My Favorite Bars- Part One

There is something about a good bar (or café, tavern, saloon, or gin joint), that just feels right. It can be a place where you’re a regular or a spot you’ve only been to once in your life. Whatever the situation, you remember this bar. Upon mentioning its name you can conjure up what specific drinks you’ve had, the smells, conversations, the music, and how you were feeling on a particular day you were there.

Although I know I’m leaving many great ones off the list, here are some of my favorites as they come to me right now:

Tiki Ti- Los Angeles, CA: It’s like stepping back into the 60’s. Small room, Polynesian décor, shrunken heads behind the bar, and fruity cocktails that will knock you on your ass, the Tiki Ti is probably the best bar in LA. Go early to get a seat, enjoy the tasty snack mix, and savor a Ray’s Mistake poured by either the Dad or son that owns the place.

Captain Tony’s- Key West, FL: Hemingway used to drink there, Jimmy Buffett sang about the place, and I had several conversations with Captain Tony in the early 90’s when I lived in Key West. If I remember correctly, plastic cups of MGD were only two dollars.

Barefoot Bob’s- Key West, FL: Always a friendly place to have drinks and listen to The Grateful Dead on the jukebox. One night I hooked up with a girl there who, in a contest of size, flashed her chestal region to the whole bar. She didn’t win, but that was irrelevant to me.

The Cactus Club- Boston, MA: It can get too crowded and there’s times it turns into a greasy meat market, but this place is a classic. It’s redbrick, the margaritas are always strong, and there’s a bull’s head over the bar. It was a great place to go after work for drinks and a Sox game. I went there for my last night in Boston before moving to LA, and also my 30th Birthday.


La Closerie des Lilas- Paris, France- This was Hemingway’s hangout when he was a struggling writer in Paris. A Moveable Feast is one of my favorite books, and I could never tire reading Hem’s account of writing short stores over café crèmes there. I’ve only been there once, but after hanging out at The Luxumborg Gardens and walking around the Left Bank all day it was a welcome place to rest.

The Black Rose- Boston, MA: Although in the touristy Faneuil Hall area, I always find myself returning to this bar. Eugene Byrne has been playing Irish standards here for years, and stomping on the wooden planks during the “no, nay, never” part of “Wild Rover” is a great tradition. It’s where I had my first pint of Guinness, and it’s where my friend Scott did a damn good gig on St. Paddy’s Day with 2 cute Irish girls dressed in full costume.

Vesuvio’s- San Francisco, CA: Like The Black Rose, Vesuvio’s sits right in the middle of where tourists congregate. But this is a place you cannot miss. Go upstairs and get a wooden table at the window. You can watch people stream up Columbus Avenue in search of great Italian food at one of the many restaurants or depravity at one of the many strip clubs. But you should first go to Citylights next store and pick up a Kerouac book (preferably Desolation Angels or volume 2 of his letters), and then go read a bit at Vesuvio’s with a beer and think of how the great writers of San Francisco used to sit in the very place you are now.

Red’s Java House- San Francisco, CA: A white shack on Pier 30, this is the place to go before a Giants game. Cheap & tasty burgers and dogs, you can sit in the back patio (which is just a collection of tables on asphalt) and drink beer from plastic cups and look up at The Bay Bridge looming right in front of you.

Sade’s- Carmel, CA: When you walk inside and see the three or four regulars hunched over the bar you might come to the wrong conclusion- that this is a place where outsiders are not wanted. But sit down, order a beer, relax, and smell that salt air wafting in from the ocean just down the hill. After your second the bartender might talk to you, and if you can stick around for rounds five or six the regulars will probably open up too. I was there in 2003 when Clemens was going for his 300th win against The Red Sox. Roger got shelled and all seemed happy.

Lafitte’s Blacksmith’s Shop- New Orleans, LA: It bills itself as the oldest bar in the USA (since 1772), and you could definitely imagine a pirate strolling off Bourbon Street and sitting down next to you with a bottle of rum.

The Formosa Café- Los Angeles, CA: With a Hong Kong/railroad diner Hipster vibe, I just always felt cool hanging at The Formosa. And not cool in a phony wanna be sense, but cool because it was A Scene where you could just enjoy your cocktails with friends and relax. Whether on the roof, in the dining car, or in the front or back bar, the place was warm and friendly. I remember having intense conversations about Fight Club over Manhattans.

The Dresden Room- Los Angeles, CA: I first went here (as well as thousands of others) because of “Swingers”. But it’s not just a novelty destination . . . it’s a classic LA lounge where all feel welcome to enjoy a dirty martini and the musical stylings of Marty & Elaine.

Nepenthe- Big Sur, CA: Perched on a rocky cliff overlooking a sweep of trees, road, and misty ocean, I cannot think of a better place to drink a freshly squeezed Margarita. The food here is outstanding, so make sure you stay for dinner. But if you’re just passing through on the PCH, pull over into the crowded parking lot and walk up the wooden stairs and sit at the precipice with The View.

Crossroads- Boston, MA: Although it was only minutes away from my apartment when I went to BU, I didn’t step into this pub until a few years later when I was a grad school bartender at Uno’s on Huntington Ave. On Sunday nights we would close down early and head over to Crossroads for pints and darts. We would have the upstairs mostly to ourselves, and I really miss those times with Mark, Scott, Dave, Jen, and the rest of the crew. One game of darts would take an hour because nobody could hit the bulls-eye.

The Hemingway Bar (Le Petit Bar) at The Ritz Carlton- Paris, France- When I figured out the exchange rate and realized I’d just spent $40 on a glass of wine and a cocktail, I just smiled. The wine was excellent, the cocktail was an original that the famous Colin has invented that day (with a flower petal garnish), and this tiny basement lounge was so cozy and elegant and while sitting there I could truly picture Hemingway standing behind the bar after the liberation of Paris in WW2 with a glass of champagne.

Boardners- Los Angles, CA: A true dive bar just steps away from Hollywood Boulevard, this place is dark and dingy and a great hideout to drown your sorrows when your screenplay is rejected (yet again) from another agent or producer. When we lived on June Street, Bradleigh and I could be found either at Boardners, Cat & Fiddle, Burgundy, or The Frolic Room at any night of the week.

The Boston Beer Works- Boston, MA: They make great beer, the food is tasty, and it’s right across from Fenway Park. I was a senior in college when they first opened their doors, challenging the now defunct Commonwealth Brewery as Boston’s best brew pub.

Margaritaville Café- Key West, FL: When I lived in Key West I was a regular here, and my patronage was rewarded by getting to meet Jimmy Buffett. Jamie & I had already eaten lunch and drank about four beers when I asked the bartender (can’t remember her name now) for my check. She said- “you can’t leave now”. I asked why. “I can’t tell you,” she said, “But trust me . . . you don’t want to leave”. Jimmy came in, I talked with him for about 10 minutes, he played six songs (including The Stones “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”) and I had one of those memorable nights of my life.

Place Pigalle- San Francisco, CA: Great selection of beer and you can sit in one of the couches close to the door and watch all the action on Hayes Street. There’s local art on the walls, a pool table, and the bartenders are always friendly. But if you can help it, stay out of the Jersey Turnpike-esque bathroom.

The Board Room- Curacao Island, Netherlands Antilles: With sand at your toes and the ocean not more than twenty feet away, you can enjoy an Amstel Bright (the Dutch Island version of Corona) and watch the sky light up into pink, purple, and orange while the sun sets. The bar is made up of surf boards (hence, the name), and there’s also swings as seats.

The Blackfriar- London, England: Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Trafugular Square, and all the other historical spots of London are amazing places to visit, but you need to rest inbetween all the siteseeing. There was always a great pub nearby to have a pint and digest all the sights, sounds, and information. The Blackfriar was close to St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Mark & I walked down to the river and had a few rounds in this strangely decorated pub. There is a lot of marble and bronze, and there are bas reliefs of Monks frolicking as well as demons and animals on the ceiling.

The Afterdeck at Louie’s Backyard- Key West, FL: Although it’s better known for being one of the top restaurants in Key West, there aren’t many places better to enjoy a cocktail. Far away from the craziness of Duval and tucked into a corner right on the ocean, the wood planked Afterdeck is worth finding. Although I only went here a few times while I lived in Key West, the memories are still strong. I can still taste the margaritas and chonch fritters and smell the salt in the air. This is also the only place where a complete stranger bought me (and Jodi & Brian) lunch.

Napolean House Bar & Café- New Orleans, LA: It’s like you’ve stepped into a Degas painting . . . I can still conjure up the dim lights, ceiling fans, weathered brick, wrought iron, and a patio/courtyard that you never want to leave.

The Red Lion- Los Angeles, CA: The closest you’ll ever come to Germany in LA, this was my neighborhood bar when I lived in Silverlake. Many nights were spent having Hefeweisens with Fozzie, Galvez, Jodi, Marcos, Tina (when she was working or not) and many other great friends.

The Hollywood Star Lanes- Los Angeles, CA- The place where they shot “The Big Lebowski” was also our favorite hangout for the two years that I lived in Hollywood. The wait for a lane was always long, but you could sit at the bar and have cheap beers or play some Ms. Pacman. Pauly D would always get a Caucasian. But the city of LA claimed the land under imminent domain (something sanctioned by The Supreme Court, but which I believe violates everything that America stands for), and there is now a school where The Dude, Donnie, Walter, and myself bowled and boozed.

The Elliot Lounge- Boston, MA: If I had to pick a favorite in Boston, this would be it. Dark, on a bustling street corner, with friendly nooks to relax in, and bartenders who didn’t give a shit about last call, you always felt welcome at The Elliot. It was also the only Runners Bar I’ve been to, with so many great pictures and memorabilia from The Boston Marathon. When I was a bartender this was our weekday retreat, the place we went after closing up on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. I remember I lost my church-key, which is The Tool for somebody who slings drinks for a living, and one of the bartenders there gave me her extra one. But, like The Hollywood Star Lanes, it’s now just a memory. Once The Elliot Lounge’s lease ran out the hotel gave the bar the boot and installed a fancy restaurant. I refuse to ever stay or eat that property.