Friday, October 1st, 2010—Bar 264

Day 264—Thursday, September 30th, 2010
The Emerald Inn
I got an email from Al Rizo, 365 commentator and co-pilot down in Miami and he suggested I check out the Emerald Inn on the Upper West Side. I checked it out online and it looks like a classic, old-school, family-owned joint. Every bar Al has picked (and there’s been quite a few), has been a stone-cold winner. So it’s off to the Upper West Side to see if he can keep his suggesting streak going!

Here we are, looks like a nice, no-frills joint.

The dinner specials for the evening are propped up on this sign at the front door.

There's a nice, neighborhood vibe that hits you as soon as you walk into the pub.

I found a seat at the end of the bar and John the hospitable and friendly bartender cracks open a bottle of Bud.

I'm flashing the "Boris" designed 365 jersey.

A shot of the well-stocked bar.

Over the bottles hangs a picture of a customer from days and nights gone by.

There's booths with red-checkered tablecloths opposite the bar.

Paola and Randy were seated next to me at the bar. Randy is the CEO of Reactor Media and Paola is looking for an art teacher's job in New Jersey. Any principals out there?

The nightly dinner menu.

A shot from the far end of the bar.

Some of the drafts available at the bar.

And the bottled beers hang over the cash register at the bar.

A framed article from the New York Times about the neighborhood bar.

Corrine, Jen and Jennifer were seated at this nook in the back and asked me to be part of the picture, so bartender John stepped in and here we are.

Empty glasses line the bar. If only they could talk!

A tree may grow in Brooklyn, but a bush is sprouted in this bottle of Jameson's above the bar at the Emerald Inn.

And here's an overhead shot where I've made camp at the bar. The beer's empty, the notebook is full and I've got just enough money for a cab ride home. Goodnight, everybody!

Review
The Emerald Inn lives up to its name. It’s a real gem on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. In a part of town where frat bars, chain stores and shiny places pop up and sometimes close just as quickly, it’s refreshing to see The Emerald Inn standing tall as it has for over six decades. It’s family owned and three generations of Campbell’s have all done duty behind the bar. The patrons are almost all local neighbors and there’s a friendly vibe in the place that extends to first-timers entering the neighborhood local for the first time. The age-old wooden bar and red-checked tablecloth booths and tables to the side and in the front add to the old-school ambience of the place.

The bar is fully-stocked and open till 4am every night of the week. They also have a kitchen with Irish staples such as fish and chips, corned beef and cabbage and bangers and mash. There’s also nightly specials such as, baked lasagna, beef stroganoff and noodles and their burger is rumored to be one of the best on the Upper West Side.

The Emerald Inn alomst lost its lease two years ago. You can read the story here. Stop by and spend a few bucks in here to insure this gem of a pub stays open. New York needs more places like this to stay open and preserve its character.
 
The Emerald Inn
205 Columbus Ave. (near 69th St.)
212-874-8840

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Bonus Photos

Claire, who came here all the way from Australia with her boyfriend Mick took some photos from last Sunday at the Pig and Whistle and The Rum House and she sent them to me last night. And so here’s Claire’s pictures. Claire and Mich are in Munich, Germany right now enjoying the Oktoberfest there. She said she’d send photos of that, so stay tuned!

Claire and I at the Pig and Whistle. I have money!

Here's me being a jerk-off in front of the Rum House.

Bartender Fransisco and I looking in opposite directions of the soon to be closed bar.

To the Rum House! Thanks for the photos Claire!

Thursday, Sept. 30th, 2010—Bar 263

Day 263—Wednesday, September 29th, 2010
Rare Bar & Grill (In the Fashion 26 Hotel)
Okay, summer’s over so I thought I’d go to one last rooftop bar while the weather is still permitting. There’s a bar that’s only four blocks away called Rare Bar and Grill that I walk by all the time and its got a rooftop bar. I’ve been saving it for a night when I’m feeling a little beat and to quote Neil Young, “Tonght’s the Night.” (And there’s a video at the end of this for our own Al Rizo, a big Neil Young fan.) So let’s go check it out, we’ll be there before you know it.

Told ya so, told ya so, here we are. And the roof top bar is open, but first let's have a drink at the ground floor bar.

It's nice, dark and cozy in here, let's belly up to the bar.

And friendly barkeep Rangu has a nice bottle of beer ready to serve up.

And it's a Newcastle Brown Ale, a lovely find.

Here's the bar in all its lit-up glory.

But the main attraction here is the rooftop bar and Rasheed, who works security is on hand to steer me towards it.

Naima pushes the buttons that leads up to the bar...

And here I am with the manager of the place, the lovely Michelle. Nice view!

Here's the wooden bar and two busy fellows behind it.

The bartender is Aaron Schwartz who is also an actor. He played Dave Karp in the Disney film The Mighty Ducks, was a recurring character in The Adventures of Pete and Pete and is currently the doorman Vanya on the popular series, Gossip Girl. Aaron's got an important audition today which I won't jinx, but he said he'll keep in touch and let us know if he got it. Keep your fingers and eyes crossed and you may be seeing Aaron on the big screen soon.

The view up here is stunning, as you can see.

There's wooden tables opposite the bar.

And there's a lounge area in the back. Let's see who these people are.

It's Wenda, Andres and Juan, enjoying the rooftop atmosphere.

DJ Sensation Sounds was spinning tunes.

Another great view of the Manhattan skyline.

Here's a shot of the wooden bar.

There's another lounge area at the other end of the bar, lit up with candles and moonlight.

A parting shot of The Empire State Building through the latticework. Goodnight, everybody!

Review
At Rare Bar & Grill there’s a fine bar on the ground floor that’s dark and cozy. There’s even tables and little nooks in the walls with chairs to sit at. But if I were you I’d hightail it up to the rooftop bar that’s open 365 days of the year. That’s right, a rooftop bar open in every season of the sun. Someone cue up Terry Jacks. And the rooftop bar is one of the best in town. It’s all wooden with comfy lounge spots and has some of the best views of the Manhattan skyline you’re going to find.

The bar at the hotel is a full bar with a good seleciton of draft and bottled beers indluding: Blue Moon, Sam Adams, Duvel and New Castle Brown Ale. There’s also a decent wine list and specialty cocktails available.

There’s 10 varieties of hamburgers that you can order from the bar including: The Mexican which is topped with spiced black brean spread, guacamole and chipotle puree; The M&M Burger that’s flambeed in whiskey and topped with carmelized shallots, cheddar cheese and apple smoked bacon and The Original “Louis Lunch” Burger which is topped off with grilled onion and a schmear of cheddar cheese and served on white toast. Dinner entrees include a Cowboy Ribeye Steak, a Mexican Skirt Steak and a Grilled Tuna Steak.

My only question is this: If the owners somehow become psychic, will this place be renamed The Medium Rare Bar & Grill? (rimshot) Thanks, everybody, I’ll be here all week.

Rare Bar & Grill (In the Fashion 26 Hotel)
152 W 26th St  (Near 7th Avenue )  
212-807-7273

And now, as promised, here’s for Al and all of you, “Tonight’s the Night,” by Neil Young. Cheers!

Wednesday, Sept. 29th, 2010—Bar 262

Day 262—Tuesday, September 28th, 2010
Decibel
I found a sake bar in the East Village online called Decibel that looks like a cool place. From what I could see online it’s got a small bar upfront and a dining area in the back. I’m banking on the fact since it’s Tuesday we can land a spot at the bar. Let’s go and see.

This isn't an easy bar to find, I walked by it twice and finally saw the little red sake sign.

And here's the low-lit sign on the side of the building.

And it's down the stairs we go.

The bar is small and candle-lit with one bench for everyone to sit at. I managed to wiggle in at the end of the bar.

Here's K the bartender. I'm not that knowledgeable about sake and K helped me choose one.

And here he is in action.

K made an excellent choice, it was delicious.

There's a row of Japanese masks that hang over the bar.

The back wall of the bar is lined with sake bottles and cups.

And more bottles are lit up at the top of the wall opposite the bar.

Graffiti and Japanese art line the walls.

Here's the nice people I was sharing the bar with: Lisa, Ryusake, Burt and Anna.

Takashi helps behind the bar and seats people in the back dining area.

A collage of sake labels on the wall.

A view of K from the opposite end of the bar.

There's a dining room in the back, let's check it out.

There's a long, candle-lit bar in the center of the room to sit and dine at.

There's tables in the back of the room...

And booths up front. It's nice and dark back here with candles providing most of the light.

Hello, kitty!

Meanwhile back at the bar, K and Takashi are taking care of business.

A view of the bar from where I'm seated.

A final Japanese beer and a tumbler of sake are served.

Cheers and goodnight, everybody! Sayonara!

Review
Decibel is a hidden gem in the East Village. You have to have the address handy and be vigilant, because it’s easy to pass this downstairs bar. There’s just a small sign on the building and a somewhar rickety flight of stairs leads you downstairs to the bar. The decor is a combination punk rock, Japanese fusion and a litttle speakeasy making for a unique atmosphere. The bartenders and staff are friendly and more than happy to help you with selections from the menu. Trance and disco music play at a conversational level and if you go here on a weekend you may have to endure a bit of a wait for a table or spot at the small, cozy front bar.

There’s more than 70 varieties of sake to be had here and you can sample them chilled or warm. The staff is well-knowledged on the selecctions and can help steer you to a taste that is of your liking. In addition to the large sake list, there’s also cocktails and Japanese beers available. There’s food and soups available to enjoy along with the sake and some of the appetizers include: steamed shumai, edamame and sauteed seaweed and noodles. Okonomiyaki is the house specialty pancake.
 
Decibel
240 E. 9th St. (@Second Ave)
212-979-2733