Day 229—Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Holland Cocktail Lounge
Okay, last night sucked ass, so hopefully tonight will be better. I don’t want to have two loser nights in a row, so tonight I’m picking a ringer. Commentator Al Rizo has never steered me wrong on quality, dark, New York, old school bars. Last week he suggested Milano’s which was a winner I went to the other night and he also recommended The Holland Cocktail Lounge. I walked by this bar the other night and it looked perfect. It’s small, dark and has been on the block forever, so let’s prepare to rebound from last night’s disaster.
The signs make it clear: You're at a bar when you enter the Holland Cocktail Lounge.
Okay, now this feels like home! Another great suggestion from Al.
Bartender Steve is a friendly and hospitable host, but he's got a bat, so I behaved myself in this joint.
John was enjoying a drink at the bar and didn't know how to spell "culottes." I happily spelled it out for him and he was somewhat frightened of my obsession on the subject, as he rightfully should have been.
After the spelling lesson, Steve took this photo of me with the wonderful Holland sign blazing in the background.
And speaking of the sign, here it is in all its glory. It's the original sign from when the Holland bar was located in the Holland Welfare Hotel on 42nd Street. The bar was originally opened in 1927.
Another shot of the glorious sign with Steve underneath. Steve has been a bartender in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood for over 22 years.
Interesting picutres, art and newspaper clippings decorate the walls within the Holland Cocktail Lounge.
Here's some of the news clippings.
Any place that has a picture of Eddie Munster on the wall is A-OK in my book.
The ashes of former bartender and regular Charlie O'Connor are in this urn that rests in the Holland signage.
Here's Steve with a Daily News article about Charlie's ashes in the bar. Cheers to Charlie!
Here's regulars Don and Bill at the bar with John.
Don had a list of notable bars to visit he had copied from a book. I've been to most of them, but will check out the one's I've missed in the future.
A shot of Marilyn Monroe hangs next to the bathroom.
A shot of the bar from the far end of the back of the place.
The cash register is a vintage beauty.
The table up in the front is a great spot to have a drink or five and enjoy the people watching on Ninth Avenue.
And a final glance out the window and I'm on my way home. Goodnight, everybody!
Review
The wonderfully tacky orange banners that hang over the building say it all in beautiful bold capital letters: BAR. That’s what the Holiday Cocktail Lounge is, a bar. Nothing more and certainly nothing less. The bar was originally housed in the Holland Welfare Hotel on 42nd Street and moved to this location in 1988. Jazz musician Dexter Gordon lived in the Holland Hotel and was known to amble into the bar in his pajamas and drink his breakfast. These days the older regulars shuffle in at 8am and watch movies on the TV while sipping their am drinks. The original Holiday neon sign hangs gloriously over the small, shotgun spaced bar and select news clippings and artwork decorate the walls. There’s friendly bartenders and groups of regulars change with every passing hour.
The Holland Cocktail Loune has a full bar the drinking is cheap here. It’s a beer and a shot place so don’t expect any fancy cocktail offerings. There’s no food, but there is a 2 Brothers pizza joint on the corner and you’re welcome to bring in a dollar slice to sop up some of the suds. It’s the perfect bar food for this historical Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood joint. Cheers!
Holland Cocktail Lounge
532 Ninth Ave. (Near 39th St.)
212-502-4609