Wednesday, August 25th, 2010—Bar 227
Day 227—Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
Milano's Bar
Okay, tonight I’m off to a legendary New York City bar, Milano’s. It’s been in the back of my mind to go here since the beginning and 365 commentator Al Rizo, suggested it to me in an email last week and so now it’s time to go. It’s been on the block since 1880 (with a brief dry-spell during prohibition) and it is about as old-school as you can get. In fact, it’s so old school I wonder if they’ll let me do my 365 thing in there. But we’ll never know until we go, so it’s onwards and upwards...well, downwards because we’re going downtown...whatever. Let’s just get the fuck over there.
Okay, here we are, lots of neon in the window and look, an ATM for Joey D. in the background!
This is truly a dark bar. I tried a flashless photo and it turned out to be a black square.
Bartender Nicki was shy, so Alex jumped in and posed for the obligatory bartender shot. (Note: If you do want to see Nicki in person, she's opening her own bar with a partner in October in Brooklyn. It's going to be called MikNic Lounge and of course I'll be there. Check out their facebook page here: MikNic Lounge.
You could spend weeks just looking at all the vintage photos on the walls in this place.
There's lots of sports photos and art. Here's the '78 Yankess.
More photos from the walls.
A giant Coke button looms next to some original art on the walls.
JFK and a Frank Sinatra button hang below a picture of Humphrey Bogart.
And speaking of Frank, there's a Frank Sinatra bass drum hanging up behind the bar. Cheers to you, Blue Eyes!
A Daily News spread of the Mets in 1986 when they were the champs.
The bar at Milano's.
Pamela was seated next to me and pulls a face for the 365 camera.
Roger was in town from the West Coast. He doesn't live here, but his business brings him here often enough to make him a regular at Milano's.
And of course this place has a lovely, weathered tin ceiling.
A copy of the original food menu hangs on the wall.
Chips and pretzels are the only food available at the bar these days, but it's a nice varied selection.
There's well-worn tables and chairs in the back of the tavern.
People come in and sign this Irish flag.
When sports aren't playing, silent movies are screened on the TV's making you feel like you're drinking in another era.
Upon returning home I realized I fogot to get a shot of myself in the bar, so here's a homemade obligatory bathroom shot. Goodnight, everybody!
Review
Milano’s has been a fixture on this block since 1880. The cliental changes from the early morning shift of 8am boozers to the lunch crowd to the happy hour business people to the late niight shift. If you want to sample New York’s drinking community in almost all of its entirety, spend a day in this joint. The bar is long and narrow and dark. Vintage pictures are plastered all over, collage style and you could while away the night just perusing them. When sports aren’t playing on the old-school TV’s they show silent movies in the bar. This is a friendly joint where even if they don’t know your name, you’re treated like a regular.
They have a full bar, but I wouldn’t suggest ordering a Cosmopolitan or Mojito in this joint. Beer, stiff drinks and shots are what you’ll find on the counter of the well-worn, dark wooden bar. The only food here is pretzels and chips in bags behind the bar, but I’m sure they’re not opposed to you bringing in a slice from a nearby pizzeria or something from a nearby food truck. Happy hour runs from Monday to Friday, 4pm to 7pm with two buck Budweisers and a dollar off drinks.
And if you wake up early with a case of the shakes from last night’s booze-fueled shenanigan’s, they open the doors here at 8am sharp six days of the week. Sunday’s you have to wait till noon but they’re open open till 4:30am every single night...errr...morning of the week.
Milano's Bar
51 E. Houston St. (Between Mulberry & Mott St.)
212-226-8844
10 References
Reader Comments (25)
I want a Milano cookie right now!
oh and nice bar
Wow,,,,Marty! what a great bar and thank you for going there. Milano's will not change and man is that a great thing. Silent movies? beautiful,,,,,,perfect,,,,,,Sinatra on the wall, Grace Kelly on the Irish Flag,,,,Ron Guidry,,,,how about that old TV, hell with flat screens, right? Great, Great bar,,,my kind of place,,,thanks Marty.
I want a Fritos and beer cookie right now. And now I know just the place to get it! Milano's is classic and I love all those photos on the walls. Don't people know that bars are SUPPOSED to have every square inch of their wallspace covered? Anyhoo, in addition to all the wall art, this place has nicely colored neon, sweet tin ceilings, a smattering of Christmas lights, and well-worn platforms to perch my goddam beer on. What more could I ask for? Plus, above Joey D.'s ATM, I see a sign for Juice Bar and that can mean only one thing: boobies! I rest my case.
Ahh, the look of a scarred wooden bar. That "lived-in" look. Love it! And I love a bar that shows silent B&W movies AND sports at the same time...
Oh by the way,,,,is that Errol Flynn on the tube? how fitting for a real bar to have a real boozer up there.
Was that Grace Kelly's signature I saw at the bottom of that Italian Flag? Another crawl stop worthy of the history channel Marty! History class was never like this in high school, though as I remember there were a couple of guys in my old class that successfully smuggled in some hooch in a thermos from time to time...
@Jaws: It says, "Grace Kelly" but I doubt it was THE Grace Kelly that signed it. Although you never know, that's the beauty of this place!
@Al: I think it is Errol Flynn up there. It's a perfect picture for this joint!
What a classic NYC bar! Bet it's a cell-phone free place too. That Frank Sinatra drum is too cool for school! Great stop on the crawl!
@Al: I'm sure that's Errol Flynn, it makes me think of the movie, "My Favorite Year."
Silent movies!! soooooooo cool !!! I like to make voices on it !!!
But I hate this kind of doll hanging out near to the frank sinatra bass drum photo ! yurk!
Pamela rocks! yeah!
Cheeers!
seems like all the really cool bars [and or most of the best bars on the crawl] have all had the weathered tin ceiling!
@Meleah: The tin ceiling always marks the spot of a great bar!
@marty, yep you'll have to put this one on the list for when i get there, my sorta pub....great job!
@clacky, sad but proud day at work yesterday, we released Danny back into a reserve that should be safe.... he was ready to get back into it, just hope he will be ok...& to make him more of a show pony there was some French film crew doing a docco who came with us & filmed it all....they'll be doing a segment on Danny.....god luv him, he even got the hot French journo chick to take me for a drink when we were finished, she had some extra q/s on koalas & Australian habitat....lol!...;-))
I'm lost for words , too busy at work & getting to old to think up something !! or maybe I am just Hungry .
@Fitzy: Right on Dawg! When are you heading to NY?
@365: Put this place on the same mantle as Mars bar and that old place you went to in Peoria that was just someones shed (Mike's bar??)
What an amazing place. This place will most certainly go on our itinerary. It seems to sum up and justify our wanting to visit the Big Ap. From the neon signage to the faded '78 Yankees poster and the Frank Sinatra bass drum, this place has it all.....oh and I forgot..$2 Budweiser. I don't mind King Bud.
Thanks for a brilliant post.
Now get out there and find us another!!
p.s...the shaking has stopped. I'll start drinking again tonight.
thanks for kudos
meant for the gidget
weeks gone bye
no less for
tiki jhwang all
give us more
haiku-ka-choo...KOC
rr
@Fitzy: Glad you enjoyed it and nice work with the French filmer!
@Tim Clack: Glad to hear you're back on the booze bus! Cheers, mate!
@rafinrr: Ha ha! Love the haiku, you're a poet and I...well...you know the rest.
damn...just trying to kept alive "99"...see motherfuucker...you know what the spellchecker does not recognize motherfucker...and the misspelling of ragin is not unnoticed...trying to bring back "fiishwrap" with a reference to a "fin"...poet i doubt...just reread that thing...darth vader rod...KOC
rr
This place looks fucking awesome! Lou Piniella was on that 78 Yankees team, I think I see him in that picture. I also love how it looks like they haven't dusted since the Carter administration! Great pick Marty, if I ever make it to Noo Yawk this place is definitely on the list!
a great report! You are performing a much needed service!
@365: ha ha ha I do what I can... Down here the "Booze bus" is the what we call the police Random Breath Testing set ups to bust people for drink driving.
@marty, onya mate!....& who knows we might have dinner next week when she gets back from the Territory...she is sooo sweet & actually has a brain for a journo (very hard to find normally)......i actually "like" her!!!!
Frank looks like he's sitting next to a gorilla ?
@ Fitzy : she has a brain
for a journobecause she's French ! HAHAHA!@ JHwang: Stop complaining that you're getting old or I go to buy a wheel chair for your birthday!! haha!! Com'ooooon! Get the fuck outta here honey!! you get no wrinkles in your face and people ask your ID when you go to buy booze AND you fucking complain?? Cheeesus hole! That guy must be a half puertorican motherfucker half chinese ching chang chong born american and who wants to be now a french fries...!