Saturday, June 19th, Bar 160

Day 160—Friday, June 18th, 2010
The Bar in the Marriott Hotel in Times Square (Originally headed for Press Lounge—Rooftop bar at Ink 48 Hotel)
Okay, I’m feeling much better than last night and I’m ready to get back on the crawl. Friday nights can be tough to do this sometimes because of the crowds and noise factor, so I try to find low-key places to go to. It’s a nice night and you’d think that a rooftop bar would be a poor choice, but I’ve heard about this new rooftop bar in the Ink 48 Hotel called the Press Lounge and it’s supposed to be huge. And in some of the reviews I’ve read it says there’s no bottle service (translation: No yuppies and phony wannabe’s paying crazy-ass prices for a bottle of vodka) and no blaring music. So it’s sounds like it’s worth a try, okay, let’s go...up on the roof!

I hailed a cab and great God's almighty does it stink in here! Like a combination of sweat, piss and some sort of rancid Aqua Velva scent. Windows down and head out the window immediately!

Here we are heading uptown on a Friday night in Manhattan, lots of traffic and I've just thrown up a little bit in my mouth from the stink in the cab.

The line to the rooftop bar is out the door. Motherfucker! This jackass says to me, "Welcome to Manhattan," like some sort of know-it-all. I've lived here for 17 years and he probably just got off the plane from Bumblefuck, Idaho two hours ago. But I guess he's got a point, a rooftop bar on a nice summer night in Manhattan and I thought I would just waltz in. What the fuck was I thinking? Well, I'm not waiting in this line. Maybe this hotel has another bar.

They do, but they just called last call. At 11:30 pm on a Friday night? Welcome to Manhattan. I got a feeling this is going to be a long-ass night.

This block is void of bars, I'm going to walk up a block to 10th Avenue and begin my walk of shame. A rooftop bar on a Friday night...STUPID! What was I thinking? Welcome to Manhattan!

And now time for my lonely walk in search of a bar that's not jam-packed on a Friday night.

Fuck it, every bar I've walked by is jammed to the stinking rafters. If I'm going to have to do tonight's crawl in a maddening place, might as well go all the way. I'm at 42nd and 10th, just a few blocks from the crazy-ass goings on in Times Square on a Friday night. As long as I'm going to have to subject myself to madness, I might as well go all the way.

If I wasn't so pressed for time I'd stop here and sample some of the gourment food. One word Mr. Deli Man, "Spellcheck!"

I wish Curly was here right now so I could say, "Curly, all that's missing from this sign is U." Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck!

Here we are, deep in the heart of touristville.

I think I made a mistake, but there's no turning back now.

Something tells me this woman isn't going to be happy with this artist's depiction of her looking like a batshit-crazed Katie Couric.

I never come here and now I know why, there's no bars in this sea of bullshit!

Hey Spiderman, why don't you go solve a crime and quit ripping off the hicks?

No way am I drinking at a T.G.I.F.'s, even if it is a Friday night.

This place looks corny, but I've been walking around over an hour and I just want to have my three drinks and get  home. (Clicks heels three times.)

Shit, no seats here. Help me Mr. Wizard!

Okay, hopefully there's a seat at the bar here.

"Home of the KILTED bartenders?" Holy shitballs! Kilt's creep me out big time! I mean if you're a man and you want to wear a dress, go for it, but at least slap on some make-up and make some sort of effort at cross-dressing. I can't take a guy wearing a plaid dress and being all Scottish and manly. This night is truly hexed!

Fuck it, I've boycotted the bar in the Marriott for years. It used to spin and was kind of cool. Then they redid it and it doesn't spin anymore and it's just boring. But I've had enough.

See what I mean?

And a bottle of Budweiser is nine fucking bucks here! I gave the guy a twenty and here's my change! Unfuckingbelievable!

Self-portrait of a broken bar-crawler.

For once I didn't hand out cards or tell the bartender what I was doing, I'm sure the way my luck is running he would've told me no pictures. So I snuck this one.

Moment's later he called last call. At 12:45 on a Friday night (Saturday morning to be technically correct.)  I got two to make my three drink minimum. Welcome to Manhattan! I hope you enjoyed the little Times Square tour, because we won't be crawling back here anytime soon. Goodnight everybody!

Review
The bar here used to spin in a circle and you could see all the sights in Times Square while drinking a nine dollar bottle of Budweiser. It doesn’t spin anymore. Fuck.

The Bar in the Marriott Hotel in Times Square
1535 Broadway
212-398-1900

Just waking up...

It was a bit of a rough night last night (and not in a good way.) I'm just waking up and the post will be up in a bit, probably in an hour or so. It's not much as far as bars go, but you will get a tour of Times Square. So check back. I need to get some diet Mountain Dew and little donuts now. Check back later this afternoon, please and thank you! And now the Byrds, remember them? Of course you don't, you're not as old as me. Anyhoo, it's a good song. Sneeze you soon.

Friday, June 18th, 2010—Bar 159

Day 159—Thursday, June 17th, 2010
Bar Veloce
First off I want to thank someone for sending in a photo he took of me in action on the 365 Crawl. I met Handel the night I went to the Mug Lounge. He snapped a photo of me doing my bar crawl thing and here it is:
Thanks for sending it in and following the crawl, Handel!

Okay, I’m not going to lie, there are nights I just don’t feel like doing this and tonight’s one of them. I don’t know if it was something I ate or what, but my stomach feels a little shaky and I’m really tired. But there’s no way I’m missing a night now, I really don’t want to start all over again. So it’s onward and barward, whatever the fuck that means! I didn’t even have the energy to find a place for tonight, so it’ll be a totally random choice. I’ve decided I’ll walk to the corner of 25th and 8th Avenue and walk eastward till I hit someplace I want to go to. Maybe a bar with nurses in it. Okay, time to crawl, and tonight, the way I feel I may literally end up crawling!

Okay, here we are at 25th and 8th, I need to find a bar soon, in addition to my stomach feeling shaky, I've got a major-league headache.

And so off we go.

Must be a donut factory.

...the Chainsaw! (Look closely.)

Okay, this is the last time I do a random crawl. There's not shit around here. Fuck, I just want to go to sleep.

Goddamn, it's fucking desolate around here!

I'm going to hang a left here and see if I can find something.

Every bar I pass has the fucking Laker's game on with people staring at it like zombies. I can't do a bar crawl thing in that kind of environment.

This is going to be me in about twenty minutes if I don't find a bar to sit down and relax at. I've been wandering around for 45 minutes and my dogs are barking.

HATE the Trader Joe's! Fuck, I just want to find a bar!

HATE the Laker's! What the fuck is wrong with everyone? I can't do my bar crawl thing in this kind of crowd. Fuck!

This place looks promising.

They've got a Vespa out front which is a nice touch.

Okay, it looks nice and relaxing in here, and what's that on the TV?

Why? Why not, it's not the Laker's, so I've decided this is the bar of the night and none too soon!

Bartender Thomas is a real pro of a bartender and a nice guy to chat with.

Cheers! (Nice shirt, huh?)

While there is bottled beer, spirits and sake available, Bar Veloce is a wine bar with an extensive selection. This is just a small sampling on the wall.

Some of the night's offerings are shown on this board.

A wooden candle lit wooden table and chairs line the wall opposite the bar.

Postcards can be had for free, hey, that's Thomas!

Obligatory overhead bar mirror shot.

I wasn't going to do any meet and greet photos, but what the hell, I've got a second wind now, let's go say hi to this couple.

Pamela and Chris were enjoying a quiet moment at the bar. Till I burst in with my 365 chatter. Hey, it's what I do!

Thomas pours the last beer of the evening. Hooray, I made it!

Almost. Goodnight everybody!

Review
Bar Veloce is an elegant, long narrow bar and the emphasis here is on wine, tasty food and professional service. Owner Frederick E. Twomey has modeled the bar in the fashion of Europe’s “fast bars” where people stop by for a quick and enjoyable drink while on their way to other venues. The bar is sleek and long and there’s a long candle lit wooden bar with chairs opposite to sit at. A TV screen in the back of the bar shows foreign movies with subtitles and the sound off. Jazz music plays in the background at a low level, allowing easy conversation to flow.

This is a wine bar, so the wine list is extensive and impressive. In addition to the wine there’s classic spirits, sake and three bottled beers available. They also have a food menu featuring eight olive plates, twelve panini choices and six Piatti composed plates to choose from.

Bar Veloce is a nice, relaxing place to hang, especially when there’s a Laker’s game going on. Sometimes a subtitled film on the tube is a nice choice when you’re tired and just want a drink or three. Or four.

Bar Veloce
175 Second Ave. (Near 11th St.)
212-260-3200