I do my best to make the rounds at as many NYC bars as I possibly can, and over the course of my travels, I plan on reporting back to you.  So, without further ado, here's what my Saturday night was like:

Saturday, February 23, 2008
Bars Visited:

Magnetic Field
97 Atlantic Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 834-0069
magneticfieldnyc.com

Known for having the best bourbon selection at any music venue in NYC, I always expect to have a glass of whiskey neat to enjoy during the show that drew me to the end of Atlantic Avenue that night.  But, as Magnetic Field prepares to close their doors, the now never to be replenished top shelf stands empty, and I take partial responsibility. 

Over the years, I've probably ordered a dozen varieties of bourbon from this bar- from the basics (Makers, Knob Creek) to some of my favorite under-represented varieties (Pappy Van Winkle, Basil Hayden's, etc).   There aren't too many spots in NYC where you can get an exceptional glass of bourbon poured by someone who appreciates it during a rock show, so when I attended my umpteenth Mess Around show at Magnetic Field, I expected the usual. 

Sadly, the shelves stood bare- except for one almost drained bottle of Four Roses Single Barrel, which I promptly ordered.  As always, I enjoyed the bourbon. I enjoyed the bands.  This place always gets a gold star from me, and I'm really sad that it's closing. 

I genuinely hope there's another Lee (owner of Magnetic Field) out there who loves bourbon and bands as much as we do here at Lush Life, and opens their bar to both. 

Weather Up
589 Vanderbilt Avenue (near Dean St.)
Brooklyn, NY
Drinks: None

Since we were already in Brooklyn, the troupe decided to head east on Atlantic Avenue toward our next destination: Weather Up.  I've read all about it, and I figured this would be as good a time as any to make my first trip. 

I truly love all of Sasha's bars.  Little Branch is one of my favorite spots in the city, and trying to find a better cocktail than the ones you'll find at Milk and Honey is almost impossible.  He's got it down.  The service is impeccable, the ingredients are fresh and top shelf, and the atmosphere is always perfection.  But, after walking into Weathered Up, you can see why Sasha won't take full credit for this place, and why he's distanced himself. 



To be completely fair, I didn't order a drink.  So, they could be knocking them out of the park left and right from behind the stick.  But, after reading the menu and dodging countless hipster elbows and bandana-ed heads, I decided that this wasn't the place for us to continue our bar crawl that evening. 

Until I have a proper drink here, I will withhold all other comments, but be warned: the menu covers only half a dozen classic cocktails, and the clientele is definitely not the Brooklyn equivalent of the regulars at a Petraske bar (or at least I hope not- for Brooklyn's sake). 
 
Pegu Club
77 W Houston St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 473-7348
Drinks: "Remember the Maine," Whiskey Smash, Gin Fizz

After our disappointing voyage down Atlantic Ave., we thought we'd hit up a tried and true favorite: Pegu Club.  After a ten minute wait with the lovely coat check girl, we made our way up the stairs and squeezed into a tight little booth in the corner.  The place was packed, actually more so than usual.  The line at the bar was at least three deep, and there wasn't an empty seat in the house.  Despite the mobs of people, our cocktail waitress was immediately at our table, suggesting cocktails- just like Audrey Saunders taught her. 

After the disorganized chaos of Weather Up, the orchestrated simmer at Pegu was a welcome change. Audrey just gets it right. Every time.  The menu is thought out, creative. The service is prompt, helpful, but never prying.  Hell, even the ice is perfectly proportioned.  Yep, bring a ruler with you next time. 

I ordered "Remember the Maine" (Rye, Antica Vermouth, Cherry Herring, and Pernod), and as always it was exactly what I wanted (ok, except for a glass of Vintage 23 year Rye).  It was light, refreshing, with that extra spice that Rye always gives a drink. 

I took a sip of both the Whiskey Smash and Gin Fizz, which were ordered by other members of our group, and both were up to the Pegu standard.   My drink was the clear winner in the group, though, as the Smash was just a little imbalanced, giving it a cough syrupy feel, and the Fizz got just a little too sweet at the end.  Honestly, I had to try pretty hard to find fault with either one. 

At some point during the conversation, we decided that we were just beginning the most bizarre bar crawl we'd be on in a while, so we packed up, and decided to trudge on in the Manhattan winter night.

Luv 247
247 Eldridge St
New York, NY 10002
(212) 505-7600
Drinks: Makers Neat, Stella Artois, Gin and Tonic

The place is called Luv 247, as in Love 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There were disco balls to match the overbearing red lights and strange mix of salsa music and west coast hip hop blaring over the 40 year old men (attempting to) pick up the 20 something scantily clad women.  Well, I guess we know where the name comes from.

I'm almost certain that the Makers Neat I ordered came back as a Jameson Neat, but how can you complain over all that LUV?

Overcome by the ridiculousness of this bar, we decided to head down the street for a pint at Marshall Stack.

Marshall Stack
66 Rivington St # A
New York, NY 10002
(212) 228-4667
Drinks: Pint of Troegs

As we found out in the last bar, a name has a pretty big impact on the kind of bar that lies beyond the sign.  And of course, Marshall Stack does not disappoint.  The juke box (non-internet!) is perfectly stocked and curated for a bar so aptly named after an amp.

Continuing the theme is the enormous beer list complete with my new favorite: Troegs.  Fresh from Pennsylvania and full of hops, Troegs is my Shiner alternative here in the North. 

Oliva's
161 E Houston St
New York, NY 10002
(212) 228-4143
Drinks: Homemade Tequila(?) Shots

Half of our group refuses to drink beer, so they found the only open bar in the vicinity.  At this point, the night was coming up on 4:30 a.m., and their options were limited to a bar where a guy actually came outside and said, "You're in the wrong place." and Olivia's- a salsa bar that bordered on an orgy. 

I wasn't there for the first part of this story, but I will try to recreate it as best I can.  So, the two dashing gentlemen who dislike beer head down the street and enter Olivia's where they are met by the owner, yelling, "You weren't here before!!"  One of these handsome men exclaims, "We were here the whole time, and we disapprove of your sanctioned orgy!" The owner squints one eye and cocks his head back, deciding if these two were acceptable patrons in his very exclusive after hours spot.  A smile breaks across his face, and he invites them in, telling them that his name is Don Julio, and he is the proprietor of this establishment.  He ushers the two men to the bar, and presents them each with six tequila shots, he claims he made himself.  Seeing as these two men are very bright and savvy people, they choose to politely decline his offering.  Don Julio insists they drink, but then abruptly excuses himself.

This is when I make my entrance with the other half of the group.  We make our way to the bar, telling our cohorts about the apparent gang fight going on outside.  Just as we finish our story about the bloody mess, Don Julio reappears, face bloodied, giving the live band a signal.  At this point, the band members all drop their instruments and head outside.  Realizing the imminent danger, we pack up, and head to the car.  Somehow, the fight had moved down the block, and we only heard the sounds of bones cracking and windows smashing from a distance. 

So, that was my Saturday night.  How was yours?