Monday, October 11th, 2010—Bar 274

Day 274—Sunday, October 10th, 2010
Boca Chica
Okay, it’s Sunday and that can mean only one thing: Sunday Night Dinner! Tonight I picked a Latin American restaurant called Boca Chica. I was introduced to this place by my friend, LN Sugarman, who I think doesn’t even read this blog, even though I’m going to give her business a plugola right here: SugarMag Publisher Services. I haven’t talked to LN in quite a while, but years ago she had a business dinner here and was kind enough to invite me along. The food is great and its got a nice little bar too, so that’s tonight’s destination.

And we have a guest special guest star tonight, the one and only Sam Gedyman! An actual blood relative of mine. Sam’s my cousin (actually my cousin MaryAnn’s son, so I guess he’s my second cousin, I think...now I’m confused...hi MaryAnn!) and is a talented actor, singer, songwriter, comedy writer, dog-walker and a prince among men and those pretending to be men. He and his partner in comedy crime, Nat Angrick have fromed a comedic duo called Tieam Us and you should check out their videos on YouTube and you can follow them on Twitter, here’s the linkage: Tieam Us on YouTube  and you can follow Tieam Us on Twitter. Okay, on to the bar!

Boca Chica, a colorful and festive fixture on the Lower East Side.

I think I see a familiar fellow at the bar.

Bartender Ivan serves up a beer...

And yes, that familiar face is my cousin, Sam Gedyman. Cheers!

As you can see, it's a full bar and they make a killer margarita as you'll see later.

Limen was enjoying some of the fine food at the bar.

And suddenly...fruit!

Tables line the front wall with a fine view of First Avenue.

A leopard skin banquette sits in the back of the restaurant.

Nightly specials are posted on the mirror above the banquette.

Some of the Latin American kitsch and kaboodle on the wall above the bar.

These lovely women were enjoying cocktails and awaiting their dinner. From left: Andaria, Jessica, Sakinah and Sheba.

A little Grateful Dead art for Joey D.

A view from the front windows.

Meanwhile back at the bar, Sam and Ivan are checking out the menu.

First up, coconut shrimp appetizer.

And then the main course.

I had the Cuban Sandwich and Sam had...well, I'm not sure what Sam had, but it was a giant plate of food. And it was delicious!

And for desert, the killer margaritas. Be forewarned these things are tequila bombs! Goodnight, everybody!

Review
Boca Chica has been a favorite Latin American Restaurant and bar on the Lower East side for close to fifteen years now. The restaurant has a relaxing, low-key vibe with brick walls and festive colors. The bar is cozy and the staff are friendly. The cliental is mainly local folks from the neighborhood and regulars at the bar.

There’s no draft beer but they do have a full bar with a decent selection of bottled beers. Some of the signature drinks include house Sangria, Margaritas and Mojitos. If you like shrimp, this is your dream restaurant, there’s eight different shrimp dishes on the menu including: Shrimp, Avocado and Heart Of Palm Salad; Shrimp Chipotle; Shrimp Ajillo and Moqueca De Peixe shrimp and fish in coconut sauce. Other entrees featured are: Skirt Steak Chimichurri; Cuban Sandwich; Burrito Cubano and an Argentina Chopped Steak Sandwich with chimichurri mayo.

Brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4pm.

Boca Chica
13 First Ave. (@ 1st. St.)
212-473-0108

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"Misery and Gin," a place I may be at the end of the week. Thanks to Tim Clack for bringing this song up. Cheers!

Sunday, October 10th, 2010—Bar 273

Day 273—Saturday, October 9th, 2010
Circa Tabac (Originally headed for The Broome Street Bar)
Okay, it’s Cheeseburger Saturday Night and through a Google search I found a bar that sounds like it has a great bacon cheeseburger. The bar is The Broome Street Bar and it looks like a classic, old-school joint that’s been on the block since the ‘70s. Let’s go check it out, I’m jonesing for a cheeseburger!

Here we are at the Broome Street Bar, smack-dab in the middle of Soho.

Uh, oh, looks like a lot of other people had the same idea. There's not a seat at the bar. Time to improvise.

Luckily, I remembered another bar that I've been meaning to go to and it's just a couple blocks away. In fact through the magic of the internet, here are at Circa Tabac. And what does that say? Smoking Lounge?

Yes, that's right, smoking is permitted in here. Translation: Fuck you Mayor Bloomberg!

It's nice and dark inside and plenty of seats at the bar. I think we've found tonight's destination.

And as friendly bartender Damil serves up an ice cold bottle of Red Stripe, I know we've found tonight's destination!

Something I haven't seen in quite a while, an ashtray in a bar.

And there's a tree of cigarettes at the bar.

Usually I just have one or two cigarettes before I go to sleep, but what the hell. When in Rome, light up or leave me alone.

Here's a full shot of the bar.

The draft beers available.

There's a large candle-lit lounge behind the bar.

Rows of wooden, candle-lit tables line the walls. Each has its own ash tray of course.

Large bay windows give a nice view of the street outside.

A reserved banquette in the dark corner of the bar.

Cigarette art hangs on the wall above the banquette.

A classic shot of Humphrey Bogart and his ever-present cigarette.

Another view of the front bar.

And it's dinner time! Jennifer, the beautiful waitress on duty serves up a chicken sandwich with a lovely smile.

They didn't have a cheeseburger on the menu, but this chicken sandwich was just as good. The chicken is parmesan encrusted and served on a croissant with melted mozzarella cheese and a chipotle mayonnaise. I also got an order of onion rings. Delicious!

Burp.

There is one place you can't smoke in Circa Tabac, the bathroom. Which can only lead to...

The almost-forgotten, obligatory bathroom shot! Goodnight, everybody!

Review
Circa Tabac is one of the last places you can enjoy a cocktail and a cigarette in New York City. Since they sold tobacco products, they’ve been able to escape the smoking ban in bars. And if you don’t smoke, don’t worry, the air purifiers make sure that the place isn’t a den of second-hand smoke. The bar is dark and lit by dim chandeliers and candle light. The crowd is a mix of neighborhood locals and tourists amazed at seeing ash trays on every table and people using them. The music is eclectic and ranges from jazz, to hip hop, funk, pop and rock, played at a conversational level.

There’s a nice selection of bottled and draft beers, but this place is more of a cocktail bar. Some of the house cocktails include the signature Circa Tabac Cocktail which is Cognac, Grand-Marnier, Honey and Lemon Juice; a French Martini, Passion Fruit Caipirissima and a Chocolate Kiss which mixes Godiva Liqueur, Vodka, Creme de Cacao and it’s topped with a Hershey Kiss. There’s also a food menu, featuring small plates such as: pigs in a blanket, a mini rack of lamb, crab cakes and a chicken sandwich.

And there’s a large variety of cigarettes and cigars to be had here as well. Smoke if you got ‘em!

Circa Tabac
32 Watts St. (Near Sixth Ave.)
212-941-1781

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Bonus Story by Nick Tosches

Acclaimed New York writer Nick Tosches is a regular at Circa Tabac. He's the guy on the far right in this portrait that hangs in the front of the bar Here’s  what he wrote about the bar.

The Last Bar
By Nick Tosches

I know the dirty secret of why and how the no-smoking con went down. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that there’s still a joint—Circa Tabac—where I can go, set myself down, order a drink and light up. One last breath in this dying hick-town mall that used to be Manhattan. A real Bar, with real ashtrays and real people. I used to call it the last bar in New York. Now that London and even Paris have folded, I call it the last bar, period. And that’s what it is: a bar that is as bars once were, and as bars should be. The last of them. See you there, baby, see you there.

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Bonus Cartoon by Jaws

Jaws just sent me this hilarious smoking ban cartoon. Check it out!

Saturday, October 9th, 2010—Bar 272

Day 272—Friday, October 8th, 2010
Salsa y Salsa
Okay, it’s Friday night and as usual I’m burned out from a week of bar crawling and work has been a little stressful this week. There’s a Mexican restaurant called Salsa y Salsa on 7th Avenue that’s on my way home. It’s got a little colorful little bar inside and there’s usually a seat because most people come for dinner and are seated at the tables. I’ve been saving this for a night that I could stop in on my way home and then it’s just a quick walk home. Well, I think tonight this is going to be the stop. And I’m craving a Michelada, so let’s go check it out. ¡Y salimos!

It's a nice night out, so we'll walk down 7th Avenue. It's just about eight blocks away.

And baboom, here we is! And I think I spy seats at the bar. Areeba!

Some of the specials of the evening, but I've eaten and crave a Michelada, so it's off to the bar we go.

Inside the bar and restaurant it's colorful with fun Mexican flourishes. And there's a seat at the bar!

Chelsie is a regular and jumped behind the bar to help bartender Rubens serve up my Michelada. Chelsie is one of the hosts of the online TV show, Body Shots. Check it out here: Body Shots TV. It's a show devoted to booze and hosted by beautiful women like Chelsie, count me in as a regular viewer.

And here I am with my Michelada. Cheers to you all and especially Tiki Bar Susie who turned me on to the drink! Salud!

The bottles behind the bar.

The bar is small and informal and gives you the feeling of drinking in someone's basement.

Here's Tony who ordered a fresh bottle of Corona.

Tables and chairs line the walls and lead to...

The outside patio area that overlooks Seventh Ave.

Sparkly lights dangle overhead in the back dining area.

Here's Carolina with a big and beautiful smile. You'd smile to if you had a pile of dough like that in front of you! Mucho dinero!

Here's Chelsie and Juan chilling out at a table near the bar.

And speaking of the bar, I went back and tried a margarita. It was delicious.

A lone sombrero hangs on the colorful wall behind the bar.

And the bar itself is illuminated by this grand and glorious chandelier.

For my last cocktail of the evening, Rubens suggested a Brazilian drink called a caipirinha. Rubens is Brazilian, so I took his word for it and ordered one. Here he is preparing it.

And here's the finished product. Rubens warned me that it's a strong drink and really packs a punch!

I drank it and kept a lookout for the Oompa-Loompa men that Jaws has warned me about. ¡Buonas noches, todos!

Review
Salsa y Salsa is a nice and laid back place to have a genuine Mexican siesta. Comfortable banquette-styled booth seats line both walls and there’s tables in the center. The walls are blue with flowers and lights dangle from the ceiling with a red chandelier illuminating the small bar area. The bartenders and waitstaff are fun, friendly and quick with a suggestion about a drink or a choice from the menu. There’s an outside patio for dining and drinking when weather permits.

The bar may be small but it serves quality drinks. They have a good selection of bottled beers, several styles of margaritas including a cactus pear margarita and pomegranate mojitos. I can highly recommend the caipirinha, especially if bartender Rubens is mixing the drinks, it’s his specialty. Just be ready to have someone help you out the door if you have more than one though, they pack a punch! There’s a daily happy hour at the bar that runs from 4pm to 7pm with daily drink specials.

The food is authentic Mexican. There’s a full lunch menu and some of the dinner entrees include: Flautas de Pato—rolled tortilla with salsa duck served with roasted chipotle tomato salsa and guacamole; Panucho de Cochinita—slow cooked spiced pork with black beans, pickled yucatan onion on soft tortilla; Ceviche de Mariscos—seafood ceviche with mango, avocado, olives, capers in sweet & spicy habanero lime broth atop tequila and Taquitos Rancheros—salsa chicken filled in corn tortilla. served with roasted tomato sauce.

Salsa y Salsa
206 Seventh Ave. (@22nd St.)
212-929-2678

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Today would've been John Lennon's 70th birthday. So in tribute, I'm putting up my favorite John Lennon song, "Whatever Gets You Through The Night." This song could also be the theme for this bar crawl! Take it away, Johnny!