March 24th, 2010—Bar 73

Day 73—Tuesday, March 23rd
Common Ground

First off I want to thank Robert Mumpy a.k.a. Professor Dungpie for not only being a frequent and funny commentator here, but now for sending in this more than generous donation:
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Total amount: $50.00 USD
Purpose: Beers and Whores.
Contributor: robert mumpy
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I love the beers and whores purpose, Professor! As always you are a pisser, my friend! I hope to make it out to your town this year and tip about 3,000 beers with you. Thanks for the dough, Professor Dungpie!

Remember last Friday when I was shown the door at Pegu Club and it turned out to be a happy accident? If you missed the post, they nicely told me at Pegu Club I couldn’t take pictures, but happily I found a bar that embraced myself and this adventure wholeheartedly. You can read about it here: West 3rd Common. It turns out owners Dan and Amy have a sister bar in Alphabet City called Common Ground and they invited me there tonight! I gotta tell you, I’ve been thrown out of many bars in my lifetime, but this is the first time the owners of a bar have invited me to their tavern. I’m honored! So let’s go already!

Here we are at Common Ground Bar and Restaurant.

Some of the nightly drink specials.

It looks like a nice crowd for a Tuesday night.

Just as soon as i sit down, bartender Vinny serves up the first beer of the evening. In addition to being a top flight mixologist, Vinnie is a drummer. Check out the two bands he's in here: Sam Hill and Bulletproof Lincolns.

And just as soon as the beer is served, Vinny pours shots for the two of us and Darin. Cheers!

The bar at Common Ground. A little bit brick, a little bit elegance and a lot of booze.

Here Amy and I recreate the pose that her husband Dan and I did last Friday.

Wooden bookcases line the walls in the front of the bar.

In addition to books, board games are available for customers to enjoy.

Which is exactly what Yasmin and Myriam are doing at this table.

Ray and Annie were seated next to me at the bar. Ray's a writer and does some pieces for the NY Post.

There's comfortable red velvet couches and chairs in the front room lounge area...

...And in the back as well.

Christie and Janet were enjoying a board game back there with friends who scattered when my camera came out. Thanks for the shot, ladies!

Vinny in action at the bar.

Here's the head chef Armando with one of the tools of his trade.

Anne, Justin and Sarah were having fun at one of the front tables.

Otis and Matt Hodgin were at the bar. Matt has a company called Big Hodge 7, which is an online marketing and music consultant business. He also has a background in film making, which came in handy as you'll see soon.

Shots are poured for the end of the evening and Amy holds a camera shot of her and Dan's dog, which is appropriately named, Jameson!

Matt Hodgin (from the above bar shot) directed and filmed this video, which so far is the best video that's been done in a bar. Great job, Matt, thanks! And thanks to Amy, Dan, Vinny and everyone at Common Ground for a grand evening!

Review

I’m guessing that the name Common Ground refers to the fact that this bar is one part comfortable lounge and one part neighborhood bar. Common Ground stands out in this area of Alphabet City because it’s got class, yet it’s not snooty by any means. It’s got an old school New York feel and a Cheers “everybody knows your name” sort of friendliness that extends from the owners to the bartenders to the regulars who frequent the tavern. The bar is long and seats many a reveler and there’s plush red velvet banquettes for couples and groups to sit and enjoy their drinks and fun in comfort and style. The walls are brick and sparkling chandeliers provide perfect mood lighting. There’s lounge areas in the front and rear where patrons can spread out and play some of the board games available in the bar's wooden bookcases.

There’s drink specials every night of the week ranging from buy one get one free, five buck Cosmos and Apple Martinis and on Saturday and Sunday Common Ground offers up three dollar drafts, four buck well drinks and 4 dollar bloody Marys from noon to 7pm. Bring your thinking cap on Wednesday nights because that’s Trivia Night with prizes for the winners. And if the Knitting Factory heard your tunes and told you to get lost, don’t worry, Common Ground has an open mic night every Sunday starting at 8pm.

Common Ground offers up a huge selection of bar snacks and appetizers including such unique treats as: Spiced pumpkin seeds; aged cheddar, garlic walnuts, and sliced apple; Almond-stuffed dates wrapped in bacon and French bread pizza with smoked chicken and avocado. The menu also features soups and salads and for those seeking a heartier fare, there's a large selection of panini that includes: Smoked chicken, brie, and apricot mustard; Roast beef, horseradish, and onion; Shrimp dip and cheddar on rye and Mozzarella, tomato, basil, and red onion.

I’m only allowed to go to one bar a night on this 365 bar crawl, so I’m thankful there’s two Common Grounds in New York City. Check them both out, a good time is guaranteed.

Common Ground
206 Ave. A (Between 12th & 13th St.)
212-228-623