Saturday, March 13th, 2010—Bar 62

Day 62—Friday, March 12th
Vol de Nuit

Another day and more donations! I really want to thank everyone who’s been able to send in some cash to help fund this bar crawl. It’s expensive here in New York and this really helps out!

Robin Maillo from Tampa, Florida sent in twenty bucks and she says she wants me to hoist a few for her. Consider them hoisted Robin and thanks!

Total amount: $20.00 USD
Purpose: I want Marty to hoist a few for me
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Shawmir Naeem sent in 20 bucks and he lives right here in New York! Thanks Shawmir and if you want to join me at some point on the bar crawl, let me know and I’ll buy you a beer back!

Total amount: $20.00 USD
Purpose: No reason other than I admire the idea
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Chris Curen from Brooklyn sent in 20 dollars. Thanks a lot Chris and like Shawmir, if you’d like to join me on the crawl, just let me know.

Total amount: $20.00 USD
Contributor: Chris Curen
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And last and certainly not least, Sticky Steve the Vulgar Vaudevillian, the Dynamite Daredevil of Depravity from last night’s burlesque show, Tits and Giggles Burlesque Presents: Hell's Kitchen Hotties at Port 41 sent over five bucks. He actually contributed more as he comped me to the show. Thanks Sticky Steve, I appreciate it and look forward to covering more shows!

Total amount: $5.00 USD
Purpose: Thanks for coming to our show at the Port 41 Marty here's a drink on me! - Sticky Steve
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Alright on to tonight’s bar of the evening. I’ve had a crazy week and just feel like chilling out, which might be tough to do on a Friday night in a bar in New York City, but I got a list of suggestions from Kenneth Tso and one of them looks like a nice place that might night be too crazy on a Friday night. It’s called, Vol de Nuit and it’s a Belgian bar on Fourth St. I love Belgian beer and from what I’ve seen online it looks like the spot to go to. So let’s get in a Belgium frame of mind and...”Ga!” (Check your online translators for Dutch.)

It would be easy to walk past this place on 4th St. and I'm sure I have. Thanks to Kenneth Tso for pointing it out.

Chris and Anandi were outside having a cigarette. Check out the video of Anandi at the end of this crawl.

Inside the red lit Belgium-themed hideaway.

I accidentally took a shot of the bar without a flash and it turned out kind of cool. Talk about a red light district!

I snared a seat at the crowded bar and bartender Patrick poured me a bottle of De Dolle.

Seated next to me at the bar were Nabil and Chris.

The candle-lit front room was packed with people enjoying the intmate settings.

Here's Stephen, Joe, Mike and Pat. Cheers, guys!

Patrick pointed showed me the book that the bar is named after. Vol de Nuit translates into Night Flight. I'm old enough to remember that show from the U.S.A. Network.

Luke and Megan were seated at the corner of the communal table opposite the bar and were encouraging about the 365 site idea.

These two were nice, but they were a little shy and didn't want their photos taken, so I took a back shot.

Nicole and Kevin were enjoying drinks at a candle-lit table.

Redrum!

Roheil serves up the biggest bottle of Duvel I have ever seen!

Woo hoo, cheers everyone!

Here's Sham who owns the joint pouring a beer.

Sham and I enjoying a drink at the bar.

Sam and Scott were enjoying beers and fries at the bar.

Luke who's back! It's Luke and his friend Patrick. Patrick had already seen this site, which was cool.

Michael brings up a pot of mussels and fries from the kitchen.

And a parting shot from the communal table. Cheers and goodnight everybody!

Here's Anandi who you met at the beginning of the crawl. Anandi's a photographer and  she explains what she's doing in New York City.

Review

Vol de Nuit is a hidden treasure on W. 4th St. If you’re lucky enough to see the tiny sign, you’ll walk down a covered trail/front patio to a unique Belgian beer lounge. Inside the brick walls, suspended red lights and cozy settings make you feel like you’ve left New York and entered a decadent European hideaway bar. There’s a small bar in the back, candle-lit tables in the front and a large communal table opposite the bar where people gather to drink Belgium beer, eat mussels and frittes and get to know each other. Definitely a nice place for singles and a nice bar for a date as well, which is a rare dichotomy.

Vol de Nuit has the largest selection of Belgian beers in the city and offers comfortable surroundings in which to sample them. They have 13 drafts and 25 bottles on the menu. The drafts include, Leffe Blond, Hoegaarden, Lindemans Framboise and Delirium Tremens (I thought that’s what happens when you quit drinking.) A few of the bottled beers to be had are: Farmhouse Ale, La Chouffe, Grand Reserve, Framboise and Kwak (which is wack!)

To soak up the Belgium beer, mussels and fries are available for the ordering and they have thirteen homemade sauces to dunk the fries in including, ailoli garlic, curry, bourbon, dijon gold and for the less adventurous, ketchup can also be had.

Vol de Nuit
148 W. 4th St. (near 6th Ave.)
212-982-3388

Friday, March 12th, 2010—Bar 61

Day 61—Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Port 41

Ding ding ding! The donation bell has gone off again!

Gavin Bone sent me ten bucks all the way from Australia!

Total amount: $10.00 USD
Contributor: Gavin Bone

Thanks Gavin and g’day mate!

Secondly my old pal Bobby “Bub” Coletta gathered some people together for a group donation. Read about them here:

Total amount: $36.00 USD
Purpose: 6 Beers from the Bergan High School 78ers
Contributor: Robert Coletta
Message: Hey Marty-- 6 of us 1978 graduates (me, Pete Coyle, Tom Madigan, John Coker, Steve DeBruyn and Randi Hunzeker [actually Randi only went to Bergan for 1 month and then got thrown out, but who is counting] thought we would help out the cause and each buy you a beer. We figured $6 a beer ought to get youi a decent in the big apple. Keep up the good work! Bobby C and the 78ers from Peoria.

Thanks guys, I’ll buy back when I go to Peoria in April!

And last, but certainly not least, my old friend and half-brother sent this generous donation in:

Total amount: $25.00 USD
Purpose: Beer and Cigarettes
Contributor: James Borho
Message: Here is some venture capital. Please put it to good use. Also, buy your bro a birthday drink tonight. Looking forward to 365 Playing In Peoria. Vern "Iguanaman" Damico

Thanks, Jim! The first drink will be for you, my brother Jim and our crazy-ass memories!

I also want to thank some websites that have written about 365 Bars, click on these links to check it out: The BarBEERians, 365 Bars in France—thanks to 365 Commentator Zioum Zioum the Chainsaw for putting that up, New York Bar Stool Sports and Five Hour Lunch. Thanks for the linkage, everyone!

Alright, on with the crawl! Photographer Jason Kuffer clued me into an event he was shooting at a bar called Port 41, it’s a burlesque show in the bar. Booze and burlesque, I like the sound of that. Then I went online and read that the bartenders wear bikini’s! What are waiting for, let’s go!

Port 41 is on the west side near the Port Authority Bus Station.

Hello! It's not officially a bikini top, but it'll do! No wonder a small crowd of guys has gathered at this end of the bar.

Here's Jason, the photographer who clued me in on tonight's happening. Check out his portfolio here: Jason on Filckr.

Bartender Jen with her friend Jack Daniels.

Charlie is the manager and was kind enough to let me take pictures inside.

This group made the most of the 365 Bar card. From the center to the right, it's: Jackie, Steve, Julian, Kenny, Nicole and Yuki. Cheers to you all!

Eleni and Sevon were seated at the bar, enjoying the friendly vibe of Port 41.

Jen put on an impromtu show by walking around the bar with a Coors bottle on her head and then doing push-ups without spilling a drop!

Here I am with Celia Next Time, a performer with the Burlesque show, Tits and Giggles Burlesque Presents: Hell's Kitchen Hotties who were putting on a show in the back room.

And speaking of the show, let's go to the back room and check it out!

The room is filling up and getting antsy for showtime.

And here's Sticky Steve, the Vulgar Vaudeviliian, the Dynamite Daredevil of Depravity, the M.C. and leader of the Tits and Giggles Burlesque Presents: Hell's Kitchen Hotties. On with the show!

Here's Misty Mounds, uptight business woman.

But as the music starts, she throws down her paper work and loosens up a bit.

Okay, she's loosened up a lot!

I need to get an application for where she works!

And now it's Sizzle Dizzle, an alluring Tiki dancer.

Her name suits her, she is sizzling!

She's back!

Holy moley, it's getting warm in here!

M.C. Sticky Steve takes a break on a bed of nails.

And Celia Next Time takes a break on top of Steve and the bed of nails!

Next up was comedian and singer, Princess Sunshine. She's hilarious and you can check out her website here: Princess Sunshine.

Here she is performing her song, "Man Whore."

The crowd was in stitches. Uh, oh, check out the electric eyeballs on that guy in the back!

Celia Next Time passes the tip bucket around the crowd.

Next up was Lefty Lucy, a frustrated housewife.

But she decides to shed the housewife clothes and get a little more comfortable.

Okay, she's pretty much out of housewife mode!

And the twirling pasties prove it! Great show Tits and Giggles Revue!

Misty Mounds onstage dancing (and again, if the video doesn't play, switch your browser or click on it a bunch of times.)

The hilarous Princess Sunshine singing her original song, "Man Whore."

And a lovely ending from the bodacious dancer, Sizzle Dizzle. Goodnight everybody!

Review

Located near the Port Authority Bus Station west of Times Square, Port 41 is a hidden gem of a bar. It looks small from the outside but looks can be deceiving. Once you enter you’ll see the main room has brick walls, a nice long wooden bar and tables opposite for ample seating. And speaking of ample, the friendly and attractive bartenders wear short-shorts and bikini tops. Need I say more?

There’s free popcorn, a full bar with cheap drinks and affordable pitchers of beer to be had. Port 41 is loaded with character and with characters as well. It’s got an old school attitude and the emphasis here is on fun. When I was there, Jen the bikini clad bartender decided to put on a show by walking through the bar with a Coors beer bottle balanced on her head and then proceeded to do pushups and never did the bottle slip. It’s equal parts improv and saloon in here.

In addtion to the fun and antics in the front room, there’s a huge back room with a pool table. Special events are held here, like the Tits and Giggles Burlesque Presents: Hell's Kitchen Hotties show I saw. Port 41, fun, booze and bikini’s. Who could ask for anything more?

Port 41
355 W. 41st St. (@ 9th Ave.)
212-947-1188

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