Sunday, January 2nd, 2011—Bar 357

Day 357—Saturday, January 1st, 2011
Mel's Burger Bar
Live from New York, it’s Cheeseburger Saturday Night! Starring Mel’s Burger Bar, with a special guest appearance from my friend and downstairs neighbor, Deloy. And featuring the Ready for Prime Beef Player, Marty. Ladies and gentlemen, Mel’s Burger Bar!

Here we are at my friend and downstair's neighbor Deloy's door. Hey Deloy, Christmas is over, you might want to pack up the trees till next year.

And here she is, my lovely and beautiful neighbor, Deloy. A woman who once helped me pick up chicken wings off the stairwell after I tripped head over heels and about broke my neck. It's a long story and yes, I had been drinking.

Through the miracle of the internet you're spared us getting on the wrong train (my fault, of course), and then ending up in midtown in a throng of tourists where it's impossible to get a cab. Deloy saved the day and miraculously hailed a cab for us.

Hooray for Deloy!

And here we are, uptown at Mel's Burger Bar.

There's plenty of seats at the bar. Don't worry there fellow, we're not here to bother you, you just keep talking on your cell phone.

Justin was our friendly bartender and he quickly served up a couple pre-dinner beers.

Cheers from Deloy and I!

The back of Justin's shirt is adorned with a quote from Hunter S. Thompson. I'd have preferred this HST quote, "The only thing that really worried me was the ether. There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge, and I knew we'd get into that rotten stuff pretty soon." But I guess it wouldn't be fitting for a family restaurant in this day and age. Too bad.

There's tables and red leather banquettes opposite the bar.

Just in case you forget where you are, there's a subtle reminder on the back wall.

In addition to a fantastic burger selection, Mel's has a great beer menu.

Here's the informal back dining room.

Brooke's the friendly and pretty manager. She suggested I try the Broadway burger and I told her I would. It's a done deal.

And for the record, this guy is still talking on his cell phone.

Okay, it's Cheeseburger Saturday Night, time to order some food!

We started out with an appetizer of friend pickles. Neither Deloy or I had ever had one, so it was time to try them out.

Deloy liked them and so did I. Both of us agreed that anything fried can't be too bad.

And before we had a chance to get too pickled, dinner is served!

Deloy got the Kobe Sliders...

I got the Broadway burger that Brooke had suggested. We also got fries and onion strings and everything was delicious! If you're a cheeseburger lover, you have to check this place out.

Okay, dinner's over and he's still talking on his cell phone. Sheesh! Goodnight, everybody!

Review
If you’re looking for a place to unleash your inner Wimpy, Mel’s Burger Bar is the spot to do it in. There’s over a half dozen original variations on the burger to be had here. If eating at the bar is your thing, there’s a large semi-circular bar to dine and enjoy a drink or two. There’s tables and chairs opposite the bar and a dining room in the back. The bartenders and waitstaff are friendly and more than willing to assist you in choosing a burger of your choice.

There’s a full bar including a large selection of draft, canned and bottled beers. They also have four specialty house drinks, homemade punch cocktails and a Bastard Series including a Suffering Bastard, the Dying Bastard and the Dead Bastard which is Jack Daniels, Brandy, Beefeater, Bacardi, Lime Juice, Bitters and Ginger Ale. If you’re going to be a dead bastard, might as well go out with a smile on your face.

There’s plenty of burgers to choose from here including: The Original, a burger served on white toast with lettuce, pickles and tomatoes; The Cadillac Burger which is a bacon cheeseburger served on a potato roll; The Nurse Betty is a veggie burger with Monterey Jack Cheese and it comes with an onion focaccia roll and The Broadway which is served on sourdough rye bread and topped with melted Swiss cheese, bacon and jalapeno’s. In addition to burgers, Mel’s also offers Rotisserie Chicken, BBQ Ribs, Chicken Meatballs and Spaghetti and a French Dip sandwich. Brunch is also available Saturday and Sunday from 11pm to 3pm.

Mel's Burger Bar
2850 Broadway (Between 110th and 111th Street)
212-865-7100

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Bonus “Thought Glasses” Photos!
My friend Joe Freedman sent me a New Year’s gift. The gift is a pair of “Thought Glasses” he made from his production and design studio, Leafpdx in Portland, Oregon. The Thought Glasses subtly add subtext to your conversation and let’s people know what you’re really thinking about. Check them out below. Thanks, Joe and Happy New Year to you!

California dreaming on such a winter's day.

Hey, that reminds me, I need to check my Mega-Millions ticket!

Saturday, January 1st, 2011—Bar 356

Day 356—Friday, December 31st, 2010
Neary’s and The Stoned Crow
So last week I was trying to figure out what to do about New Year’s Eve on the old bar crawl. I’ve always hated New Year’s Eve. To me it’s such a forced holiday and it’s filled with people who usually don’t drink much and for a good reason, they can’t hold their liquor and behave like compete June Taylor Asshats on Parade after about three and a half drinks. I usually buy a shitload of beer, lock my door and watch the Twilight Zone marathon on the Sci-Fi channel and just ignore the whole New Year's Eve hoopla. But this year I have to go out and go to a bar. I decided to go out early and then stop in and have a beer or two at the Stoned Crow and document the last night there with photos. That would be a bit depressing, but it’s something that has to be done. And then in the middle of wondering where to go, this invitation magically appeared in my email inbox from Karen and Jon, the publishers, artists and writers of Grade “A” Fancy:

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Beat the squares – enjoy New Year’s first and in a more exclusive party.
 
New Year’s Eve-ternoon 2010
 
Friday, December 31st
 
We’ll meet for lunch at 1:00 at Neary’s  358 East 57th Street SW corner of 1st Avenue.
Don’t forget that Neary’s (est. 1967) specifies “proper attire required” – and they mean it, man.  That generally means “look nice,” – jackets for the men are good but not essential.  No blue jeans or sneakers.  Anyways, it’s New Year’s Eve-ternoon, dontcha wanna look smashing?

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Well, now, that was easy, problem solved! I just have to dust off my suit and tie from last February’s Superbowl Sunday and it’s off to Neary’s we go.

Okay, lunch is at 1pm, but I'm here a little bit before noon to get the bar crawl photos done before everyone arrives.

Proper Attire is required at Neary's. And I'm properly dressed, so let's enter this fine establishment.

And look at this, it's so early, I've got the run of the bar. Now this is my kind of New Year's Eve!

And here's Tommy, the friendly bartender who happily pours me one of the last beers of 2010.

I don't know if this is the original cash register from that magical year of 1967 when they opened, but I'd like to think it is.

Some of the lit-up bottles behind the bar.

A long-shot of the highly-polished, dark wooden bar.

Here's the majestic dining room, all done up for the holiday season. Let's go see who that is folding napkins at the end of the room.

It's the lovely and beautiful Liz! Liz has been a waitress here for 44 years and I'm lucky enough that she agreed to pose for a photo with me.

There's lots of pictures hanging on the front wall opposite the bar.

Kathie Lee Gifford can't believe she said that and moments later I can't believe I took a photo of that. Kind of a Regis moment for me.

There's lots of Mary Higgins Clark book covers on the walls. She's a regular at the restaurant and Jimmy Neary, the owner of Neary's is a recurring character in her books.

Above the front window is this poignant and breath-taking scene of JFK praying to a sideways choking sign. I'm a little verklempt now, how about you?

Meanwhile, back at the bar, Tommy's holding the bar down.

And down at the end of the bar, Lewis and Margaret are enjoying a New Year's Eve drink. Lewis is a writer and you can read all about his work right here at his website: Lewis Hardee.

Uh, oh, it's almost 1pm, time to pay up and...

Enjoy the fine New Year's Eve luncheon arranged by Karen and Jon. Here we are, take one.

And take two with me getting a little goofy.

Here's some of the New Year's Eve specials on the menu. I opted for the Shepherd's Pie and it was delicious.

I took a quick few panoramic shots of lunch.

The food was wonderful and the conversation was lively and ran the gamut from fanzines to drugs to punk rock to painting Hitler moustaches on a picture of a certain past President and Vice President.

A splendid time was had by all and I thank Karen and Jon for inviting me and introducing me to their wonderful friends.

A glance out the window and it's time to go and say goodbye to the The Stoned Crow and 2010.

And a few hours later, here we are at the last night of the Stoned Crow. I'm not going to bother with captions for the photos. As a spiky-haired singer once sang in a sandpaper, gravel voice: Every picture tells a story.

"I couldn't quote you no Dickens, Shelley or Keats, 'cause it's all been said before. Make the best out of the bad, just laugh it off...HA! You didn't have to come here anyway." (From "Every Picture Tells a Story," written by Rod Stewart and Ron Wood.)

Goodbye, Stoned Crow and goodnight, everybody.

Review
It’s New Year’s Day, so once again I’m going to slack and not write a review, but here’s what Neary’s has to say about itself on their website, take it away, Neary’s!

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Neary's opened o≠n St. Patrick's Day 1967 and proudly remains o≠ne of the most well-known Irish restaurants in New York. The restaurant is often referred to as the "Irish 21." Jimmy Neary, New York's finest host, welcomes everyone in the door with his great Irish smile and charming personality. Each night Jimmy is joined by members of his family and his long-tenured staff to ensure that every customer feels like they are part of the family.

Neary's signature dishes include lamb chops, prime rib of beef, corned beef and cabbage and broiled 1/2 chicken. In addition, there is a fine selection of daily delivered fresh fish.

We look forward to taking care of you and sharing our special home with you.

The Neary Family

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Neary’s
358 E. 57th St. (Near 1st Ave.)
212-751-1434

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Bonus Happy New Year from Jaws!

Jaws just sent in this Happy New Year banner. Thanks, Jaws, Happy New Year to you and everyone out there!

Friday, December 31st, 2010—Bar 355

Day 355—Thursday, December 30th, 2010
Blarney Stone (on 9th Avenue)
Before I begin, I need to direct all of you to a piece of genius. Karen and Jon at Grade “A” Fancy have outdone themselves with a piece of film that sadly displays some of the sad closures that happened in New York City this year. I’d say more, but it speaks for itself, check it out here: 2010 R.I.P.

Okay, another night, another Blarney bar. I think this is the only Blarney bar I haven’t hit yet...there may be one near Wall Street..aw, at this point who the fuck cares? I’m picking this one, not only because I think it’ll be a good stop, on the bar crawl but because it’s all about location, baby! It’s just a few blocks from where I work and I’m getting out of work early, which is nice because I have to get up early to post this and then do my early New Year’s Eve bar crawl. Wow, that’s a lot of “early’s in one sentence.” Makes me think of Biddy Early’s! Let’s go, I think I’m losing my fucking mind here.

It's 8pm so there's a lot more people out and about than usual. A lot of hustle and bustle and I have to admit to being a fan of neither the hustle or the bustle. But in spite of that, what the hell, let's all do the Hustle! (Do it!)

I told you it was close and here we are.

Okay, it looks like a great spot in here and there's plenty of seats at the bar. Shall we?

Linda's the pretty bartender on duty and she's not only friendly...

She's quick with a beer. Peace, love and suds.

An overhead shot of the bar.

And a longshot from below.

Christmas may be over, but there's still a tree in the window here.

There's a long wooden railing and stools opposite the bar.

Sports pictures hang on the well worn walls of the bar.

At first glance you'd assume this is a Jets bar...

But the Giants sign in the back room by the pool table shows otherwise.

Linda and Gregory pose for the 365 camera in the back room.

A shot of the bar from the other end.

Peanuts!

Here's Luis, a regular at the bar. I had a great conversation with this man with topics ranging from music to books to politics to our current culture and everything in between. One of the best things about this bar crawl is meeting people and having interesting conversations and this was one of the best. Great to meet you, Luis!

Halfway into our conversation, Luis' brother Larry walked into the Blarney Stone. It turns out Larry works security at the Horseshoe Bar, which was the 129th bar on the crawl, along with the BBC. Check it out here.

A parting shot from Luis and I. Cheers and goodnight, everybody!

Review
Okay, as I said in the introduction, I have to get to my bar early today and get it over with before the contingents of meatheads start swarming all over this town. New Year’s Eve is NOT a good night if you’re a seasoned bar crawler. Too many amateurs that don’t know how to drink. The odds of getting vomited on go sky high on this night, so I’m hoping to finish early, come home get a bunch of beer and watch the Twilight Zone marathon on the Sci-Fi channel. So I guess what I’m getting around to saying is, I’m going to slack and not write a review. I found this “citizen” review on NY Citysearch and it sums the place up perfectly and it even mentions Linda, check it out.
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(This review is for the Blarney Stone on 9th Ave. and 29th Street. There are several other bars in Manhattan with the same name.) I'm really reluctant to write about this place. If I thought more people would read this, I wouldn't. It's like a fragile glass sculpture. It could so easily be destroyed. As it is, this could be the last place of it's kind south of 125th Street? Wow! A DIVE BAR in the best sense of the word. Nothing faux or pretentious about this place.

Everybody at the bar was our instant friend. The thickly brougued bartendress bought us two pitchers of beer. When we walked in, I said, "this place would be perfect if it weren't for the music being too loud." In ten minutes, Linda, the bartendress came to ask us if there was anything she could get us. "Yeah," I said. "Lower volume." POW! She was at the controls. "Just raise your hand when it's at a good volume," she said. "Excuse me," I didn't, but should have, said. "Are we dead and is this heaven?" The neighborhood is foreboding with NOTHING, but one pizza place and lots of people sleeping on the sidewalk. I hope that's enough to scare off tourists. Once inside, the funkiness, friendliness, and everyone's-a-pal spirit, makes this our best new discovery of the year.—Drink Club NYC is a roving group of NYC drinkers

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Happy New Year, everybody!

Blarney Stone (on 9th Avenue)
340 9th Ave  
212-502-4656