Wednesday. June 30th, 2010—Bar 171

Day 171—Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
The Library
Okay, first off, I want to thank bar owner and sometime commentator, Kim, owner of Kim’s Place in Parkston, South Dakota for buying some of the 365 merchandise from the 365 Bars Store that "Boris" set up and maintains. And she not only purchased the items but sent in some photos of her modeling the merchandise as well, check it out below. “Boris’s” 365 logo never looked so good!

I asked Kim via email to describe her bar and here’s what she said:

My bar is not hard to find if you can find your way to Parkston, South Dakota.  I'm dead center in the middle of town on Main Street.  I have a group on Facebook and here it is: Kim’s Place facebook page. I have Happy Hour Mon-Fri from the opening to 7 pm, with drink specials and discounts. I don't have a grill but I do cook up a great Tombstone Pizza or will microwave you a delicious "Dakota Tom's" Sandwich. We have pool and darts along with the occasional Beer Pong or Tippy Cup games going on.  Also Karaoke, DJ or even a live band from time to time. Touch Tunes music system where you can cue up just about anything your ears are aching to hear!  The atmosphere is typical small town friendly with the "Cheers" attitude where everybody knows your name.  If you’re a local and drink the same thing all the time, typically your beer/drink will be waiting by the time you get to the bar (because I'm that good)!  If you are an out of towner be prepared as the locals are friendly (and nosey)! ;)  Weeknights are mostly low key, but more often than not the most fun.  Weekends are crazy and fun as Kim’s has the reputation for the best shots, speciality drinks (Kim's Koolaide, Long Island Iced Tea and Bloody Mary are notably the best in the area so I've been told) and the coldest beer in town. 
 
Also would like to add as the Sturgis Motorcylce Rally is coming up in August that my bar is a favorite of bikers from as far as the Jersey Shore and Long Island. Bikers that get off the main interstates, and want a scenic ride thru South Dakota drive Hwy 44 which goes thru Parkston. I open early during these couple weeks just to cater to the bikers and for those that choose to spend the night in Parkston they've come back year after year.

Thanks Kim, sounds like a top-notch tavern!

Okay and speaking of taverns, on to tonight’s bar. Tonight we’re going to a library, a library with not only books, but booze. The Library is a bar in the East Village that I thought I’d donate two of my books to the bar. Might as well let them collect dust there instead of in my  apartment! Put on your thinking caps and let’s make tracks to The Library.

Here we are, this looks like my kind of library.

There's a couple seats at the bar, so let's check out a beer or four at The Library.

The background lighting is red and it turned bartender Linnea into a red portrait. I tried another take.

And this one came out red as well. What can I tell you, the Library is a red bar.

And to prove the point, the other bartender on duty (I forgot to write your name down, if you're reading this leave it in the comments section and I'll correct it) came up red as well!

There's a variety of themes going on here, from Halloween to Christmas to spinning globes.

Lots of beers available for your drinking pleasure.

Here's Marise who was seated next to me. She bartends uptown and I'll be stopping by her bar soon. Stay tuned!

My two books I'm donating to the library.

Linnea and Marise pose with the books.

Some of the other books available for check-out at The Library.

Here's Saucy, who was enjoying a little sauce at the bar.

There's candle lit tables in the back and a movie screen that plays B-movies and an occasional Kung Fu flick.

There's also booths. Here's Patrick and Alex enjoying a beer in the back of The Library.

Gumballs!

There's not only graffiti in the bathrooms, it starts on the doors in this joint.

Okay, time to get back to the bar.

Here's Thomas and Early at the bar enjoying beers.

And my books are officially installed onto a shelf at The Library. Huzzah! Goodnight, everybody!

Review
There’s no whispering in this library. In fact when the jukebox is cranking out Iggy Pop, Misfits and Dead Kennedy tunes, you’ll find yourself shouting out for your next can of Rolling Rock to the friendly bartender on duty. This library does have bookshelves lined with books (including mine!), but if you don’t feel like reading out of a book, there’s plenty of graffiti on the walls to peruse. The front of the bar houses a horseshoe bar and there’s candle lit tables in the back and booths as well. The back wall has a screen that plays B-list movies. Plastic skulls and Christmas tree lights adorn the walls and ceilings.

There’s a full bar available with bottled beers featuring: Heineken, Red Stripe, Stella and Newcastle. Budweiser, Blue Moon, Stella and Guinness are available on tap and if your wallet’s a little slim, Natural Light, Rolling Rock and Busch are available for just three bucks a can. There’s a daily Happy Hour that runs from 5pm to 8pm for with two-for-one drinks.

The only card you need at this library is your I.D. card, check it out.

The Library
7 Ave. A (near Houston)
212-375-1352

Thursday, March 11th, 2010—Bar 60

Day 60—Wednesday, March 11th, 2010
No Idea

First off, thanks again to the NY Daily News and Simone Weichselbaum for the great story yesterday! Also thanks to Billy Dennis at Peoria Pundit and Billy Gray at Gust of a Guest for spreading the word. It's also gone international, check out this story from Globo.com in Brazil and from the Daily Telegraph in Australia. I got a lot of hits and I hope the people who have just discovered the site enjoy it and come back often. And I also want to thank Susan Weiser (I wonder if she’s any relation to Bud?) who generously donated twenty dollars to the 365 site, here’s her Paypal donation receipt:

Total amount: $20.00 USD
Currency: U.S. Dollars
Purpose: To buy Marty a beer, I'm pregnant and I can't drink, so I live vicariously through his website. LOL
Contributor: Susan Weiser

Ha ha ha! Let me know when you’re unpregnant Susan and I’ll buy you a beer. Thanks so much!

And I heard from an old high school chum of mine who also donated:

Total amount: $25.00 USD
Purpose: Hey Marty - Enjoy a beer on me - Cathleen McNamee Paul. Maybe Ernie and I will come to New York and join you!
Contributor: Cathleen Paul

Thanks Cathy! I hope you and Ernie come back here soon, we’ll go back to Chat ‘N’ Chew!

And a donation from Australia!

Total amount: $10.00 USD
Purpose: Great concept - Challenge to do it around Australia
Contributor: Michael Farquhar

Thanks Michael, it’s cool you found the 365 site all the way from Australia!

Okay, I have No Idea where we’re going tonight and I mean that literally. I found a bar in the Flatiron area called, No Idea. Their website is hilarious, they claim that both the book, "Last of the Mohicans" and Chastity Bono were conceived at the bar. They bill themselves as, “No Idea—Where Everybody Know’s You’re Lame.” They refuse to serve the drink, Sex on the Beach, but highly condone socks on the beach. Okay, if the bar is as fun as the website it should be a blast.

I forgot to take a photo of the outside of the joint, so I took this from their website. It's more festive than one I could've done anyway!

It's long and skinny in here. And loud, the music is blaring!

The bartender kindly asked not to have her picture taken, so we took this hand shot. Insert your own happy ending joke here.

The name of the night was Jordan. The bartender told me a male and a female Jordan stopped in to collect there alcoholic winnings.

Pat and Cindy were seated next to me at the bar. Cheers!

Some of the beers on tap at No Idea.

Ron was hanging out at the end of the bar enjoying the evening.

Looks like it's always Halloween in here. Trick or booze!

My one suggestion to No Idea: Ditch the Calfornication coasters. I don't like seeing a TV commercial everytime I lift my beer.

Here's Steve and Beth at the end of the bar. Steve's a fellow transplanted mid-westerner like myself. He's originally from St. Louis.

Seconds later Beth posed with her friend Amy.

The specialty drink at No Idea is vodka and apple juice...

So I ordered one. I asked the bartender if she was an aspiring hand model and she laughed, but she has a lovely hand, doesn't she?

Here's Kurt and Ana who were enjoying the festive vibe in the bar.

There's a pool table in the back room.

And I have a Guinness for a nightcap which leads to the traditional wearin' of the Guinness. Goodnight everybody!

Review

No Idea is a small, long and skinny bar with two back rooms, a touch of kitsch and a unique nightly gimmick. They play the name game here and if they pick your chosen name (you have to prove it with a legal I.D.) you get to drink for free for five wonderful hours. And the odds are, since they post the month of names on their website, you’ll be drinking with other people named with your name. George Thorogood should take not though, if you like to drink alone, you won’t be a winner, even if your name is picked. One of the rules is you must bring friends with you and they have to pay for their drinks.

One of the things in the laid back bar that’s not a gimmick or a game is good, cheap booze and plenty of it. When it comes to drinking, they don’t fuck around here. They have 16-ounce mixed drinks that go for as little as six bucks a glass. There’s nine different beers on tap and you can get a pint starting at four bucks and topping out at six bucks for the more exotic brands. Some of the drafts on tap include, Blue Point Toasted, Hoegaarden, Magic Hat #9 and their own No Idea Ale. Bottled beers will cost four bucks and a few slip into the five dollar range. They also have cans of Colt 45 and Schafer’s available.

There’s no food served at No Idea, but they have a pile of menus from nearby and patrons are encouraged to order in. And at No Idea they want you to know the following” “Our bartenders have smooth faces. The shavings are passed on to you.” (rimshot)

No Idea
30 East 20th St. (between Broadway & Park Ave. South)
212-777-0100

Friday, March 5th, 2010—Bar 54

Day 54 (Where are you?)—Thursday, March 4th
Winnie’s

Okay, my parents are coming it to town this afternoon and I can’t drag them on this bar crawl, so for the next four days I’ll be going to bars in the afternoon. Today we’re going to try and make up for last night’s bad time and bad mood. I’m feeling much better and found a bar called Winnie’s in Chinatown. Supposedly it’s a legendary dive/karaoke bar and it looks kind of interesting. Normally I avoid the karaoke, but I have a feeling in the daytime it’ll be toned down.It’s a New York Magazine critics pick, so let’s see if it lives up to their review.

Here it is, Winnie's bar, deep in the heart of Chinatown.

Eng serves up the first beer of the day.

And here I am with the aforementioned beer. Cheers!

Pictures from days gone by hang above the bar.

I'm the only one in here, but it is daytime after all. The crowds build as night comes.

Here's Q the bartender, armed with a bottle of Snapple. Q's top three karaoke songs you should not put on when she is working are:

1. Sister Christian.

2. Bohemian Rhapsody.

3. Total Eclipse of the Heart.

The bar was originally called Happy Bar and here's the sign which hangs on the wall.

Red banquettes line the wall opposite the bar.

Here's Eng and Walter, a Winnie's regular.

Walter poses with Q.

Walter was kind enough to buy me a drink and here I am downing it. Huzzah!

I got to eat off the empoyees menu. A deep fried pork chop Eng cooked up for me. It was spicy and delicious!

Here's the bar's cat, guarding the karaoke stage. Her name is Mao Mao. Good kitty!

Some of the specialty drinks available at Winnie's. And don't forget to tip your bartender!

Winnie's has a festive, clubhouse atmosphere.

Here I am with another regualar, Jimmy.

Tony is Jimmy's son. He's a dancer and an artist. Check out his website here: Tony's Website.

And here's the whole gang! Thanks to Q, Eng and everybody at Winnie's for a delightful daytime adventure!

Review

Okay, instead of a review, I’m going to just write up what a good time I had at Winnie’s and what a refreshing change it was from the pretentious atmosphere of last night. I have to admit, I was kind of dreading to going to a bar in the daylight. I mean I’m a guy who’s worked night’s since 1985 and I rarely lurk about when the sun is shining. So I thought day one of the daytime bar crawl might be a bit of a drag. Luckily I started it at Winnie’s bar in Chinatown.

Okay, so it’s about 1:30 in the afternoon and usually I’d have posted the day’s bar crawl review and be back in bed, but today I had to be at a bar in the afternoon. I took a cab to Winnie’s, and walked in the door and no one appeared to be there. I shouted out, “Hello?” and that’s when an Asian man came running out and asked me what I wanted. I ordered a Budweiser, asked to take his picture and he was more than hospitable, he was one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met and told me his name was Eng as I shook his hand. And then the door opened up and he said, “Here’s who you should take a picture of!” And he was right. It was Q the bartender who was super-cute, funny and had baskets of fun bartender tales to tell. She really made me feel like we were having a little party in this cozy, fun and clubhouse-like dive bar. And Then Eng brought out deep-fried pork chops that were delicious, I got to eat off the employees menu for free. And then Walter came in and then Jimmy and then Tony and goddamn it all I had a freaking blast, all before five in the afternoon!

So, the bottom line is this, I don’t believe in bottom lines so there isn’t going to be one here. But if you want to have fun with genuine characters in a bar that’s loaded with character make your next stop Winnie’s. It’s the most fun I’ve had on the bar crawl so far! Cheers and beers to the gang at Winnie’s for making me feel so welcome, it was a true blast!

Winnie’s
104 Bayard St. (between Baxter and Mullberry St.)
212-732-2384