We are going to begin a new feature on NYCBP this week: weekly bartender recommendations. I am going to kick things off with Friday nights. So post your picks for best bartenders on Friday nights. Don’t forget:
- Her/His name and where they work
- Why she/he is a great bartender
- Anything special she/he makes

Let’s get this site back up and running in fine fashion. You can post photos too.

Reading New York magazine about the new LES bar Doghouse Saloon, it says they will have beer pong. Didn’t this get outlawed or banned by the State Liquor Authority? I don’t think I’ve even seen beer pong since Time Out folded a couple years ago. Does anyone know of beer pong bars in business?

The Doghouse sounds like an interesting place. Has anyone been there yet?

Jimmy Duff, proprietor of Duff’s Brooklyn, posted this to his Myspace page today, following the reported death of Peter Steele,  Brooklyn-born singer for Type O Negative:

Since Josh has publicly confirmed the passing of Peter, it’s now appropriate to comment on this very sad loss.

First of all, my sincere condolences go out to Peter’s family, as well as Johnny, Kenny and Josh, Paul, Steve and Joey. I extend the same to all of  Peter’s friends and fans worldwide at this very difficult time.

Peter was an amazing artist, a true friend, and one hilarious character. He was a tortured soul as well, but that’s part of what ultimately made his art so compelling. He’s at peace now so that’s the one consolation. That and the music and memories of good times that will always live on.  Thanks for all the music and laughs Peter, you will never be forgotten, and always missed.

J. DUFF

Well I have not blogged in a long time, so let’s start off with a long-overdue post. And why not talk about some dive bars we go to a lot: The Patriot and the (new) Cheapshots. I would talk about The Duck too, but since I was on “hiatus” and not blogging, the bar closed. That’s a drag, because I loved the place. Not to death, but I did love going there.

So, where to begin? The Patriot.

First, why are so many of the bartenders so horrible? There are some great ones, and I am going to ask for the regulars to post their names below in the comments section of the blog (a novel concept, I know). Since I only get to The Patriot once a month, I can’t speak to who the great ones are. But when I’ve been there with Bass Ale Man and PaulKatcher.com, there have been a few that are considered starts. The longtime veterans seem to have all been fired. But I am particularly peeved about the newcomers.

Hiring some rookie who just moved to New York is fine with me. But if the bartenders have no experience or pizzazz, what’s the point? Too many bartenders at The Patriot just stare at you, like they have no idea how to interact with a customer. This is definitely not how Tommy used to run his bars, which were 100% about customer interaction. Dare I say it? Most of the bartenders are afraid of the customers.

A few months ago, Tommy took over Cheapshots, which is a stone’s throw from Coyote Ugly. I admit I only went to Cheapshots to see Carmit on Friday afternoons. When Tommy took over he cleaned house and canned everyone. That’s his business. But the staff, from the reports, is that these are the same minor leaguers who come over from The Patriot. Has anyone anything else to add to this?

It’s a sad thing about The Duck closing. However, it seemed to be inevitable. There is only one real factor, and that’s the location. Being in El Barrio, it was just a little too sketch for a lot of Tom’s crowd to venture too. Sure, you had to be a real pussy not to want to walk from Lexington Avenue to Second Avenue, but if you are plastered, that’s not smart in any neighborhood. But I think the location turned a lot of people off. I did like the setup, with the 2 bars. Every time I went there I had a blast; the highlight being the World Series victory last year.

I hope this gets some of you talking about how the bar scene is going in the world of dive bars. Comments are welcome.

You have to give a round of applause to any business that stays open these days. And the bar business is tough. So help Blue Ruin (40th & Ninth) celebrate its first anniversary. The big party starts all day on Friday, April 16.

Sorry for the long time away from the NYCBP news blog. Really no excuse, except that the job got in the way. We are still drinking. Still going out (just not enough). We are going to be updating the site a lot more over the coming weeks and months. So stay tuned.

Lovely photo of one of our favorite bartenders, showing off her ink. Head to Double Down Saloon to see her in the flesh.

He seems like a political conservative, having supported Fred Thompson in the 2008 Republican presidential primary and then John McCain in the general election. He even wrote a campaign song for McCain, called “Raisin’ McCain”. Now, however, country singer and songwriter John Rich has taken a quite un-Republican populist approach, and written and released a song expressing outrage at the economic plight of the workers and farmers of this land, while the big bankers continue to receive astronomical handouts from Washington.

It is called “Shuttin’ Detroit Down” and features in the video a country music legend who is known more for his left wing views, Kris Kristofferson, and acclaimed actor Mickey Rourke.

The story of the video, which is implied by the song’s lyrics, is about a 32-year veteran of a factory, Kristofferson, who is being let go by the bosses. It has certainly struck a chord, because as of May 7, it was number two on the list of the top 10 most streamed videos on CMT.com.

Here, embedded from CMT.com, is that video of “Shuttin’ Detroit Down”:

(Hopefully CMT won’t take it down anytime soon.) You can also see below a live version of the song, performed in Madison, Wisconsin, where John begins by talking a little about the conditions in which he grew up in Amarillo, Texas.

I don’t think John Rich – whose work I’ve admired for many years although I don’t share his politics, at least possibly up until now – is exactly ready to raise the red flag. If he ever is, however, here is another song he just might consider covering, from a film that also could use a good remake:

So this will function as my Cinco de Mayo post for the day. I had heard of “kosher” tequila and it sounded made up. And it is. As the Times finds out:

“It’s a marketing gimmick, but it’s legitimate,” said Martin Silver, 70, whose father started the company after the end of Prohibition.

Agave 99 is the brand, and surprise, it is from the same people that put out my favorite taxi and bus ads, for Georgi vodka.

Would you drink it? Mazel tov!

You may be getting dust in your PBR at The Patriot today, as a building collapsed this morning close to it. The address is at 71 Reade Street (between Broadway and Church Street). It appears that it was vacant, and was being prepared to become a hotel. See photos here.