Unintended Consequences - Part Deux

Well, my post on children in bars certainly generated a lot of responses, both in posts and in emails. Opinions on both sides. I guess what I really find annoying aren't children per se. As a friend of mine pointed out, I met his wife and son in a bar. And there is something touching about a father and young son bonding over a beer and a soda. I guess what I find to be annoying is when you go into a bar that you have been frequenting for years and then in walks about half a dozen young mothers with their children who probably used to hang out in a Starbucks or something before they passed the no smoking laws. Now all of a sudden they are drinking wine instead of coffee and the bar is packed with strollers and hollering children. But, this is just my opinion and others are certainly free to disagree. I also remember the day when you wouldn't think about bringing a very young child to a movie and if you did and it started to cry you would take it out to the lobby. It just seems that these days people have become almost oblivious to the affect on others that their children's behavior is having. Ahh, I am getting old.

Unintended Consequences

Reflecting upon my journey to 1000 bars I realized that I was seeing an unintended consequence of the no smoking ban that has been implemented in New York. Suddenly bars are no longer smoke filled, that is obvious. Now the are beginning to be filled with children. Apparently parents who would never expose there young ones to the second-hand smoke previously encountered now think it is perfectly acceptable to bring them to the now smoke-free establishments.

Now granted, in some places in Europe where bars are considered to be extensions of the home this has long been acceptable. But here in New York it just seems somehow wrong. Who wants to be in a bar having a beer with the guys and then have the local young mothers with kids show up. And, as usual, these mothers are so engrossed in each other and whatever it is they are talking about over their wine that they are totally oblivious to the sometimes obnoxious behavior of the young ones. Everything from just the normal bawling to the unrestrained running around and being a general pain in the ass. The worst I have seen is a baby being changed without even a thought about doing it in the ladies room. Talk about putting you off your beer.

In my opinion, if they are going to enforce the no smoking ban then they should start enforcing the "you must be 21 to enter" rule. Now I am willing to make an exception to bars that have dining facilities, but please, keep the kids in the back, not up front where the serious drinking is going on. Thankfully, a few bars in my neighborhood have risked losing some customers by banning young children from their establishments. I don't think it is asking too much to be able to drink in a child-free environment.

Bar Man Linked To Scandal

The shame of it all is almost too much to bear. I woke up this morning to find that Hwang Woo Suk, the noted veterinarian who appeared on the same page with me and, incidently, Mariah Carey, Angelina Jolie, and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, in the Japan Times Weekly and was widely hailed for his work in the cloning of human embryos capable of yielding viable stem cells is now under investigation for fabricating at least some of his results. This is horrible. Next thing you know it will turn out that Tom Cruise's romance with Katie Holmes wasn't all it was made out to be. Or, worse yet, that Angelina's lips have been artifically enhanced. We won't touch Maria's breasts, not that we wouldn't want to. I just don't know if I can live with this disgrace.

On the other hand, didn't anyone ever wonder why someone who was a veterinarian by training was making all of these breakthroughs in genetic science?

You can see the Japan Times Weekly article by clicking on Hwang.

Wade's Payoff - And He Wasn't Even Angry

Those of you who have been following my blog may recall how early in my quest, mid-January actually, I ran into the owner of Angry Wade's, Wade Hagenbart, across the street from his place at the Zombie Hut. We got to talking and when he found out what I was up to he said if I actually did manage to visit 1000 bars he would treat me to 100 drinks at his bar. Just what Bar Man needed, a bit more motivation. Well, I did it and Wade showed up at Pioneer and presented me with my prize.

The Prize


Wade Presenting The Prize To Bar Man


Bar Man Savoring His Swag


Turning In My First Token To Sarah


I just want to say Thanks Wade, you were a true sport and you can expect to see quite a bit of me this year. Anyone interested in bumping into me might just be able to find me at Angry Wade's at 222 Smith Street in Brooklyn. Even if I am not there you can enjoy the great bar, nice fireplace, and pool table in the back.

Special Thanks

There were a lot of people who helped me on the way to completing my quest to drink in a Thousand Bars and I would like to thank some of them here.

My brother-in-law Jim who risked his mother's wrath (and his sister's, too) by taking me out to make sure I got off to a good start on New Year's Day. We left to get milk for coffee to go with our after New Years feast and managed to hit three bars before returning home to a house full of glares.

Jim And My Old Friend Ronnie


Good Friends Lou and David who suggested Pioneer after my plans to go to Australia fell through and another David, the owner of Pioneer who graciously hosted this event.

Lou


David And Owner David


Dakota Smith, who wrote the first article about me for the New York Post way back in February when I was just starting out. And Tracy, the Owner of Siberia and Belvue, who let me be a guest bartender at Belvue and even said I might be able to do it again. Most generous of him considering how inept I was the first time.

Dakota Smith And Tracy


Larry, the writer for the Associated Press who did the fantastic story about bar number 500 at The Gate. That story came out on Memorial Day and was published in papers across the world and really got people interested in what I was doing. And of course, Tina, who had the unenviable task of having to follow me around taking pictures.

Larry And Tina


For those of you who saw me on the two segments of Countdown With Keith Olbermann, it was Virginia the show writer who first came up with the idea of doing the segments and Judy, the producer, who sat and held everyone's hand when they were being shot.

Virginia, Judy, And Bar Man


Of course there also was Peter from Miami who sent the Mysterious Chinese Woman flowers. That helped more than you can ever imagine. He also brought me a couple of mighty fine cigars to celebrate the completion of my journey.

Peter, Mysterious Chinese Woman, Peter's Wife Anna


And let us not forget the most important person of all, a true representative of all who have made this website viewable, a good-looking bartender.

Michelle, The Good Looking Bartender


Well, I am sure there were many more that I forgot several or they weren't able to show up for the grand finale. If I missed anyone, shoot me an email and I will do my best to correct the situation.

There is more to come after this, party shots and, of course, the grand payoff courtesy of Wade, the owner of Angry Wade's, so check back in later in the day or early tomorrow.

Preparation For 1000th Bar

Well, tonight I am going to Pioneer for my 1000th bar of the year, and you have to prepare for something like that. My brother-in-law Jim, the fellow that I hit my first three bars with way back last January 1st, took me to Peter Luger's for a belated birthday lunch. My friend Bruce from Minnesota joined us as did the Mysterious Chinese Woman. Mysteriously enough she doesn't seem to appear in any of the pictures.

Jim, Bruce, and Bar Man Prepare To Enter To Lay Down Our Base


For those of you who may not know, Peter Luger's typically gets rated as one of the best steak houses not just in New York but in the entire world. We ordered the porterhouse steak for four and had a beer while we awaited its arrival.

Awaiting The Meat


After our meal we went back to my place in Brooklyn to wait for my friends Bernie and Marianne to show up before heading into Manhattan and Pioneer.

Bar Number 1000 - The Begining

1000) Pioneer Bar



Well, the big night finally arrived, and it turned out to be much bigger than I anticipated. Not just because of the large number of friends who showed up, but because of the media coverage. It was a bit overwhelming.

I got to Pioneer a bit after 5:00 P.M. but my stated goal was to have my drink to make the bar official at 6:00 P.M. Some of the press was waiting when I arrived so I ended up being interviewed as I nursed a club soda.

Meeting The Media


It was champagne all around at 6:00 P.M. and the media was there to capture it all.

Capturing The Moment


When the excitement started to abate I was finally able to have my drink and make it official, Pioneer was bar number 1000 and my quest, but not the party, had officially come to an end.

Mysterious Chinese Woman And Bar Man Make It Official


The party went on well into the night and I will post again with more pictures of the evenings festivities. It was a great night and I really want to thank everyone who showed up, David, the owner of Pioneer for hosting the event, and all of you who read this and send me emails or post comments, it was really gratifying to know that what I was doing provided some enjoyment.

Humble Beginings - Bar Trek

Long before my quest to drink in 1000 bars in a single year a friend and I came up with the idea of having a Bar Trek. This was to be held the Saturday before the Boston Marathon and the idea was to drink in 26 bar in a single day. In five years, from 1985 to 1989, only two people were ever successful. A few people who had participated in these Bar Treks showed up and several of the brought along the tee-shirts we had made up for the event. The shirt from the first and last Bar Trek were the most popular.

Ronnie And Bernie With The Bar Trek Collectible Tee-Shirts


Adrian Rice was the first to accomplish this task and win the coveted drinking, er, loving cup.

Ronnie, Adrian, and Debbie, Adrian's Wife


The next, and last person to complete the circuit was Gary. I am sure you have seen him in before, he is an old drinking buddy of mine from back in the day. Wait a minute, this is the day.

Gary


Check back later. I am heading out to meet some friends at McSorley's for lunch and will be posting more pictures when I get home, if I am in any kind of shape to do so. No more one drink in a bar restrictions, I can stay as long as I want and drink as much as I want. Well, maybe not, the Mysterious Chinese Lady will be keeping an eye on me.

A Day Worth Posting

Get it, I am meeting with Dakota Smith of the New York Post, so I thought I would say something about posting in my heading, Post, posting, get it, get it. Okay, so it wasn’t that clever.

999) Wheeltapper Pub



That is the whole crew up above, my friend Bruce from Minnesota, the Mysterious Chinese Woman, me, and Bernie

Located right next door to the Fitzpatrick Hotel on 44th and Lexington and just a short walk from Grand Central Station is this cozy Irish pub. It is named for the railroad workers who inspected the train wheels for cracks. Some of the instruments used in their trade are mounted on the wall and there are plenty of pictures of trains and train stations as well. The pub is, in fact, designed to look like a bit like an old railroad depot, albeit one that has been converted into a charming Irish pub.

Bar Man With Manager Richard And Assistant Manager Rosario


What would have been the ticket office now has little tables for dining. The center of the room is dominated by a replica of a turning table that was used to turn train engines around. Garlands of evergreen decorated with berries and pinecones were draped over the u shaped bar it gave the entire room a cheery Christmas feeling.

The bartender did a great job of keeping our glasses topped up so they would look good in the pictures. They even have a little shamrock embedded in the foam.

The bartender did a great job of keeping our glasses topped up so they would look good in the pictures. They even have a little shamrock embedded in the foam.

Joe, The Hard Working Bartender


Needless to say, when we weren't busy giving interviews and having our pictures taken we did manage to find time to actually sit at the bar and have a drink.

The Crew And Joe The Bartender


The bar and the cabinets behind it are made of glossy dark wood. Small flat screen televisions are mounted on either side of the cabinets. There is also a large television mounted on a side wall. A row of lantern shaped lights hung over the bar. The wall opposite the bar is exposed brick The other walls are dark wood on the bottom half and painted a burnt orange on top. There is a cream colored patterned tin ceiling. The ornate wooden bar chairs have fabric covered cushions.

Bar Man Posing


Just one bar for the day leaving only one to go. Hard to believe, but it is almost over. On the way to the subway home I took my friend to see Campbell's Apartment which is a nice, but extremely over-priced bar that you can access by a somewhat obscurely located elevator. Although I didn't have a drink at the bar there I though I would include this somewhat gratuitous photo of the bartender there who had many assets at her disposal.

Gratuitous Picture Of A Bartender At A Bar I Didn't Drink At


Well that is almost it for the year. If you can, be sure to join me at Pioneer on the Bowery tonight for number 1000. I am sure many of you thought I would end up on the Bowery, just not standing upright at a bar.

A Newsworthy Day

I met up with Jose Martinez and Tanya Braganti of the New York Daily News today to do an interview and photo shoot for an article that should appear in Friday’s paper. It was a very pleasurable afternoon. I had previously spent the good part of a day with Jose earlier this year when we hit three bars together. A likeable chap he is, as was the photographer, only she was no chap.

998) McGee’s





A very nice upscale Irish pub on 55th between Broadway and 8th Avenue that comes complete with a cheery fireplace built into an ornate wooden mantle and what looks like a fancy breakfront. There are stockings hung, with care, I presume, from the mantle and Christmas tree made out of red bulbs sitting just above them. Garlands of fir with red bows and clusters of silver bells frame the mirror and a cheery snowman and his little girlfriend hang on the mirror that has a green light mounted on each side of it.

Tanya Shooting Me As I Shoot Her


Peek-A-Boo


The bar is a good sized old dark wood affair with two inverted brass U shaped beer stations each with a dozen spigots. There is a brass rail and chairs with fancy backs and soft, dark red vinyl seats. Antique looking chandeliers hang from the ceiling along with a variety of Christmas ornaments, red and silver bells and balls. The bar back is a very ornate dark wood construction complete with columns, arched mirrors, wine racks, shelves of glasses, and little cupboards with glass paneled doors. It is draped with strings of red and green lights and decorated with bows, wreaths, shiny fuzzy garlands. Very festive.

The bartender, Denise, was very friendly and patient about letting us do the interview and take pictures from all conceivable angles. She kept a cheerful smile the whole time and kept the Guinness flowing.

Denise The Lovely and Friendly Bartender


There are a few televisions but they are placed so you can watch them if you want to but can also easily ignore them. Green upholstered settees line the wall opposite the bar and they have small wooden tables and chairs in front of them for your dining pleasure. Immediately behind me as I sit at the bar is a large framed painting of dancing Greek or Roman women clad in flowing togas. There is a staircase leading up to what I presume is another dining area and a good sized wine rack sits at the bottom.

I shared a few pints of Guinness with Jose before heading on home.

Jose


Just one for the day but I will be hitting bar number 999 tomorrow where I will be doing an interview with Dakota Smith of the New York Post. Ms. Smith was the very first person to interview me for an article that ran way back in February when I was just getting started. That was at Walker's where I stopped in before taking the Mysterious Chinese Woman out for her birthday (well, one of her birthday's) dinner at Chanterelle, a great restaurant but one that had no bar.

Hey, Hey, Hey, I hit 998 today, just a couple of more days to play, then at my favorite watering hole, Pete's, I can stay.

Ready For My Close-Up

For those of you who might be interested, there will be a segment about me on Countdown With Keith Olbermann on MSNBC tonight. I know I will be watching.

Number 1000 Is Near

"The bars which pass and strike across his gaze
have stunned his sight: the eyes have lost their hold.
To him it seems there are a thousand bars,
a thousand bars and nothing else. No World."

Just another reminder that Bar Number 1000, the end point of this somewhat besotted journey of the past year, will be Pioneer Bar at 218 Bowery on Friday, December 30th, starting at 6:00 P.M. For more details click on the dancing hats to the right.

Murph's Bar Guide did a nice little promotion for my 1000th bar, you can check it out here:

<>

Hoping to see a lot of you on Friday.

Winding Down In Bay Ridge

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Killer Kwanza, or simply sacrificed a goat or something. I had a great time at my sister-in-law’s house where we had a family gathering that lasted almost four days and involved much more than a goat being sacrificed for our eating pleasure. Of course we didn’t do the actual sacrificing, we left that to highly paid professionals. Actually, I felt I was being sacrificed by having to sit through King Kong, the most over-hyped movie I have ever sat through.

But enough chit chat, it was time to get back to business, I do still have a few more bars to go so I can’t just sit on my stools, I have to sit on bar stools.

997) Kelly’s Tavern



Between 92nd and 93rd and between 4th and 5th Avenues is this classic neighborhood Irish, well, I guess, tavern, with a classic Irish neighborhood crowd. When I walked in there was a loud discussion going on about, of all things, caviar. It started out on the loud side, somewhat opinionated, but focusing on the taste and quality of various types of caviar and who liked and didn’t like caviar. Of course it quickly disintegrated into a comparison of caviar to other things that might smell and taste the same and, well you can just imagine where this conversation ended up.

There was a nice long old wooden bar that pretty much ran the width of this place that has entrances on both 4th Avenue and 5th Avenue. Of course the entrance on 5th Avenue looks more like an exit, but probably provides a place where you can kind of sneak into the place somewhat unobserved.



Only five beer spigots set a bit below bar level with just the handles peaking out. Pretty standard domestic brews but, of course, they did have Guinness. There is a traditional brass rail and captain's chairs, the kind with armrests. Above the bar are fancy old fashioned white frosted inverted bowl shaped light fixtures with delicate etched patterns.

Behind the bar is a collection of old cabinets with wooden doors and drawers and a bright red chest full of ice and beer. On top are glasses below slightly raised tiered shelves of liquor sitting in front of two large mirrors. Above and in front of each mirror are another couple of old light fixtures with more of an inverted tulip shape. The mirrors were framed with white twigs entwined with white lights and decorated with red bows and boughs of holly. Between the mirrors was a sculpture of iron workers taking their lunch break while sitting on an iron beam. Sitting next to each mirror are nice old high wooden cabinets with wood framed glass doors that contained memorabilia of unknown origin along with a few, for display only, bottles of fancy liquor.

There is a dartboard up front next to a montage of photos of regulars and a fairly significant display of trophies won by the bar’s team. A Christmas tree sat opposite the bar and a large wreath was mounted on the wall that was kind of a tan swirled plaster above wood paneling with a ledge between them. There were several televisions in here including two nice plasma televisions behind the bar. Emeril was on one and OTB was on the other. The one showing OTB seemed to be getting most of the attention but the bar did seem to be divided into two camps, one at each end of the bar, that seemed to enjoy hurling insults at each other. As I was leaving I notice that Emeril was giving a recap of his show that must have dealt with vodka and caviar so I presume that was what sparked the conversation I walked into as I arrived.

I had a Guinness and it was well poured.

Well, just one for the day making 997 for the year and leaving only, gasp, three more to go. I am just sneaking up on number 1000 though, kind of stretching out the an-ti-ci-pa-tion.

Partying On Smith Street

I decided to go back to PaNe e ViNo for dinner tonight, it really did look like a nice place when I was there yesterday and the bartender, manager, or whatever he was treated me well and seemed very enthusiastic about the restaurant. That is always a good sign. I also decided to check out a couple of bars that I had passed that usually open later in the evening. Unfortunately they were both hosting private parties, as were several other bars that I passed along the way. Nonetheless, I did manage to chalk up another one.

996) NY Perks



This is another fairly new place at 193 Smith Street that isn’t open during the day and wasn’t really open tonight either. There was a private party going on in the back where there is a separate bar under a fairly impressive stained glass ceiling. The manager let me buy a glass of wine there and bring it up front to drink at the bar by the entrance. This was a nice gesture but it would have been nice if he had turned on a couple of lights. I think he was discouraging non-party goers from entering, but a sign on the door would have been just as effective. As it was the only light came from the large screen television above the bar that was showing an Austin Powers movie, and not one of the good ones either. The continue switching between light and dark scenes gave of a disco effect of sorts and also gave Bar Man the beginning of a headache. The throbbing disco music provided for the party didn’t help either. It looked like kind of a dismal party too, people just sitting around and not really talking to each other. Well, it was a bit early so maybe it was just getting started. It looked like the DJ was just getting set up.

The bar up front is fairly small, just room for four chairs and it is kind of a curved, inexpensive light wood affair that wouldn’t look out of place in someone’s basement recreation-room. The area behind the bar was pretty sparse too, just a couple of plain cabinets with liquor bottles on top and a couple of shelves mounted on the rose colored wall. The smaller upper shelf held a few more bottles of liquor and the lower shelf held glasses.

There is considerable space devoted to lounge areas that consist of nice looking dark plush leather looking sofas and love seats and light wood coffee tables. My guess is that people just go up to the bars to order a drink to bring back to their little nook. Even the bar in back where there was a party going on didn’t have anyone hanging at it having a drink. It might be worthwhile to peek in again when this place is actually open, but nothing that I saw would really draw me back.

I had a glass of white wine.

Well that was just one for the night, but that was what I had planned on. I now have hit 996 for the year and have only four more to go. I probably won’t be hitting any until next week though. I am heading out for Christmas and, although we will be going out for dinner on Friday, it is to a place I have already visited. Word is that the subway strike will be over though so I won’t have any problems finishing up my quest.

Oh, just to let you know, The Mysterious Chinese Lady and I did have our dinner at PaNe e ViNo, and it was very good. I had a poppy seed encrusted tuna in some kind of a lime sauce with spinach and potatos and The Mysterious Chinese Lady had monkfish in a rich spicy soup. Service was very good and friendly too. The same guy that served me my wine yesterday was there and he remembered what kind I had and that I liked it, so I had it again. The place was packed and later on they were going to have live Brazilian music, but we didn’t stay for that.

Coping With The Strike

Well, it really wasn’t too difficult. Even though I have gone to so many bars in my neighborhood, new ones open up all the time. I found two today and passed by another two that don’t open until later in the evening. I will probably visit them tomorrow night. Then I will only have one more to hit before my scheduled appearances at bars number 999 and 1000.

994) PaNe e ViNo



This Italian restaurant and bar at 174 Smith Street has been open for about six months now. I was a bit confused because the décor looked Italian but there was a map of Brazil on one of their flyers. It turned out that they were advertising a Brazilian night with caipirnhas and wine all night. The bar was kind of an angular U shape with the wide center area large enough for six stools with metal legs and round green seats. The top of the bar is dark wood and the front has wood paneling painted to look like green marble that is framed in wood that matches the top. There are silver rails for your feet. Four swollen tube shaped lights, two light lime green ones and two orange ones, hang low over the bar. The end of the bar closest to the front is covered with glasses and the end towards the back has a large espresso machine and a coffee machine wearing a Santa hat.

The wall behind the bar is white painted brick with wood shelves holding a small selection of liquor, several types of wine, and wine glasses. The wall opposite the bar is cream colored with a large wood-framed mirror, a picture of a landscape, and a couple of pictures, kind of sketches, of Roman statues. There is a small statue of a Roman woman clutching a toga around her in a failed attempt cover her breasts. The lights on the wall look like dark waffle cones. There is a real nice looking heated garden in the back.

I had a generous glass of red wine and, as I was getting ready to leave the bartender gave me another generous pour. He recommended that I stop in when they have their monthly wine tastings and I do believe I will.

995) La Cantina el Pitayo



Just across the from PaNe e ViNo was this hard to miss place. And, What do you get when you convert a sushi bar to a Mexican restaurant and bar? A Mexican restaurant with a very low bar. A bit humorous when you think about it. I pictured a bunch of tough hombres walking in and sitting down on the short bar chairs and peering up at the bartender while they ordered their shots of tequila and beers. I guess you could stand, but then you would have to hunch over. It is one of those “What were they thinking?” kind of places. The top of the bar is shiny red Formica with small black and white speckles and it sits above about a four inch drop to the ledge where you used to be able to set your sushi. It is a bit low for a drink though, but when I went to set my margarita on the bar top it flopped over. I didn’t notice that set back about four inches from the front the bar it drops down about a quarter of an inch. My drink was replaced but still, what a horrible design for a bar where you might want to sit and have a drink.

Behind the bar is a set of light wood shelves below a fake brick wall. Kind of neat wood shelves hung from the ceiling against the wall with racks so glasses could be hung below them. There were a few bottles of liquor on display including a couple of decent tequilas. But if you are displaying stuff like Crystal Palace Gin and Alexi Vodka one can only wonder what you use for your well drinks.

There were a few cactuses on the bar and walls along with some colorful ponchos and sombreros. The portion of the wall between the bar and the windows was protruding flat rocks that looked like they were left over from when it was a sushi place. The lights hanging over the bar looked like the shades were made from chicken wire rolled into a tube and covered in aluminum foil Christmas wrapping paper. There were a couple of pictures of Zapata on the wall behind the bar but my favorite decoration was what appeared to be a large road kill mounted on the wall back towards the bathrooms.



I had a margarita that, despite being told it was made with fresh lime juice, was obviously made with a syrupy mix and was way too sweet as well as being a kind of sickly green. I probably won’t be running back here for awhile.

Not a bad day, two bars close to where I live so I didn't have to walk far and two more spotted for tomorrow. Just five more to go for the year. Friday I am supposed to be heading out to my sister-on-law's house for the Christmas week-end, but if the subway strike is still going on that might be delayed a bit. We shall see.

Trouble Is Here

Well, I knew I should have saved bars close to home for the final stretch, but I didn't, and now there is a subway strike. I guess I am going to have to do some serious hoofing. Children, let this be a lesson.

By the way, I found another translation of "The Panther." This one is by Stephen Cohn and I think I might like it a bit more, seems to more accurately reflect my state of mind.

"The bars which pass and strike across his gaze
have stunned his sight: the eyes have lost their hold.
To him it seems there are a thousand bars,
a thousand bars and nothing else. No World."

Murph's Bar Guide did a nice little promotion for my 1000th bar, you can check it out here:

<>

Ready For My Close-Up

I hooked up with MSNBC today and they shot another segment that should air on Countdown With Keith Olbermann sometime next week. If I get advance notice of the specific date that it will air I will certainly keep you informed.

992) Twelve



I met up with the MSNBC crew at Twelve which, to my chagrin, I had visited once before. I didn’t realize it because they also go by XII and that is how I had recorded it. However I caught a break. They have a separate bar in the back that actually has its own liquor license and that is where I had my drinks and MSNBC did their filming.

The Back Bar


The manager, Brian Molloy, graciously opened the bar and Amy, a bartender, came back there and served up drinks.

Brian, Bar Man, and Judy (an MSNBC producer)



Amy, The Charming And Proficient Bartender


This is a very handsome Irish pub and sports bar located in the Murray Hill section at 206 East 34th between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. This would be a great place to watch a game because they have 17 large plasma televisions mounted where they are easy to see. There were 5 above the bar in the back where we were. They also have little television screens mounted on the beer spigots. More of a novelty than anything else, but they do attract your attention. There were 18 beer spigots with an equal number of beers, and a nice selection too. The top of the bar is bluestone and the ledge for your feet is also bluestone tile. Quite fancy. The front of the bar is made up of frosted plastic panels that are lit from behind. The color of the lights can be changed to match the lighting behind the bar. The lights were just dim white when we walked in because the back bar wasn’t open yet. Brian quickly changed them to a cheery red though. There are square shaped ceiling lights recessed in the beige ceiling. The wooden bar stools have seats of black padded leather.

The wall behind the bar is covered with mirrors and rows of liquor bottles line the ledges below them. A huge Christmas wreath hangs on the left side of the bar from the walls that are a combination of dark wood and soft orange paint. The dining area has a number of tables in front of benches along the wall and, of course, there is another large bar in the front.

Everyone was very accommodating and friendly. It is amazing how much time goes into what, I am sure, will be about a two minute segment. When you watch it on television it looks so natural, like I just walked into the bar, sat down, and started talking. In reality it took well over two hours. It was fun though. It was mostly the same crew that did the first shoot so by now we were kind of like old friends, especially the sound man who had to wire me up. Brian invited The Mysterious Chinese Woman and me to come back sometime for dinner and I will certainly take him up on his offer.

I had a Guinness and then (well, it was a long shoot) a Winterhook, a seasonal from Redhook brewery that was quite tasty.

993) Wolfgang’s



By the time we left Twelve it was getting to be late afternoon so The Mysterious Chinese Woman and I decided to pop into Wolfgang’s for a late lunch, early dinner. It was convenient, being right next to the subway station at 33rd and Park Avenue. The bar and restaurant is located in a land marked building with an elaborately vaulted ceiling designed by Rafael Guastavino, an architect who emigrated to the United States from Barcelona, Spain in 1881. I commented that the place reminded me of Grand Central Station and sure enough, his work is in there as well as in Grant’s Tomb, the Great Hall at Ellis Island, Carnegie Hall and numerous other well known locations. His technique of building tiled arches was actually patented in 1885 and it is the technique of constructing self-supporting arches and vaults using interlocking terracotta tiles and layers of mortar. The building that houses Wolfgang’s used to be the Vanderbilt Hotel.

Wolfgang’s is named after Wolfgang Zwiener who used to be the headwaiter at Peter Luger’s and the menu is very similar with, of course, steaks being their specialty. The take credit cards here though, something Peter Luger’s still doesn’t do.

Hanging from the ceiling are antique alabaster lamps trimmed in brass. The whole place makes you feel like you are in an elegant bar in old Europe. You are quickly reminded that you are in modern New York though when you look out the arched windows behind the bar and see the traffic outside. This view is somewhat obscured by the liquor bottles on the window sills. Two large elegant bottles of either brandy or cognac sit in individual glass cases that are kept locked. The bar is U shaped and made of dark wood. The floor and walls, at least below the arches, are also dark wood and a half wall separates the bar area from the dining room. Large Christmas wreaths and pots of red poinsettias are place around the room to give the place a very cheery feeling.

I had a Bombay martini at the bar before we went into the dining room for dinner.

Bar Man And His Martini


We had a bottle of wine with our meal and, just so you know, the cheapest bottle was close to $50 dollars and the most expensive I saw was over $1,800. That must be one hell of a good wine.

Not too bad a day. I had actually only planned on hitting one bar but Wolfgang’s just called out to me so I made it two for the day which gives me 993 for the year and leaves only 7 more to go.