Wednesday, August 25th, 2010—Bar 227

Day 227—Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
Milano's Bar
Okay, tonight I’m off to a legendary New York City bar, Milano’s. It’s been in the back of my mind to go here since the beginning and 365 commentator Al Rizo, suggested it to me in an email last week and so now it’s time to go. It’s been on the block since 1880 (with a brief dry-spell during prohibition) and it is about as old-school as you can get. In fact, it’s so old school I wonder if they’ll let me do my 365 thing in there. But we’ll never know until we go, so it’s onwards and upwards...well, downwards because we’re going downtown...whatever. Let’s just get the fuck over there.

Okay, here we are, lots of neon in the window and look, an ATM for Joey D. in the background!

This is truly a dark bar. I tried a flashless photo and it turned out to be a black square.

Bartender Nicki was shy, so Alex jumped in and posed for the obligatory bartender shot. (Note: If you do want to see Nicki in person, she's opening her own bar with a partner in October in Brooklyn. It's going to be called MikNic Lounge and of course I'll be there. Check out their facebook page here: MikNic Lounge.

You could spend weeks just looking at all the vintage photos on the walls in this place.

There's lots of sports photos and art. Here's the '78 Yankess.

More photos from the walls.

A giant Coke button looms next to some original art on the walls.

JFK and a Frank Sinatra button hang below a picture of Humphrey Bogart.

And speaking of Frank, there's a Frank Sinatra bass drum hanging up behind the bar. Cheers to you, Blue Eyes!

A Daily News spread of the Mets in 1986 when they were the champs.

The bar at Milano's.

Pamela was seated next to me and pulls a face for the 365 camera.

Roger was in town from the West Coast. He doesn't live here, but his business brings him here often enough to make him a regular at Milano's.

And of course this place has a lovely, weathered tin ceiling.

A copy of the original food menu hangs on the wall.

Chips and pretzels are the only food available at the bar these days, but it's a nice varied selection.

There's well-worn tables and chairs in the back of the tavern.

People come in and sign this Irish flag.

When sports aren't playing, silent movies are screened on the TV's making you feel like you're drinking in another era.

Upon returning home I realized I fogot to get a shot of myself in the bar, so here's a homemade obligatory bathroom shot. Goodnight, everybody!

Review
Milano’s has been a fixture on this block since 1880. The cliental changes from the early morning shift of 8am boozers to the lunch crowd to the happy hour business people to the late niight shift. If you want to sample New York’s drinking community in almost all of its entirety, spend a day in this joint. The bar is long and narrow and dark. Vintage pictures are plastered all over, collage style and you could while away the night just perusing them. When sports aren’t playing on the old-school TV’s they show silent movies in the bar. This is a friendly joint where even if they don’t know your name, you’re treated like a regular.

They have a full bar, but I wouldn’t suggest ordering a Cosmopolitan or Mojito in this joint. Beer, stiff drinks and shots are what you’ll find on the counter of the well-worn, dark wooden bar. The only food here is pretzels and chips in bags behind the bar, but I’m sure they’re not opposed to you bringing in a slice from a nearby pizzeria or something from a nearby food truck. Happy hour runs from Monday to Friday, 4pm to 7pm with two buck Budweisers and a dollar off drinks.

And if you wake up early with a case of the shakes from last night’s booze-fueled shenanigan’s, they open the doors here at 8am sharp six days of the week. Sunday’s you have to wait till noon but they’re open open till 4:30am every single night...errr...morning of the week.

Milano's Bar
51 E. Houston St. (Between Mulberry & Mott St.)
212-226-8844

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010—Bar 226

Day 226—Monday, August 23rd, 2010
Gonzalez Y Gonzalez (Originally headed for Pravda)
Another night, another bar. I had a good time at the Russian Vodka Room the other week and in a comment to that post, the mysterious Nick Beal suggested I try Pravda, a Russian bar in the East Village. I had a lot of beer over the weekend so a switch to vodka sounds good. Okay, Nick Beal, this one’s for you and “Boris,” which leads to Natashia which leads to everybody else reading this. Da!

Here we are at the Pravda entrance.

There's a long flight of stairs to climb down. Once in the bar I was hit with the sad news that I had to contact the General Manager to see if I could take pictures in there. They were more than nice about the whole thing, but now I had to improvise. I think we all know what comes next.

A lonely walk in search of another bar.

Here's an open-air restaurant, but the bar is packed. Hey people, it's Monday night and we're in the middle of a fucking recession here, I'm the only one who's supposed to be out tonight. Sheesh!

As I approach Broadway I remember this Mexican place we used to go to when I worked next door to it. It's only minutes away. Time to trade vodka for tequila.

Here's the building where I used to work. Hi Joe!

And here's the Mexican place. Above the neon is a giant sombrero which you can't see, because sometimes my photos suck. The name of the joint is Gonzalez Y Gonzalez.

They claim this is the longest bar in New York City and I believe them.

There's tables and a candle lit dining room opposite the bar. But of course I'm headed for the bar.

And Benny the bartender mixes me up an expertly crafted, spicy Michelada.

And speaking of Michelada's, today is 365 commentator Tiki Bar Susie's birthday. She's out of town and not on a computer, so she won't see this for a day or two, but happy birthday, Tiki Bar Susie! This Michelada's for you!

Here's a shot of the south of the border bar.

That's one big sombrero on the wall.

Midway into my drink, Benny brings some chips and salsa. I like it here!

Is that a lovely sight or what? ¡Aclamaciones!

Here's a no-flash shot of the other end of the bar. Hmmm...and what is that on the bar?

Fire!

The brightly lit columns give it a festive feeling in here.

Some of the happy hour specials.

A shot of the well-stocked bar.

Mexican artwork and photos adorn the walls.

I had a couple more Negra Modela's and Benny bought me a shot of tequila and I was ready to hit the road.

As I walked up Broadway I heard an unmistakeable voice. I stopped and watched the couple walk away and then doubled back and walked in their direction. I stopped and let them pass me by and then asked, "Is that you Cousin Brucie?" He turned towards me and sure enough it was the legendary New York DJ himself. This is the guy who introduced the Beatles at their legendary Shea Stadium show. His wife was kind enough to take this photo. Check out Cousin Brucie on Sirius radio here: Cousin Brucie on Sirius. Hey, Cousin Brucie, you need to check out another cool DJ, my friend Gidget on Woody Radio. Check out her and the station here: Woody Radio. Goodnight everybody!

Review
Gonzalez Y Gonzalez has been on the block since 1989 and boasts that they have New York City’s longest bar. I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s the longest bar I’ve seen in this entire bar crawl. It turns and stretches for a good city block and opposite it are tables and a dining room in a low-lit atmosphere. The bartenders and staff are friendly and the cliental is a mix of tourists and locals from the neighborhood.

There’s a full bar with a good selection of tequilas and margaritas and I can tell you first hand that they make a great Michelada. Thursdays through Saturdays the back room with a stage opens up and there’s live salsa music available with no cover charge at the door. The last Wednesday of every month is comedy night featuring a monthly showcase of NYC comedians. There’s a daily happy hour featuring five dollar margaritas and three buck draft beers.

There’s a large menu of Mexican food to be had here with a nice selection of Tortas, Quesadillas, Fajitas and Tacos. Some of the entrees include: Chimichangas with chicken and cheese, Carne Ranchera which is a grilled steak with an ancho-chile sauce, Pollo Frito which is a breaded chicken cutlet served with black beans and Mexican rice and the Chile Relleno, a poblano chile stuffed with three cheeses and ground beef; topped with a fresh tomato salsa.

Thursday and Saturday nights they offer free Salsa dance lessons. Areeba!

Gonzalez Y Gonzalez
625 Broadway (Between Bleecker & Houston)
212.473.8787

Happy Birthday Tiki Bar Susie (Thanks to raginrr for reminding me to put this here!)

Monday, August 23rd, 2010—Bar 225

Day 225—Sunday, August 22nd, 2010
McAleer's Pub (Originally headed to Amsterdam Ale House)
Okay it’s Sunday, so that means I’m off for a nice Sunday dinner in a bar. And I didn’t even have to pick the bar where I’m eating. I got a donation and a nice message from Ryan Borho who’s not only another ex-Peorain living in New York City, he’s both the son and nephew of two old friends of mine, Dane (his dad) and Jim (his uncle) Borho. I’ve drank many beers with Dane and Jim (and their brother Scott), so now it’s time to tip a few brews with a member of the next generation of Borhos!

Here we are at the Amsterdam Ale House on the Upper West Side.

It's jam-packed in here and no seats at the bar, looks like we're going to have to improvise. I decided to wait outside for Ryan.

And here he is, Ryan Borho. He's got that mischevious Borho look to him alright!

We walked a few blocks up and found McAleer's Pub, a place I used to go to when I lived on the Upper West Side.

This looks more like it. I haven't been in this joint for over a decade, but it hasn't changed one bit. It's a well-known watering hole on the Upper West Side.

And Nas the friendly bartender quickly supplies us with beer.

And here we are, two rubes from Peoria who found their way to the Big Apple.

Ryan settles in at the bar as I make my rounds to take photos.

The first thing I notice is the tin ceiling, always the mark of a prime location.

As you can see, there's a large selection of draft beers available.

Here's a shot from the other end of the long wooden bar.

The bottles behind the bar are nicely lit, I always like that.

There's nice vintage photos hanging on the wall.

Here's a nice shot of the Flatiron Building located close to where I live. It's one of my favorite buildings.

There's tables and chairs for full-service dining opposite the bar.

Every month there's a selected beer special. This month you can get a Boddington's draft for three bucks, not a bad deal!

Here's a view of Amsterdam Avenue from the front of the bar. A summer rain shower is pouring down outside.

And Michael, who's just arrived at the bar was caught up in it. Here he's holding his well-deserved beer after braving the rain to get here.

Alright, the condiments are out, that can mean only one thing...Sunday dinner's on the way!

I got the sliders and fries...

And Ryan got the house cheeseburger plate.

And now in a Goofus and Gallant moment, Ryan poses with his burger in a most-Gallant-like way.

I, in a moment of pure Goofus-dum, shove the burger in my mouth as the picture is clicked. Delicious!

A great night was had with Ryan and I thank him for joining me on the crawl. Great to know that a Borho is here in town and you'll be seeing him here again before this is all over. On the cab ride home I experimented with some flash-less photos. Zing...

Zang...

Zoom! Goodnight, everybody!

Review
McAleer’s Pub has been a fixture on the Upper West Side since 1953 when cousin’s John and Frank McAleer opened the place up. It’s the oldest family-owned and operated pub on the Upper West Side. It’s mainly populated by regulars, although the bartenders and staff treat everyone with a friendly attitude. In 1994, the NY Post named McAleers one of the top ten places to meet someone according to a poll they took. The bar is wooden and spacious and tables line a brick wall opposite with full service from a waitstaff.

McAller’s has a full bar and a good selection of 16 ounce drafts and bottled beers including: Yuengling Lager, Sam Adams, Hoegarden and Boddington’s. Iced buckets of bottled beer are available for 21 dollars. Every month there’s a discounted beer of the month to sample. And there’s daily shot and beer specials at the bar and if you order two pitchers of beer you get a free double order of wings.

In addition to the wings, the menu also includes: a half dozen varieties of burgers, a decent selection of soups, salads and sandwiches and entrees such as, Bangers ‘n Mash, Salisbury Steak, Chicken Parmigiana and Homemade Mac ‘n Cheese. One of the meal specials is the Monster Burger Platter which is a 16 ounce burger served on a toasted Kaiser roll with sauteed onions, three cheeses, bacon, lettuce, tomato, then topped with diced jalapenos and a homemade spicy mayo topping. It’s served with a generous helping of french fries for $20. If you clean the plate you get a free McAleer’s Pub T-shirt. Order the extra-large, because that’s all you’ll fit into after all that food.

McAleer's Pub
425 Amsterdam Ave. (Near 80th St.)
212-362-7867