Thursday, March 11th, 2010—Bar 60

Day 60—Wednesday, March 11th, 2010
No Idea

First off, thanks again to the NY Daily News and Simone Weichselbaum for the great story yesterday! Also thanks to Billy Dennis at Peoria Pundit and Billy Gray at Gust of a Guest for spreading the word. It's also gone international, check out this story from Globo.com in Brazil and from the Daily Telegraph in Australia. I got a lot of hits and I hope the people who have just discovered the site enjoy it and come back often. And I also want to thank Susan Weiser (I wonder if she’s any relation to Bud?) who generously donated twenty dollars to the 365 site, here’s her Paypal donation receipt:

Total amount: $20.00 USD
Currency: U.S. Dollars
Purpose: To buy Marty a beer, I'm pregnant and I can't drink, so I live vicariously through his website. LOL
Contributor: Susan Weiser

Ha ha ha! Let me know when you’re unpregnant Susan and I’ll buy you a beer. Thanks so much!

And I heard from an old high school chum of mine who also donated:

Total amount: $25.00 USD
Purpose: Hey Marty - Enjoy a beer on me - Cathleen McNamee Paul. Maybe Ernie and I will come to New York and join you!
Contributor: Cathleen Paul

Thanks Cathy! I hope you and Ernie come back here soon, we’ll go back to Chat ‘N’ Chew!

And a donation from Australia!

Total amount: $10.00 USD
Purpose: Great concept - Challenge to do it around Australia
Contributor: Michael Farquhar

Thanks Michael, it’s cool you found the 365 site all the way from Australia!

Okay, I have No Idea where we’re going tonight and I mean that literally. I found a bar in the Flatiron area called, No Idea. Their website is hilarious, they claim that both the book, "Last of the Mohicans" and Chastity Bono were conceived at the bar. They bill themselves as, “No Idea—Where Everybody Know’s You’re Lame.” They refuse to serve the drink, Sex on the Beach, but highly condone socks on the beach. Okay, if the bar is as fun as the website it should be a blast.

I forgot to take a photo of the outside of the joint, so I took this from their website. It's more festive than one I could've done anyway!

It's long and skinny in here. And loud, the music is blaring!

The bartender kindly asked not to have her picture taken, so we took this hand shot. Insert your own happy ending joke here.

The name of the night was Jordan. The bartender told me a male and a female Jordan stopped in to collect there alcoholic winnings.

Pat and Cindy were seated next to me at the bar. Cheers!

Some of the beers on tap at No Idea.

Ron was hanging out at the end of the bar enjoying the evening.

Looks like it's always Halloween in here. Trick or booze!

My one suggestion to No Idea: Ditch the Calfornication coasters. I don't like seeing a TV commercial everytime I lift my beer.

Here's Steve and Beth at the end of the bar. Steve's a fellow transplanted mid-westerner like myself. He's originally from St. Louis.

Seconds later Beth posed with her friend Amy.

The specialty drink at No Idea is vodka and apple juice...

So I ordered one. I asked the bartender if she was an aspiring hand model and she laughed, but she has a lovely hand, doesn't she?

Here's Kurt and Ana who were enjoying the festive vibe in the bar.

There's a pool table in the back room.

And I have a Guinness for a nightcap which leads to the traditional wearin' of the Guinness. Goodnight everybody!

Review

No Idea is a small, long and skinny bar with two back rooms, a touch of kitsch and a unique nightly gimmick. They play the name game here and if they pick your chosen name (you have to prove it with a legal I.D.) you get to drink for free for five wonderful hours. And the odds are, since they post the month of names on their website, you’ll be drinking with other people named with your name. George Thorogood should take not though, if you like to drink alone, you won’t be a winner, even if your name is picked. One of the rules is you must bring friends with you and they have to pay for their drinks.

One of the things in the laid back bar that’s not a gimmick or a game is good, cheap booze and plenty of it. When it comes to drinking, they don’t fuck around here. They have 16-ounce mixed drinks that go for as little as six bucks a glass. There’s nine different beers on tap and you can get a pint starting at four bucks and topping out at six bucks for the more exotic brands. Some of the drafts on tap include, Blue Point Toasted, Hoegaarden, Magic Hat #9 and their own No Idea Ale. Bottled beers will cost four bucks and a few slip into the five dollar range. They also have cans of Colt 45 and Schafer’s available.

There’s no food served at No Idea, but they have a pile of menus from nearby and patrons are encouraged to order in. And at No Idea they want you to know the following” “Our bartenders have smooth faces. The shavings are passed on to you.” (rimshot)

No Idea
30 East 20th St. (between Broadway & Park Ave. South)
212-777-0100