Jetah, Beer Pong and Prohibition
I started my Friday evening by scoping out some watering holes on Yahoo Maps. I found an area on the Upper West Side that seemed to have quite a few places to offer. I scratched down a few names and addresses on a note card and Anna and I headed out (after a few outfit changes).
Our first stop was Bourbon St. on Amsterdam between 79th and 80th Street. Their Web site was extremely influential in making it the first on our mini pub crawl. There’s something about “Cheap Bud” in 50-point font that really grabs you by the cullions.
They offer 50-cent “Buds” from 9-11 p.m. every Friday and even though I hate the ‘weiser with all my ventricles and atriums, it was a deal we couldn’t pass up.
It turned out to be a very entertaining stop. The Yankees were playing the Red Sox and Bourbon St. was packed with pin-striped fans cheering on “Jetah.” Boston, pulling something from the Minnesota Vikings or Gophers house of tears playbook, blew a five-run lead. I hate the Yankees even more than I hate Budweiser, but the atmosphere as A-rod and company chipped away at that lead was something to behold.
After the Yanks completed their comeback, the crowd joined in to an abbreviated rendition of Sinatra’s “New York” and I couldn’t help but feel a little sports envy.
At one point during the game, Anna clapped quite loudly for Boston. I quickly explained to her the New York-Boston rivalry and that we had to refrain from that sort of behavior if were to survive in New York.
From Bourbon St., we headed over to Jake’s Dilemma. Kudos on the name. It’s a classic in my opinion and I wish I knew the story behind it. Jake’s is an interesting place and offers beer pong and tippy cup for those graduate students who can’t quite leave their undergrad days behind.
There’s also a nifty little library room in the back where you can actually hold a conversation and sit in some comfortable chairs. But, the highlight of the evening was certainly their selection of beers. For the first time out East, I was able to enjoy a bottle of Leinie’s beer (Sunset Wheat). Home never tasted so good.
Our last stop was Prohibition, a bar that features live music every single night without the annoyance of a cover. Hallelujah! We only stayed for a few minutes as it was getting late, but were able to enjoy the talented Mike Benjamin Band. These guys have (musical) chops like Van Buren.
The last highlight of the evening (besides a cheap slice of pizza) was seeing an actual film/TV production at a local cafe around 2 a.m.
We walked by to get a closer look but were hurried along by a production assistant. I didn’t recognize any of the actors (who were actually in the middle of a scene), so I figure it’s probably just another episode of Law and Order: Attempted Criminal Vehicular Manslaughter.
