Madrid Day Two

Got off to kind of a slow start today. Woke up late and then took a tour of a palace. After that we got on a double decker bus for a city tour. Didn't get to my first bar until almost 3:00 P.M. Love this town. The weather is gorgeous and the people have been really friendly so far. It is relatively easy to get around too with a great subway system. The tour buses that you can hop on and hop off are a good way to get the lay of the land as well. Once you have used them for a day or so you can then easily use the subway to get back to places you want to revisit. It is a fun city to walk around in although I have gotten somewhat lost at least once. Ah well, that is part of the fun of it.

833) Cafeteria Cristina



One of a bunch of bars intermingled with souvenier shops that surrounds a large square with some kind of a statue in the middle. Must be famous though because several tour groups traipsed through.

This is a small place with a small metal topped bar. Only a very narrow space to put your drink because most of the surface area is taken up by glass covered dishes of tapas. A lot of those delicious dried hams are hanging in the window.



They all have the hooves still attached. The place is well decorated with black and white photos of bullfighters. A couple of shelves above the microwave ovens and espresso machine behind the bar hold the liquor and wine selection. Just two stools at the bar. The walls are elaborately patterned tile and the floor is gray patterned marble. Two large mirrors adorn the wall opposite the bar. The room is divided by a brick arch. Just four small tables with red and white checked tablecloths.

I had a glass of Mahou, a fairly common and decent tasting beer. I am told it is pronounced “moo” but I am afraid if I say it that way I will get a glass of milk.

834) Moore’s



Hey, a real Irish bar in the heart of Madrid. I don’t know why I am surprised, you can find them everywhere it seems. This one is way cooler than most you see in New York though. It is a really old place, from the heavy battered dark wood bar to the dark rose and green plaster walls. The only concession to modern times is a stack of Red Bull cans in one corner of the dark wood shelves behind the bar. There is a large display of liquor on those shelves too, the Irish like the hard stuff. Below the liquor are glasses and relegated to the very bottom are bottles of mix.

Old milk glass lights hang from gold colored chains above the bar. Lots of drawers, which I were told are empty, were in a chest against the wall. All kinds of advertisements on the walls, mostly for beer. There are three levels to this place and a pool table on the second level down. This is the first pool table that I have seen.

There are old wood planked floors except for right around the bar where it is orange tiles with an edging of orange and gray diamond shaped tiles. A couple of televisions that were turned off, but there are signs saying they show European football. There are interesting things on the shelves and hanging from them; sprinkling cans, lanterns, old suitcases, jugs, and more. Old wood booth like tables and stools. This is a great place if you can find it. No tapas, just potato chips on green paper napkins on the bar. They were good potato chips though.

I had a well poured pint of Guinness pulled by Meria.

Meria, The "Irish" Bartender


835) Cerveceria Mantaditos





Another kind of coffee shop looking place that sells beer and wine. Every place sells beer and wine in Madrid. The butcher shops sell wine and beer, the bakeries sell wine and beer. I haven’t tried it yet but I would bet the post office sells wine and beer. They probably give you a small plate of stamps too.

The bar has a white marble top that sports a brass arm rest and a silver foot rail. A dark wood paneled front to the bar and small square dark wood bar stools. Four spigots on the bar, three serve beer and one a sparkly red wine. There is also an old looking soda fountain pump for Coca Cola.

Light rose colored walls are covered with black and white photos. Most of them are pictures of the city but there are some, what I take to be, family portraits as well. Two large blackboards list a whole bunch of tapas selling for just 1 Euro each. I don’t know what any of them are though, Number one was Jamon Iberieo con Aceite Oliva Virgen Extra and number one-hundred is Clasicode Chocolate. An interesting wooden pitchfork, like the ones the villagers brandished when they were storming Frankenstein’s castle, hangs on the wall along with garlands of garlic. No wonder I am thinking of monsters, werewolves, and vampires. Luckily the sun is still out.

I had a glass of the sparkly red wine fresh from the tap.

836) La Mallorquina



A pastry shop, a huge packed pastry shop, with everyone eating pastries and drinking coffee.



This place is all white and clanky with dishes being banged down on the counters. The walls are totally lined with cases of pastries. Yet, above the displays of pastries are shelves of liquor. Bar Man is having a sensory overload. Madrid is one huge bar. As I look up from the pastry display I see a whole shelf of Scotch. I am drifting off trying to decide between a drink and a pastry. A bug zapper hanging from the ceiling fringed with fluorescent lights snaps me back to reality when an insect electrocutes itself. I, of course, decide on a drink.

I have a glass of brandy and the person behind the counter just keeps pouring until I tell him to stop.

837) McDonald's



Hah Hah, just kidding.

837) Arysol



About two steps out of the pastry shop and about five steps from the subway Bar Man realizes he has to take a whiz. Well, no problem. You can usually find a bar within five steps, at least in this neighborhood. I stopped in here and ordered a beer and got a plate of fried pork skins to go with it. Lots of wines in cooler in here along with the beer stations. I am once again beginning to wonder if there is anyplace in Madrid where you cannot buy a drink. Go into the Department of Motor Vehicles, “Here, take the eye test and have a beer.” Bar Man must go home and rest. It is 7:00 P.M. but it still looks like noon with the bright sunshine.

I had a glass of Mahou.

838) San Antonio



I went back to the hotel and took a little rest and then went out for dinner. After dinner I stopped at one more place on the way home. After awhile thee is a bit of sameness to many of these places. They have a narrow surfaced bar, often marble, with glass or plastic covered trays of tapas. There are usually a couple of beer spigots, often silver. They have handles like a sink fixture instead of a pull handle though. Mahou seems to be the Spanish Budweiser because it is everywhere. In my opinion, Mahou is much more flavorful and certainly more hoppy and malty. There is usually a large espresso machine behind the bar, red in this case, and a couple of slot machines. Nobody ever seems to play them though.

This place has round lights above the bar and a Chinese restaurant looking sign behind the bar. On the left side is a small set of wooden shelves with mirrors behind them. Their fancier liquors and wines along with glasses are displayed atop linen napkins. In front of one of these shelves is one of those carving contraptions with a leg of lame along with a large round of some kind of hard cheese.

The floor is gray marble and the few tables, all full, sit against the light wood paneled wall. Framed abstract signed paintings hanging on the walls round out the décor. The crowd is quite lively, eating and drinking. Spain, or at least Madrid, is one fun place.

I had a glass of Mahou.

Another fun day with another six bars hit bringing my total for the year to 838 for the year and leaving me with 162 more to go. If anyone is interested in breaking my record of 1000 bars in a year, Madrid might be a good city to do it in.

Hello Madrid

After a long and somewhat uncomfortable (whatever happened to leg room) flight we arrived in Madrid on Monday morning. Beautiful weather here, crisp and cool in the morning and evening and nice and warm durning the rest of the day.

827) O’Munio



My first bar in Madrid, or in Spain, for that matter. On a bit of a side street, but it caught my eye. The bar has a heavy, almost knotty-pine like top with a wood paneled front. The three beer stations are brass and shaped like beer kegs. I don’t know what kind of beer they pour, you just ask for a beer and you get a glass of it with a small plate of fried potatoes and a little ham and tomato sandwich. This is a tapas bar so there are containers of all kinds of stuff on the bar; some kind of seafood salad, octopus, potato salad, baked things, who knows what all. Most people seem to be drinking small glasses of wine.

Wooden shelves above the bar holds the liquor and oblong lights encased in patterned glass are suspended below the shelves. A large espresso machine in front of a mirror dominates the back of the bar. Opposite the bar are a couple of brightly lit slot machines and a cigarette machine. Closer to the door is a large mirror with a few round tables with high chairs. These were occupied by young ladies smoking cigarettes and drinking soft drinks.

The place was small but pretty packed at 3:00 P.M. There s a wooded stairway with a brass hand rail heading up to where I imagine a restaurant is located.

I had a glass of beer.

828) Restaurant El Pastor



I guess you get something to eat whenever you order a drink in Madrid. I got a beer here and it came with two small pieces of bread with some kind of a salad spread. I was stuffed though because we went up the stairs at O’Munio and there was, indeed, a little restaurant up there. I had a great octopus dish there and a bottle of red wine. I thought I was just ordering a glass because it was only 6 Euros but instead it was a whole bottle, and a very good wine it was. But, that was there and I am here I am on another side street in another tapas bar.

The bar is similar to the last one but smaller and with an more ornate inlaid wood top and front. Old strange shaped chrome bar stools with worn and cracked leather seats. Behind the bar is a black and white tiled wall with a few wooden shelves with liquor, two wooden parrots, and a statue of a chef. Elaborate double silver spigots pump San Miguel and the spigots are surrounded by stemmed glasses.

The ceiling is plaster and wood beams with lots of ceramic mugs and pitchers hanging from them. There is also a shelf of trophies, but I couldn’t figure out what they are for. Wagon wheels with wooden spokes hang from the ceiling with light fixtures attached and act as chandeliers. There are a number of nice paintings of landscapes in gold painted wooden frames hanging on the white walls that have ornate ceramic tiles covering the lower half. A few heavy wooden tables and chairs fill the place up. A slot machine sits next to the door.

I had a glass of San Miguel.

829) Royal Cafeteria



Three for three on the food with a drink. This time it was two little sandwiches, one with cream cheese and carrot shreds and the other with hard sausage. The hard sausages here are quite good. I would try to sneak some back to Brooklyn with me but a dog named Bingo would probably nab me. Bingo was written up in the New York Times as one of the dogs at JFK that try to prevent illegal food products from being brought into the United States and he once caught me trying to bring in a ham sandwich from Switzerland. But, I digress.

The bar here is dark wood and curved at one end at jagged at the other. It is covered with clutter, mostly empty espresso glasses, coffee cups, and large pizza trays. More of those containers of tapas on the bar as well. The containers do have plastic covers. This time there were three silver beer spigots and they were surrounded by beer mugs instead of glasses. A selection of their bottled beers sit on the mugs in the very front.

Dark wood modern looking shelves behind the bar hold the liquor and a large espresso machine. White truncated cone shaped shaded lights hang above the bar. There are nice wrap-around windows with floral patterned stained glass on the top and it gives the place a classy look. The windows are frosted below and have the name of the place frosted on the top. There are nice marble floors and telescope-like grey and white columns support the ceiling. In addition to the slot machines that seem to be everywhere there is also an upright freezer with a glass door holds frozen deserts up front by the doors.

I had a glass of beer.

830) Sidreria A’Lareira



You can not go into a bar and not get something to eat. This time it was French fries and chicken wings. I think it must be a law. The number of beer spigots are multiplying, five here and we are back to stemmed glasses. My wine came in a short, squat glass though and was served up by Andrea.

Andrea The Friendly Bartender


The bar has a light wooden top with a patterned ceramic tile and brick front. Several large dried hams and a couple of sausages hang behind the bar, but they, like tapas and espresso machines seem to be everywhere. The wall behind the bar is light tan tile and there are glass shelves mounted on it that display their liquor. So far bars here do not have the huge displays of liquor so common in the United States.

Another couple of slot machines sit against the brick and vanilla plastered walls with windows opposite the bar. Bar Man is running out of note-cards and sobriety so is heading back to the hotel to restock on both before going out to dinner later tonight.

I had a glass of wine.

831) Meson de la Cerveza



Just a little kind of a hole in the wall with a really ornate old wooden bar. I ordered a Pernod but got some kind of a 2 Euro a shot brandy instead.

Bar Man And Brandy


It was nice though and hit the spot after the sangria I had with dinner. Strange beer station with two short spigots and a tall one in the center. The bar back has a curtain like metallic looking thing hanging over tile wall with a shelf of liquor. Over the bar is a wooden beam with ceramic beer mugs hanging from it. The ceiling is peaked wood like you might find in a cabin. Brick walls opposite the bar has a little wooden ledge with stools in front of it. Some kind of Spanish emblems in heavy wooden frames hang on the walls.

I had the aforementioned shot of brandy.

832) La Fontanilla Taberna



I got a plate of olives with my drink this time but nothing at the last place. Maybe a cheap shot of brandy doesn’t qualify you for getting free food. This is just a small corner bar that could probably seat twelve people at the most. It had an old dark wooden bar with a brass rail. A real interesting beer setup. A lone silver spigot pumped Cruz Campo, Spain’s number one beer, or so I hear, and next to that was a beer station with three large beer spigots with the one pumping Guinness the larges that I have ever seen. Rosana drew my Cruz Campo.

Rosana, Another Friendly Bartender


There was a very elaborate set of cabinets was behind the bar, old wood with brass trim. Domed yellow lights are over the bar. A wooden statue of what looks like a fisherman with a lantern sits on top of the bar at one end. A very impressive display of beer bottles behind glass wraps around the top of shelves on the tartan patterned wallpapered walls. There is, of course, an espresso machine behind the bar.

I had my glass of Cruz Campo and called it a day, but a very decent day it was and if this is what Spain is like I am going to have a wonderful time. I hit six bars bringing my total for the year to 832 and leaving me with 168 to go.

Good Bye New York

I am off to Spain today but managed to hit a couple of bars at the JFK before I got on the plane.

825) Chili's Too



Pretty much a typical Chili's stuck in an airport. I went to a spot in the terminal where there was a cocktail sign, but no cocktail lounge was to be found, just a food court. I like airport cocktail lounges but I am not a real fan of drinking in a Chili's. Ah well, one must make sacrifices. This place was pretty bad though, especially if you wanted a drink. It took me about 10 minutes to get a bottle of beer from the somewhat distracted bartender.

There is just a light blonde bar with bar chairs packed uncomfortably close together. It did have a rail for your foot though, not that you could actually get your foot down to it if you sat on a chair and there was no room to stand. There are mirrors and glass shelves for the liquor behind the bar. Coolers with gray doors are down below and glass bins of ice and beer sit on top. On each side is a silver T-shaped beer station with six spigots each. The wall behind the bar is gray brick and there is a lit up sign pushing Presidente Margaritas. There are two shelves above the bottles with brightly colored plastic cocktails and a few more liquor bottles on display.

I had a hard to get bottle of Heineken

826) Samuel Adams



Yep, that is the name of the bar, not just the beer. This bar was much more to my liking even though it served primiarily, well, you can probably guess. Actually Samuel Adams is one of my preferred beers so I had no complaints. The small bar had a top covered with Samuel Adams beer labels under plastic. The front was light wood plywood metal strips fastened to it with silver headed screws. The foot rail was silver as well. Regular wooden bar chairs with black vinyl seats were reasonably spaced.

The wall behind the bar is light blue with a large Samuel Adams emblazoned in white. There is a wel lit cooler to the right side with beer, mostly Samuel Adams Light, and soft drinks. Next to that is a large black and whit cabinet with a black top and black tiered shelves that hold the liquor. Theare are two televisions showing, sadly, the Jets/Jaguars game. My prediction is the Jets win only one more game this season. They really look bad.

There is a large picture of the head of the Statue of Liberty on a column to the left of the bar. You can look out of the windows and see the airplanes and the water beyond. Lots of flashing red lights on the highway across the water. Must have been an accident or a police action of some sort.

I had a Samuel Adams OctoberFest and headed for the plane.

Not bad considering there were only two bars in this terminal. I am now at 826 for the year with 174 left to go. My next posting will be from Spain.

Prequel To Spain

The Mysterious Chinese Woman’s brother and sister stopped by last night. Her sister is going to Spain with us and she is spending the night so we can all leave for the airport from here. We decided to condition our taste buds by going to a Spanish Restaurant (and bar) in the neighborhood.

824) La Mancha



There has been a Spanish restaurant in this vicinity ever since I moved into the neighborhood over 20 years ago. Originally there was one on the corner a couple of doors down. When the owner decided to retire he sold the place and a number of the waiters and the chef opened a place of their own a few doors down. They are now gone as well and the location has been taken over by new owners.

Somewhat sadly it has been remodeled and no longer has quite the air of authenticity that it once did. The old wooden bar where you could often find a few older Spanish gentlemen drinking wine and playing dominoes has been replaced by a grey and red veined marble top with a light wooden front and brass rail. The authentic blood stained bullfighter’s cape and flags that the banderilleros stick in the bulls back have been replaced by posters of bullfighters. Not exactly the same. The old dark wood stools look like they be about the only thing left of the old place.

The bar back is also a new looking light wood affair with mirror backed wooden tiered shelves of liquor and wine. Two racks of glasses hang from the ceiling just behind the bar. Above the bar small rippled glass shaded lights hang from chains. Behind the bar a statue of a black bull sits on the silver cash register and a statue of Don Quixote stands behind it. The bar is L shaped and the small end of it is immediately in front of floor to ceiling windows open to the cool night air which was pleasant. The floor is an interesting tile, alternating light and dark tan with somewhat of a wood grained look to it.

While I was talking to the bartender while having my drink at the bar we discussed the history of the place. She told me not to just compare it to the old place. My guess is that a lot of people do this and the new place doesn’t fare too well. I will say I liked the food in the old place a lot better. I ordered octopus Galician style as an appetizer and it was nothing like I expected or ever had before. It was more like warmed up octopus out of a can with paprika sprinkled on top. But, my job is not to write restaurant reviews. The service was good and everyone was more than pleasant.

I had a Sapphire Bombay Martini, up with a twist.

Just the one for the day bringing my total to 824 for the year and leaving 176 more to go. I will probably hit one or two bars at the airport tomorrow before I head off to Spain, but won't be posting for at least a few days. I am hoping I will find internet cafes while I am there so I can keep everyone up to date with my travels. I am really looking forward to this leg of the journey.

Stardom Looms

Well, not really. I did sit for a filmed interview with Jim Miller of IKO Productions. He is doing an independent film about bars and just got back from Ireland. He had already done a segment on bars in New York, specifically bars on 3rd Avenue. He was back in town to do some follow-up shots and wanted to talk to me in a 3rd Avenue Bar. Well, can’t get much more 3rd Avenue than Third And Long. By the way, Jim and his crew visited 73 bars on 3rd Avenue during their initial shooting. It is people like this that bring tears of joy to Bar Man’s eyes.

822) Jackson Hole



Not the Jackson Hole that I visited earlier this year but one that looks a bit older and more authentic. I wasn’t planning on stopping anywhere else but Third And Long, but this place was right next door at 521 3rd Avenue and I got to my interview a bit early. I saw Curtis, the manager or owner of Third And Long outside and he said that Jim had called and set everything up and should be there shortly. I decided to take advantage of the situation by popping into Jackson Hole for a quick one.

This place has the same general set-up as the other one. There is a small bar up front next to the short-order station where hamburgers were sizzling away. There is much more of a western feel to this place with more wood. The stairwell leading down stairs is lined with cowboy pictures and the entryway also has western style photos. There is a fireman’s helmet and a set of steer horns on the narrow passageway to the dining area in back.

The bar is fairly small and made of wood. It is L shaped and does have room for nine wooden chairs with patterned burgundy cloth seats. There is a breakfront behind the bar that is fairly fancy with mirrors and shelves for liquor. A television is mounted high on the wall to the left of the bar but within sight of the patrons. A large wooden rack for glasses hangs over the bar. Behind me is just the cashier/hostess at her station.

I didn’t stay long, just dumped down a Sam Adams and headed next door.

823 Third And Long



Right on the corner of 3rd Avenue and 35th Street is this Irish sports bar. It is a good-sized place with a long wooden bar sporting three classic brass beer stations with six spigots each. Just a cement-block like foot rest and wooden bar chairs with green seats. Amber shaded lights hang over the bar. Behind the bar are shelves of liquor and lots of fireman insignias. Apparently this place attracts a lot of firemen. Unfortunately, because I was busy with my interview, I didn’t take a lot of notes in here. When I got done with the interview I also got into a long discussion with Gene, the bartender. He writes a sports column for a neighborhood newspaper and was interested in setting up a blog.

Gene The Bartender


Except for the area immediately around the bar that is slate tile the rest of the floor is wood. There are windows on two sides and the walls are brick up front There are several televisions including three nice ones behind the bar. In the front are two high, but small, metal topped tables with stools next to the windows and there are low benches with metal tables and wooden stools in the paneled back area.

Jim bought me a Guinness, then I bought Jim a Guinness, then Gene bought me a Guinness. No wonder I didn’t take many notes. Do stop in though, the place is very nice and everyone was most friendly and they pour an excellent Guinness.

Curtis has a website called The Diary of Third & Long where he chronicles his days at and around the bar. In today’s entry he does mention my visit and even includes a picture. You can get there by clicking below.

<>

A bit better day than I anticipated with two, not one, bars hit making it 823 for the year and leaving 177 more to go.

The Real End Of Spring

Fall has definitely arrived with freezing temperature upstate New York and cool and damp down here in the city. Even worse, it is now dark when I wake up in the morning. I am not ready for this.

818) Schiller’s Liquor Bar



I headed back to the general area where I finished up yesterday and found Schiller’s at 131 Rivington. Actually it is hard to miss and Bar Man does appreciate the large and unambiguous signage.



It is a large place and has a bit of an unusual décor for a “Liquor Bar.” It looks like it could have been a soda fountain, the kind of place where Mickey Rooney would jump up and say “Let’s put on a play.” The curved bar has a silver metallic top with a dark wood front and a silver foot rail. The bar stools are standard, dark wood with dark leather seats fastened with large-headed brass tacks. Two silver bar stations that match the top of the bar sit on top of it and have the mysterious unmarked handles so you have to consult the menu to see what they have. Not a very inspirational either. Also sitting on the bar were trays of donuts and rolls and bowls of fruit and yogurt. What kind of bar food is that? Behind the bar is a ceiling high mirror back set of shelves that hold an impressive selection of liquor. There is a dark wooden cabinet with drawers with white knobs along with metal coolers down below. I am not sure how you would retrieve the bottles from the top though, I didn’t see any ladders. Maybe they are just for display and the working stock is stored in a more accessible location.

The walls are white ceramic tiles that, unfortunately, remind me of a public restroom. Don’t get me wrong though, the place is clean and has no smell. The windows on two sides also have that public restroom look, kind of opaque with embedded chicken wire. I wonder what this place was before the area began to become gentrified and restaurants and bars took over the space. A cool, in fact chilly, breeze was blowing through the place on this overcast and rainy day. The floor in here is made up of large black and white tiles. The ceiling is cream colored patterned tin with old-fashioned ceiling fans and industrial looking fluorescent lights with exposed tubes. Rows of numbered wine bottles line the top of the walls but they look like they are just there for show. Antique looking mirrors line the walls without windows and they are separated by subway station looking lights with what appears to be random letters and number on them. The manager said the only one that he knew of that meant something was the one by the door (SLB131). There are booths along the walls and tables in assorted shapes and sizes throughout the rest of the place. There are also thee or four square white ceramic columns with mirrors on all four sides.

I had a Tanqueray and tonic.

819) Juanita



It was beginning to turn into a really nasty day when I ducked into this little Mexican restaurant and bar just down the street at 153 Rivington. It looked like the place might serve a decent margarita but the day didn’t seem to call for one. Just too cold outside and I was a bit damp. There is a nice dark wood bar with chrome bar stools that had spinning round black seats. A wooden frame mounted on the bar was festooned with red and green pepper lights. Not much of interest behind the bar, a bright rose colored wall and a couple of shelves of liquor, a sink, a cooler, and a frozen margarita machine. A nice back-lit panel with a decoupage of bright Mexican doilies and some cutouts of masks and a skull sits high up on the wall.

The wall to the right of the bar, up by the windows and door, is pea-soup green and has a great display of small versions of weird movie posters.



Hanging above the little dining area are a number of lights with shades decorated with doilies like the ones behind the bar. The wall opposite the bar matches, in color, the wall behind the bar and has dark booths with green seats. A large bright poncho is mounted up front and little lamps hang above the tables. They are broken though. The bartender says that customers keep swatting them. I suggested that maybe he should mount them a bit higher up because they do look like they would be in the way.

In the back is a round, outdoor type, picnic table with an umbrella decorated with little white lights. Next to that the green and white striped wall is covered with a number of brightly colored sombreros and right next to them are some wooden mariachi players. Across from the table is a dark wood trellis decorated with flowers and an interesting looking light.

There weren’t any other people at the bar or eating in here but there was a brisk business with people, most of whom seemed to know each other, coming in for takeout. I got the impression that they all worked or went to school nearby.

I had a Dewars and soda to take of the chll.

820) Apolo



I walked around quite a bit but didn’t see any more bars in the neighborhood that were open, too early in the day. I made a bit of a tactical error and headed to Delancey Street and it is pretty commercial along that stretch. I was really getting chilly and damp when, right across the street from the entrance to the Williamsburg Bridge, I found this kind of a hole-in-the-wall. It is one of those combination Chinese/Mexican restaurants and take-out places that seem to be unique to New York. Not much of a bar at all, more of a bright red counter with a couple of stools. A very small selection of liquor, but enough for the Bar Man. The decorations in here consisted primarily of photos of family members and friends of the owners (I presume) and a couple of large red ball shaped Asian style lamps.

I didn’t stick around here long. I ordered a Dewars and soda but they didn’t have any Dewars so I ended up getting a Johnny Walker Red Label on the rocks and then added a splash of water. It served to warm me up enough to get me to the next place.

821) Bread



This place was right next door to Room 18 back on Spring Street. When I went by it yesterday I couldn’t tell whether or not it was a bar, but it was crowded. It was crowded when I walked by it the first time today. It had cleared out enough so that I could get a seat at the bar/counter this time around. It would be pretty much a noisy lunch counter except for the fact that they had a pretty decent wine list. The bar has a white ceramic top and everyone but me seemed to be drinking either soft drinks or tea. The white painted brick walls did have some interesting original art hanging on them done by someone named Parantonkis.

One end of the bar is taken up by a glass cabinet with loaves of bread and plastic containers of small tomatoes. Most of the area behind the bar is taken up by the very small “kitchen,” a couple of microwave ovens and a small shelf with bottles and glasses. There are more bottles stuck by their necks into holes in a white plywood rack on the wall behind and to the right of the bar. There is a nice silver painted patterned tin ceiling with a couple of overhead fans. A bit of a raised area in the back has a couple of booths and there are lots of small cafeteria type tables up front. Not exactly my cup of tea, but it was on the way back to the subway, it was cold and wet, and, well, of course, it did have a bit of a bar.

I had a glass of Chianti and, best of all, the sun had come out and it had warmed up by the time I left.

A bit of a miserable day but I did hit 4 bars to make 821 for the year with 179 to go. I doubt if I will make my 825 before heading to Spain though. Probably just one tomorrow when I do an interview at Third And Long. Saturday will be for packing but I might go out for dinner and sneak one in, and there is always the airport on Sunday. We shall see.

The End Of Spring

Well, maybe not the end of the bars on Spring Street, but I did walk to the end of Spring Street where it hits the Bowery. The Bowery is booming. I remember the good old days with the derelicts and missions. Now there is nothing but construction equipment as condominiums, co-ops, and apartment buildings are being constructed. Many of them on top of existing structures that primarily house restaurant equipment supply houses.

814) Lombardi’s Pizzeria



A bustling pizza place on the corner of Mott and Spring that has a good sized wooden bar that wasn’t seeing any action. In fact, the waitress seemed to be a bit surprised to see me sitting at the end when she came back to pour a pitcher of beer for one of her tables. The tables along one side of the bar are uncomfortably close to it so although this is a large bar I suspect it isn’t primarily a drinking crowd that hangs out in here. The bar stools are wrought iron with oxblood padded seats. A beer station on the bar has four spigots. The back bar is plain dark wood with just a small area for liquor. Most of the space is taken up by a large espresso machine. There is a decent sized wine rack on the right side of the bar. Coolers, some with glass doors, sit down below. There are windows on two sides. A large rack of glasses hangs over the bar and a small colorful cartoon-like statue of Al Capone sits at one end.

One small section of a wall is brick while the other one is dark plum. Most of the wall space on two sides are windows though. Pictures of celebrities and family members are on the walls and the narrow partitions between the windows on one side. The two largest pictures are of a pizzas, one with what I presume to be a couple of the owners standing behind it. A large mirror on the back wall has “Welcome to America’s First Pizzeria – Enjoy our slice of history” written in large red script upon it, Pretty much just a bunch of tables with red and white checked tablecloths. A couple of small benches by the windows on one side provide a place to sit while waiting for a table. Overhead fans and small metal shaded lights hang from the ceiling and the floor is orange tiles. The thin crust pizzas looked and smelled great. From the size of the crowd and the happy looks on the their faces my guess is that the pizzas taste good as well.

I had a bottle of Peroni

815) Room 18



Just down a bit to 18 Spring Street is this nice little bar with no discernable sign outside. It is a cozy place that looks like a drawing room or parlor. The bar is curved with kind of a light wood top and it has a narrow foot rest. The wooden bar chairs have pale gray seats. Just a small back bar with tiered shelves of liquor above a black Beverage-Air cooler system. A large mirror with an ornate gilded frame hangs on the pea-soup green wall and it is flanked by two old style lamps mounted on the wall. A vase on one end of the bar holds a dried floral arrangement that seems to be mostly sticks. Two benches by the windows up front have a table and hassocks in front of them. The wall opposite the bar is brick and immediately opposite the bar are several round tables with square hassocks. Nice candle holders are mounted on the wall and I would imagine that at night, when they are lit, this is a very romantic place. There were also a number of unlit candles piled up at one end of the bar.

The back area has tables with comfortable looking padded chairs. Against one wall is a padded bench with a narrow mirror immediately above it and light draped with crystals. On the opposite wall, that is brick, are cute little lights with small parchment-like shades and teardrop crystals. A fancy mirror hangs on the back wall.

I had a bottle of Hoegaarden White.

816) Barmarche



On the corner at 14 Spring Street is this interesting restaurant and bar that looks a bit like a place to pop into for a pot of tea and some finger sandwiches. Bar Man has no shame. It is a full liquor bar though with a nice selection of single malt Scotches and an impressive selection of ports. The adequately sized bar has a bit of a soda fountain look to it with a very light marble top and a cream colored front with carved “columns” and patterned pieces fastened to it. No place to put your feet though except on the rungs of the wooden bar stools. The cream colored shelves behind the bar look like something you might find in the pantry of an English manor house, except they have mirrored backs. Over the bar hang two old looking chandeliers with lights that look like candles. It looks like it did hold candles at one time. They are probably pretty old a valuable because they are protected by cube shaped Plexiglas enclosures. An elaborate floral arrangement sits at one end of the bar. The beauty of the floral arrangement was overshadowed only by the good looks of Alysia, the bartender (shameless flattery in the hopes of getting a free drink the next time I stop in, but she was prettier).

Alysia The Friendly And Pretty Bartender
(compare her to the floral arrangement)


A Better Look


The walls are pale green with darker green curtains in the windows. A large photo of the head of a woman wearing a 1940’s style hat dominates the back wall. The ceiling looks to be patterned tin painted to match the walls. The floor is dark wood planking. Lots of little tables with chairs with green seats line the walls that are decorated with mirrors, small photos of women, and assorted light fixtures.

After writing this I chatted with the owner a bit and found out that he and his partner did come over from England and opened this place. I guess my observations about the nature of the décor were well-founded.

I had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa.

As I got off Spring Street and headed towards my next stop I passed this place. I was hoping there would be a bar behind that door but, alas, if there was one it was closed.

What Is Behind The Door


817) Loreley





At 7 Rivington Street, between Bowery and Chrystie is this German beer hall type of place with a good-sized outdoor area that had heavy benches where you can sit and pound down beers. Overall the place is pretty Spartan designed for just drinking beer. The bar up front is a no frills with a flat light-wood top with a darker front and a wooden foot rest. The wooden encased beer station has a dozen German beers and, except for the Guinness, they are all German. If you are a Bud guy this is not your place. But then you could always order a Jever, Germany’s answer to Budweiser and, predictably as the menu states, “One of our most popular beers.” The German bartender said “Americans like it.”

Gunter, The Bartender From Germany


There are dark wooden shelves behind the bar with lots of bottles of wine, a large selection of beer glasses and mugs, and a fairly small selection of liquor. More Beverage Air coolers down below. I don’t know why that name caught my eye today. I will not mention them again.

The walls that aren’t brick are a deep rose or vanilla with wood paneling on the lower half. Three lights with rippled glass shades hang above the bar. The front is solid windows. A cityscape of Köln hands on the wall opposite the bar and a map of Germany hangs on the wall to the left. There is also a large downstairs area with a good-sized television that opens up at night and when they have televised soccer games. They get GermanTV here. There are a lot of sofas and chairs down there and another smaller bar so it looks like a good place to take in a game. Just don’t root against Germany.

They are having a combination two-year anniversary and Oktoberfest party this weekend and I would guess that it would be a lot of fun. If I wasn’t going to be heading off to Spain I would probably stop in.

I had a draft Weihenstephan Hefe Weiss that supposedly comes from the world’s oldest brewery. It was very good but the next time I stop in I am having a bottle of Aventinus Weizen Eisbock, the strongest beer in the house and what the menu says is a very potent wheat beer.

A fun day with four bars hit making 817 for the year and 183 left to go. My pace might slow down a bit on Friday because I am supposed to meet someone who has been traveling around the world doing a documentary on bars. He is going to be focusing on bars on Third Avenue here in Manhattan and wants to interview me. I guess the focus on Third Avenue might stem from the prominent role it played in the movie Lost Weekend. I will keep you posted on how it goes.

Spring Street Shuffle

Not too far north from Little Italy is Spring Street and there are several bars along this little stretch. I don’t know whether I have hit them all but I will be back tomorrow to see what I missed. Spring Street doesn’t run the whole width of Manhattan and where it ends kind of marks the beginning of what is now know as the Lower East Side. I know there are bars over there, I have already been to some of them. Fertile area in this neck of the woods.

810) The Spring Lounge



This place on the corner of Spring and Mulberry is also known as The Shark Bar. You can get a hint of why from the picture on the exterior wall. This image also serves as the bar logo, at least on their tee-shirts. The bar is a somewhat small semi-circular and made out of dark wood. It has a metal edged foot rest. The beer station has 12 spigots and a reasonable selection of beers. The bar back is old wooden cabinets with shelves below for bottles and glasses and tiered shelves above for more bottles. Behind them are three plain mirrors plastered with photos of regular customers and one larger photo of Humphrey Bogart. There is also a rack of chips and pretzels. A large plastic shark with a hand hanging out of its mouth hangs above the bar along with a black tee-shirt featuring the bars shark logo. There are also some photos of sharks on the wall next to the windows on the Spring Street side. A nice red stained glass lamp hangs over the area behind the bar and a large American flag hangs in front of one of the windows to the right of the bar.

There are large windows on both the Spring Street and Mulberry Street so even this is some what of a dark dive bar it does have a curiously open and airy feel to it. Wooden benches line the wall opposite the bar with wooden bench-like tables and stools in front of them. A row of smaller versions of the tables with stools runs down the center of the room. The ceiling is kind of a muddy oxblood painted patterned tin. There is lots of stuff strewn about, a collection of beer pull handles, some old beer cans from New York breweries, bar trivia reference books, an old broken guitar, a wide variety of pictures. It is kind of a cluttered place. There are also a few more large sharks mounted on the walls.

811) Sui



At 54 Spring Street is this modern Japanese restaurant, bar, and sushi bar. The top of the bar is a pale green Plexiglas lit from beneath by pale yellow lights. The front is also pale green with little fish patterns and there is a silver foot rail. The chairs are dark wood with a Japanese design and pale green fabric seats. The bar back is blond wood shelves broken up into small rectangular sections, each of which hold two or three bottles of liquor including a bottle of the fables Johnny Walker Blue Label in a satin lined box. For some strange reason a lot of the bottles that had pourers also had plastic cups covering the tops. Maybe this is to protect them from dust but it tends to detract a bit from the fancy set-up. Right over the entrance is a light fixture with narrow tubular lights that give off a soft yellow glow. The lights above the bar are blue and orange and shaped like large, inverted wine goblets. Opposite the bar the wall is painted with an underwater scene on top and seashells on a dark blue background below. The two halves are separated by a narrow light-wood ledge.

To the right of the bar is a wide passage way to the dining area where the sushi bar is located. The passageway has a long black banquette along one wall. Round glass topped tables and black hassocks sit in front of it. Behind and above the banquette are two large fish tanks built into the wall. There are also fish tanks in the back along wit a more elegant setup for dining with tables with white linen tablecloths and fancy chairs. There is a sushi bar that has a waterfall behind it.

The two bartenders were very pleasant and I chatted quite a bit with Christina who served me my flight of Sake.

Christina, The Flight Attendant


My flight of Sake consisted of a glass of Nigori, an unfiltered Sake that is milk colored and has a slight grainy texture to it (quite good though) and the more traditional Ginjo and Junmai Gingo.

812) Gatsby’s



Right across the street it this bar that is much larger than it looks from outside because it is quite deep. It has a good-sized light wood bar up front that has a narrow brick footrest. Just plain wooden bar chairs. An inverted U shaped beer station sports a dozen spigots. The wall behind the bar is brick with glass shelves for liquor. These are above a set of wooden cabinets and coolers with glass doors for beer and wine. Interesting metal shaded lights hang over the bar low enough and bright enough to blind you if you happen to glance up. Just your basic heads down drinking in here. The wall opposite the bar is salmon colored plaster on top and wood paneling below. Small tables and stools are up against the wall. There are several televisions in here including a couple of nice flat-screen behind the bar showing ESPN horse racing. There is a large projection television against the wall all the way in the back. Kind of fancy booths and another smaller bar are in the back as well.

I had a Magic Hat #9.

813) Spring Street Natural



This is a large fancy looking restaurant and bar on the corner of Lafayette and Spring. In fact it is so elegant I thought the bartender should be wearing a jacket and tie instead of just a sweatshirt. The jazz playing on the sound system gives this a kind of 1920s feel and I expected an elegant cocktail in return. I was a bit disappointed because the bartender said they had no Maraschino cherries and so made me a dry Makers Mark Manhattan. I prefer mine perfect (half sweet and half dry Vermouth). He didn’t put in any bitters either. Oh well. He did make it big enough so that I could top it off after taking a few sips.

There was a quite tipsy lady wearing oversized strands of pearls and drinking champagne at one end of the bar so that added a bit to the atmosphere. Another middle-aged woman at the other end of the bar seemed to be in direct competition with her for the bartender’s attention.

The old wooden bar is kind of a crooked L shape with a brass rail. The bar chairs have woven coarse fabric seats. Old fashioned clear rippled glass shaded lights hang over the bar. The bar back is light wood with mirrors, glass shelves, and a black metal wine rack. Another set of shelves sit below along with a couple of coolers with wooden doors. A narrow panel of red stained glass lit from behind is above the wine bottles in the rack. There are large bouquets of flowers at each end of the bar...There is a good sized dining area and small tables and chairs line the walls in the bar area. Immediately opposite the long end of the bar and against the windows is a long wooden bench. A bartender in a jacket and tie with the ingredients and ability to make a good Manhattan would really improve this place.

I had the aforementioned Makers Mark Manhattan.

A good day, sunny, cool, pleasant part of town and four bars. Well, 813 down and just 187 to go. I am hoping to hit 825 bars for the year before leaving for Spain on Sunday. I will also need to take a Saturday off to get ready to go.

Little Italy Meets SoHo

I met the Mysterious Chinese Woman and her even more mysterious mother in Chinatown for dim sum. After they both disappeared into a lavender poof of smoke I was left on my own. I had already hit many of the bars in Chinatown so I decided to head to nearby Little Italy. Unfortunately, most of the restaurants there only have small serving bars and the ones that had regular bars didn’t seem to be open yet. I did find one though.

807) Taormina



Towards the north end of the now very small Little Italy, at 147 Mulberry St., is this Sicilian restaurant that was one of John Gotti’s favorite places. Taormina is named after a Sicilian city that, legend has it, was founded by Teocle. He was on board a ship whose boatswain had not cooked a victim's liver well before offering it to Neptune, god of the sea, who was angered so much that "he made the waves of the sea rise and hit the fragile vessel"." All on board drowned except one, Teocle, who succeeded in clutching a piece of wreckage until he was carried by the waves towards the bay. Neptune saw the shipwrecked sailor but spared him. Ah yes, if you are caught reading this blog in school you can always claim that it is educational.

There is just a small light wooden bar in here that accommodates five wooden chairs with worn green fabric seats. The bar has a silver arm rest and foot rail. The overhang above the bar has a good sized built in wine rack and additional racks for glasses in all shapes and sizes that hang overhead. Behind the bar are three tiers of wooden shelves that hold the liquor and above the top shelf the wall is mirrored. Below the shelves are coolers with old looking wooden doors with silver hinges and handles. The walls are largely brick with wood trim and there are a number of large floral arrangements. The small bar is separated from the rest of the dining area by a wooden divider with fancy etched glass panels on top. This is a very nice looking restaurant, quite fancy and very expensive, as most restaurants are in Little Italy.

I had a bottle of Peroni.

808) Onieal’s





Although this bar has only occupied this location at the corner of Grand and Market Street for about ten years, the building has a long history. Just how long I am not sure, but it has been a brothel, a speakeasy, and of course, several bars over the years. It is built right across the street from the former police headquarters which has now been converted to an ultra up-scale condominium. Back in the days of Tamany Hall there was a tunnel that connected the police headquarters to Onieal’s so that police and government officials could surreptitiously pop over for a drink and perhaps a visit to the upstairs bordello. The tunnel has been partially filled in but the end connected to Onieal’s is still used as a wine cellar.

There is a small front room that has a few banquettes with small tables that had white linen tablecloths and fancy place settings. There are large windows on two sides of this room and it has a nice cheerful look. Walk through this room and you will enter a much larger and darker room with a large, old-looking dark wooden bar with a dark metal bar rail. The nice looking wooden bar chairs have multicolored striped cloth seats. The bar back is kind of a 50’s style modern design, if that makes sense. There is a large mirror in the center and there are three shelves on each side that hold the liquor and glasses. Above the shelves and mirror are panels of orange lights. Maroon and gold banquettes line the walls with small tables and matching hassocks sitting in front of them There are narrow windows above the banquettes with old-fashioned looking drawing room style lamps in the sills.

The ceiling is very elegant and Stuart, the bartender, told me that it was made in Vienna in 1873 and then shipped to New York where it was installed. It had been covered up for a long times but the current owners uncovered it and restored it. It is quite magnificent.

I was in here for about half an hour or so and all of a sudden Stuart started to make Cosmopolitans, and I mean a lot of them.

Stuart Building Cosmopolitans


I asked him why and I said I really wasn't going to be here that long. It turns out that Onieal’s is featured on Sex And The City where it goes by the name The Scout. There is a Sex And The City tour and Onieal’s is one of the stops. Apparently about twenty minutes before it arrives Stuart gets a call and starts whipping up the Cosmos. I left just as the primarily female crowd began to flow in. I tried to convince a few of them that I was, in fact, Mr. Big but, alas, they weren’t buying it.

I had a Lagunitas IPA, very good. Get there quickly though, I think they are going to replace it soon (the beer, not the bar).

809) Mexican Radio



Not far away at 19 Cleveland place is this neat little Mexican bar and restaurant that would not be a bit out of place tucked away on a side street in Puerto Vallarta. Kent, the bartender, told me that the owner personally traveled to Mexico and bought a lot of the furnishings. There is an old, well varnished dark wooden bar with a fat brass rail. Lots of red candles sit on top that is a bit cluttered with bottles of hot sauce, a display of their bottled beers, and clean glasses waiting to be filled. Ornate metal shaded lights hang above the bar.

Wooden shelves behind the bar hold the liquor and they have a very large selection of tequilas. They also have a couple of machines churning out frozen margaritas, one of them has a pink sombrero sitting on top. One section behind the bar displays a typical Mexican painting of smiling skulls and a mystical looking hand. It would make a nice tattoo.

Kent And Skulls


The walls are mostly desert rose with some beige sections, some brick but mostly plaster. Various Mexican themed designs are painted on the walls as well as a number of ornately framed mirrors. Most of the lights on the ceiling are bare bulbs with a somewhat flame look to them but there are a few more elaborate fixtures and lots of colorful Mexican doilies hanging from it as well. A few shelves mounted high on the walls hold a variety of knick knacks.

I had a bottle of Presidente and headed on home.

Not a bad day, three bars making 809 for the year and leaving 191 to go.