars line the walls up top. Votive candles in red glass holders were being lit and placed on the bar when I toddled out.

I had a Tanqueray and Tonic

Well, a decent day with six bars hit, 421 for the year, and 579 to go.

Another Visit To The Village

Another beautiful sunny day so how better to spend it than in a few bars. I headed down to the West Village.

413) Knickerbocker

On the corner of University Place and 9th Street is this old, classic steakhouse. The bar has an antique looking marble top, a wooden paneled front, and a brass rail. There is a wooden armrest in front of the marble top. Dark wood bar-chairs with black vinyl seats. Wooden-doored coolers with brass hinges and silver handles sit behind the bar and form the base of wooden and glass backed shelving with small wine racks on the top. Old fashioned lights hang over the bar and above a few of the shelves behind the bar as well. An old pegged plank floor and a rose colored ceiling. Large windows look out onto University Place. Largely yellow walls in the bar area with a couple of old posters mounted to the left of a white metal wine rack behind the bar.

There is a largely separate dining area with a large piano. There is live music at night but during the day it is covered with liquor bottles. Gives a whole new meaning to a piano bar.

I had a Tanqueray and Tonic.

414) Sevilla

At 62 Charles Street, on the corner of 4th Street, sits this Spanish restaurant and bar. It has a dark wooden bar with a matching front and a black foot ledge. Metal bar stools with light tan vinyl tops. A dark planked ceiling and dark orange tile floors. The light fixtures hanging from the ceiling look like ship's wheels with ship's lanterns hanging from the handles. Stained glass lights hang over the tan booths along one wall and small, brown-shaded lights hang over the booths on the other side of the room. Pictures of bull-fighters and a the head of a vanquished bull hang on one wall. There are mirror backed glass and wood shelves behind the bar. The mirror in the center is flanked by curved white plexiglass lit from behind by pink lights. Above the mirror is a narror strip of plexiglass lit from above by small red lights. Plates and ceramic tiles,some featuring Don Quixote and his pal Pancho, and doo-dads hang from the molding above the bar and various knick-knacks sit on the shelf underneath it.

I had a Tanqueray and Tonic.

415) Metropol

A fairly new place on the corner of West 4th Street and West 10th Street. I love the village where streets cross streets and you can get totally lost. A black bar with a black and white hexagon tiled foot rest. Black bar stools with black leather cushioned seats affixed with large-headed brass studs. A dark wood floor and a white painted tin ceiling. Large windows on two sides with white globe lights hanging from the ceiling. Black cushioned booths and small round tables with chairs. Overhead fans. Pea-soup green plaster walls. A small mirror backed set of glass shelves behind the bar hold the liquor and they are framed by dark wood wine racks. Shelves holding bottles line the top of the windows. Large black and white photos of former downtown notables such as Edie Sedgwick, Andy Warhol, and Nico adorn one wall and an old mirror adorns another. The bartendress, Sue, was very personable and, as this was my last stop of the day, I indulged myself with a second drink.

I had a Tanqueray and Tonic.

A fair to middling day with three bars bringing my yearly total to 415 with 585 left to go.

Columbia Street Crawl

Well this turned out to be a much more productive day than I had envisioned. I wanted to check out this one bar not far from where I live on Columbia Street, across from the waterfront area. I thought there was only one bar on this street, and that would have been one more than was here a few yars ago, the last time I visited. The place has changed and I managed to hit 5 bars on this relatively short stretch.

408) Bluestone

This is the one that I was looking for and it was the first one I came to on 117 Columbia Street. A narrow rectangular bar with one long side up against the wall. Tiered wooden shelves hold the liquor and they have a nice selection of tequilas. The front of the bar is a combination of greenback-lit glass blocks and wood panels. There is a comfortable back room with a pool table and a just opened outdoor beer garden. A Webber grill and a serious looking smoker hold promise for future cook-outs. There is a dartboard by the front window. Their is also a fireplace. The lights over the bar are made out of inverted, patterned, hollow-stem wine glasses.

I had a draft Sam Adam's White Beer.

409) Alma's

On the corner of Columbia Street and Degraw is this nice old place (at least the building is old) with only 9 draft beers, but an interesting selection: Bellhaven Scottish Ale, Anchor Liberty Ale, Franzishaner Weissbier, Smutty Nose Brown Ale. The top of the bar is like a log plank, polished but with big cracks in it. The bar front is plain wood panels. Just simple shelving for liquor on the brick wall behind the bar. Two windows flank the shelving. An interesting collection of candles on a shelf, each candle having a wax figure stuck to it. The walls are painted a dark rose. There is wood paneling with a narrow ledge on top for drinks. A couple of large mirrors on the walls. Nice copper-shaded lights hang above the bar.

I had a Bellhaven Scottish Ale.

410) Lido

A former social club that is now open to the public located on Columbia Street between Degraw and Sackett. A decent sized dark wood-topped bar with a black front and a ledge for your foot topped with the rubber stuff like you see on stairs sometimes. Black bar-chairs with red badded seats and backs. A red felt-covered pool table in the back room that also had a DJ set-up. Copper-colored mirrors behind the bar. Old pictures of the neighborhood from the 1950's (I think) were on the dark rose walls. Also some interesting, if somewhat primative, paintings of heads were hanging on the wall and these were for sale.

I had a draft Haffeweizen courtesy of the Widmer Brothers.

411) Kotobuki Bistro

This Japenese restaurant is located on the corner of Columbia Street and Sackett. A cherry-wood topped bar with a similarly colored paneled front and a silver foot rail. The bar chairs have multi-colored fabric covered padded seats. The floor is a grey, stone-like tile. Pale green walls with stone backed niches hold decorative bottles, vases, and knick-knacks. Modernistic wavy metal track spot-liting hangs from the ceiling as does a weird fan that looks like a cross between a boat-motor and a malted-milk machine. There is a separate sushi bar and a nice looking outdoor eating area.

I had a bottle of Hakushika Junmai Ginjo (sake).

412) Pit Stop

Well, you might be forgive for thinking this place, on 127 Columbia Street, would be some kind of a barbecue place, but it isn't. It is a very nice French bistro with a Grand Prix racing theme. There is just a small bar with a narrow silver foot rail. The top of the bar is kind of a knotty pine and the front is made up of small, louvered cabinet doors or something. Three black and white shaded industrial type lights hang above the bar. One wall is patterned tin and there are pictures of Grand Prix race car drivers above a small flag of the country they drive for, or something. Two child-sized race cars are mounted on the wall above the pictures. A tan painted tin ceiling and an old wooden floor. Small booths and tables with chairs add to the bistro feel of the place, as does the fact that most of the people working here, and a fair number of the customers, are French.

Out doors in the back, where my wife and I went to eat after having a drink at the bar, were four pentanque courts (similar to boce ball). There was a lively game going on with the losers of each game relegated to practice on an adjacent court until it was their turn again.

I had a glass of Muscadet.

A very pleasant stroll up and down Columbia Street. I am glad to see a lot of new places have opened and they all seemed to be very pleasant. Instead of just the one bar I hit five for a yearly total of 412 now and 588 left to go.

Hoboken Hope

The wife and I decided to take a little trip across the river to Hoboken, New Jersey. This is the town that gave us Frank Sinatra. It is a great place to go bar-hopping and that is what I did.

402) Oddfellows

Right across from the Path Station is this funky New Orleans style bar on 80 River Street. The bar is in the shape of a check-mark. The short side angles off from a large window over-looking the New Jersey Transit Bus Terminal (and the Path Station). A fairly standard set-up behind the bar exceptf for the stuff hanging or sitting all over the place. Madi Gras beads and masks, rubber alligators, brass instruments, and a dreaded swamp elephant. Some of the larger brass instruments have women's legs sticking out of them. A beautiful Italian marble-like ceiling with old-style overhead fans. An old wooden floor. A back room with a couple of pool tables and a good-sized dining room with pictures of Madi Gras scenes on the walls. The walls were primarily brick and there was a large molding on top with a lot of license plates nailed to it. Curling was being televised on three televisions, so that kind of broke the New Orleans mood a bit.

I had a Boddington's.

403) Texas Arizona

Next door at 76 River Street is Texas Arizona. It has the same style ceiling as the place next door so I assume someone remodeled the whole building and then leased out the two bar areas. The bar is copper-topped with a light wood front and a black ledge for your foot. The bar isn't straight, but has a couple of jogs in it. There is a wooden armrest in front of the copper top. The bar chairs are wood with a nice cherry finish to them. Two fabric covered lamps hang from the ceiling. There were eight television sets in the room with the bar and another couple in the smaller dining area off to the side. Mostly tile floors but with one wood area and a raised area in the back with a number of tables that has a wooden floor as well. There is outside seating on the sidewalk and large windows behind the bar let you order and receive your drinks out there without having to come inside.

I had a Tanqueray and Tonic.

404) Hobson's Choice

A corner bar with large windows with venetian blinds on 77 Hudson Street. A good sized wooden bar with a wooden foot rest and wooden bar chairs. A set of mirror backed wood cabinets sit on top of dark green shelves and coolers. There are at least half a dozen televisions and a pool table. Three banks of green and white glass shaded lights hang over the bar. A high tin ceiling painted kind of a gold/mustard color. The wall behind the bar is brick but the others are dark green. Dark green pillers set on high wooden bases run down the center of the room and are docorated with Christmas lights. A wooden parrot clutching a Corona sits on a perch hanging from the ceiling.

I had a Tanqueray and Tonic.

405) Scotland Yard

Now this place, on 77 Hudson, had a real authentic New Orleans jazz club feel to it. It is a dark, narrow place about seven steps down from street level. A fairly low, but ornate ceiling. A red brick floor and dark brown painted brick walls. Dark wood paneling goes about halfway up the walls and there is a narrow ledge on top just large enough to set down a drink. The bar is an odly shaped angular affair with a center island. It has a wooden top and a wood paneled front. A ledge for your foot and a brass rail around the top of the bar that is held in place by brass lion-heads. Televisions and shelves with bottles sit on the center island. White glass-shaded lights hang above the bar and the rest of the place as well. Through a narrow passage you can enter another small room with another bar. There was a three-piece group playing decent music and the small crowd was rocking. They had a large selection of bottled beers.

I had a draft Franzishaner Weissbier.

406) Green Rock

I didn't have to stroll to far too hit this place on 70 Hudson. It is a fairly narrow place with a nice old wooden bar with the traditional brass rail. Eleven beers on draft but a pretty mundane selection. Three very large mirrors are behind the bar set in a very large ornate dark wood frame. A pea-soup green tiled ceiling and wooden floors. Mirrors behind the wooden bar-chairs as well. Lots of television sets showing the Mets/Marlins game. The walls are a combination of brick and pale green. Tables in the back and an in-use dart board. Overhead fans and large, clear lightbulbs with small metal shades on top hung over the bar.

I had a Tanqueray and Tonic.

407) Louise and Jerry's

Another step-down type of bar on 329 Washington Street. Very narrow place with an L shaped polished wood bar. Tile floors with a little white, red, and black octogon pattern. White Christmas lights hung above the burgandy painted walls above knotty-pine paneling. There was a pool table in the back. The ceiling looked like a gun-metal grey ceramic replica of an old tin ceiling. Behind the bar were mirrors and nice sparkly, mirrored lights.

I had a draft Bass Ale.

Well, I will certainly be hitting Hoboken again. Lot's of bars in a small area makes this like shooting fish in a barrel. I hit six bars and that didn't include where we had dinner (it was a B.Y.O.B. place so we brought a bottle of white wine). This made 407 for the year and 593 left to go. Which means only 92 more until May 14th at, what looks like, a party at The Gate.

Second At Last

Finally, I made it all the way to 2nd Avenue and actually hit three bars in a single block.

398) Telephone Bar and Grill

Just look for the three, red London style telephone booths at 149 2nd Avenue and you have found the Telephone Bar and Grill. There are green marble-topped tables and chairs outside as well. Enter the doors and walk down six brick steps and you are in the bar itself. The bar is a bit of a strange concoction. It looks one end of a wooden bar had been cut off and then white marble bar with a black marble top inserted as an extender. The walls are brick, the floor is wood and the ceiling is tin. There are mirrors behind the bar and a pretty standard set-up of tiered shelves holding bottles. Coolers with sliding glass doors under the shelves hold the beer and wine. There are two nice purple and what looks like lucite lights mounted behind the bar at each end.

Behind the barstools are two tall, narrow wooden tables with white marble tops. Bar stools are parked under the tables. A plush, wine-colored settee lines two walls. Tables sit in front of it and chairs sit on the other side of the tables. There is a row of tables down the middle of the room seperated by mauve colored pillers that support a beam that looks like it has been covered in tin. A lot of white Christmas lights decorate the place. There is one large, art-deco style light hanging from the ceiling. There is a fairly large back room.

I had a draft Young's Special London Ale.

399) Ryan's Irish Pub

Just next door is this very dark Irish bar. It is dark despite having fairly large windows in front on a sunny day. The bar is black with a brass foot rail, the bar-chairs are black with black cushions, all of the stools and tables in the place are black, the bricks on the wall are painted black, and the ceiling is black. What isn't black is dark wood or a deep-rose paint. Over the bar are interesting metal and glass lamps hanging from chains that give off a dim light. A long sword, an elaborately decorated leather bellows, and a brass bed-warmer decorate the wall above the mirror behind the bar. What, exactly, the connection is between these items is a bit beyond me. Other memorabilia sits on narrow shelves high on the walls. There is a mirror on the black brick wall flanked by two brass lamps mounted on the wall.

I had a Dewar's and Soda

400) Ame Russe

And, just two doors down is this interesting place. A marble topped bar that somehow looks like it would be more at home in an ice-cream parlor. A large metal affair supporting three glass cone-like beakers that hold yellow, green, and red fluids make you start thinking more along the lines of a high-school chemistry laboratory. Glass shelves in front of a mirror with a lovely wooden frame hold glass bottles, beakers, and jugs of various sizes, colors, and shapes that contain who knows what in differently colored liquids makes you think more along the lines of a mad-scientist's laboratory. All of this is either infused or infusing vodka.

There is a brick wall behind the bar but a white-tile wall behind the bar-stools adds to the ice-cream parlor (or mad scientist's lab) look. A shelf above the front windows hold a collection of old seltzer bottles. Menus and drink specials are written in colored markers on the mirrors on the tiled wall. Plush tan-backed benches line one with with tables and chairs in front of them. A couple of interesting statues are mounted on the wall behind the bar. Nice ceramic looking molding around the top of the walls and a tan-tiled floor. The beer taps are mounted in a different looking silver affair mounted on the bar.

I had a draft Spatan Optimator and then, because it was two for one, a Spatan Premium Lager.

401) Corner Billiards and Bar

On the corner of 4th and 11th street is this cavernous place just down a few steps from street level. There is a large zinc bar with wooden bar-stools. Nice hanging lights above the bar. Standard set-up of glass shelves in front of mirrors behind the bar. One large-screened television in the bar area showing a Lakers/Sacramento game. There is also a little area with tables under rose-colored lights hanging from the ceiling. The rest of the place is pure pool hall. Think "The Hustler." Mostly college kids now and a large Asian following.

I had a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale.

Passed the 400 mark and am well positioned to hit my 500th on schedule. Dont forget to let me know your thoughts on wear that will be. The Gate is still the favorite and it looks like it will be at about 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, May 14th.

Birthdays At Joseph's

A bit of a breather today as I went to only one place and that was to celebrate the birthdays of a couple of friends of mine. Prior to sitting down for dinner in the separate dinning room we all had cocktails at the bar.

397) Joseph's

Located at 3 Hanover Square in the financial district in downtown Manhattan is this downstair bar and restaurant. The bar is dimly light, but not dark. It usually is doing a good business with regulars that work in the area. Of course I almost always get here in the early evening so I am not sure what it is like the rest of the time. I have been here for lunch and they seem to do a good business then as well. It is kind of a regular meeting place whenever this group of my friends gets together. The drinks are generous (to a fault, sometimes) and the food, Northern Itallian, is very good indeed. They had very large bowls of mixed nuts on the bar that seemed to be a big hit, at least until nothing was left but the walnuts.

You enter by going down a narrow flight of stairs that enters into what appears to be a fairly narrow bar. Actually, this room is fairly narrow. The bar is a nice polished wood with a brass foot rail. Behind the bar are glass mirror backed shelves holding the bottles. Above the bar is a candy-cane striped plastic-tube light, for decorative purposes only. The whole place has a nice, soft glow to it. The wall at the opposite side of the bar and closest to the door has mirrors and at the other end curtained windows that would, if the curtains were pulled, look out into the fairly large dining area. There are doors to the dining area at either end of that wall.

I had a Marker's Mark Manhattan, very well made. The bartender usually makes a bit more than a full glass and then tops your glass off with the excess after you have taken a few sips. One of my favorite places to have cocktails with friends.

Just the one bar for the day bringing the yearly total to 397 with 603 left to go. I really am going to try to make it to Second Avenue tommorow.

Thrown Out Trying For Second

Well, it must not be my fate to get to Second Avenue this week. This time I had really planned on going but there was some sort of a problem with the subway I was going to take. Thanks to the lovely speaker system they have, nobody knew just what the problem was, but the train was taken out of service and we were shunted over to another line. That one went up the west side and 2nd is on the east side. I got off at 12th and headed east but only got as far as University Place.

394) Cedar Tavern

The quintessential old New York bar, kind of. It actually moved to its current location, on University Place between 10th and 11th, in 1963, from a spot a few blocks away. In its old location such notable artists as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Franz Kline, and Robert Motherwell hung out there. Apparently Jack Kerouac got kicked out of the place, supposedly for urinating in an ashtray. No ashtrays these days so who knows what he might have done.

There is a long wooden bar with a plain wooden top but an ornate front. It has a brass foot-rail and a wooden rail running around the top of the bar for your arms. A very elaborate set of shelves and cabinets grace the back of the bar. A large mirror sits back in a mirrored arch with stained-glass at the top that is lit from above. An antique cash register that is still in use sits on the shelf under the mirror and there is a stained-glass shaded light that hangs directly above it. The top panels of several of the cabinets are also stained glass. There is a lot of track lighting but also several wagon-wheel type light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. Nice square stained-glass shaded lights hang over booths and tables along a wall that is yellow brick with dark wood paneling that goes up about half way. There is a small stained-glass skylight and some overhead fans that hang from what looks like a dark-brown painted tin ceiling. Photographs of old New York hang on the walls.

I had a draft Boddington's.

395) Reservoir

Another old-looking bar just a block away on University Place between 10th and 11th. A nice selection of draft beers are served from taps on a nice wooden bar with a brass rail. Two large mirrors are behind the bar with a wide paneled space between them. A big boar's head wearing a tan Drill Instructor type of hat and a red kerchief hangs on the wall. A large fish tank behind the bar looks like it is well overdue for a cleaning. The large sucker-type fish hanging on the side of the tank looked happy enough, but I am not too sure about the few smaller fish swimming about. Nice stained-glass shaded lights hang over the bar. Tiered shelves in front of the mirror hold a large liquor supply. Four television sets were showing the Marlins/Phillies game to a largely disinterested crowd. A red-felt covered pool table sits not far from the bar. High round tables with bar stools sit in the front and square tables with red tablecloths covered with white paper sit in the back, accompanied by chairs. A few overhead fans hang from the ceiling.

I had a draft Red Hook IPA.

396) Cafe Spice

Almost next door on the corner of University Place and 11th is this fairly new Indian restaurant and bar. The bar is a decent sized half rectangular affair with a silver metallic finish and a tan formica front. It has a narrow silver foot-rail. The nine bar-chairs have woven fabric seats, some tan, some green, some red. Yellow mirror backed shelves behind the bar hold the liquor supply. Niches set in the pale yellow wall are painted in various bright colors and hold jars of spices and some primative spice grinding implements. Track lighting illuminates these niches. One section of the wall in the back is brick and has Indian cooking implements hanging on it. The very back wall is open to the kitchen. A lot of little tables and chairs and four, brightly painted, semi-private booths built into one wall. The floor is nicely tiled. The ceiling above the bar area is pea-soup green with inset spot lighting. The rest of the ceiing is white.

This was my last bar of the day so I treated myself to a Maker's Mark Manhattan.

A kind of a relaxing day but the three bars brought my total for the year to 396 with only 604 left to go. I am having diner with friends tomorrow so I will probably just hit the bar in the restaurant before sitting down to eat.

From Second To Third

It was a nice sunny day so I was going to take a stroll down Second Avenue. When I got to Third I spotted a bar and one thing led to another so I never did make it to Second. Tomorrow, for sure.

389) Bar None

This is the place that caught my eye as I was walking along 12th Street towards Second. If is on Third between 12th and 13th and the sign just popped out at me. An old beat-up wooden bar with names and graffiti carved into the front wooden armrest. A black ledge for your foot. Nice dark-wood bar-chairs with padded black seats. Mirror backed glass shelves hold the liquor. A nice selection of beers on draft. Jaegermeister being chilled for shots, I inwardly shudder. A couple of cement sculptures hang on two of the mirrors. The woodwork surrounding the mirrors is quite ornate. Plush sofas by the windows in front and wrap-awound padded booths along the side wall with mirrors above them. Nice old wooden floors. Three TVs, only two were turned on and the two other patrons and the bartender were watching a Clint Eastwood movied. Kind of a funky black-stucco ceiling.

I had a draft Blue Moon.

390) Nevada Smith's

A very dark place that is very big on soccer. It is at 74 Third, almost at 11th. The place is kept dark to better show the games on their seven televisions. Three different games were playing while I was there. Mirror backd tiered shelving behind the bar holds the liquor. Four upturned glass shaded lamps are mounted in the spaces between the mirrors. Dim orangeish track lighting above the bar and five larger glass shaded lights above the rest of the place. There is track lighting above the back wall and a few more lamps similar to the ones behind the bar. They are all fairly dim. Somebody was hanging a huge, mostly blue, Chelsea Football Club, New York Blues banner. This place was packed, unusual for a week-day afternoon.

I had a draft Pilsner Urquell.

391) Uno Chicago Bar and Grill

A decemt sized pizza joint and bar on Third, across the street and down a block from Nevada Smith's, between 10th and 11th. The bar itself is a nice old wooden one with a black ledge for your feet. Nice dark-wood bar-chairs. Glass shelves behind the bar for bottles and glasses. A couple of televisions. Peanuts in bowls on the bar, kind of hit the spot, perhaps a bit too well. I had to have the bartender take them away. The walls have dark-wood paneling up about half-way and then brick above. Some red, white, and black padded booths sit by the front window. Large white shaded lights hang above the bar and overhead fans hang from the ceiling which is patterned tile painted to look like zinc. A lot of tables with brown and tan checks fill up the floor space. Numerous black and white photographs and old advertising grace the walls. A scaled down Statue of Liberty sits in the dining area that is seperated from the bar by wooden and glass dividers. A narrow window with wood framed panes hangs from the ceiling.

I had a draft Uno Amber, not too bad either.

392) St. Marks Ale House

A fairly dark place on St. Marks (8th Street renamed) and just off 3rd. A decent selection of draft beers dispensed from either brass or ceramic fixtures. A nice sized wood bar with a top that looks newer than its base. It does have the traditional brass rail. Wood bar-chairs with black padded seats. Smaller versions of the bar-chairs sit around wooden tables that sit in front of benches lining the wooden walls. A lot of televisions are mounted on the walls along with various black and white photos of old New York. Some sports memorabilia and old advertising posters fill out most of the remaining space. The bathroom doors are graced with large pictures of Marilyn Monroe (women's) and James Dean (men's). The one brick wall has a picture of monks quaffing beer. The ceiling over the bar area is dark tin and there are recessed lights behind the bar.

I had a draft Anchor Steam Beer.

393) San Marcos

Just down St. Marks a bit is this narrow, but very deep place that widens out in the back where there is a pool table. A wavey metallic ceramic topped bar with a blue cement front and a black ledge for your foot. They have a decent selection of draft beers. Black bar-chairs with black seats. Wood paneling behind the bar and a large mirror. A large plaster cactus decorated with green Christmas lights sits on one side of the mirror. A large steer skull hangs in the center of the mirror and three smaller skulls decorated with Indian designs hang above the mirror. The brick wall behind the bar is decorated with Mexican sombrerros, half of an Indian motorcycle gas tank, and ceramic iquanas, cacti, and red peppers. Hanging over the bar are nice lights with tube like glass shades in a variety of colors that kind of bulged in the center.

I had a Brooklyn Lager and, because it was two for one, I managed to get a frozen margarita instead of a second beer.

Knocked of five more today and am up to 393 for the year with 617 left to go. I hope to hit 400 on Friday which will put me on schedule for hitting number 500 on May 14th.

Manhattans in Manhattan

Serious note to myself, stick with beer or mixed drinks. Manhattans are not appropriate quest drinks considering how big they make them in this town. I hit the five bars I was aiming to hit, but just barely.

There is a little almost triangular block that has two very different bars on it. The base of the block is West 13th. The cut-off top is West 14th. The sides are Hudson and 9th Avenue. If you go south another block 9th Avenue angles to the east and becomes Greenwich Street, not to be confused with Greenwich Avenue. Also, be on the look-out for Little West 12th, a two-and-a-half block stretch that is kind of an extension of West 12th, except West 12th stops at Greenwich Avenue. Confused yet, try walking around in this area.

Anyway, I digress.

383) The Barbeque Pit

At the fat, or West 13th end is The Barbeque Pit. This is one of the old places that are still left in this neighborhood, kind of the border between Greenwich Village and The Meatpacking District, that is going upscale. This place takes up the whole width of the block but the door is on the 9th Avenue side. There are two rooms with a pool table and a fooseball table in the back room with a few tables and chairs and a television. The short hallway between the two rooms have a couple of large black-and-white photographs of hanging meat. Yummy.

The bar is an old wooden affair that has seen better days but fits in perfectly. The barstools are plain metal with black vinyl seats. There is all kind of interesting stuff on the walls including some very large fish. One is flourescent green and the silver one behind the bar is chugging a Budweiser. There are also numerous boars-heads mounted on the wall. A few hunting knives and an old pistol and rifle are mounted behind the bar. A lot of police patches behind the bar as well. There is a large metal-lined wooden ice-chest filled with ice and beer. A tiered shelf above the chest hold the liquor. Above that shelf is a narrow shelf draped with red pepper-lights and a string of plastic pig-lights. There are a few bottles on the shelf as well as some ceramic pigs, two of whom are doing it doggy-style. There is also a television mounted on the wall at one end of the bar.

Windows line the three sides of the place that are on the street but large flags hang from the top of most of them so the place is suitably dark. A pleasant enough place and a bit of a welcome change from all of the newer "hipper" places that have opened up recently.

I had a Red Hook ESB Amber Ale.

384) Venta

At the other end of this block, and at the other end of the spectrum, is this upscale bar and restaurant. The bar has an opaque lucite top lit from underneath with soft-purple lights. The front of the bar is black except for a panel around the bottom that is also lucite and lit the same way as the bar. The back of the bar is lit with soft-purple lights as well. There are also three waist-high dividers that seperate the bar area from the fairly elegant, triangular dining area and these divider are black and purple-lit lucite as well.

There are floor-to-ceiling windows on the two long sides that have light-green gauze-like curtains that were pulled back so the place was well lit. There are numerous white cube lights mounted in a regular pattern on the ceiling. There are large tiles on the floor around the bar and wooden flooring in the dining area. A nice outdoor sitting area is on Hudson, which is cobble-stoned at this point.

I had a gin and tonic, very well made.

385) Gaslight Lounge

Walking in here is like stepping back in time and into someone's parlor. A definite early 1940's feel. It is located on 9th and West 14th. A long wooden bar with a ledge for your foot. Plain wooden bar-stools. Wood paneling on the wall behind the bar with tiered shelves holding the liquor. Three nicely framed mirrors hang behind the bar along with two carriage lanterns with red bulbs. A minature London, or old New York, style street lamp sits on one end of the bar and an old living room lamp sits on the other end. Two walls have floor to ceiling windows with lace curtains framed by wine-red velvet-like drapes. The remaining wall is kind of a distressed pea-sou[ green and has a small coal stove. Two black and white portrait-like photos of an elderly man and a woman hang on either side of a large mirror with a fancy frame.

There a lots of plush old-fashioned chairs and sofas with end tables. There are nice old wooden floors, but they should really clean off the gum. I am not sure what this place used to be before it became a bar, but I have never seen so much old gum on the floor of a place before. There were nice over-head fans with lights.

I had a well-made Maker's Mark Manhattan.

386) Markt

A most interesting place on the corner of West 14th and 9th. A very long bar, but broken into three sections. One section has oysters on ice and a rack for glasses. The tops of the bars are a rust-and-white marble with a decoratative tin-like edging. There is a thick brass rail, but it is about six inches from the top of the bar and sticks out about two inches. I have no idea what function this serves. There is a ledge with a black and tan pattern for you to rest your foot. The bar-stools are wood with patterned wood stained tops with silver studs all around. The back of the bar looks like an old pharmacist shop with banks of small wooden drawers and shelves. Hanging over the bar are white globe lights that look like they could have been hanging in an old school-room somewhere. Wood framed windows on two sides and lots of built in bench style seating. Nice wood floors with no gum. There were some large sprays of purple flowers placed here and there.

I had a draft Julius Echter Hefe-weissbier.

387) Old Homestead

This place has been around since 1868, believe it or not. They serve a $40 hamburger and I once ordered their $100 Kobe steak and sent it back because it was tough. I thought it was a one-off experience but the New York Times reviewed this place and had the same opinion of the Kobe steak. Their other steaks are good, and the prices are typical for a New York steakhouse, very high. The must be doing something right though to have lasted this long in what used to be a not very desirable location. Just look for the big cow on the awning as you mosey down 9th avenue and you cant miss it. It is located at 56 9th Avenue, between 14th and 15th.

It has a nice white-marble topped bar and dome shaped stained-glass lights hang over it. The bar has a padded leather front to it and there were lit candles sitting on top. The bar-stools had green and gold brocaded seats. Over all there is a lot of dark wood and it pretty much has a typical steakhouse look to it. I prefer Sparks, but that is just a personal opinion. The best steak is still probably the one they serve at Peter Luger's.

I had another Maker's Mark Manhattan, excellently made.

388) Art Bar

I really was just going to go home after my last manhattan but I passed by this place, on 8th Avenue between Horatio and Jane, and felt like a plain old beer, and the use of a restroom. As you would expect, there is a lot of art hanging on the walls. Also a fireplace and a back room with couches and drapes. The couches looked very inviting. This is supposed to be a gay bar, but seeing as how I was the only one in the place I wouldn't know, although I do kind of like myself. Last year the Free Press rated it as the best gay hangout in town. It also got rated best people-watching bar and bar with the best bathroom wisdom.

My had was fuzzy so I just used their very interesting bathroom and sucked down a beer.

I had a draft Jenlain.

Staggering my way to the half-way mark (don't forget to let me know your ideas, right now it looks like it will be at The Gate) at 388 with 612 left to go.

500 Bar Celebration

Just a reminder to give me your feed-back about where a good place might be to get together to celebrate hitting my 500th bar. I am planning on doing this on Saturday, May 14th. So far The Gate in Prospect Park seems to be the favorite. The owner of Duff's, in Williamsburg, has also extended an invitation. His place doesn't open until 6:00 P.M. however. On the plus side, he has said that he would set us up with a few free drinks. The link below provides more information about Duff's

www.nypress.com/18/12/food/bernstein.cfm

Please post a comment or send me an email with your ideas. A final selection will be made at least a week in advance and I will, of course, post it and try to email everyone for whom I have an address.