Wednesday, July 14th, 2010—Bar 185

Day 185—Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
Slattery’s Midtown Pub
I’ve been encouraging people to send in pictures of themselves in the 365 t-shirt and frequent commetator and lover of all things wooden, Kari sent in a photo of her in her black t-shirt, check out the lovely Kari below:
Kari has a blog called Leaf Girl and you can check it out here: Leaf Girl. And check out the shirts and merchandise at the 365 Bar Store that resident artist “Boris” has set up right here: 365 Bar Store. And remember, “Boris” is available for freelance art work if you need art for your website, CD cover, book cover or anything. Just send me an email and I’ll forward it along to “Boris.”

Okay, tonight is a request night, which I love because then I don’t have to pick the bar. Which is a bigger challenge than you think, because I try to mix it up and got to different types every night. Anyway, tonight, one third of the Baltimore Bar Crawlers, or as I call them the BBC, requested that I got to a pub in midtown called, Slattery’s Midtown Pub. I posted a picture of myself and the BBC when they were in town the other day and here it is again:
From left: Smoopy, Gene, Terry and the 365 guy. For those of you new to the bog the BBC came to New York to blow off some steam because Gene is in the Air Force Reserve and was scheduled for a tour of duty in Afghanistan. They blew off steam alright, in three days the three of them went to over 3,467 bars and collectively drank over 927 beers with about 53 vodka tonics thrown in for good measure. These people know how to bar crawl! Check them out on the crawl here,  here,  and here. Anyway, Gene’s in Afghanistan right now and he requested I stop in Slattery’s, so that’s what I’m going to do, goddammit! He was also generous to send in $51.50, so I’ve got plenty of spending cash. And it’s close enough to walk, so let’s make tracks, we’ll be there in no time flat.

Okay, we'll take this all too familiar walk up 6th Avenue to 36th Street.

Hey, there's no pretzel guy on the corner. Sob!

But there's one on the next corner. Hello, pretzel guy!

And here we are, Slattery's Midtown Pub. Told you it was close by.

Nice place and soccer balls hang from the ceiling in remembrance of the World Cup.

Friendly bartender Mark serves up a perfectly poured pint of Guinness.

And a free shot comes with your first drink here at Slattery's. Nice.

You knew this was coming, the wearin' of the Guinness.

The tables up front have a nice street-side view.

Robert was enjoying a beer and waiting for a friend who was flying in to town tonight.

Here Mark joins some of his off-duty workers who are whooping it up on the other side of the bar. From left: Bill, Mike, Mark and Aiofe.

There's a collection of vintage sports pages from the Daily News on the wall.

A view from the other end of the bar.

Jess and Andrew were enjoying a few beers at the bar and were intrigued by the 365 bar crawl idea.

There's more tables in the back room.

And there's an upstairs room that's available for parties and private events.

Sasha was enjoying a glass of wine and waiting for some of her friends to show up.

And speaking of friends showing up, here's Robert with his best friend for years who just got into town. Sadly by now I had put my notebook away and forgot Robert's friend's name. If you're reading this, remind me in the comments section. Okay, goodnight everybody!

Review
Slattery’s is a no-nonsense, gimmick free, somewhat typical midtown Irish bar. Long wooden polished Irish bar? Check. Tables in the side and back of the bar? Check. A big happy hour after work joint? Check. Bangers and mash on the menu? Check. It’s all here and it’s just what you’d expect and that’s not a bad thing at all. The bar is wooden and spacious, so even when it’s peak time at happy hour, the business people aren’t squeezed in with the quartet of tourists who just wandered in. The bartenders are friendly, there’s lots of TV’s tuned into the latest sporting event and a jukebox with a varied selection of tunes.

There’s a large choice of bottled and draft beers available and there’s a full bar with a large selection of malt whiskys to be had. They have a full kitchen and the menu has all the usual suspects in the form of chicken wings, burgers, chicken fingers, potato skins and an appetizer platter. Since it’s a midtown Irish bar of course there’s also, Bangers & Mash, Dublin Style Fish N' Chips, Shepherds Pie and an All Day Irish Breakfast. There are some specialty items on the menu as well including: Slattery's Chicken Curry, Potato Crusted Salmon, Blackened Scrod and Slattery’s Sizzling Steak Platter. There’s a Happy Hour every day of the week here. On Monday through Friday from 3 to 7pm, there’s five dollar drafts and six buck Apple martini’s and Cosmo’s. On Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday there’s 2 for 1 drink specials. Just ask the bartender and he’ll be happy to tell you what’s what. There’s also an upstairs party room available for private events.

Slattery’s is a nice neighborhood Irish pub where there’s usually a seat at the bar and a friendly bartender behind it.

Slattery’s Midtown Pub
8 E. 36th St. (Near Fifth Ave. )
212-683-6444

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010—Bar 184

Day 184—Monday, July 12th, 2010
Painkiller
This morning I was happily awakened with the PayPal bell ringing joyfully once again. Darleya who pens the entertaining review blog, Stuffed Ashes sent in ten dollars to buy me a drink. Thanks Darleya! I encourage everyone to check out her blog here: Stuffed Ashes.

Alright, Saturday I went to Knuckles Tiki Bar in Long Island and tonight I thought I’d check out the newest tiki bar in the city, Painkiller. Are you ready to get tikitized? I know Tiki Bar Susie is, let’s go.

There's no glitzy sign hanging outside, just look for the tiki bar emblazoned doors and you're here. And here we are.

Lots of bamboo and a nice bar with some seats available. I'm officially hau`oli!

Co-owner and master bartender Giuseppe expertly crafts the signature drink of the house, The Painkiller. Giuseppe is a third generation bartender and takes pride in his work and cocktails.

The tiki bar is open!

The Painkiller is delicious and a decent reliever of pain as well.

Valentin was on duty as well. He tends bar, is the bar back and does a little of everything here at Painkiller.

Some tiki knick-knacks and bric-a-brac behind the bar.

There's comfortable booths in the back room.

And that's exactly where Jim and Christina were enjoying some tiki cocktails.

Original tiki artwork hangs on the bamboo walls.

A vintage ad for Ballantine Ale with Ernest Hemmingway hangs on the front wall. Ballantine Ale is available at the bar along with Brooklyn Lager and Red Stripe on occasion.

Here's tiki drink number two: the Missionary's Downfall. It was very refreshing and green.

Topless tiki beauties adorn the top of the glass bar.

Chris and Loretta were chilling out at the front of the bar.

Tiki gods line the bamboo walls.

Hello there, tiki god.

Brian lives across the street and is a semi-regular at the bar.

I love the Painkiller logo.

Giusppe and Valentin work together to mix a batch of Island inspired cocktails.

I asked Brian for a potent drink for my last cocktail and he mixed me up a 151 Swizzle that did the trick. It was time to say aloha after this drink.

Giuseppe poured shots of Zaya rum as a parting gift and let me keep the skull shotglass. Thanks for a great night, Giuseppe, cheers and goodnight, everybody.

Review
Being that Manhattan is an Island, you’d think there’d be more tiki bars here. I like tiki bars so the very first bar I hit on this bar crawl was Otto’s Shrunken Head and it was a welcome oasis back in the winter and in the early days of this bar crawl. Well in May a brand new tiki bar opened its doors and the name of this island hideaway is Painkiller. There’s no flashy sign outside, just look for the doors that say, “Tiki Bar” and you’re here. Inside you’ll find a bar covered with tropical beauties and walls that are brick and bamboo. Original tiki art hangs on the wall alongside graffiti tags to remind you that the island you’re drinking on is Manhattan. The front room is narrow and leads to a more spacious backroom with comfortable booths and tiki gods on the walls. The bartenders are friendly and happy to help you with your drink choices.

And the drinks are crafted with care here. Co-owners Giuseppe Gonzalez and Richard Boccato are believers in quality cocktails and all the juices are squeezed fresh daily and the syrups and creams are homemade. Giuseppe was manning the bar the night I was there and laughingly told me, “If you’re not using fresh juices, you’re an asshole.”

All the drinks are carefully concocted, Guiseppe was on duty the night I was there and he looked a little like a mad scientist behind the bar carefully pouring jiggers and shots into glasses of chopped ice and meticulously topping them off with garnishes, shavings and umbrellas. It’s a show unto itself just watching the man at work. There’s a large variety of drinks including frozen concoctions, Maii Tais, Swizzles, Daiquiris and Zombie and Scorpion Punch Bowls. There’s no food, but rumors of free hot dogs in the future loom largely.

Stop by Painkiller for a little Island relaxation on the island of Manhattan. Okole maluna and Mahalo nui.

Painkiller
49 Essex St. (between Grand & Hester Sts.)
212-777-8454

Monday, July 12th, 2010—Bar 183

Day 183—Sunday, July 11th, 2010
Fedora
Alright, first off, the PayPal donation bell has rung so hard I can hear it in my left ear, oh wait, that’s my tinitus roaring its ugly head, but none the less the bell has rung.

Ragin’ Ray Rogers sent in a generous twenty dollars with this stated purpose on the receipt: Purpose: “Just a little financial support from a fellow crawler as we embark on the second half of this adventure.”

Well, that’s more than just a little, Ray and I thank you and appreciate your generous donation!

Secondly one third of the Baltimore Bar Crawlers, Gene Rubbico sent in the very generous donation of $51.50 with this stated purpose: “Have an Old Speckled Hen at the Brews Brothers Bar.”

You’ve got it Gene. I’ll stop by there soon and have a few Old Speckled Hen’s in your honor. Gene is in the Air Force Reserve and is serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan for the next couple of months. I was lucky enough to be part of his send off party along with his wife, Smoopy, his friend Terry and yours fooly. They came to New York before Gene shipped off and joined me on the bar crawl, here’s a picture of the four of us out on the town, crawling around:
Thanks for the donation Gene! Be safe and I look forward to you, Smoopy and Terry rejoning the bar crawl!

Okay, last week I reported that I learned the legendary West Village bar, Fedora, might be closing its doors. I found out via Fat Al and Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York that the bar may be shuttering its windows. I decided to investigate, but right as I got there, the bar was closing. I did get to meet the sweet-smiling owner and bartender/hostess, Fedora and she said she’d be there on Sunday. So, the day is here and it’s off to Fedora’s we go.

Okay, the light's on this time and that's a good sign (no pun intended, really I just noticed it.)

Here's the bar. A true vintage wooden New York bar with a lone bowl of pretzels.

And here's the lovely Fedora serving me up a Budweiser. Fedora confirmed the rumors that the bar is closing. She can't continue to manage and run the bar due to health reasons and July 25th is the last call at Fedora's bar.

Here Fedora poses with John who's worked there for over 35 years. John says he doesn't know if the new management will keep him or not. If they're smart, they'll keep him and not change a thing in this wonderful bar and restaurant.

I spotted an Oscar among the various knick-knacks in the bar and Fedora told me it was an actual Oscar. Her sister got it for her and you can read the whole story in the review below.

And the Oscar for the most wonderful bar in the West Village goes to...Fedora!

Fedora showed me a photo of her and her husband Henry with the Oscar. The photo hangs on the wall.

Ava and Bil stopped in and said they just wanted to take a look around as they had never noticed the place before. I told them to take a long look, because it was closing, which saddened them. Fedora greeted them like she greets everyone, like life-long regulars.

Here's Fedora behind the bar with a photo of her two great grandchildren.

She told me this is her favorite photo in the bar, a portrait of a great lady in front of a great New York landmark.

An old school cash register sits in the middle of the bar.

A phone booth with a door on it. Made back in the days when phone calls were meant to be private.

Vintage photos line the walls.

This is a note from Lauren Bacall. Fedora told me the story that she came in for dinner  years ago and Fedora's husband Henry approached her and said, "I know who you are, you're Lucille Ball." Lauren Bacall laughed, told him who she was and wrote this note saying, "Henry, never mix your celebrities!"

Here's the dining area.

And here are some diners, from left: Doug, Alvin and Hugo. Doug and Alvin have been coming here since the '60's and are sad to see the end of Fedora's.

Here's a long shot of the bar who's final last call is looming.

Goodbye Fedora and goodnight everybody.

Review
There’s no sense in writing a review of this legendary bar and restaurant which has been a West Village fixture since 1952, because in a couple weeks it’s gone. Poof. Fedora, who’s one of the sweetest women I have met in my whole life told me she has some health issues and has to rent the place out to other people. She just can’t run it anymore. She told me the last night open is going to be July 25th and that there wasn’t going to be any hoopla or last night festivities. She said she wasn’t even sure she was going to be there that night. Fedora told me if she could keep it going she would, but sometimes life deals you cards that aren’t easy to hold and she has to let it go. I asked if the new management would leave the place as it is and she told me that they were going to renovate it inside, but they told her the outside sign would remain and they'd keep her hours the same, in respect for the neighbors living nearby. We’ll see. If they’re smart, they’d leave it exactly as it is and just fix up what needs to be fixed, but again, we’ll see.

I had a great night in there and felt blessed to be able to spend close to an hour having a few beers and chatting with Fedora. She told me that her sister Norma was the secretary for legendary Variety editor Abel Green and that she had asked Green to help get the official Oscar for Fedora that is perched up on the bar today. I also learned that Fedora’s husband  Henry was the bartender for years and she mainly worked in the kitchen. When Henry passed away 13 years ago, Fedora took a more active role behind the bar. She told me that her and Henry always kept the hours of the bar from 5pm to 11pm so their neighbors wouldn't be disrupted by people leaving the bar late at night. Bar owners concerned about their neighbors, imagine that concept.

This was really a bittersweet night on the old bar crawl. When I was ready to leave I went over and kissed Fedora on the cheek and thanked her for her time and for chatting with me and wished her well. I took one last look around the place and headed for the door. You should really stop by before July 25th if you can. Take a good long look at a slice of New York’s history that is disappearing and preserve it in your memory banks. The promise of the future of all tomorrows look about as bright as a burnt out screen on a Blackberry.

To Fedora!

Fedora
239 W. 4th St. (near Charles St.)
212-242-9691