Tuesday, December 14th, 2010—Bar 338

Day 338—Monday, December 13th, 2010
P.J. Carney's
I’ve been meaning to go to P.J. Carney’s for some time now. It’s a bar that’s been around since 1927 and it’s within spitting distance of Carnegie Hall. So how do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice? No silly rabbit, subway, subway, subway!

The first snow here in New York. Fuck.

And here at the subway stop my luck continues to run afoul. It's empty which means I just missed a train. Double fuck.

And five minutes later it's starting to fill up, but still no train.

Finally!

And through the magic of the internet you're spared a ride that included a seven minute wait in Times Square while sitting next to a 309 pound man that smelled like curry that had gone bad last century.

Nice and dark in here and a decent crowd for a Monday night. Time to find a seat at the bar.

And no sooner do I settle in than the friendly and beautiful bartender, Susie serves up an ice-cold beer.

Festive holiday lights hang from the wooden walls.

A shot of the circular bar from where I was seated.

Glasses and lights hang overhead the bar.

Some of the drafts available at the bar.

Tables and chairs line the walls opposite the bar.

A Christmas wreath hangs in the window.

All the artwork in P.J. Carney's is by local artist, Robert Cenedella. If you're a longtime reader of this blog, you'll remember we ran into Robert's art at the Nancy Whiskey Pub. Things really move in a circular motion on this bar crawl.

John was seated next to me at the bar. He's in town on business from San Antonio, Texas.

Meghan was the other pretty bartender on duty and she was nice enough to buy me a shot. And John was nice enough to take the shot of the shots. And speaking of things moving in a circular motion on the old bar crawl, I met Meghan's boyfriend, Rufus, the other week at The Watering Hole.

These people have gone for a "puff." Is there some wacky tobacky action going on here? I'll never tell.

These two just walked in, let's go say hi.

It's Jennifer and Anna. Does it get any cuter than this? No, and that's my cue to leave on a high note.

And how do you get home from Carnegie Hall and/or P.J. Carney's? Taxi, taxi, taxi. Goodnight, everybody!

Review
P.J. Carney’s has been an institution on this block since 1927. Inside the dark bar is a circular dark wooden bar in the center with tables and chairs on the perimeter. The cliental is a mix of locals and tourists who have just caught a show at the nearby Carnegie Hall and sometimes the entertainers from the show stop by as well. The bar has a nice and lively atmosphere and the bartenders are quick with a drink and friendly to all.

The bar itself is circular and cozy and plentiful with drinks. There’s eight bottled beers to be had and an impressive amount of twenty drafts including: Boddington’s, Blue Moon Belgian Ale, Brooklyn Lager and in a tip of the hat to my hometown of Peoria, Illinois and Frank Booth, Pabst Blue Ribbon. There’s also a decent wine and whiskey list and five varieties of cocktails. The kitchen is open till two in the morning and in addition to such standards as burgers, wings and sandwiches, they also offer these specialities: Shepherd’s Pie; Beer Battered Fish and Chips; Irish Chicken Curry over rice and Beef Chili in a tortilla bowl with cheddar cheese, onions and sour cream.

P.J. Carney's
906 Seventh Ave. (Near 57th St.)
212-664-0056