Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010—Bar 249

Day 249—Wednesday, September 15th, 2010
Tortilla Flats
Okay, last night’s post was a little flat, because I was knocked-out flat from a bad night at work. But tonight’s another night so it’s onward, upward and Ward I’m worried about the Beaver.

I found a place called Tortilla Flats online that’s supposed to have great margaritas and it’s a kitschy place that kind of reminded me of the Trailer Park bar which was bar number 47. Hard to believe I went there over 200 nights ago when it was winter. It seems like its only been 199. Anyhoo, this place looks kind of festive and I could go for a margarita or six, so it’s off we go.

And through the magic of the internet, here we are.

The bar is crowded, but I spy a seat right there in the middle.

Wow, look at all the tinsel hanging from the ceiling. It's as if a Christmas tree threw up in here.

Leslie the friendly and cute bartender on duty serves up the first margarita of the evening.

Here's the bar with the bottles lit up at the bottom instead of the top.

Homemade Elvis art hangs amidst the tinsel and lights above the bar.

Prath and Ryan were seated next to me at the bar and wished me luck on my 365 journey. Thanks guys!

Margaritas and tequila shots are house favorites, but there's also a decent selection of beer to be had.

Kitschy and nostalgic art hangs on every square inch of the walls.

Here's Elvis with his very own security camera attached. Thank ya...thank ya very much!

Here's the infamous Ernest Borgnine wall.

Not to be outdone, Elvis has his own wall as well. Thank ya...thank ya...oh shit, I did that already. Never mind.

Wednesday is hula hoop night here. If you can spin a hula hoop for two minutes you win.

She started out with a bang...

But in the end the hula hoop won. Maybe next time!

The host for the evening's festivities is...

John, who's also the manager for the evening.

Here's Dries and Cristina relaxing at a back booth. Cristina had recently won the hula hoop challenge. Congratulations, Cristina!

Meanwhile, back at the bar I met Shawn, the other bartender on duty.

Shawn suggested a shot of tequila and who am I to say no?

Glasses are clinked...

And the shots are had. Cheers!

Ouch! Where's that pickle juice when I need it? Goodnight, everybody!

Review
Tortilla Flats bills itself as a West Village innovator in eclectic and eccentric New York life. And when you’ve had a night devoted to honoring Ernest Borgnine 18 years in a row, you have a right to make that claim. The bar area is tiny with a wooden bar festooned with homemade drawings of Elvis and light and tinsel hanging from it. The bartenders are friendly and the patrons are mainly tequila shot drinkers from the neighborhood. There’s booths opposite the bar and tables in the back. The decor is all kitsch and kaboodle, leaning heavy on equal parts Elvis and Ernest Borgnine.

There’s a full bar here with 10 different brands of tequila. Margaritas can be had by the pitcher and there’s a good selection of bottled beer. As expected the menu is Mexican (expect most of the crowd to be facebook devotees--somewhat private joke alert) and in addition to your standard tacos, burrtos and enchiladas, some of the specialities include: Carne Asada which is grilled sliced steak with a spicy rancheros sauce rolled into two burritos; Flautas Camarones are deep-fried shrimp filled tortilla flutes; New Mexican Short Stack which is three blue corn tortillas, stacked on top of each other, with layers of black beans, ancho chili salsa and your choice of beef, chicken or veggies and topped with jack cheese and Pollo Verde which has fresh tomatillo, serrano chili and garlic salsa atop grilled boneless chicken breast with melted cheese.

Monday and Tuesday nights there’s bingo at the bar, Wednesday is hula hoop night and on Friday’s you’re invited to wear your pajamas for V.I.P treatment. I gotta stop by here this year for the Ernest Borgnine night. My name is Marty after all!

Tortilla Flats
767 Washington St. (@12th St.)
212-243-1053

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

Day 238—Saturday, September 4th, 2010
The Collective (Origninally headed for Bill’s Bar & Burger)
Okay, it’s cheeseburger Saturday night, so what could be more appropriate than heading to the Meatpacking district in search of a great burger? Irony board at its finest hour! I’ve read good things about Bill’s Bar & Burger and it’s not far from where I live. So let’s hoof it on over and check out the Bill of fare. (rimshot)

And we're off! A little too sunny out here for my tastes, but a nice day none the less.

Do You Wanna Bump?

Memories!

Okay, we're here, the corner of 13th and Ninth.

And here we are. Unfortunately I was told by the manager that since they are part of a corporation I couldn't take pictures for a website. That's okay, I don't like drinking in corporate bars anyway. We hardly knew ye, Bill and thank fuck for that.

And so we begin a lonesome walk in search of a cheeseburger.

Let's see what's down this way.

The Collective, a restaurant and bar. I'm starvin' like Marvin, so this looks good enough for me.

It's a nice sized bar and it's got a retro '70's vibe going on.

And bartender Adam dutifully serves up an ice cold beer.

Here's a long shot of the bar, it may be sunny outside, but it's nice and dark in here.

Joel and Amy were enjoying an early evening drink at the bar.

Some of the beers on tap at the bar.

The dining room is huge.

And it houses a second bar. I like the one I'm at better. It's darker.

I love this "Don't Walk" chair!

There's lots of tables outside to drink and dine at. Great for people-watching.

Back inside I meet the lovely chef Ariel and Eddie the second bartender of the evening. Nice and friendly people.

And here comes dinner! First up is the devlied eggs. They were fantastic andI love the fact that they're surrounded by popcorn! Nice touch!

And here's the main course, a cheeseburger and fries.

The burger is not only topped with cheese, it's got a special truffle sauce on top. It looks great.

And here I am trying to stuff the whole thing in my face.

It was delicious! Burp! Goodnight, everybody!

Review
The Collective is a restaurant/bar that has a loungey atmosphere with a funky and unique atmosphere. The floor is wooden and the back main bar has a ‘70s retro feel to it. The main dining room has creative furniture and candle-lit tables. There’s also a second bar and plenty of areas and nooks with comfortable couches and chairs to kick back in. Outside there’s plenty of tables to eat, drink and watch the crowd in the Meatpacking district wander by in search of the next club they’re going to hit.

There’s a full bar and some of the specialty cocktails include: the My Tie wich is, 10 cane and Myers dark rum with liquefied almonds over traditional fresh juices; an Electric Blueberry Collins which mixes Smirnoff Blueberry Vodka, vermont blueberries and fresh lemonade topped with prosecco; the Robert Maple Roy which is Glenlivet 12-year-old single malt whiskey with cherry bitters and fresh maple syrup and the Modified Moscow Mule which is Russian Standard Vodka, fresh lime, cucumber and ginger beer.

There’s also an eclectic food menu featuring: Hong Kong Ribs, Chicken-n-Waffles with maple gravy, Vermont Cheddar Mac & Cheese and B.B.Q Spiced Rib-Eye And Fries. And if you’ve still got room, try the Baked Alaskan Ding Dong dessert which is Texas sheet cake, toasted marshmallow, cookies and cream gelato.

The Collective
1 Little W. 12th St. (Near Hudson St.)
212-255-9717

And now for tonight's Sunday video, Iggy Pop with Soupy Sale's kids, Hunt and Tony on "Lust For Life."