Thursday, September 9th, 2010—Bar 242

Day 242—Wednesday, September 8th, 2010
Black Door
And that sound you hear is the donation bell ringing loud and clear. 365 commentator and my fellow co-worker, Jason Hwang (the guy who was so grumpy last week), generously gave me twenty bucks in good, old-fashioned cash! Jason’s flying to Paris tonight to meet up with his fiancée, Zioum Zioum the Chainsaw. Have a great trip, Jason and say hi to Zioum Zioum for all of us. And thanks for the dough!

Thanks Jason!
Okay, tonight I’m pulling a bar out of my pocket that I’ve been saving. The Black Door is a decent looking bar that’s only five blocks from where I work. I’ve been meaning to stop here on a night that I don’t feel like traveling far, and to quote Neil Young, tonight’s the night. I’m tired as fuck because some goddamn dog was barking all morning. He’d wake me up with his annoying yapping and then stop. I’d fall back to sleep and the fucker would start it again. It even got to the point where I walked out onto the roof and screamed, “Shut the fuck up!” And you know what? He stopped, or the owner put the dog inside. But by then I was wide awake and now I’m beat. The reason I haven’t stopped in to this place yet is that it’s usually packed, but I walked by earlier and it wasn’t crowded at all, probably the result of this being the Wednesday after a holiday weekend. This bar is a simple yet somewhat elegant, no frills, extremely dark bar. You’ll see when we get there, which will be just minutes away as it’s just five blocks on foot.

And here we are, I told it wouldn't take long.

And the door is indeed black, no false advertising here. Shall we enter?

This is truly a dark bar!

I was craving a Michelada, but it wasn't on the cocktail menu, but friendly bartender Michael made me one up anyway. That's the kind of place this is, friendly and attitude free.

Some of the drinks and wines are written on the mirror behind the bar. They don't need no stinking menus here!

Just to show how dark it is in this joint, here's the same shot without a flash.

And once again, the sign of a great bar, a tin ceiling overhead.

Here's Jamie who's the manager and he bought a shot for the both of us. Cheers!

There's an ice tub in the middle of the bar to keep the glasses chilled for drinks.

There's dark wooden candle-lit tables upfront and opposite the bar.

Frederick and Sara were enjoying drinks at the end of the bar and were very supportive of the 365 bar crawl idea. A nice couple!

A table in a nook in the back of the bar.

A painting on the wall opposite the bar.

Michael taking care of business at this dark bar.

My michelada, Corona and...FIRE! A beautiful thing.

Barback Stephan had never had a michelada, so Michael made him one and now he's hooked. Don't blame me, blame Tiki Bar Susie, she introduced me to this addictive drink!

A glance out the window and it's time to hit the road. Goodnight, everybody!

Review
The Black Door is a low-key, dark, candle-lit bar located in the middle of a block that’s barren of decent nightspots, making it a standout, if you can find it. There’s no big sign or awning announcing the bar, just a logo on the window, adding to the bar’s charm. Once you’ve found it and entered you’ll find neighborhood locals and friendly bartenders enjoying a night out. Music is played at a conversational level and the decor inside is all dark wood and candlelight. A perfect spot for a first date or late night rendezvous as their open till 4am every night of the week.

There’s no draft beer available, but there are pleny of bottled beers and a decent wine list. There’s also a large cocktail menu and the attitude-free bartenders will even pour drinks off-menu, as I found out with my Michelada. Drinks are served in ice-chilled glasses from a tub at the front of the bar.

There’s also a nice seperate back room with a bar that’s open on weekends in the prime months and available for private parties. Call to inquire about availability. And if Michael’s bartending, try the Michelada, it’s the best I’ve had. A must stop for Tiki Bar Susie!

Black Door
127 W. 26th St. (Near Sixth Ave.)
212-645-0215

This one goes out to raginrr.