BARZINE @ barspot!

sadness

2006-05-11T19:22:00.000-07:00

this isn't about a bar. it is about the end of an era. i seem to have misplaced ("lost forever" sounds too harsh but may be more true) my little brown notebook that i wrote things in. things like the bar reviews. and seeing how i am always awfully late in posting the reviews we write, the last few barzine entries now belong to time immortal. and not to the internet. if anybody sees my little brown notebook, let me know. it probably has my name in it somewhere.

#147 Finnegan's Wake

2006-02-11T14:13:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 1, 2006
901 Cole (at Carl), San Francisco

This really was the last one for the day. More pub than bar, and more friendly than fancy, and all I really cared about was the whiskey and the company and both were excellent. They did have a pool table, and a fine bathroom, and the bartender was attentive and poured liberally. Perfect. This is just down the street from where my grandma lived when I was little. She never took me here. I wouldn't be surprised if she stopped in herself now and then though. Oh, but she lived here in her post- AA days. Still, I bet they would have given her a soda. They just seem that nice here. Oh I wish I had more to say about it. Good place, Finnegan's Wake. Yeah.

#146 Red Jack Saloon

2006-02-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 1, 2006
131 Bay Street (at Midway), San Francisco

The last in a long day of new bars (oh wait, no, second to last. sheesh). This one used to be Andre's friend's neighborhood bar, before she moved. Seems like a pretty ideal neighborhood bar, though. She shouldn't have moved. I'll probably like anything called Red Jack. Or maybe I just like San Francisco. There was a dart board and frogger and young fancy people and old grizzled people and everyone got along fine. My drink was strong and tasty and made with Jack Daniels. I don't know how much it cost because I didn't have to pay for a single drink all day. Thank you, 2006.

#145 Sweeties

2006-02-11T13:46:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 1, 2006
475 Francisco (at Mason), San Francisco

This one was kind of a fancyish cozy place with lots of wine. Maybe for a more yuppyish crowd. They had some good armchair thrones to sit on. And lots of nooks for sitting or cuddling or what have you. A pool table too, although I didn't test it out. The bartender knew everyone by name. Seems like a neighborhood bar for a fancy neighborhood. Maybe when I'm thirty I'll feel more comfortable there. For now it's a bit beyond me. That doesn't mean I don't like it; I'd just have to grow into it.

#144 Amnesia

2006-02-11T13:37:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 1, 2006
Valencia and 20th, San Francisco

Lordy, I don't even remember this one. We weren't there long enough to write about it at the time, and now it is all a distant blur. Maybe someday somebody will go there and have something real to say about it.

#143 Delerium

2006-02-11T13:34:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 1, 2006
16th and Valencia, San Francsico

Another bar I was only in for a drink's worth. But it was a good drink with a congenial bartender and a friendly few people there drinking and more people heading in as we left. I was here a few Halloweens ago too. Maybe it's a good holiday bar. I guess I owe it more of a review someday. I was left with good impressions, though.

#142 Casanova Lounge

2006-02-11T13:26:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 1, 2006
Valencia and 16th, San Francisco

I was only here for a little bit. It seemed a little bit fancy for my tastes but maybe not really. The bartender was friendly and knew Andre and rolled his eyes at the repetitive drunk guy. It has a bit of a harem theme going in the decor, and some couches, and some fabric hanging from the ceiling. Yeah, fine.

#141 Black Magic Voodoo Lounge

2006-02-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 1, 2006
Lombard and Van Ness, San Francisco

What a way to start off the new year. This bar is having a pajama party all day long. When I first got here I thought it was odd so many people were in their pajamas. It took me a little while to figure out that I was the odd one for NOT being in my pajamas. The pajama party also involves bloody marys and free food. It's kinda a New Orleans flavored bar so the food is all southern and good. I was scared I would miss out on black eyed peas this new years, but the bar took care of me. Everybody here is friendly and good to me even though I'm not in my pajamas. And I didn't have to buy a single drink for myself. That's my kind of bar.

#140 Henry's Bar

2006-02-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, December 27, 2005
12th and Burnside, Portland, OR

(Flora) Attached to a restaurant where Henry Weinhard's beer was originally brewed. The bar is very upscale and trendy. Dark environment, but classy. Lots of guys wearing button-up collared shirts, and girls dressed to impress. Big pool area upstairs. Bathrooms very clean and nice. They have the best fries with gorganzola. Good drinks but pricey. If you come on a Friday night, there might be a line. Best fact: the bouncer knew where Gridley was. The bar is near the Pearl District.

#139 Old Market Pub

2006-02-11T12:54:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, December 27, 2005
corner of SW Multnomah and SW Garden Home Road, Portland, OR

(Flora) This pub hosts a homey and fun atmosphere-- perfect for families and groups of friends. Full with custom brews, fun shuffleboard, pool, video games, and large screen TVs with sports. Best Beer= Mr. Toad's Wild Red. Best Dessert= Berry Cobbler. Also, PORTLAND was rated in 2005 as one of the top ten cities to hook up in! For all these reasons, this is a great place to go, especially if you live close enough to walk home drunk.

(Lizzy) It's kind of like the Union in Occidental. The Pacific Northwest version, I guess, because it feels more mountain-lodgey. They have exposed rafters. And ample seating. The walls have well-painted murals of old fruit crate labels. There's odd decor all over-- three dashboards mounted on a wall, plants on scales, good neon lights. They re-use coasters-- nice and eco-friendly. They brew their own beer here, and make their own fake ginger ale for my whiskey. I wish I lived in walking distance from here too. Beer= $3.60. Whiskey= $3.95. No tax!!!

#138 Away Cafe

2006-02-11T12:40:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, December 20, 2005 6:20 pm
Jet Blue Terminal, JFK

(Lizzy) This is the only place to get a drink before you go through security. We can't go through security yet because you are only allowed to check in four hours before your flight. And Nick had to get here fourteen hours before his flight because this was the only time he could get a ride to the airport because of the subway strike. So really, the MTA ought to be buying our drinks. A whiskey ginger ale and a plain whiskey cost $19. A Bloody Mary and a Bud cost $15.50. Thanks a lot, MTA.
Christmas music and Christmas/island decor. The table behind us has chicken wings. There is football on every TV. In high definition. I wasn't quitre aggressive enough to get a table but luckily there were two stools at the bar. That's lucky because now we can watch the footbal channel.

(Nick) Who'd a thought that JFK would be so crowded five days before Christmas. I've had some good experiences in airport bars before. This is a low point. Maybe it's because we're not inside the gates yet. Stupid MTA. Just kidding, fight the power. There's also tax on our drinks but we will not tip more than $1 per drink, no matter how much it costs. A tip is a tip. A beer here is no harder to pour than it is anywhere else. Peace and Love. Star of Wonder, the country version sung by some high-voiced dickhead. You know how sometimes you're so tired the only way to stay awake is drink. Then you're more awake but have that weird sleep pain behind your eyes. Yeah, I got that,

(Lizzy) Oh my goodness. Second Bloody Mary is worlds beyond the first. It is spicy and flavorful and has twice the vodka as the first. I can tell it was made with love. Lesson:
young girl bartender= lousy bloody mary.
older man bartender= fantastic bloody mary.
oh it is so good

#137 (name unknown as of yet)

2006-02-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, December 13, 2005 9 pm
Metropolitan and Graham, Brooklyn

(Lizzy) I can't find the name of the bar. It used to be the Blue Lady Lounge. I like this a lot. Maybe way better, except that isn't fair to say because I never went inside the Blue Lady. But this place makes me happy. Gin and tonic costs only $4.00. And there are plentiful* tables and the lighting is** fine and the bartender is good. The crowd is un-awful, although Kai did get to check "sit next to a table of hipsters" off his America list. And the music has gotten better than it was when we first arrived, when they were playing Jamaican jam music.

(Kai) * rustic, wooden
** provided by warm candles, and, thus, is

Happy hour is from 4-8, with $3 Brooklyn ales. The garden will be very contemporaneous in the summertime. Bathrooms get 10/10 for cleanliness, but 0/10 for personality or graffiti. Bring a sharpie.

#136 Blarney Cove

2006-02-11T12:02:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 9, 2005 1:55 am
14th between A and B, Manhattan

(Lizzy) The bar is long and narrow and the bartender is jolly. The music is super loud and EVERYONE is singing along loudy. Like group karaoke. Very congenial in here. Maybe like The Alley in Oakland a little. And the songs are excellent. First Janis Joplin, then the runaway song, then the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory song, then Patsy Cline. Lordy! I wish we lived closer (like around the corner) because this is almost as good as Connolly's, almost. It is all Christmased out but I don't know if that is seasonal or year round. I haven't had a drink yet but Ian says they are cheap-- maybe $4 or $4.50. Now Beach Boys! They have a photo board on the wall for the "Mid-Day Gentleman's Club"-- over 1150 years of birthdays and 3,000,000 memories. I like it here.

(Sarah) $2.00= 7 songs. $1.00= 2. Christmas party 12/16. "all day and all night." Amazingly strange poster: "The Play About the Baby."

#135 The Magician

2006-01-25T19:10:00.000-08:00

Rivington and Essex
Friday, December 9, 2005 11:00pm

This bar is across the street from Welcome to the Johnsons and is way less stimulating but good in its own way. It is slightly better lit and there is less stuff on the walls and it is easier to talk to people. The name comes from a clock that says "The Magician" in neon. Apparently the owner collects neon clocks. I like it in here pretty well. It might be an odd place to come alone but it is a good place to be when you have friends here. There are no actual magicians, but the disappointment of that wears off pretty quickly.

#134 Girl from Ipanema

2006-01-25T18:53:00.000-08:00

West 14th and 8th
Wednesday, November 2, 2005

(Aimee) Barzine-- which Lizzy is over.
Okay, so we just went to a "party" which more closely resembled a terrible club situation. So we left, hoping to drown our sorrows for having made a journey for no reason. We stepped into "Ipanema Bar" since we agreed it looked "good and divey." There were like four really buff Latino dudes and bartendresses who look like they aspire to be on Budweiser ads... and music to match. Commercials promise "College Night-- ladies get in free." Bad. And $7 drinks. I got a fucking Jim Beam on the rocks before realizing that I could have ordered Cutty Sark for the same price. Nick got a strong Dewars and Coke.
Laaaaaame. Especially since Lizzy and I decided that we got charged based on our appearance... and we were sort of dressed up.

(Lizzy) P.S. at least we're sexy.

#133 Happy Endings

2006-01-25T18:39:00.000-08:00

Broome between Forsythe and Eldridge
(didn't write a date. august, i guess)

(Lizzy) Free Sparks and Afternoon Delight. We had to tiptoe through a longrunning poetry reading upstairs to come down to the Sparks bar. There were some strange well lit sculptures in the hallway after the entrance. The menu says cocktails cost $10. This bar is super silly I guess but I'm never going to say anything against a bar that gives me free Sparks.

(Aimee) also, (this is aimee) i have been there with lizzy and nick and cathy other times cause my friend max dj-ed there this fall/winter and there was free vodka (real strong drinks!!) from 10-11. i like max, but apparently he's too cool for happy endings now. but the night, thursday, that he dj-ed, was called, awesomely, "Don't Change. Don't Ever Change." how awesome is that?!smooooch.

now we'll try again

2006-01-25T18:15:00.000-08:00

look what happens when we don't post anything for six months... we make eighteen new friends with interests like cheap auto insurance and wedding tent decoration and cobalt end mill. life is good. the general goal is to start putting stuff on the internet again. we've been keeping it up in my little notebook, but the typing process is just so hard. we'll give it the old college try though. you can ignore the comment section if you want. unless you're into cobalt end mill and such.

#132 Clem's

2005-08-31T22:09:00.000-07:00

Grand and Roebling, Brooklyn
Sunday, August 14, 2005 4:45 pm

We came here because Larry Lawrence was closed but we thought the barbecue here would be an acceptable substitute. It just isn't the same, though. The food is free so I ought not complain, but the Bloody Marys aren't free like at old Larry's. Here they are $7. Ouch. It is fine I guess and thanks for the hamburger but it just makes me miss Larry Lawrence all the more.

#131 Boxers

2005-08-31T22:07:00.000-07:00

West 4th at Sixth Avenue, New York
Saturday, August 13, 2005 1:15 am

#130 Greenwich Brewing Company

2005-08-31T21:54:00.000-07:00

Sixth Avenue and 1oth, New York
Saturday, August 13, 2005 12:30 am

Man this place is sneakily expensive. I didn't even need a drink but I thought "eh, I guess I may as well get something." And then that something (a whiskey sour) cost $7.50. Sure it's a brewery so maybe I'm not supposed to get a liquor drink but $7.50 is still awfully outrageous. Also the bartender didn't even bother giving us our 50 cent change so we inadvertently gave him a $2.50 tip. Undeserved. Ugh. Nick says "this is what we get for trying new bars" and I hate to think that way but tonight it seems true. And Tom says "this is what we get for staying within a four block radius" and that is entirely true, always.

(Claire) Yeah... I wasn't feeling that wine bar or whatever it was. But this one isn't much better. Just as pricey, not as trying to be euro and charming. Meh... in my head I'm at camp. NYC weather is god-awful!

(Tom) Let's go somewhere else...

#129 French Bistro something

2005-08-31T21:53:00.000-07:00

#128 Blaggards

2005-08-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

35th between 7th and 8th, New York
Friday, August 12, 2005 4:45 pm

This pub is not interesting. The only thing interesting about it is that it is right across the street from my work, and it is air conditioned. Those are good things. Otherwise I wouldn't be here. Bass costs $5 and I didn't even get a drink so I don't know how much standard whiskey costs. The music seems to be long boring jams. The decor is vaguely Irish, but I think calling it that is an insult to my people. The crowd here is just usual boring after work folk. Not nearly as fashionable as one might hope, seeing that we are just off Fashion Avenue. Hmm. At least it has the convenience factor going for it.

#127 Lunasa

2005-08-31T21:37:00.000-07:00

First Avenue at 7th Street, New York
Friday, August 5, 2005 7:15 pm

(Lizzy) Guinness $6. Cheapest red wine = Montepuciano = $6. We would probably never come drink here unless we needed their bathroom.

(Aimee) We needed their bathroom. We will leave here without having bought a drink. It's not aesthetically bad, and they're playing REM's "Man on the Moon," which is fairly effective, I guess. We will proceed to walk around Soho and maybe get food. Sorry Lunasa.

#126 Proof

2005-08-31T21:30:00.000-07:00

Third Avenue between 19th and 20th
Friday, August 5, 2005 6:40 pm

We came here because my work has free happy hour from 6-7 today. I'm not sure if I would be here otherwise. But boy are free drinks a good draw. The ground floor of the bar is vaguely sporty and I feel like downstairs is probably a dance club but I haven't gone down to investigate. They have a bunch of screens showing sports (baseball, right now).

(The writing in the next paragraph was so illegible I didn't recognize it as my own.)
Asked the curly haired waitress how much drinks cost. For happy hour, $5. Happy hour= 5-9. After happy hour-- maybe $7-9? She isn't sure because this is her first night working. Cute.

#125 Iggy's

2005-08-31T21:18:00.000-07:00

Ludlow between Rivington and Stanton, New York
Wednesday, August 3, 2005 5:15 pm

This is a bar down the street from the Cake Shop. Mostly I just came here to use the bathroom and wipe the sweat from my brow. But the bar itself seems like a good one. The bartender is good and friendly. And the bar is very unassuming, and I like that. Margaritas were $4 for happy hour. Yeah! Strong, too. Maybe I'll come here again someday. No reason not to.

#124 Connolly's

2005-08-31T21:02:00.000-07:00

47th between 5th and Madison, New York
Saturday, July 30, 2005 7:35 pm

Kick out the jams, motherfuckers! I wish this was the real Connolly's. The one with the decanters and the two fifty drinks. I'll bet drinks cost more here. And there's no photo hunt. This is a nicer bar. A pub and restaurant. So far they are playing all U2. The T.V. shows trick golfing.
Our nachos are HUGE and the shepherd's pie is perfect.
This is a way better choice than TGIFridays. This would be an excellent alternative if ever Yodo's is closed or done with happy hour. There are four Connolly's in town. This one is Party Headquarters. Seriously. Says so on the menu.
Yeah, nachos and margaritas at the Irish pub. We know how to live. I like the bartender. Behind the bar they have a bunch of cop patches from around the country. A small tribute to the cop bar rin Oakland, probably. There's also a big framed picture of JFK. I am happy here. A bit classier than usual, but sometimes you have to splurge. Margaritas were $7. Oy.

We saw MC5 and the Sun Ra Arkestra in the park today. What a day.

#123 Bar 13

2005-08-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

13th Street at University, New York
Sunday, July 24th, 2005 11:55 pm

The best part of this one is the rooftop terrace. It's maybe only three or four floors tall, but a roof is a roof. The furniture is all plastic up there. Once I went there right after it rained but we just brushed the water off and it was fine. We were wet anyway then. This time it was dry but night and we were there for a show, not a terrace. Fine place for a show. What I was not impressed with, at time previous, was that it advertises "two for one" happy hour, but they do that token thing, so you can't just go in there with someone and split the cost and each have one drink. So it isn't necessarily as cheap as it ought to be, for a happy hour, but such are things. The happy hour crowd was very after-worky, loosened ties and evening makeup and laughing about the boss and stuff. The night crowd is far more rocking, as befits the occassion. Yeah, this place isn't half bad. Just not a worthwhile happy hour.

#122 Max Fisch

2005-08-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

Ludlow and something, New York
Sunday July 24 11:10 pm

like when a clown dies

The dots on the wall are driving everyone bonkers. And everyone is sexually fustrated except me, because my drink came in a glass. How long must I hurt for you? One girl's true love story . Oh and a stretchy faced Julio Iglesias. It's a little bit circusy in here but not to the point it could be. I was told this was the hipsterest Lower East Side bar around but it isn't as bad as I'd expected. We thought we saw Kirsten Dunst but under very close scrutiny it was just a lookalike. Gin and tonic = $4. Gin is the happy liquor. Need it. They have Red Bull in little medicine bottles to mix with vodka. I've never seen that before but the Swedish boy knew what it was. I thought it looked like cod oil or something. There are parasols hanging from the ceiling. Bartender = nice. This bar could have been worse.

#121 Mad 28

2005-08-31T20:08:00.000-07:00

Madison and 28th, New York
Friday, July 8, 2005 9:50 pm

#120 Kabin

2005-08-31T20:06:00.000-07:00

Second Ave. between 5th and 6th
Friday, July 8, 6:45 pm

#119 Tommy's Tavern

2005-08-31T20:05:00.000-07:00

Manhattan and Freeman, Brooklyn
Thursday, July 7, 2005

#118 Black Swann Tavern

2005-08-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

Tivoli, New York
Wednesday, July 6, 2005 10:30 pm

Weird. We were in the forest looking at the biggest grove of fireflies I have ever imagined, and then we went into this bar and it felt like we had passed through a portal into Kips on Two-for-Tuesdays. It was strikingly confusing. Where did all these wholesome drunk youths come from? It was a big mystery for a while, until finally I talked to some local young man, who told me that all those kids were camp counselors out for the night after the kids went to bed. And that made sense (although it opened up another mystery, namely: who is left to take care of the children???). They did seem very camp-counselory, and I would know. We were happy to just let them do their thing, though. I don't remember how much the drink was but I'm going to guess $5. Every Wednesday they have live jazz music and the night we were there, there was a drummer who Nick had seen play when he came to visit New York many years ago. So there's that. There is one other bar in town, called Santa Fe. The camp kids refer to it as "the Fe." I heard them. I liked sitting outside here. The fireflies were still the highlight, of course.

#117 Crash Mansion

2005-08-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

Friday, July 1, 2005 9:45 pm
199 Bowery between Spring and Rivington, New York

Promotional party for the Wedding Crashers. I'm not sure if they picked this place to host it because it has "crash" in the name, or if they changed the name of the bar for this night, or if it is just a coincidence. They've had other movie promotions here and none of the other movies had Crash in their names (except maybe that movie "Crash." I don't know if they had a party for that here or not but that would make the most sense). From 9-10 they are giving away free vodka drinks, as many as you can ask for with a straight face. Aimee and I stuck with two at a time, each. Worked well. This bar is in the basement and feels a little like a rock grotto. No, that's just because there is a stone wall behind the bar. I don't know what it feels like, then. I guess it's just a regular club. People here look a little bit more dancey than us. There aren't many people yet though. Maybe the dancing starts later. Right now they are playing radio hits on the loudspeaker and there is a band setting up. Aimee and I got four passes to the movie each. I'd say this was a success. I asked how much drinks cost normally and they said $9. I guess it's best not to come here unless they are giving away free drinks and free movie tickets, in which case it is well worth it.

#116 Kings County

2005-06-24T15:16:00.000-07:00

Seigel and Bogart, Brooklyn

Damn, I swear we wrote this one up already. I think we wrote it on a napkin, though, instead of in the real book, so I guess it has been lost to the ravages of time. I'll try to do it from memory, and then maybe add to it the next time we go.

So this bar is right around the corner from our house, and it has no sign, as is the style of the times, just a little crown over a door on the side of a warehouse. I've lived here for five months and I never even noticed it. Inside it was really really good though. It was very dark and quiet and unassuming. Seems like a perfect neighborhood hangout. Everyone there was young and hip, which makes sense considering the area, but everybody was keeping to themselves and nobody was trying to be cool. And that's nice. There was a young guy wih glasses reading the paper at the bar, and a few couples talking quietly, and a few people at the far corner of the bar watching a baseball game on TV. I think they have art shows there sometimes. The theme for the art when we went there seemed to be female anatomy, although I could be wrong about that one. Also, I think I remember they had a lot of nice chandeliers there. The rest of my memory is pretty fuzzy about it. I forget the price or quality of the drinks, but neither was strikingly offensive. Also, they had some sort of happy hour, and I think it ended at 8. We were there too late for it, and we thought "we'll have to remember when the happy hour is, for next time." So much for that. Anyway, I liked it there. It seemed like an ideal place to stop in for a drink on your way home from work. If you live around here, at least. It might be nice even if it wasn't so conveniently located, but it definitely gets big points for that.

#115 Anytime

2005-06-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 23, 2005 8:15 pm
93 North 6th, Brooklyn

(Lizzy) The famed dollar happy hour. I thought it sounded too good to be true but I guess not. I don't know why it isn;t more crowded with prices like these. This bar is pretty stylish looking. It's more a restaurant than a bar. And more a food-delivery hub (24 hours, hence the name) than a bar. Still, there is a bar here, and the deal can't be beat, almost. $1 for Finlandia vodka, Bacardi rum, Ballentine's scotch, PBR, and Heineken pints. Hmm. Mixed drinks seem VERY weak to me here. But you can get liquor on the rocks in a good sized glass and that seems like the way to go. The music is good here and the bartender smiles and in general this seems like a pretty good happy hour. 5:30-9 pm daily (although on the Sunday before Memorial Day, drinks were $3. Claire will back me up on that. It might get a little pricier on the weekends). Oh, but you can't sit at a table unless you are ordering food. The bar is fine though.

(Aimee) Yeah, I don't think this bar is very cool, but the price is! Lizzy pretty much covered it. Cheap!

(Sen) I don't know how they can get away with not charging more than $1 for drinks. It's amazing. Possibly more so than the Alligator. See, this is why I love Brooklyn. And it's not because I'm belligerent. The crowd is prety nice and diverse, and the songs and music are good. A mixture of the Rapture, Bee-Gees, and Fleetwood Mac. I mean, come on. I can't believe these well drinks are $3 normally. Oh my goodness.

#114 Daddy's

2005-06-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 21, 2005 1:30 am
Graham and Frost, Brooklyn

SUMMER BEGINS

I like his bar because the walls have alternating panels of pressed tin and wooden slats. They also have Christmas lights and a small and unobtrusive deer head. It's very dark in here but that's okay. Whiskey ginger was $5 and average. We were told drinks here would come with free veggie dogs but turns out the veggie dogs cost $2 extra. And took forever to come. Where is the Alligator Lounge when we need it?

(Aimee tells me later that Daddy's supposedly has the best jukebox in town, as reported by people she knows and not just vice magazine. I'm not sure how much that sways me. I seem to remember George Kaye's winning that title in Oakland, and I was never all that impressed by the music there. Still, maybe I'll give the Daddy's jukebox another go).

#113 Gypsy Wolf Cantina

2005-06-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 11, 2005 9:40 pm
Woodstock, New York

(Lizzy) Woodstock, huh. Technically, we're camping. But we wanted to see what a Woodstock bar was like. This one is like a Mexican cantina. Or New Mexican, Raina thinks. The waitress doesn't know where the name came from, but there are colorful wolf masks all over. And chili pepper lights and skeletons and wolf paintings. You know, a cantina. Their specialty is frozen margaritas, lime or mango. We went with mango and we are pleased. $6.50 each, which is a lot, but you aren't allowed to argue in the country. Woodstock is all about peace and love, remember. This bar closes at 10. The bartender drew us a map to show us what Woodstock bars to go to next. Joyous Lake is the dance club down the road, and The Crest is the bar behind the schoolhouse where the scene is. The Woodstock scene. In here it is mostly groups of youngish people. I love this place.

(Lizzie) CHARLIE SHEEN. Heavy wolf theme, bright colors.

(Flora) Many bright wolf masks and paper mache lizards crawling on the ceiling. Nice.

(Lizzy) Also Raina totally hit on the bartender without meaning to (supposedly). She thought passing him a love poem written on a napkin was just being friendly.

#112 Bar 169

2005-06-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 2, 2005 10:45 pm
East Broadway at Essex, New York

I think the experience here made everyone a little bitter. Not necessarily a bad place. But it cost seven whole dollars just to get in for the show, and everyone in this bar is just here to see Necking anyway. We could easily have seen them play at home without having to pay the $7. Plus I don't even think Jason and Nick saw much of that money. Grrr. The bar itself isn't too bad. It has funny paintings and a fish tank. I heard drinks were expensive so I didn't get one. The store around the corner has Sparks for only $1.25 though. Best deal of the night. Even the photo hunt here is weird. And the insensitive screen cost us our victory. They do have a pool table here, at least. Eh, maybe this bar would be fine for a bar. It sucks as a place to see a show, though.

#111 Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden

2005-06-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 30, 2005 7:35 pm
31st Ave and 24th Street, Astoria, Queens

(Lizzy) Best beer garden I've ever been to. Also, Best Bar in Queens, as voted by New York in 2004. The garden is giant, with picnic tables and tall trees and a dance floor and a stage with a real live Bavarian band playing. Embroidered vests and dirndls and everything. I love it here and I don't even like beer. Long Island Ice Teas cost $6. Not bad. I think beers were $12 a pitcher. There is a barbecue pit with huge delicious sausages for $6. Good deal. They also have non-pit food, not much pricier and supposedly really good.

(Claire) Beer was indeed $12 and delicious, although I don't know what kind it was. Sausages were the best I've ever had... very juicy. And I've only liked sausages for a year. If I were in Oakland I'd be at a "bitches only" cereal factory BBQ eating a smoked turkey and drinking PBR. Sausage and mittel european beer is much much better.
By the way, I'm so pleased to be in a barzine "episode" again. So... this bier-garten was so good I had to call my brother and tell him about the leiderhosen, dirndls, and BEER! Reminds me of ye olde Bavaria.

(Dong) The psych out and the trip! Fairies and fluttering dragons everywhere that adorn your picnic table with endless links of kielbasa and buckets of tasy beer. Chinese children running around in circles in front of the stage, wherre a good-time beer-drinking-encouraging band flashes beaded vests and loose-in-the-ass pants. 4 hits of acid! Some old guy has a nice chivas hat. 2 plates of sausage= 2x sausage (kielbasa), sauerkraut, pickles, onions, tomatoes, mustard, and white bread! Plus Aimee got some dumplings with gravy of some sort. Now Thai food. Rules! So rules here! Thanks for rescuing me from PS1! You can have a new art/ beer garden/ Thai explosion in Queens!

(Rafie) EIN BIER UBER ALLES.

#110 Tribeca Grand

2005-06-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 28, 11:59 pm
Sixth Avenue at White, New York

This hardly even counts as a bar. Well, I guess it's a bar, enough. Maybe more of a club. There might be a hotel upstairs (oh, there is). The ground floor is a swanky looking lounge, and downstairs is a stage and a dance floor and another bar, also swanky. I guess this is what I imagined New York bars might be like, at one point in my younger life. Everyone downstairs is dancing. They don't like the way we dance. They're having a lot less fun though. Ooohh and get this: a whisky ginger ale in a little plastic cup is $9!!! If this were a landmark or a revolving restaurant atop a skyscraper, that would be one thing, but this is just inexcusable. I didn't buy one, of course. At least there's no cover charge. There are attendants in the bathrooms and full trays of beauty products to freshen up with. You could roll straight out of bed into this bathroom and come out looking fabulous. I think the key here is to get really drunk cheaply elsewhere and then come here and dance to your heart's content. Yeah.

#109 East River Bar

2005-05-23T21:03:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 23, 2005 10:45 pm
South 6th and Berry, Brooklyn

(Cathy)
Lizzy: This band is the same for my soul as wine and a shower.
Aimee: I like the ceiling a lot. It's got pool here. That's important.
Drinks: $5.
Adam: There's a backyard.
The people on Mondays are nice hippies.
Aimee: Hahaha. Hahaha.
All of a sudden, it gets really crowded.

(Lizzy) Tonight is called Mellow Monday. The crowd isn't as hippie-ish as I had dreaded. Everyone is pretty happy. There's lots of couches to sit on so I'm happy too. It's been a long day. The ceiling is very shiny tin. The pattern is fancier than most tin ceilings I've seen. When we first got here it reminded me of the Attic in San Francisco, but now that feeling has faded. It is good for my mood here.

(Aimee) This place is pretty soothing. I like hippies... besides, New York hippies are hardly hippies at all. Drinks aren't super cheap here, but I think the combo of backyard, pseudo-hippies, and pool makes me feel sort of like California. So there, Lizzy who hates the hippies. Oh, Lizzy. Good for you, East River Bar, especially for naming yourself something that could also be in Manhattan.

#108 John Harvard's Brew House

2005-05-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 14, 2005 11:30 pm
Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts

My friend Tom tells me this is the Jupiter's of Harvard, and I can see that. They don't have an outdoor patio, but the inside and the crowd are very Jupiteresque. It's mostly college kids in here. They all seem worried, because they have finals next week. A beer will ease their apprehension. John Harvard's brews their own beer right here in the brew house. The beer of the season is Mexi-chusetts ale, so that's what I drank, ignoring the shudders I got from the name. It cost $4.50, and after the initial sip, I got used to it and it didn't taste half bad. They do have hard liquor here, but I didn't feel right about drinking it in a brew house. So I drank my beer just like a grownup. I learned a lot of things at Harvard. One is that it wasn't even founded by John Harvard, even though the statue says it was. All he did was donate his library. He probably never even came to the United States. Harvard seems to have more bars than Princeton, but maybe we just weren't looking in the right place. Three cheers for Harvard.

Oh yeah, also-- they have food here. I had a cup of clam chowder for $3 and it was damn good.

#107 Legal Seafood

2005-05-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 14, 2005 4:45 pm
Long Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts

Today is my dad's birthday. He isn't here though. Sure, this is a restaurant, not just a bar. But there is a bar here. A whiskey sour cost $6.31, after tax. I hate bars that tax. This is a fancy chain of seafood restaurants. The decor is all vaguely nautical in nature. From the windows you can kind of see the bay, but there's a lot of stuff in the way. They have outdoor dining but it's a bit cold for that, even though it's May. There was a man sitting in a wheelchair next to me at the bar, and the bar was almost too tall for him, but the tables were all too short. This place isn't especially wheelchair-friendly. Also, he kept tapping me on the leg to talk to me, even though I was trying to talk to my aunts and uncle. Watch out for him if you ever come here. Also watch out for the prices, because they are scary.

#106 Boston Pops Symphony Hall

2005-05-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

Friday, May 13, 2005 8:50 pm
Boston, Massachusetts

Drinks here aren't as exorbitant as I might have guessed. $5 for a whiskey ginger ale of acceptable strength, made with Canadian Club. I was expecting $7 or something. A plain coke cost $1.50. The only problem I saw was, all the drinks are in real glasses, and then you take them back to your little table to watch the music, and at the end as people were leaving they kept bumping into the little tables and knocking glasses off. I heard at least a dozen glasses break, no foolin'. The guy in front of me knocked off two singlehandedly, from two separate tables. You would think they would switch to plastic, tawdry as that may be, to cut down on broken glassware. Maybe they have some shady contract with the glass company. Yeah diabetes!

#104 BBQ

2005-05-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Friday, April 29, 2005 6:20 pm
University Place and 8th Street, New York

(Lizzy) This was a mistake. The draw was giant cheap flavored margaritas, but I'm not sure they will be worth it. This whole place is overstimulating. Neon lights and colored banners that look like they were made for a high school pep rally and mirrors and noisy and aaagh.

(Aimee) I, Aimee, feel responsible. I pass this place all the time cause my building is across the street and it usually seems more tame. I see lots of meat and cornbread going around and lots of Greek-system college types. Also, lots of families who probably have a lot of soul, although this place doesn't. Have soul, that is.
Now we've gotten our drinks. We were afraid they wouldn't have actual hard liquor, but they do. When Lizzy asked what was in the strawberry daquiri, the guy said "strawberry." You can understand our apprehension. Even though the second coolest guy here (besides us as a unit) has braces, I have to admit I could be coerced into coming again.

(Lizzy) The drinks make me hate this place less. Maybe it would be better on a non-Friday. Oh I almost forgot-- we had to wait behind a VELVET ROPE to come in here. I think that might have been a first for me. And all we wanted was cheap margaritas.

#103 Moe's

2005-05-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

Thursday, April 28, 2005 10:30 pm
Fulton and Lafayette, Brooklyn

(Sen) This place is nothing like on the Simpsons. I'm terribly disappointed. But it's actually much better, more hip, less depressing, far more crowded. There's some exotic cocktails that they offer. For example: "The Pirate," which is Malibu, Captain Morgan, pineapple, and sprite. Also: "The Fort Greene DL," which is Hennessy, pineapple, and grenadine. Except that's $9! I doubt the Simpsons' Moe's has a single $9 drink. In the hour I've been here, I've noticed and enjoyed a strong old R&B, festive but "chill" selection of tunes, brought to you by a live DJ. The place is owned by a friend of Krista's (whose birthday we're honoring) named Ruby. Apparently, Ruby was at one time on "Sesame Street." The decoration here is quite sweet-- there's an actual canvas painting of Moe Sizlack, an anti-Bush poster, and a large wall-size print with a buff athletic man in a g-string next to an ice cream cone with a face and the word "GAME" printed across it.

(Lizzy) Well drinks cost $6. Ick. This bar is more like the time Moe's bar got all fancy and called itself M and had velvet ropes than it is like the real Moe's. But what can you do. They don't even serve Flaming Moes here, and you would think that would be a given at a bar with a Simpsons theme. Dong says he guesses maybe the theme used to be stronger, but maybe they toned it down a little before it wore thin. I guess that's a good idea. You can't smoke in here and you can't bring in a bottle of cherry coke. No photo hunt or pool (too classy for that), but they do have Ms. PacMan.

#102 Route 101

2005-05-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

March 13, 2005 1:31 am
Van Ness at Fern, San Francisco

(Editor's note: This was sent to me via text message. Sorry it has taken me so long to post it. )

(Hae Eun) 3:25 mixed drinks. Iron man on juke box. Bartender burly, wallet hain wearing, cowboy hatted southern gent. Long and narrow room-- most of the illumination is from a 4 foot neon Budweiser sign. Clientele is all old trailer park men-- strange given the location and the city in general. Conclusion-- cheap drinks, questionable clientele, chill atmosphere-- I think I'm in white trash heaven...

This just in: Route 101 was Zagat rated and voted Best of the Bay "Best place to pamper your inner rock and roller for ten bucks or less." Wow...

#101 Off the Wagon

2005-05-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

Macdougal and West 3rd, New York

Aimee and Sen went here and wrote an excellent one page review, which we have since lost. If we ever find it, we'll post it here. If not, we'll go again sometime to write it up. If I remember right, it was kind of sporty.

#100 Boogaloo

2005-04-04T00:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 2nd, 2005 4:30am
South ??th and ??, Brooklyn

there are no raves in jamaica. every time you invite me to a rave, it just ends up being some kind of dance hall party.

boogaloo!

due to daylight savings, there was some confusion over no-more drinking time.
there was some illicitness.
observer was very sauced.

#99 The Turkey's Nest

2005-03-21T20:03:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 19, 2005 12:30 am
Bedford and North 12th, Brooklyn

(Eileen) Crowd: Diverse in age and cleanliness.
Makeup of patrons: Primarily male.
Eligibility/Desirability: Very questionable.
It's good otherwise, for drinks at reasonable prices and friendly chat with friends. Jukebox usually set to appealing tunes of the Tom Waits, Journey, Heart, Elton John, David Bowie ilk. No photohunt, but a pool table for barflies. Good place to get completely wasted to state of abandon and not have to worry what people are thinking despite the garishly bright lighting. I am a bad writer, Rafie should take over...

(Rafie) Faux wood panelling. Mix of locals and the hip. Garish lighting. So much Journey and Heart, so poignant. Actually, too much light.

(Noah) "Big beers" a mere $3.50 in Greenpoint-Tavernesque proportioned styrofoam cuppery.

(Micaela) "It's good." "Warm." The music is nursing my soul back to health. Oh... that sounds dumb. Shit.

#98 Brooklyn Ale House

2005-03-21T19:57:00.000-08:00

Thursday, March 17, 2005 10:15 pm
North 8th and Berry, Brooklyn

(I can't tell whose handwriting this is. Kind of wavery. Sorry for not giving people proper credit)

(Reviewer #1) Happy Saint Patrick's Day. Staid. Working class. Smoke stained. Comfortable. Red necked. Handsomely lit.

(Reviewer #2) Big pot of cabbage. No corned beef but good nonetheless. Pool and darts. It's fine here. Less crowded than a lot of other places, I bet, for tonight. More red lighting than green, though, handsome as it may be.

#97 Blarney Stone

2005-03-16T19:33:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, March 16, 2005 6:30 pm
Third and 45th, New York

(Lizzy) Just a small town girl living in a lonely world. This is a much better bar for us. None of those fancy people like in the other Irish pubs in the area. These are real salt of the earth working class folk. And they're friendly and drunk. It is St. Patrick's Day Eve and everyone is happy. This bar doesn't even feel like the others. A bar runs along one side, and a deli runs along the other. The floor is linoleum and the walls are green, not polished wood, and the lights are relatively bright. This bar feels kind of like a beach bar. It belongs on the shores of Ireland (sunny, if possible), not the busy streets of midtown. It's decked out like all hell for tomorrow but I bet it's pretty spirited even in the off season. The music rocks. After Journey they're playing some jolly Irish drinking song. They have Golden Tee and photohunt and the world's greatest (and least humble) jukebox.

(Nick) After Journey it's the Pogues! Also awesome. Killian's $3.50, strong whiskey and ginger $4. Not bad at all. And there are signs up about this bar's appearance on the Food Network this past afternoon. And now it's playing "Maggie" by Rod Stewart. Which, as lame as Rod Stewart is, is a great song. Back to the Food Network thing. Bobby Flay came here to eat the corned beef and cabbage while on a food tour of the Irish bars in NYC. That's a pretty good sign. From where we sit, I can see about five different piles of meat behind the deli counter, and a gi-normous pile of mashed potatoes. I dig this place.

#96 Pig and Whistle

2005-03-16T19:28:00.001-08:00

Wednesday, March 16, 2005 6:00 pm
Third and 55th, New York

Another bar not worth getting a drink at. This one was also claiming Irish heritage and had fine wood walls and was full of businesspeople. There were more of them here than at Ashton's, and maybe they were drunker. drinks still looked expensive. Most importantly, there is absolutely NO happy hour here whatsoever. We were told to expect a hearty free meal. There is nothing worse than being lied to. Especially in an Irish bar the night before St. Patrick's Day.

#95 Ashton's

2005-03-16T19:25:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, March 16, 2005 5:45 pm
50th at 3rd, New York

The free buffet here is a steam table of pasta. I hate that. We didn't even get a drink here. Didn't have to. It was fancy and had fine wood walls and a smattering of businesspeople and looked expensive. I'd guess at least $6 a drink. Forget it.

#94 Sweet Ups

2005-03-06T12:59:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 6, 2005 2:00 am
Graham between Powers and Grand, Brooklyn

We wrote about this place on a napkin because I didn't have my book with me but then I went and left the napkin at the bar. Damn. I'll try to remember what people said.

The bar had the same velvet wallpaper as Port Costa and Royal Oak. Cathy says it is owned by the same people as Royal Oak, and it kind of has the same feel, only it's a lot smaller. Cathy also called it a poor man's Ruby Room, but she was eventually talked into agreeing that it's actually more of a rich man's Ruby Room. Mostly because of the velvet wallpaper, I think. It's very smoky inside. There's plenty of booths to sit in. Drinks were $5. I hear there is karaoke on Tuesdays. Other people wrote other things, but I don't remember what now. Sorry. I liked the place though, I'll say that much.

#93 Sea Shore Restaurant

2005-03-06T12:50:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, March 3, 2005 6:00pm
City Island, New York

The Sea Shore is the first bar and restaurant you come to when you drive onto City Island, my new favorite place in the tri-state area. City Island is the seaport of the Bronx, and everything here is appropriately marine-oriented. This bar isn't particuarly outstanding, but it does have a big taxidermied swordfish on the wall. Everything is made of polished wood, and it all kind of glows. I guess that's because the sun is setting. There are stone walls and a fireplace. Kind of hunting-lodge-esque. If that hunting lodge was on an island. There are no water views from the bar but I bet there are from the restaurant. The waitress is friendly and chatty and a little bit hardened by life and she made my whiskey ginger ale in a wine glass. Happy hour is from 4 to 7 so my drink was $4. The free buffet advertised outside turns out to be a steam tray of soggy linguini, but at least the meatballs are good. There's an outdoor patio for non-snowy months. There are only a few other people in here, all talking quietly with Bronx accents. I wonder what the people who live on City Island are like. There are real flowers on the tables and the chairs are squishy. This place is okay, bt I wonder what else City Island has to offer. Maybe one of my new goals will be to visit every bar on City Island. There can't be that many; it's a very small island.

#92 Blue and Gold

2005-03-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

Saturday, February 26, 2005 10:45 pm
7th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues, New York

The primary appeal of this bar is that any mixed drink costs $3.00, and you can have it made with your choice of liquor. Maker's Mark, Bombay Sapphire, all those top shelf bottles, for the same low price as and Canadian Club and Gibley's. No class distinctions here. They have a pool table and jukebox and a big TV showing music videos. And board games! Scrabble, Boggle, Yatzee, maybe some others. The bar got very crowded at about 10:30 with people who looked like they probably used to be in the Greek system in college. Just a bunch of normal young adults, I guess. I don't think this bar has anything to do with the UC system, so don't go thinking this is some Berkeley enclave. There are a lot of blond people in here. And a lot of strapping young men. I haven't had liquor this good in a while and I like it.

#91 Yodo of Japan

2005-03-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 23, 7:15 pm
13 East 47th (between Fifth and Madison), New York

This place is a godsend. It looks like any other ordinary Japanese restaurant. But if you order a drink-- plum wine, sake, or beer-- it only costs $2.50 AND it comes with free sushi. FREE SUSHI!! not just sushi, either. You get a choice of California rolls, spicy tuna rolls, shrimp dumplings, sesame chicken, or edamame. You only get food with your first drink, but still, $2.50 isn't a bad price for a drink, even without the food. You can order more food afterwards for $3.00. Mixed drinks are $3.50 during happy hour, andthey make a mean Tokyo ice tea. Happy hour lasts from 5:30 to 8. There isn't much room for sitting, so this might be a rough place for a big group. Everyone in here looks professional. They look like they could spend a lot more on a drink. But even professionals appreciate a good deal. We talked about office transfers and productivity so we could fit in. We're all professionals here. Professionals enjoying a damn good happy hour.

ADDENDUM we went again on a Friday and it was SUPER crowded. It might be best to come here earlier in the week. Still, not all the crowds in the world could tarnish the luster of free sushi.

The waitress knows our drink order already. I guess we've been here a few times by now.

#90 T.G.I.Fridays

2005-03-06T12:23:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 23, 2005 5:45 pm
Fifth Avenue at 48th, New York

Kat and Randy already covered this one pretty well, so I won't go into it. All the TGIFridays are the same everywhere. That's probably why there are so many tourists here-- they feel at home. Happy hour goes from 4 to 7 and margaritas are $2.50. So are snacks, but the margaritas are where it's at. Even if it's only Wednesday.

#89 Saints and Sinners

2005-03-05T18:36:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, February 22, 2005 10:30 pm
61st and Roosevelt, Queens

I've never seen such a high concentration of Irish pubs. Why got to Ireland when you could go to Woodside? It's good to know my people are still going strong. There's at least two pubs per block here. We were looking for a bar with a pool table but apparently the Irish like their whiskey without any distractions. So we settled on this pub because it was the first one we saw with a fireplace and we liked the name. Some of the others around here are probably a little cozier and more Gaelic feeling-- this one is almost sports bar-ish. But we get a whole room off the barroom to ourselves, with the fireplace and two TVs showing Irish soccer. You can smoke inside here. You can't even do that in Ireland anymore. The music is decidedly non-Irish. I guess you might call it adult contemporary. But every once in a while they play something catchy. This pub is also a restaurant, but the kitchen closes at 9 or 10 or something. So no Irish coffees, but there are plenty of other choices. Like a hot toddy, which was $6 and made with Jameson. The bartender very meticulously inserted three cloves in each lemon slice. I appreciate the care that goes into my drink. I wouldn't say this is the best pub I've ever been to, but it is good to know where the Irish district is It must be a sight to behold on St. Patrick's day.

#88 Whiskey Ward

2005-02-22T15:32:00.000-08:00

Sunday, February 20, 2005 10:15 pm
Essex between Rivington and Delancey, New York

(Lizzie) Shoot. Apparently they have a lot of kinds of whiskey here. They used to call this part of the lower East side the whiskey ward because there were so many saloons in the fourth ward. Hence the name. Feels pretty divey. Walls are brick, ceilings are tin, music is rock. Shot of Wild Turkey+PBR= $6. They have a jukebox and a pool table. The bartender is also the bouncer. You're not allowed to have snowball fights outside. On the wall is a big blanket of the Wild Turkey label. That woven kind of blanket.

(Noah) MAIDEN! BROSHAKALAKAA!!!

(Rafie) Drinks lots, Iron Maiden too.

(Taeryn) I can't read anything. Iron Maiden rocks, assholes! AIR DRUM!

#87 Welcome to the Johnsons

2005-02-22T15:17:00.000-08:00

Sunday, February 20, 2005 9:00 pm
Rivington and Essex, New York

(Lizzy) It's like your high school friend's parents' living room. Especially if that high school friend was named Johnson. The walls have wood paneling, there are big dark toned paintings on the walls, and all the couches have plastic slipcovers on them. It is comfortably and unspecifically familiar. Also, happy hour is till 9, and drinks are $2. PBR is $1.50. Not as good as free, but close. They also have a pool table. So maybe it's more like a high school friend's basement rec room that a living room. Anyway

(Rafie) Alas-- the recreation of a cozy dive-like bar environment is all too contrived here, though welcome when it does suceed, as in here. Alas.

#86 Larry Lawrence

2005-02-12T17:34:00.000-08:00

Friday, February 11, 2005 11:45 pm
Havemeyer and Grand, Brooklyn

(Sen) This place is very secluded-- the only sign from the street is a small, unlit label-- "bar"-- very unassuming. Most significantly, it's downstairs from Rafie. He could come here in 45 seconds. It's closer to his apartment than Potion Cafe is to Buffalo Beach. The place doesn't look like it's been around for very long. And honestly, I kinda doubt it will be here a year from now. I wouldn't even bet that Larry Lawrence has a legitimate liquor license (well, it must, given that it is at least accessible to the public; no special password is required). The atmosphere is a lot like Capone's-- but not as crowded. Same interior design.

(Lizzy) Yep. Brick walls on three sides, wood on the other. Small smoking patio upstairs-- similar to Capone's, but littler. A drink cost $5. Whiskey ginger. Now I know what Eileen meant when she wrote that Capone's was a poor man's Larry Lawrence. I don't know what else to say about this place. When I was little I got the idea I wanted to name my future son Lawrence, but when I told my parents that they said "ugh. you know kids would call him Larry." So I guess that ended that. I'm older and wiser now. No offense to the Larrys of the world.

(Nick) There's a big empty spot on the floor, in the middle. I wonder if it ever gets used. Not for dancing, I'm sure. They have expensive speakers but not the kind that are super loud, the kind that are for monitoring mixes, like for "Pro-Audio" applications. I think they spent their money on the wrong things when setting up this bar. And they passed on the non-savings to me the consumer. The booze consumer. Too expensive, unnecessarily nice in all the wrong ways. And all this for a sign outside that simply says "Bar" over a dark doorway.

#85 Fitzgerald's

2005-02-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 8, 2005 6:20 pm
Third and 26th, New York

(Nick) Lots'o sports TVs, much soccer or "futbol." Lots'o wood and glass etchings including a funny/sad one of a woman rejecting a man's flowers. Not especially cheap here. High class sports crowd.

(Lizzy) Happy hour here is $4 beer. The only nonbeer special they have is $5 cosmopolitans or appletinis. So I went with an appletini. I don't think I like it but they gave me a shot glass full of the part they can't fit in the martini glass. That's a nice gesture. The etchings in the glass are AMAZING. The woman vs. man's flowers could also be interpreted as a woman choosing her career over romance, since she is wearing a suit. The man looks heartbroken. The other etchings are a man putting his fists ("dukes") up to a guy in a cap with his hands in his pockets (possibly symbolizing aggression vs. passivity) and one of a man holding a briefcase/suitcase standing in front of a man by a trash can/cardboard box. Maybe that one's about immigration. There is an occassional clover motif as well, to remind us of our heritage. I have never seen such things etched in glass, ever.
They also have two giant dart trophies. The man on top looks like he is dancing alone rather that throwing darts. At least from behind, anyway. I'll say this: I would come here again and again, just to look at those etchings.
Also: they have photo hunt.

#84 McCormick's

2005-02-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 8, 2005 6:15 pm
Third Avenue and 27th, New York

This place claims to have Happy Hour but when you go inside they tell you they have no happy hour specials.

NEVER GO HERE AGAIN.

#83 Rodeo Bar

2005-02-10T19:15:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 8, 2005 5:30 pm
Third Avenue and 27th, New York

(Lizzy) It's like a little taste of Old Texas in lower Midtown. A fake taste, though, like banana flavored Runts. i bet they bought all this saloon decor for a lot of money but they're trying to look like they found it all in some abandoned lot. Lots of rusty tin gas and cola signs, and wood paneling on the walls. The best parts are the chandelier made out of deer antlers and the taxidermied bison (buffalo?). Happy hour here involves $5 margaritas (big ones, too), $3 beer, and free nachos and buffalo wings. Boot stompin' is optional but the music encourages it. Also, they played a song about the hand jive.

(Nick) Happy hour means cheap draft beer and margaritas besides the free nachos, wings, and peanuts. I got a Sam Adams for $3. The only other drafts they have are Yennling lager, Bud Light, and PBR. No straight Bud. They have a Lone Star neon sign but they have it in bottles only. That's a pretty shameful draft line-up for a Tex themed bar. The dead armadillo, vulture, and buffalo are pretty rad though. The nachos and wings aren't particularly good, but y'know, they're free.

#82 The Fat Black Pussycat

2005-02-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

Friday, February 4, 2005 5:35 pm
West 3rd and Sixth Ave, New York

So THIS is the Fat Black Pussycat. Quite a difference. The place is packed and the music is bumping. I've never seen a bar so crowded at this time of day. The draw is happy hour: $4 pitchers of beer and $3 well drinks until 8 pm (maybe starting at 5? 4?) every weekday. The drinks are strong, too. It's a bit of a wait to get the bartender's attention but the drinks are cheap enough. Kind of like dollar drink night at El Rio. Far fewer hipsters though, and it's afternoon and not night, and drinks cost two dollars more. Other than that it's just like El Rio. Apparently my coworkers come here every payday. God. There are pool tables and regular tables, both crowded. If there is photo hunt, I don't see it. There is a dance floor downstairs that opens at 8, once everyone is good and drunk. I didn't see what kind of whisky they used at first, but the one time I did watch they used Maker's Mark. For $3! I guess this is as a good way to meet my coworkers as any. Thank you sweet whiskey. Still I was glad when Aimee and Nick showed up.

#81 The Town Tavern

2005-02-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

Friday, February 4, 2005 5:20 pm
West 3rd and Sixth Ave, New York

Turns out this bar isn't the Fat Black Pussycat after all. No wonder nobody I recognize is here. I thought maybe they were just playing a trick on the new girl. I asked the bartender if there were any other Fat Black Pussycats around here, and he said "That's next door. This is the Town Tavern." Oops. I ordered a drink anyway, since I felt bad about bugging the bartender. The whiskey (Kessler) ginger ale was $6. That's a lot to pay for a drink of shame and pity. I guess this is a sports bar, but there aren't many people in it. Not especially sporty. I don't really care about this bar.

#80 Odessa

2005-02-10T18:44:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, February 2, 2005 11:00 pm
Avenue A and East 7th, New York

(Lizzy) This is supposed to be the best bar for cheap drinks. I guess it is the cheapest drink I've had here, I think. I'd have to go through my records to make sure. Whiskey sour was $4, whiskey soda was $3.50. And they used Jim Beam! (well vodka was Gibley's, though. Too bad).

(Hae Eun) We even dried off the five dollar bill on the counter when the bartender spilled the first Gibley's-- the mother fucker. Guys are cuter in New York.

(Eileen) Gots a "diner" feel, probably because it is a diner as well as a bar. Population here is male heavy, atmospherics akin to 70s veneer-walled schoolbus boat-cabin. Strange. It is relatively quiet (volume-wise) in here, and they are rocking the early 90s Oakey-grunge music tip. The bartender seems to be Australian (?) and has a band-aid on his jugular. Very suspicious. The bartender looks not like a "poor man's Robert Smith" but a very impoverished man's Robert Smith.

(Hae Eun) The decor is trying to be three things at once-- swanky Victorian, 80s reproduction of a 50s diner, and

(Lizzy) Hollywood (because there are movie stars' pictures above the bar). In addition to the celebrities, there are large antiqued landscaped paintings, some rather phallic gourds, and some wooden relierfs of ships and a Roman soldier. And eclectic mix of wall hangings, that's for sure. The ceiling is cottage cheese painted dark red. It looks just like one of those Boston Baked Bean candies.

#79 Iona

2005-02-10T18:37:00.000-08:00

Saturday, January 29, 2005 12:45 am
Grand and Bedford, Brooklyn

(Sen) This is a kind of bar that would be nice to go to after work-- an early evening bar. It seems to be kind of Irish-themed, in some nominal sense, with "ALEANAICH" (somewhat Irish- sounding) written on the wall, and soccer (Irish soccer, no doubt) playing on the telly.

(Lizzy) Whiskey sour was $5. I don't know what kind of whiskey they used, but the service was very prompt. I'd say its theme is more generally European than just Irish-- lots of posters and old photos of Eupopean stuff. You know, that stuff. The music is very eclectic and loud-- too loud for this sort of place, I think. It seems, based on looks, it would be a good place for couples to talk quietly over small candlelit tables. But no way would this music permit that. Outside they have a patio and ping pong, but right now they are under a half foot of snow. In summer it might be nice, though. They have a couple arcade games and a stack of board games. This would be a nice place if not for the blasting music. Maybe it is different on other nights.

#78 free drink hotel

2005-02-10T18:22:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February, 2005 afternoon

the thing is, giving the details of this bar would ruin it. see, they have this happy hour, and the lure of the happy hour is FREE DRINKS . all well drinks are absolutely free. beer too, i take it. i'll say this much: it's a hotel bar. the idea is that the owner of the hotel hosts a nightly "reception" for his guests. but nobody ever makes you prove you're a guest. at least so far. you just have to act like you're from out of town, preferably a businessperson from the midwest, i'd guess. so i won't say the name of it now, but if you ever want to go i'll take you there. and then the secret will be yours. here's what we wrote while we were there (certain details have been edited):

(Lizzy) It is confusing getting here-- many skyways and stairways and turns from the subway station to the hotel... from the lobby you ride the escalator to the second floor atrium, unless they're shooting a commercial. Assuming they're not, you you can go right up to the bar and ask for your drink and you don't have to give them a dime. Except a tip, of course. It lasts from 5:30 to 7:30 every day of the week. Chips, salsa, and pretzel mix are all free too.

(Aimee) And popcorn! The clientele is business-midwestern, but that's to be expected, considering the site. Also, the drinks are weak but their free unlimitedness amply atones for their character.

(Lizzy) Our second round of drinks was stronger. You have to kind of pretend you're staying in this hotel to be here. They don't check up on you though. An older couple next to me ordered their drinks and asked "do you want our room number or anything?" The bartender just laughed and said "Nah, I trust you." Nothing like taking advantage of misguided trust. Especially when there's free alcohol involved.

#77 Capone's

2005-01-17T15:09:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 16, 2005 11:30 pm
North 9th and Roebling, Brooklyn

(Sorry it’s been a while, Pancakes)

(Lizzy, 23) Tonight was opening night so there was open bar from 9-11. Open bar! And boy did that draw the crowds in. This is another one of those bars without a sign in front. Inside it is all neat looking. There are a couple of sunken areas with couches and pillows for small groups of close friends, a balcony for people watching, and a glassed-in deck even higher than the balcony for smoking. The back area has a pool table, photo hunt (50 cents a game on those new machines) and that arcade game Buck Hunter or whatever it’s called. There are some big stained glass windows backlit on the brick walls, and I think there are skylights in the roof. The DJ is playing excellent music, and there is also a jukebox, maybe for less festive occasions.

The only problem I have with this bar, aesthetically, is that there are a lot of bright red lights in the bar area. Not very creative and too intense. Dong (25) said it would be better if they had used the same blue green light that comes from the stained glass, and I agree. The only non-aesthetic problem I have with this bar is that the bartenders are very non-attentive and kind of jerks. Maybe that’s just because it’s probably annoying to have to work free drink night. Still, they could be nicer. The whiskey they used is Barclay’s. I don’t know how much it costs because it was free.

P.S. The whiskey I paid for was $5 but they used Jameson. Not bad. And the bartender called me sweetheart. They’re nicer now that people are paying for drinks.

(Eileen, 24) A poor man’s Larry Lawrence. Rocking the late 90s New Jersey vibe—red lights with traditional bar fixtures. Stylin’!! DJ played Alexander Robotnik’s “Problemes d’Amour.” Excellent.

(Jason, 23) This place reminds me of a set for a Bruce Willis music video in the awesomest way.

(Sen, 26) This would be a good place to live.

(Stephen, 26) The Capone’s is a Prohibition-era neighborhood bar with intricate woodwork and well-dressed Brooklynites. In a way, it represents the second wave of Williamsburg, post backlash. Open bar until 11 pm on Saturdays makes for an offer you can’t refuse. (Editor’s note: I’m not sure if it’s true they do this open bar thing every Saturday, especially because today is Sunday. I could be wrong though.)

#76 World Sausage

2005-01-17T13:59:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 2, 2005 10:30 pm
Market and 14th, San Francisco

(Claire) No ham sandwiches, but lots of sausages. I ate a week old apple and it was still crunchy and delicious. Who doesn't love Fuji apples (organic too)?

(Daniella) The woman at the counter looks like Randy's mom. It warms my little heart. I love and miss Kathy. There is a happy hour from 10-12 pm. The beers are $1 off. I got rooster beer, or Famosa, as it is properly called. Beer costs $3.50. $2.50 because of happy hour. Most sausages cost $5 and are well worth it. Tag has a crush on "Randy's mom." Watch out Randy, watch out Norm.

(Tag) Yeah, watch out Kathy! Yeah! There's a painting of the Earth eating a sausage. Fuck yeah.

(Claire) "Kathy" has a rad accent. I wanna say Portuguese... but I don't know nothing.

#75 Bar

2005-01-17T13:52:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 2, 2005 8:23 pm
Mission and 22nd, San Francisco

(Lizzy) This is the bar on Mission whose sign says BAR. Maybe it is called the Mission Bar, maybe not. The sign is what draws people in. Not tonight, though. There's only one other guy in the bar, watching football with the bartender. That leaves us plenty of booths to choose from. Whiskey= Kessler. Whiskey ginger ale= $3.50. Tastes like all whiskey, not much ginger ale.The bar still has its Chirstmas decor up (lights, some tinsel). I hope they keep it that way year round.

(Claire) There is a giant calculator by the register. Oversize novelty calculator, in fact. I like this bar... it's like a classic Oakland dive bar, in the Mission.

(Tag) I looked for the calculator at Walgreen's. No dice.

(Daniella) Kells is rocking out. I don't think I've ever seen Kells rock. She did air drums and for the record Desperate Housewives is not a new episode.

#74 Home Turf Sports Bar

2004-12-29T13:48:00.000-08:00

Thursday, December 16, 2004 7:45 pm
LAX, Los Angeles, California

An accidental layover at LAX means another bloody mary. This one is signifigantly tastier than the ISP one. Taller glass with more vodka. And instead of just bloody mary mix, they also added worcestershire, tabasco, lime, and a celery stick. Unfortunately, quality is costly- $9.19. At this point I'm too tired to care much.

This bar sticks closer to the theme (sports) than the Long Island bar (Ireland) did. A Kings-Lakers game just started on the wall-sized TV. And every table is painted with the helmet of a different football team. I picked the 49ers, since the Raiders table was uncomfortable close to another gentleman's table. They also have some jerseys and helmets in glass cases. If I were a bigger sports fan I would go see whose they are but as it is I'll just enjoy my drink. All $9.19 worth.

[Okay, in the interest of science (and since I have some time on my hands):
helmet, jersey, and football of Jones, Rams #75
helmet, jersey, and football of Young, 49ers #8]

#73 Maggie O'Shea's Bar and Grill

2004-12-29T13:40:00.000-08:00

Thursday, December 16, 2004 2:15 pm
Long Island Airport, Ronkonkoma, New York

The bartenders all have teased hair and a lot of makeup. The one who made my drink is named Durleen. She served a lot of suited businessmen before me, but I probably would have done the same. The suits look like better tippers. My bloody mary was $5.98 and was made with Alexi vodka and bloody mary mix. That's the problem with that bloody mary bar in San Francsico-- it spoils you. This bloody mary can't compare. With enough Tabasco, though, this drink is drinkable.

This bar has an Irish pub theme, weakly. This wing of the airport just opened six weeks ago, so maybe the bar is still getting settled in. The airport is all shiny and glassy and weirdly empty. It sucks because it is a pain in the butt to get to. You have to take the subway to Penn Station, a train to Ronkonkoma, and a taxi (or a pitying older couple's car) to the airport. A long way to go for a sub-par bloody mary. The trip wasn't as bad as I'd expeced, but I still don't recommend it. If you're already at this airport, though, then Maggie O'Shea's is not a bad place for a drink (it may be the only place for a drink. Small airport).

#72 Barcade

2004-11-29T17:31:00.000-08:00

Saturday, November 27, 2004 11:30 pm
388 Union (at Ainslie), Brooklyn, New York

(Lizzy) The catchy name is the most appealing thing about this bar. It's clever, see, cause this is both a bar and an arcade. There are about two dozen arcade games around the room, plus a change machine. And a blackboard with a list of high scores. As an arcade, it might be okay. As a bar, I'm not too impressed. Whiskey ginger was made with Ten High and cost $6. This town is going to bleed me dry. They have a pool table and an outdoor area with a developing bottlecap mural. The music is loud but fine. I've heard two songs from Zoolander so far.

GAMES

Commando

Arkanoid

Cosmic Avenger

OutRun

Stargate

Ms. PacMan

Galaga

Tetris

Frogger

Rolling Thunder

Donkey Kong, Jr.

Phoenix

Tapper

Crystal Castles

Axxon

Berserk

Road Blasters

Rampage

Gauntlet

Moon Patrol

Super Mario Brothers

Donkey Kong

DigDug

Asteroids

Tempest

OffRoad

1943 The Battle of Midway

There are far more people here than there are games for them to play. The crowd is maybe half hipster-dorky, half regular-dorky. It's really warm in here, which may be good when it snows. This place is kind of overstimulating. I don't know if one could spend a whole night here without having a seizure. I think it's a good idea for a bar, but I don't know how well it's working out.

(Aimee) Yes, I agree with Lizzy almost completely. I am into the crowd-- very Oakland and non-threatening. The drinks are too expensive for me and the bathroom is not in the right place, but on a Monday night during happy hour, I think it would be pretty awesome. Also: They have original Super Mario Brothers.

#63 B Royal Oak

2004-11-29T17:24:00.000-08:00

Friday, November 19, 2004 11:00 pm
Union and North 11th, Brooklyn, New York

A few more notes about Royal Oak (which has been verified as the name) :

The house whiskey is Jack Daniels, but costs $6.
The wallpaper has a velvet pattern on it, like the wallpaper in the Port Costa hotel. There are big leather booths in the main barroom.
The beer taps were designed just for this bar by the guy who made Celebrity Death Match, who is a friend of the owner.
They have a special tonight: a beer and a shot of anythign for $5. But the beer and the shot are both tiny.

#71 Pete's Candy Store

2004-11-18T08:02:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, November17, 2004 7:30 pm
709 Lorimer at Frost, Brooklyn

(Lizzy) This is a beautiful bar. It used to be a real candy store back in the day. It kind of has an old-timey feel, but not in a forced hokey way. It's just old, that's all. The walls and architecture are as beautiful as Eileen said they would be. There is a back room that feels to me like a converted old train car. A luxurious one. The bartenders are genial and the crowd is enthusiastic.

(Aimee) The walls in the bathroom were painted tin with the paint scraped off... cool! We did trivia and were 13th of 14th place. Wah. We sure wish Sen-the-trivia-nerd had been there. Pete's has free BBQ in the summer and all sorts of hipster and non-hipster activities like spelling bees, scrabble, and bingo all throughout the week. It is Aimee Fountain's fave W'burg bar! But drinks could be cheaper... a nice cider and rum for winter.

(Lizzy) They have a sign advertising hot cider and rum, and it looks so tempting but it costs $7. We'll have to learn to make it ourselves. Whiskey ginger is $4, which could be a lot worse. They used Imperial whiskey the first time and Old Crow the next. And the ginger ale tasted unusually good... maybe a bit spicier than usual. Or gingerier.

Pub quiz here was significantly more difficult than it used to be at Mad Dog in the Fog. It's true what they say; New York is a tough town. For the music round, we had to identify the songs when they were played backwards! And the picture round wasn't pictures of celebrities, it was satellite photos of famous landmarks. It turned out to be our best round (although they didn't give us credit for Disney World when we said Disneyland. Anti-west bias, I'd say). At least we didn't come in very last place. Now we have plenty of room for improvement.

I can see how Pete's Candy Store could easily be a favorite bar. It's cozy and they have Christmas lights around the windows and in the backyard patio. The colored kind, too, which is a bolder statement than the ordinary white ones. Yeah, I'd say so far I think this is my favorite bar yet (at least until I'm hungry, and then the Alligator Lounge wins).

#70 The Alligator Lounge

2004-11-16T08:58:00.000-08:00

Monday, November 15, 2004 9:15 pm
600 Metropolitan (between Leonard and Lorimer), Brooklyn

(Lizzy) The Alligator Lounge might be the best place yet. Buy a drink, get a free pizza. From 6pm to 3:30 am. As many times as you want.

One drink= One free pizza

That wouldn't be such a good deal if drinks were super expensive, but a whiskey ginger ale is $5. You could live off this place.

(Sen) This place is much better than the Baggott Inn. And it's more comfortable than Union Pool (plus no dickhead bouncer).

Notice especially the tile floors, which actually look like the tile floors on the interior of a pizzeria.

I wonder what all the local neighborhood pizzerias think of this place? I wonder how long this place will stay open?

(Lizzy) The decor is kind of under-the-sea-attacked-by-an-alligator. The walls are blue, there's lots of plantlife, and a few mauled mannequins are hanging on the wall. There's a pool table and there's photo hunt. Could this bar be any better?

It's no skimpy pan pizza, either. A full 12 inches in diameter. Cooked in a brick oven. And there's spices and cheese and chili flakes on every table. A lot of people must question the free pizza deal. I don't blame them. The bartenders all have shirts that say "yes, the f***king pizza is free," and there are signs with similar messages througjout the bar.

There's a back room with tiki island decor (no bloody mannequins) and its own jukebox. The first jukebox played mostly hard rock and funk. This one seems more Alice-y, but maybe that's the fault of the guy who picked the music.

They are sponsoring a mustache-growing contest here. It's for charity. For the kids. They have buttons and everything.

All in all, this is my new favorite watering hole east of the Rockies, at least when I'm hungry. $5 for dinner and a drink. Wow.

#69 Supreme Trading

2004-11-15T20:20:00.000-08:00

Saturday, November 13, 2004 2:00 am
Brooklyn, New York

This bar makes everything else tonight seem worth it, I like it so much. It's a bit crowded, but after that last bar it doesn't seem nearly as bad, and sometimes a crowd is okay. People here are a lot less pushy and are having a lot more fun. The DJ is playing good music and thre is more room to dance. There's also a pool table and a smoking patio. There's a private room that feels like a glorified janitor's closet, but it is still kind of exciting to go through a door marked "private." The bartenders here are the best yet, all drunk and friendly. Whiskey ginger cost $6, but they used Jameson and filled a tall glass glass almost full before they added a splash of ginger ale. A subsequent drink was entirely full of whiskey and only cost $5 because I am from Sacramento and the bartender is from Fresno. I don't think those two places are all that similar, but if it will save me a dollar, I'll go with it. Yes, I do like this bar.

#68 Good World

2004-11-15T20:17:00.000-08:00

Saturday, November 13, 2004 11:50 pm
3 Orchard Street at Canal Street, New York

I have nothing against this bar, but it is hellishly crowded. Yes, hellishly. It takes about twenty minutes to squeeze your way from the front to the back of the bar. And nobody looks very happy because they are either pushing or being pushed. There is a DJ and people trying to dance with no space in which to bust a move. But they try anyway, and I like that. Drinks are $5. There's a patio out back for smoking. If this place was 1/3 as crowded, I might like it. They played good dancing music, I'll say that.

#67 Delancey

2004-11-15T20:12:00.000-08:00

Saturday, November 13, 2004 11:30 pm
168 Delancey, near the Williamsburg Bridge, New York

When you go in you walk through a long empty red room. Then you're spit into a crowded and noisy bar. You can pay $6 to go hear bands downstairs. Upstairs is free. Lots of younguns but nobody is dancing. That's all unimportant, though. The important part is this: a plain old coke cost $3. A coke! A small one, too. When I expressed shock and asked "well how much would it be with whiskey in it?", the bartender said "oh, $7 or $8." So nothing else really matters. They did have a fireplace though.

PS there was a man with an infant inside. An infant!

#66 Sixes and Eights

2004-11-15T19:59:00.000-08:00

Saturday, November 13, 2004 10:36 pm
205 Chrystie, New York

(Lizzy) This place is not to my liking. Smoking is allowed downstairs. Whiskey ginger is $5 and of acceptable strength. Upstairs looks like a ballroom and is fancy and cavernous. Downstairs is a blacklit lounge. There are six slot machines with the trays full of tokens so you can play to your heart's content. The tokens are worthless, but it's good practice, I guess.

The most noticeable feature of this bar is the bouncers. There are bouncers EVERYWHERE. Even in the bathroom, where the bouncer squirted soap into Eileen's hands. Weird. I guess this place might be good for dancing, if you're into it. Most people here are friends of Dong's, so I don't know what a typical crowd is like. Maybe late 20s and in suits. I feel slightly underdressed. All the bouncers make it impossible to drink from a flask or small concealed beer can. Damn.

(Rafie) This place, how you say? Oh yes-- BLOWS. Dumb crowd, sentries everywhere including the bathroom stalls, reserved tables, blacklights but no ecstasy. WTF. But there are slot machines...?!?

(Steven C.) I like the carpet and the squishy walls but the black lights sort of make everyone look a little uglier. And do they really need a mean looking bouncer spoiling the mood? Overall, 5/10.

(Lizzy) I'd say 1/10. The 1 is for the tokens in the slot machines. Eileen says it is a police state in here. And it's true. The bouncer's watchful eye is everywhere. One bouncer made people put out their cigarettes, even though the bartender said it was okay to smoke downstairs. And the bathroom attendant made Cathy wash her hands even though she didn't even use the bathroom. This is ludicrous.

(Eileen) This would be a good place for people who never did anything wrong.

#65 Union Pool

2004-11-15T19:55:00.000-08:00

Friday, November 12, 2004 1:00 am
Union and Skillman, Brooklyn

We were only here long enough to take pictures. A longer review will follow when more thorough scientific research has been conducted.

Some notes: Very very crowed. All hip young kids and one leering older man.

Most importantly: the photobooth (black and white). Only three pictures for three dollars. The strips are wider than usual, though, so the pictures are larger, so it isn't such a bad deal. It's still a photobooth, after all.

#64 The Subway

2004-11-15T17:38:00.000-08:00

(Lizzy) I guess this is a kind of average bar. Not that distinctive from others. I guess the one distinctive feature is that it isn't especially crowded but it is especially convenient to the subway. The subway entrance is jut outside the bar.

(Cathy) It's a good repose from the masses! Far from the maddening crowd!
$2 PBR!!!

#63 Royal Oak?

2004-11-15T17:28:00.000-08:00

Friday, November 12, #004 11:00 pm
Bedford and North 11th, Brooklyn

This bar is weird. It doesn't have any signs with the name on it. But I think it is called the Royal Oak. Or maybe just Royal Oak. It seems that is a trend out East, not putting signs on your bar.

Once you get past the name thing, this is a good place. It feels like a fancy house where someone removed all the furniture and put in a bar and a dance floor. A bit speakeasyish. Maybe that's the aesthetic they're going for. There are lots of anti-drinking and smoking posters around, but they're obviously more art than warning, because people are paying them no heed. Lots of people are dancing. Apparently in New York you have to have a cabaret license for people to dance in your bar, so unlicensed bars have to put up "no dancing" signs. This bar got shut down a little while back because people were dancing without a license. Now they have it, though, so you can once again dance freely. If dancing isn't your thing, there are lots of places to sit, including a little square room lined with black booths.

I don't know how much drinks cost because I didn't need any at the time. I'll report on price and quality later. The bar is full of young stylish hipsters, which I guess is what you could expect for a bar with no sign. You gotta be in the know about these sorts of things.

#62 The Brooklyn Brewery

2004-11-15T17:13:00.000-08:00

Friday, November 12, 2004 8:45 pm
North 11th and Wythe, Brooklyn

Everyone tells me they make excellent beer here, and I'll believe them. Instead of using money, you buy tokens: one for $3 or two for $5. That way you feel like you're using play money so you can buy all the beer you want. It's a good price for beer, though, I guess. And the beer was actually good, especially the Oktoberfest one. Even if you don't like beer too much. The room is big and cavernous and full of tables with lots of happy groups of people. And it's warm and dry in here. There's photos and art on the walls. And big vats. Sure feels like you're in a brewery. There are little kids playing on bags of hops in the front room. Looks fun. So I guess this is a good place to go if you like beer, or if you're trying to learn how.

#61 The Baggot Inn

2004-11-15T16:56:00.001-08:00

Thursday, November 11, 2004 7:18 pm
West 3rd and Sullivan, New York

(Lizzy) It's kind of publike in here but you can get liquor too. There is a bar and a slightly sunken room with a stage and tables. Right now a guy is playing guitar. Later there will be a debate sponsored by L magazine. That's why we're here. It happens the second thursday of the month. They have pub quiz on Tuesday nights. Fridays they have an All Country Music Party. I wish Pancakes was here to enjoy it. Because few others will.
Whiskey ginger was made with a whiskey that starts with the letter B and cost $4.50. I don't know if that's good or bad for New York yet. Busweiser cost $4 and I know that's bad anywhere. They have beer specials for cheaper though. The crowd is our age or a little older and a little more professional. Most people are in groups and seem happy.

(Sen) This bar is less crowded than I expected-- but then, I wasn't expecting it to be a bar, (necessarily). I would bet that most of the people here right now are regular patrons; either they work or live somewhere around here.
If I had to assign a theme to this place, I would guess it's Irish/British pub, recalling a time before electricity and helicopters.
No one here seems that crazy or dangerous, which I have to say is a little disappointing. For this particular "Caustic" event, I was expecting more of the lunatic fringe. But it's cool.
Other notes: close captioned MTV playing on the TV; bottle of Budweiser is 50 cents less than a well drink; the sound board guy has dreadlocks, and he introduced the evening as the second Thursday of the next four years. "The leader loves you!", he said, which I think was an allusion to the Simpsons.

(Lizzy) Tonight's debate:

HANUKKAH vs. CHRISTMAS

result: tie.

nobody knew the answer to the tiebreaking question:

what does the word "Hanukkah" mean?

#69 Amtrak

2004-11-15T16:51:00.000-08:00

Sunday, November 7, 2004 1:15 pm
Coast to Coast

This isn't a bar, obviously, but the lounge car serves beer, wine, and cocktails. Beer is $3.50-$4.50, wine is $10 for a small bottle (2-3 glasses), and mixed drinks are $5. They pour one of those mini bottles into a plastic cup with ice, and fill the rest with mixer. That way I guess they make sure everyone's drink is the same strength. And they can be sure the bartender isn't enjoying any beverages on the sly. People say you get drunk faster at higher altitudes, but I'd say that varies from person to person.

#59 The Expansion Bar

2004-11-15T16:42:00.000-08:00

Friday, October 29, 2004 11:45 pm
Church and Market, sort of, San Francisco

(Lizzy) Whiskey ginger- $3! Unheard of for SF. But good and strong and the bartender is okay. The music is very loud and the jukebox is hard to work with, says Andre. But it could be worse. Everything is decorated with spiderwebs and stuffed dead dummies. Tis the season. If they get this gung ho for every holiday, this could be quite a bar. There are two pinball tables and a pool table and photo hunt. All in all I like this place. I would even if they didn't dress up for the holidays.

(Moey) Jack and coke is $4. Cheaper than I'm used to but it might be because of where I live or it might just be that I'm going to the wrong bars in San Diego. The music is really loud for the size of the place-- hard to hear anyone who's not right next to you. The bartender isn't really friendly but I haven't had to wait for her to notice me, which is how it always is in SD, whichever bar I'm at. I like it. (even if I had to walk ten miles to get here).

#58 The Rickshaw Stop

2004-10-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

Friday, October 22, 2004 11:50 pm
155 Fell, San Francisco

(Yea-Ming) The outside is always much better.
This was told to me by Nick P. two months ago but I didn't believe it till tonight.

Smoking and socializing and running into people you're not supposed to-- always a pleasure!
I'm outtie!!!

(Lizzy) Every other Friday is Club ID for dancing. It costs $6 to get in. Drinks cost $5-$6, depending on the niceness of the bartender. $5?!?! why go in?

#57 Ace in the Hole

2004-10-26T19:04:00.002-07:00

Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Highway 116 and Graton Road, Sebastopol

This is where Ace Cider is born. You can buy Ace Cider in just about any market. Fred's, for example. But this is the freshest you'll ever taste it. Who knows how long it's been on the shelf at Fred's?

They have all the varieties of cider on tap. Apple, pear, honey, berry... maybe even more. Cider costs $3.75 a pint. A far better deal is to buy yourself an empty jug for $12. That's a lot for an empty jug, but then they'll fill it for you, over and over and over, for $8 a fill. That's an incredible deal. You can go back week after week to refill your jug. You can even have two or three jugs at a time, if you drink that much cider.

As for the bar itself, it has a nice homey feel to it. There is a pool table and a fireplace and an apple tree painted on the wall. Behind the bar there is a window through which you can see the big tanks of cider, to remind you that you are indeed at a brewery (ciderery?). There's also a patio outside with picnic tables and heat lamps. It smells good here. Like redwoods. And apples, I guess. Sebastopol is big on apples so it's a good place to have a cider factory. And a cider factory is a good place to have a glass of cider. Or a jug.

#56 Heinold's First and Last Chance

2004-10-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 9, 2004 4:40 pm
Jack London Square, Oakland

He who drinks and drinks with grace,

is always welcome in this place.

He who drinks more than his share,

is never welcome anywhere.

That's one of the signs on the outside of the bar. There are many other signs and plaques on the outside proclaiming its place in history. This was world renowned author and adventurer Jack London's favorite watering hole, you see, and he needed a lot of watering. "Jack London's Rendezvous," it says in neon. Here is where he met many seafaring and portworking characters who he later immortalized in his adventure novels, to quote one historical marker. So there you have it.

The main feature of this bar, other than its historical and literary significance, is the slanted floor. There is a steep decline from the door to the back of the bar. If you were to pass out on your way to the door you would roll right back in again. If the bar surface were any smoother your drink would slide straight down to the person on your left. Good thing it's kind of rough. Margaritas cost $4.50. The bar is very small and personal. You better be in a mood to talk to the bartender because he's right there next to you. At least he's friendly.

The bar is FULL of good things to look at. Hanging from the ceiling are lanterns, military hats, dried blowfish, and best of all, wooden ships. Also on the ceiling are a bunch of thumbtacked business cards and dollar bills. They look like they've been though a fire, and I wouldn't be surprised if they had. This building has been here since the 1890s, so a lot has happened since. Including the 1906 earthquake, which is how it got its slant. It makes you feel like a seafarer, drinking in here. Or at very least a port worker.

Note: This bar is where my dad spent his 21st birthday.

Fact: From the top of Mount Diablo, you can see more square miles than you can from any other peak in the world except Kilimanjaro.

#55 Amber

2004-10-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 3, 2004 11:28 pm
14th and Market, San Francisco

(this is a long one so be prepared)

(Lizzy) Smoking is allowed in this bar. That's one of it's big selling points. It has mostly red lighting, contrary to the Amber name. Well drinks are $4-- whiskey is Early Times. If you don't want a well drink there are a lot of specialty mixed drinks advertised by signs behind the bar, for $7 to $8 each. The crowd is kind of urban-er than us, and kind of gayer. The furniture is from the 70s, and I am sitting next to a large 70s TV console showing a 70s shootout on a 70s roller rink. There is little other entertainment here besides the crowd and the smoking.

(D) warning... shameless plug ahead

(Claire) The decor- color scheme and furniture- is remarkably similar to the lovely and stylish 2655 Van Ness. Also, San Francisco needs a roller rink with bands-- I say this because there's a movie on with a scene of roller rink debauchery.

(Daniella) word... word... all I can think of is the movie that's on. Everyone has amazing hair. There seems to be a gang of girls who just kicked a guy in the nards. He also had amazing hair. Their leader is a girl with one eye; well, she's wearing a patch. Earlier there was a shootout in a roller rink. Yes it's just that time. What is this girl gang fighting for? They're totally hard core. Now they're at an underground shooting range. Love? A revolution? Some sort of vendetta? Heather wants to write.
p.s. the movie is Switchblade Sisters.

(Heather) The ventilation is excellent, so the smoke is not at all oppressive, and it's a little on the chilly side, but not uncomfortably so. The grapefruit juice for my gin and grapefruit is hella good (but second to the g-juice at Bruno's). The TV is in a retro entertainment center. One of the chicks has a silver eyepatch. My crush-about-town is not here. But the crowd is limited enough that we found seats for seven people around a table. Smoking indoors! And three Ramones songs. Bartender was tall and cute and called me "love."
p.s. exsessive ventilation making my contacts a little dry-- one-eyed pirate! (I keep having to close one eye)
Y, Heather

(Tag) This place is all right.
Honestly, I never imagined people thought of me as such a fag. I feel sad of it.
Purple credits? WTF? Never seen anything like it. Must be cuz this is a queer bar. Notice how I draw my z's. Notice how sick smoke is. New York? Great? Who knows. Sigh. Glad Hae Eun moved to the city. Hope more people do.
Poo. Poo.

(Daniella) P.S. I would kill for a cig.

references to retro furniture: three
references to roller rink: three
references to eyepatch: two
references to cigarettes and smoke: four

#54 Pete's Place

2004-10-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

I can't find my notes for this one because my notebook broke. I'll find them though. Pete's Place is in San Diego anyway, so it's not like it matters much for now. Nice place, though, and Moey's roommate is the bartender.

#53 Top Of The Mark

2004-09-23T23:08:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, September 22, 2004 5:15 pm
Nob Hill, San Francisco

This is the fanciest bar I have ever been to, I think. At least in recent years. It was so fancy I felt goofy writing in a notebook, so I jotted brief notes and will fill in the rest now. Here is what I copied down from the menu:
Through war and peace, good times and bad, the Top of the Mark, with its spectacular views of the ever-changing San Francisco cityscape, has become an integral part of San Francisco's rich and colorful history as well as a part of the poignant memories of many local San Franciscans and visitors from all over the world. The Top is much more than a lounge-- it's a landmark, a tradition, a venue for a truly San Franciscan experience.
The flowery language seems to lend itself to italics.
It is closed between 2:30 and 5 pm. The elevator won't even take you there between those hours. The recommended attire is smart casual, enforced after 8 pm. I got that from the menu too.

The cheapest whiskies they offer here are Knob Creek and Maker's Mark, each at $8.50. The specialty, though, is martinis. They offer 100 kinds of martinis, no substitutions please. All martinis are $10. It's okay to drink a $10 drink when your mom is paying for it. I had a Jackie O, which contained Fris vodka, Apricot Brandy, Grenadine, and Pineapple juice. It was like a little taste of heaven. My mom had a strawberry daquiri. All the surroundings are very opulent and classy. And of course the bar has a spectacular view and attentive waiters and lush carpeting. Also very tall stools and tables. If I were independently wealthy I would come here every day for my afternoon cocktail and each day I would try a new martini. It would take me 100 days, and after that I don't know what I would do. Maybe pick a new skylounge to patronize. This would always be my favorite, though.

#52 Elixir

2004-09-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

Sunday, September 19, 2004 2:30 pm
16th and Guerrero, San Francisco

(Lizzy) This is the land of deals. Today's might be the best. On Sunday afternoons, they have a make-your-own-Bloody-Mary bar, and if you bring a receipt from a nearby eatery proving you brunched there, you get half off the price of your bloody mary. So for $3 you get a pint glass 2/3 full of vodka, and a whole array of hot sauces, spices, peppers, and juices to make it taste however you want. It is crazy. There are other deal nights-- $2 fernet Mondays, guest bartenders on Wednesdays, free tastings on Thursdays, a $3 happy hour from 3-8 on weekdays. There is also a beer club where for $75 you can get a mug of beer every day for six months and a hook on the wall where you keep your mug. This bloody mary, though, is pretty unbeatable. It's a nice afternoon place-- big windows, mild mannered crowd, friendly bartender. They have nice lamps, too. A whiskey ginger ale was $4 with Old Crow. About 3/4 whiskey. Good ratios here.

(Daniella) My bloody mary is more of a meal and less of a drink. It's swamp fire. I put almost every hot sauce in my drink. I put peppers and horseradish. There was white pepper, so many different salts, lemon juice, olive juice... all in all i pretty much have hot sauce in a glass. My stomach burns. But boy is it good.

(Tag) I did as D did last time I was here. Drink was near solid. That's all.

#51 Wilde Oscars

2004-09-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

Monday, September 13, 2004 12:15 am
15th and Folsom, San Francisco

(Oscar Wilde) There is one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.
It's an odd thing, but everyone who disappears is said to be in San Francisco. It must be a delightful city and possess all the attractions of the next world.
If one could only teach the English how to talk and the Irish how to listen, society here would be quite civilized.

(Bar Wall) We at Oscar Fingal O'Flahtertie Wills Wilde's thank you for stopping by and drinking us dry.

(Lizzy) British-pub-type -place. But it also has mixed drinks. There are lots of carefully lettered quotes on the wall. Also Oscar Wilde's bibliography. Whiskey: Barton's reserve. Tastes kind of spicy. That may be the ginger ale, though. The music is funny but seems appropriate for Tag. The drinks came in perfectly smooth cylindrical glasses. I thought they were beautiful enough, and then it turns out they have gold Playboy logos on them. Wow. They only have three of those glasses here and the bartender gave them to us because the other glasses were too tiny, he said. We were the only people in this bar; now there is one other patron.

(Daniella) Locarita rocks! It's $6 not $4.

(Tag) First of all-- I am not being mean. I am being totally sweet, as I am apt to be. Second of all, this is the closest bar to my house, and it's always empty. I loved that so much. There are things I miss about Oakland, and one of them is crappy empty lovely bars. So all I'm saying is that I am glad to have such a cozy place so close to my house.

(Daniella) I'll say I love Wilde Oscars. Love love love! But then again I just love Oscar Wilde. And sweet horrible Bosie.

#50 Rite Spot Cafe

2004-09-15T21:36:00.000-07:00

Monday, September 13, 2004 11:05pm
17th and Folsom, San Francisco

(Lizzy) Seems like a dive bar with a touch of class. There are a lot of tables, each with a white tablecloth and a Jesus candle. Apparently there is a kitchen but it is closed. The special tonight, though, was ravioli with red bell pepper cream sauce and salad for $9.95. A whiskey ginger ale was $3.50 with Kessler, I think. Strong, too. The walls are red and have art on them. The walls to and in the bathroom are lined with napkin art behind glass. A folk band played tonight and then there was some country music. People in here are a little older than us and a little more established and a little more bohemian. But in a well-to-do way. The walls are red. I'd say this place is fine but you probably wouldn't come here without a reason.

(Daniella) It has a little bit of the same aura as Oakland's Cafe Von Kleef. But less yuppie. And it's kinda romantic. Must be all the candles. Classy aesthetic with a touch of ghetto.