Monday, September 6th, 2010—Bar 239

Day 239—Saturday, September 4th, 2010
La Palapa Cocina Mexicana
Okay, about a month ago (Jesus, it seems like just last week, time is flying), I tried to get a Mexican dinner (hello, facebook!) at a bar in the La Palapa Cocina Mexicana and it was too packed to get in and I ended up eating a fine dinner at The Bourgeois Pig, just a few blocks away. Well, it’s a three day weekend and the city has emptied out a bit, so I thought I’d try La Palapa Cocina Mexicana again. It’s a nice night, so let’s take a walk eastward and see if I get my Mexican meal and drinks tonight. Areeba! (And don’t forget to check out the bonus photos after the review of 365 commentator and Aussie chef, Tim Clack modeling a “Down Under” t-shirt from the 365 Bar store. Thanks for buying that Tim and thanks to “Boris” for maintaining the store. And remember, “Boris” is available for freelance work if you need a logo, something retouched, specialized art for your website or just about anything. Send me an email and I’ll forward it to the 365 resident artist, “Boris.”)

And we're off, the sun has set and it's nice and dark outside.

I saw this fellow on the street with a camera and challenged him to a dueling photographer contest. He took me up on it and here's the result. His name is Matty Brown and check out his website here: Matty Brown Photography.

Deja vu! Here we are again.

Hooray, there's plenty of seats at the bar tonight!

And the pretty and super-friendly bartender, Caitlin expertly pours me a Michelada.

Doc, a waiter here is super busy, but volunteered to take a photo of me at the bar. This is one friendly joint!

Cheers and thanks for the photo, Doc!

The owners of the bar, Margaritte Malfy and Barbara Sibley have written this cookbook that includes some of the recipes from the restaurant.

There's candle lit tables that line the wall opposite the bar.

The large dining area is in the back of the restaurant.

Upfront tables are in an open-aired space for a nice view of St. Mark's Place.

Meanwhile Caitlin is busy back at the bar.

The bar from my point of view.

Andrew was seated next to me enjoying a cold beer at the bar.

And Veronica and Dario were having margaritas at the end of the bar. It was then I discovered it was couples night at the bar...

It turns out Andrew is Caitlin's boyfriend...

And Dario's boyfriend Michael is a waiter at the bar. A couple of cute couples, huh? It also turns out that Michael's brother is Tyler Florence, a star at Food Network.

And here's the whole gang at the bar.

It's Sunday night and that means, Sunday dinner! Caitlin places my order...

And here's the first portion, homemade chips and three types of salsa and a spicy chili-rubbed ear of corn.

The corn was fantastic!

I also had the Crepas De Huitlacoche which is mushrooms, corn and poblano crema folded into crepes and then baked. Delicious!

And while the food is gone, there always remains...

Fire! Goodnight, everybody!

Review
La Palapa Cocina Mexicana has been a neighborhood favorite in the Lower East Side for over a decade now. The restaurant has a comfortable low-key atmosphere with a friendly staff that’s more than happy to assist you through the extensive Mexican menu, should you need help or recommendations. There’s a full bar that you can dine at and outside seating as well. Owners Margaritte Malfy and Barbara Sibley are chefs and also artists and they have written a book of recipes if you’d like to try to duplicate some of the dishes at home, check out the book here: Antojitos.

The bar features Mexican signature drinks such as a spicy Michelada and many flavors of margaritas. Happy hour happens every day from 4pm to 7pm with 2 for 1 drinks at the bar. Tuesday is Margarita Madness Night with Five dollar frozen fresh lime margaritas all day and all night. On Sunday’s they offer 10 dollar pitchers of Sangria from opening to closing.

There’s an extensive choice of Mexican food available with some of the house specialties including: Enchiladas De Pollo Verdes O Mole Rojo which is spicy chicken enchiladas topped with queso fresco, crema and onion in a choice of tomatillo green sauce or red mole; Pechuga De Pollo En Crema Poblana, a grilled chicken with poblano crema and sweet corn served with red tomato rice and black beans; Camarones Al Mojo De Ajo which is sautéed shrimp with golden garlic cloves, red tomato rice, black beans and Arrachera Al Tequila Con Jalapeños Torreados, a  grilled choice cut skirt steak marinated in lime and tequila, roasted onions and jalapeños, green rice and pinto beans. There’s also a lunch menu and a Mexican Brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

And in what is the ultimate of ironies, at least for me (and those who know what I’m talking about), they have a facebook page!

La Palapa Cocina Mexicana
77 St Marks Pl. (Between 1st & 2nd Ave.)
212-777-2537

Bonus Photos!
One of my Aussie mates and 365 commentator, Tim Clack (a self-described Fuckwit) ordered one of “Boris’” special “Down Under” t-shirts from the 365 Bar Store and here he is modeling it:
And here’s a photo he sent in for Zioum Zioum after reading about her musical tastes. Thanks Clacky and cheers, mate!

And in response to Fitzy's "Dusk Till Dawn" comment, Jaws worked up this fitting piece of art, titled, "Jaws-U-la! Good one, Jaws!

I thought I'd throw up a video before I leave tonight, so here you have my favorite Little Feat song, "Willin.'" And I love the Neon Park album cover. Cheers and sneeze you all tomorrow.

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010—Bar 212

Day 212—Monday, August 9th, 2010
Swift Hibernian Lounge
First off, I want to wish DJ, 365 commentator and blogger, Gidget the happiest birthday ever! Today is actually the second birthday of the year for Gidget and you can read all about that at her blog: Gidget Bates Crap She Spews. Gidget is THE coolest DJ in the world and hosts a great rado show on Woody Radio, check out the schedules and listen when you can right here: Woody Radio. She's hosting her birthday show today from 1pm to 5pm, so tune in and send her your birthday wishes. Happy birthday, Gidget!
Check down at the end of this post after the review for some special bonus photos. Our Australian mate and 365 commentator Fitzy sent in some photos of the Koala hospital where he works in Australia. There’s some great shots and commentary by Fitzy himself. A little Oz treat down under the post from down under itself. Thanks for sending these in Fitzy mate! Looking forward to the 365 Oz summit!

Okay, yesterday in the comments section we had a couple complaints about TV sets in bars. I agree, but to the Whiskey Trader’s defense, they do bill themselves as a “Sports Bar and Lounge,” so it kind of comes with the territory and you should realize before you step a foot in there that there’s going to be big TV’s with sports on them. Anyway, I did a Google search on bars with no TV’s in New York City and found this article from 2009: “The Few, the Proud: Pubs That Still Resist the Pull of the Television Screen.” They forgot to mention the Mars Bar, but we’ve been there already, and the only bar they mention in Manhattan that has no TV sets is the Swift Hibernian Lounge (the other two are in Brooklyn and I’ll try and get there sometime). The article is a year old, let’s go see if this place is still sans TV.

Here we are at the Swift Hibernian Lounge.

Now there's a good idea on this hotter than fuck-all evening.

Check out the large cathedral, wooden doors.

And they open up to a nice dark, candlelit bar and not a TV in sight. The cathedral of the good drinker.

Bartender Shane expertly mixes me up a margarita. Shane is one of the best and most friendly bartenders I've met on the bar crawl, a great guy and he mixes a mean margarita.

Delicious!

There's a wooden lounge area opposite the bar.

Here's Chris and Steve who are fire fighters from Ladder 9. To the right of them hangs a memorial plaque to their fallen brothers from September 11th. Thanks for your good work, Chris and Steve!

There's a nice candlelit nook up front to enjoy the view outside of the bar.

Shane at work behind the bar.

The well-stocked bar at Swift Hibernian Lounge.

The draft beer list.

And the bottled beers that are available. An impressive list.

The mural that runs along the entire wall was painted by local artist, Carey Rothman.

Rob, Corey and Jennie were enjoying some drinks at the bar and agreed to post for the 365 camera.

Then Rob took the camera and turned the tables on me and had me pose with Corey, Jennie and their friend Matthew in the back.

A long, candlelit wooden bank runs the length opposite the bar where you can rest a drink or an elbow.

There's tables and booths in the large back room of the bar.

In between Margaritas Shane poured me a perfect Guinness. The bar is known as the go-to place for a perfectly poured pint of Guinness.

Here's Shane with his girlfriend, Erin on his left and her mom, Nadine on his right. Erin and Nadine are from New Orleans. Erin lives here now and her mom is visiting. Cheers to you all!

Rob and Chris in conversation at the front of the bar.

And here I am with a margarita and the ultimate traditional wearin' of the Guinness on the noggin'. Good night, everybody!

Review
They bill themselves as a lounge, but theSwift Hibernian Lounge could also be called an Irish alehouse. A large Irish alehouse. The front room houses a long and winding wooden bar with a wooden lounge area opposite. Up front are two nice window viewing nooks and there’s a large back room with a communal table and oversize wooden booths. The bartenders are friendly and the cliental are mainly neighborhood regulars, but first-timers are treated as friendly as the long-time customers. The Swift Hibernian Lounge has been in business for 15 years and has grown to be a neighborhood favorite.

There’s a huge selection of beer available here. There’s 54 bottled beers and 23 beers on tap to choose from. The selection changes daily, but there’s real time viewing on what’s availble at their website. They feature a decent wine list and specialty cocktails including: The Captain Gulliver, which mixes Jameson whiskey, ginger beer and lemon; Esther, which is a combination of Beefeater 24, mint and fresh limede and they also have raspberry or lemon sorbet sangria. The spirit list is impressive with copious varieties of Irish whiskey, single malt scotch, tequila and American bourbon.

The menu is small and strictly pub fare featuring such items as: chicken salad sandwich, reuben sandwich, beef and Guinness pie, mini cheddar burgers and tomato and mozzarella pizza. Food is served till four in the morning and they are open 365 days a year. On the weekends DJ’s spin tunes and on Tuesday nights they have a traditional Irish seisuin. I’m not exactly sure what a “traditional Irish seisuin” is and I’m running late for work. I think it’s live music, but Google it to be sure. I gotta go! Sneeze ya, tomorrow.

Swift Hibernian Lounge
34 E. 4th St. (Near The Bowery)
212-260-3600

--------------------------------------------

Bonus Photos!

Here’s the photos and comments that Fitzy sent in from the land of Oz and the Koala hospital where he works, enjoy! Thanks for sending them in Fitzy, mate!

Koala Crossing sign—Had to get you a pick of this Marty after you hit me up to check out how authentic "The Creek Bar # 207" was, so you can see their Koala Crossing sign was an authentic replica not far off the mark. This is about 50m from the entrance to Macquarie Nature Reserve, home to Roto House and the Koala Hospital.

Here is Barry—Barry is me best mate. He is the oldest koala we have, he is the grumpiest and has the worst attitude going which is why i love the little bastard! The girls gave me Barry to feed the 1st day i started as an initiation thing, and yes the fucker bit me a beauty. But since then we've become mates, i let him keep his milk moe after feeding (they hate having their mouths wiped) and he lets me check him for ticks without inflicting injuries on me they may require stitches...good bloke Bazza!

This is Danny—Danny is sorta a cross between Fabio and Steve McQueen ("The Great Escape"). He has escaped twice in the last month due to it being mating season. He was bought in with conjunctivitis and Chlamydia, yep the sexually transmitted disease, they are horny littl' critters i kid you not! Danny is the definition of "young dumb and full of cum." So Danny is in our Max Security Wing for time being.

Another shot of Danny—He was found just round the corner from me after we got a call from a local saying a koala was at the base of a tree in their backyard. F.Y.I. people, if you see a koala lurking at or toward the base of a tree, not going up, call the Dept of Wildlife, its a tell-tale sign the koala is crook and in distress, plus at the base or low they are vulnerable to attack. The healthier the koala, the higher you will find them in the tree. Danny, "the little slave to erotica" will be released in a month or so, in plenty of time for the rest of the mating season!

And finally, here's to Erin's mom, Nadine who's visiting from New Orleans and is named after my favorite Chuck Berry song. Have fun in New York, Nadine!

Monday, August 2nd, 2010—Bar 204

Day 204—Sunday, August 1st, 2010
The Bourgeois Pig (Originally headed for La Palapa Cocina Mexicana)
I awoke today with the PayPal donation bell ringing. It turned out to be a generous donation of ten dollars from Ruben Sleurink who has donated in the past. Ruben lives in Holland and here’s his stated purpose on the PayPal reciept: “For my only, but best friend in NYC! One day we'll meet each other haha! Keep up the good crawling!” How cool! well Ruben, you are my only and best friend in Holland and one day we will indeed meet and I’ll buy the first round! Thank you so much! Ruben is part of a breakfast delivery service in the Netherlands, check out their website here: Desayuno.nl.

Okay, I found a cool Mexican place the other week before the Goodfellas screening. I was early for the movie, so I went across the street and had a Michelada (hello, Tiki Bar Susie!) at a Mexican restaurant across the street called, La Palapa Cocina Mexicana. It’s convienently located next to the Holiday Cocktail Lounge where I need to finish taking pictures, so I figure I’ll get all this done today. And so, it’s off we go to the East Village. And this time my camera is charged up and ready to go.

Okay, the first stop is a return visit to the Holiday Cocktail Lounge where I finished taking the pictures in there. Check out the update here: Holiday Cocktail Lounge Update. (Scroll down for the update.)

And here we are at La Palapa Concina Mexicana. I can taste the Michelada already!

Apparently a lot of other people had the same taste in mind, the place is packed. Time to move on, we'll try this place again later in the crawl.

I walked around for a block or two and stumbled upon the Burgeois Pig. I've been meaning to check this place out and now is as good of a time as any.

A dark and decadent place with a marble bar, looks like we found tonight's destination.

And the beautiful bartender, Andrea serves up a watermelon Sangria.

It hits the spot on a warm summer evening.

Matt was the waiter on duty and a friendly and nice guy.

As I'm feeling comfortable I look up and there it is, the mark of excellence: A tin ceiling!

An elegant chandelier hangs in the middle of the room.

Karen and Suzanne were enjoying a glass of wine at the bar.

There's comfortable padded throne chairs to lounge and enjoy your drink and food here.

There's marble tables and more chairs in the front of the bar and open window seating.

Kasey and Bill were enjoying food and wine and the scenery from the open window dining area.

More tables are located on a step-up portion of the bar.

George, En and Maria were having drinks at the other window booth facing the street.

Okay, back to the bar because my Sunday dinner should be arriving at any minute.

And here it is! I got the lobster bisque fondue which is served with bread points, roasted potatoes and vegetables.

I hadn't had fondue since the '70's and it was delicious. The cheesy fondue had lumps of shrimp, lobster and crab in it.

Andrea shut off my flash to get these red-light shots of me enjoying the fondue.

They turned out really cool, great job, Andrea!

Okay, the fondue's gone, which means I am too. Goodnight, everybody!

Review
As you step into the Bourgeois Pig you’ll feel as if you’re being transported into a dark and, decadent French bordello. There’s throne chairs, a marble bar, tables, velveteen banquettes and couches to relax on. The entire bar is swathed in magenta hues giving it a definite red-llight district feel. The place has a speakeasy like feel to it, but you don’t need a password to get in and the staff is friendly and unpretentious.

The bar doesn’t have a full liquor license, it’s just wine and beer here, but they make the most of it. They have three selections of Sangria, a large wine list and wine cocktails including: the Paradis which is a mixture of lustau dry amontillado, elderflower, black cherry grenadine, the Mois De Brume which is chilled lillet, brumaire pacherenc, apricot, orgeat almond, lemon, and a dash of orange bitters and the Le Marin Port Flip which mixes tawny port, espresso, demerara sugar, dark chocolate, cream and egg yolk. There’s eleven wine cocktails total and they all go for 12 bucks apiece. The beer selection is all Belgian Ales and it includes: Dekoninck Ale, Delirium Tremens, Paulwel Kwak and St. Bernardus.

The menu is French with the emphasis on cheese and fondue specialties. They include five types of bruschetta, four selections of tartines and five cheese plates to choose from. The fondue selections include: French Onion Fondue, Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan And Romano, Rarebit Fondue and Lobster Bisque Fondue which is shrimp, crab, cheddar in a rich lobster broth with toast points, braised vegetables and herbed potatoes.

There’s long happy hours here. On Monday and Tuesday there’s half-priced bottles of wine from 5pm to 2am. On Wednesday you get half priced mussels from 5pm to 2am. And on Saturday and Sunday from 5pm to 7pm they offer half priced bottles of wine. Stop by and dig the pig. (I stole that line from Tim Carey by the way.)

The Bourgeois Pig
111 E. 7th St. (Near 1st Ave.)
212-475-2246