Friday, August 20th, 2010—Bar 222

Day 222—Thursday, August 19th, 2010
Walter’s Bar
The PayPal donation bell has rung and it was run by Dianne Swift. Dianne recently gave birth to a baby boy named, Emerson. I gave her some baby gas drops for a baby present and she in-turn sent in a generous donation of ten dollars with a message stating: “Your gas drops saved my night last night. Have one on my sanity.” You should check out Dianne’s website here: Hell Bound Heretic. Thanks Dianne!

Tonight I thought I’d stay in the neighborhood where I work. I’m a little tired from last night and I’ve saved a bar that’s only a couple blocks from where I work for a night where I was kind of beat and tonight’s the night. Walter’s Bar is one of the few bars in this area (I work near Madison Square Garden/Penn Station) that’s not a cookie cutter bar filled with refugees from the latest Madison Square Garden event and/or people having a drink before they get on their commuter train. back to the suburbs Walter’s is a real working class, neighborhood bar and a great place to throw back a beer or seven. And it’s a stone’s throw from where I work. You’ll see.

See, we're here already. Let's go in.

Wow, big crowd in here tonight.

But I managed to find a seat at the bar and Francis not only served me up a can of Pabst...

He threw in a shot on the house. I told you this was a friendly place!

The bottles are lit up at the bar. I always like that.

This is a rule I can live with.

There's a wooden bank and chairs opposite the bar that runs the perimeter of the brick walls.

There's a pool table in the back and the bar hosts local teams.

Joe was enjoying a beer at the bar. Cheers, Joe!

Walter's lamps hang overhead.

Owner Tony Ferber bought shots for both of us. He's a great host and knows all the customers in the place. His father Walter opened the place up 22 years ago. He owned another bar and threw Frank Sinatra and his bodyguard  out when Frank demanded he empty the place so he could drink in peace. The next day Frank came back and told the bartender he liked Walter's style and he wanted to buy him a drink. It was Walter's day off and the bartender called him at home and told him Frank Sinatra wanted to buy him a drink. Tony told me his dad didn't miss a beat and said, "You tell him to come back and buy me a drink when I'm working, this is my day off!" Ha ha ha! Great story, Walter sounds like a legendary, old-school New York barkeep.

Tony was a Marine for four years and proudly hangs this tribute to the Corps.

A Walter's cap.

Drink specials hang on the wall.

Custom-made neon hangs over the bar.

A vintage cash register is illuminated by the lit bottles at the bar.

Walter's logo was designed by Tony's sister-in-law. They keep it all in the family here.

There's a world-class dart board in the back and just like pool, they host local teams during the week.

There's a pizza oven at the end of the bar. Anyone hungry?

Joe is!

Here's regular Al, who holds up the paper and my card for proof that I was here on this night. Thanks for the verification, Al!

And here's Francis with the lovely Allison at the end of the bar.

And a glance out the window on my way out. Goodnight, everybody!

Review
Walter’s Bar is a friendly neighborhood joint in an area of town that is sorely short on joints like this. It’s a family owned business that was originally run by Walter Ferber. These days it’s owned and operated by his sons Tony and Michael. Most nights you can find Tony in the bar and he’s a friendly host and bartender. The bar is low-lit with rock and roll tunes playing at a conversational level. There’s a pool table in the back and a world-class dart board. The bar hosts both pool and dart teams on different nights of the week.

Walter’s has a full bar and during baseball season cans of Pabst go for two for five bucks every day of the week from opening to closing time (which is 4am, every night.) As you can tell from the aforementioned Pabst special Walter’s is a baseball bar and if a Met or Yankee player hits a triple, everyone in the bar gets two dollar shots that inning, which turns everyone into an avid baseball fan in the bar. And if a Met or Yankee hits a home run, everybody gets three buck shots. Play ball!

If you’re hungry, Walter’s has a pizza oven and has been on the block for 22 years. Stop in and have a drink at this family-owned local joint that’s a true local.

Walter’s Bar
389 Eighth Ave. (Near 29th St.)
212-502-4023

Thursday, August 19th, 2010—Bar 221

Day 214—Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
Zum Schneider
There’s a bar I’ve been wanting to go to for awhile called Zum Schneider, but I had to avoid it during the World Cup madness, check out this posting over at the EV Grieve site: Lined up for Zum Schneider.  Zum Schneider is an indoor beer garden and it would be something a little different on the 365 bar crawl. Tomorrow is their 10th anniversary, so I figured tonight it may not be super-crowded. The bar doesn’t appear to be very big, so hopefully it won’t be filled up and I can snag a seat. Let’s go...macht shnell!

The bar is open and there's tables outside.

But I prefer the inside, especially if it's dark and candle lit like this place.

And there's a seat at the bar.

Bartender Tim serves up a giant-sized German wheat beer.

Cheers!

Chela was seated next to me at the bar and her sister works here. Chela's a chef who came into town to help celebrate Zum Schnieder's 10th anniversary. The official party is tonight but some festivities are planned for midnight.

A ring of drafts at the bar.

The indoor beer garden.

Some of the draft beers available at the bar.

Chris was enjoying a beer at the bar. He had just finished up a hard day's night at Kibble's Rust Removal service where he toils as the night manager. The company is rumored to be highly profitable.

Here's the owner of Zum Schneider, Sylvester Schneider.

The official anniversary party is tonight, but a cake was decorated for midnight of this evening.

The cake is being carefully walked to the band stage area.

It's almost there.

Happy anniversary, Zum Schneider!

After the cake, Sylverster was given this giant mug filled with German beer.

Sylvester gave a nice toast...

And then drank from the mug.

And then the mug was passed round the bar. She's thinking, "Do I really want his cooties?"

But this person has no fear.

First he laughs at the communal mug...

And then he drinks from it!

And round it goes.

I think it's just about empty.

As soon as the mug has made its rounds the Zum Schneider's house band, The Ja Ja Jas warm up.

Sylvester kicks things off.

And the party really gets into full swing.

Here's the band in action.

Tables are cleared to allow for dancing.

And some people even started dancing on the bar.

And Sylvester ends the night with a crash of the drums and a cheers from his bandmate. Goodnight, everybody!

Review
Zum Schneider has outdoor seating, but the beer garden is inside. The indoor beer garden houses long wooden tables, an alcove off to the side with more tables and indoor trees. The entire place is candle lit and there’s a small wooden bar in the back. The walls are brick and it’s a friendly and cozy place to settle into and enjoy some German brews and food.

There’s always 12 German beers on draft and a good selection of bottled beer at Zum Schneider. The beer selection is ever-changing, so consult their website or just show up and see what’s on tap that night. There’s also a nice varied selection of wine, but no liquor. Hey, it’s a German beer hall, go drink your martini somewhere else. There’s a good selection of German food available including: Schweinebraten—Local, farm-raised pork roasted in a dark beer gravy w/ potato dumpling and Bavarian salad; Zwiebelrostbraten—Pan roasted beef sirloin in red wine sauce, with roasted potatoes, sauerkraut and caramelized onions and Käsespätzle—Homemade spätzle with cheese, caramelized onions and bacon, served with a house salad. Bratwurst and sausage platters are also available. And of course there’s pretzels! Auf Wiedersehen and happy anniversary, Zum Schneider!

Zum Schneider
107 Ave. C (@7th St.)
212-598-1098

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010—Bar 220

Day 220—Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
Desmond's Tavern
I’ve got an update from Mark, the burger bar I went to last Saturday and had a fine meal and some tasty suds. Chef Erik left a comment last night that the record of 18 sliders had been smashed. Chef Erik reports that Scott came in and ate 20 sliders in 22 minutes and is the new slider champ. If anybody thinks they can break this record you get your burgers free if you are the new slider champ. And if you do it on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, let me know and I’ll take pictures and post them up here.

Okay, it was easy picking a bar tonight because I didn’t have to do it. Commentator Al Rizo from Miami suggested I check out Desmond’s Tavern which is one of the oldest taverns in New York City. It’s been an Irish tavern on this block since 1936 and it’s the fouth oldest operating bar in Manhattan. Al’s made suggestions in the past and he hasn’t steered me wrong so far. And the good news is it’s just a few blocks from where I work, and so it’s off to Desmond’s we go.

It was an easy walk to Desmond's Tavern, I didn't even break a sweat.

The welcoming sign inside of Desmond's, a true neighborhood pub.

A dark, well-worn bar. You can feel the sense of history as soon as you walk in the joint.

And Tony, the veteran bartender serves up a Guinness. And as we all know this can only lead to one thing...

The traditional "wearin' of the Guinness." Sláinte!

Andrew was seated next to me at the bar. We talked for awhile and then he told me he lived on 16th Street. I told him that's where I live and it turns out he's my next door neighbor! Just another miracle on the 365 bar crawl! Crazy!

A shot of the well-stocked bar.

There's tables and stools opposite the bar. And what's on those tables? FIRE! (I didn't miss this opportunity, Tim Clack!)

Jermaine was enjoying a cold beer at the bar. He's in town from Atlanta. Cheers, Jermaine and enjoy your stay in New York City!

These people were enjoying the friendly vibes at Desmond's. From left: "Mr. Scott," Sara and Patty. I kind of doubt "Mr. Scott's" name though. I asked him to beam me up and nothing happened.

A mirror shot of the bar.

As I've said before, the sign of a good, old-school bar is pay phones. And here's a twin set of them.

Let's check out the back room.

The back wall is a study in green!

Some pictures hang on the side wall, saturated in green hues.

Backroom neon and an unknowing self-portrait in the mirror.

Meanwhile back at the bar, Tony pours a drink.

A longshot of the well-worn, wooden bar.

Who's this fellow doing the crossword puzzle?

It's Paras, who's a regular at the bar. He told me it's his local and here he poses with bartender Tony.

And finally, these words of wisdom from the bathroom wall: "Rico is a homo." Not that there's anything wrong with that! Goodnight, everybody!

Review
Desmond’s Tavern is a true old school joint and it’s got the years under its belt to be able to make that claim. They’ve been in continuous operation since 1936. When you walk in you’ll find a sturdy, long wooden bar that has served drinkers on this block for over seven decades. The crowd consists of friendly neighborhood locals and the occasional tourist. The bartenders are old-school drink slingers. Desmond’s has served many a bold-faced name in its existence as well. Paul and Linda McCartney, Kevin Costner, Forrest Tucker and Shane McGowan have all been seen enjoying the drinks and old-time atmosphere at the bar. You know it’s an authentic Irish bar when Shane McGowan stops in for a pint or 27. Years ago, actress Veronica Lake was once a waitress here.

The bar is well-stocked and it offers nine beers on draft including a perfectly poured pint of Guinness. They have 14 selections of bottled beer including: Carlsberg, Rolling Rock, Corona and Heineken. There’s also a good selection of Irish whiskeys to choose from here. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 3pm to 6pm offering pitchers of Yuengling for 11 dollars and $2.50 Miller Lite drafts and Kamikaze shots. They also have live music in the back room Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

The large food menu includes a nice variety of sandwiches and an impressive list of nine burgers including; a Bacon Swiss Burger, a Cheddar Burger, a Chili Burger and a California Style Veggie Burger for when Sir Paul stops in. Full dinner meals include: Desmond’s Hot Sizzling Steak, Beer Battered Shrimp, Bangers and Mash and Fish and Chips.

Desmond’s is open till 4am, every night of the week, so stop by and have a drink in this happily worn and weathered bar. Great suggestion, Al!

Desmond's Tavern
433 Park Ave. South (near 30th St.)
212-684-9472