We walk to the neighborhood bar

Chelan Cafe's Ebb Tide Room, Seattle, Washington
It’s great to be able to walk to a bar. It’s an even better thing to be able to walk home from a bar. This is our second week in Seattle, we moved into a duplex near the West Seattle Bridge on the Fourth of July. We live along the Duwamish Waterway, and from our front porch we can see the Seattle skyline. And Ebb Tide is a bar we can walk to.

Chelan Cafe looks like an all American diner in the front of the building, while the bar, the Ebb Tide Room, is off to the side. You can enter the bar either through the cafe (that’s what we did) or through the door on the side of the building. The bar has a lot of maritime decor, like lanterns, a ship captain’s wheel, pirate flags, and a big “Port of Seattle” sign. Almost as prominent, though, is the other decor theme: the Seattle Seahawks. The number 12, the jersey number which the NFL team retired in honor of the fans (“the twelfth man” playing for the team), is displayed in several places.

But it’s baseball season now, so the Mariners were on TV (not doing well against the Rockies). Another TV showed poker games. Plenty of people were sitting at tables, and the front part of the bar was full, so we found seats toward the back of the bar, then hesitated in confusion when Mindy saw a plaque on the bar in front of her seat saying the spot was reserved. The bartender assured us that we could sit there. We meant to ask about it, but forgot as we decided what we wanted to drink.

Mindy ordered a screwdriver, and I got an Ace Cider (from Graton, California). The bartender gave us food menus. We’d just had dinner at home, so we didn’t plan to order food, but the bartender looked kind of sad and said, “They’re closing soon, but they don’t mind. I told them you were here.”

We ordered onion rings. They were very hot and crisp when they arrived a few minutes later.

A couple of men sat at the bar next to me. After Mike and Jones got their cans of Guinness, I asked if they’d mind answering the two questions we always ask in bars. They agreed.

When I asked what made for a good bar, Mike said, “Good people is the biggest thing, just there to shoot the sh*t.” He said they came to have a good time, talking to people like he was that night. He felt that people were looking for a change of pace from a day at work.

I asked him how important a good selection of drinks was and he didn’t feel it was very important. He likes good whiskey, but there aren’t many places around that have really good bourbon.

Jones agreed, saying a good bar needed, “Good bar conversations. If no one talks to you, they turn their backs, it’s not comfortable.” I asked him if it mattered what those conversations were about. He didn’t think so, though the conversations would often be about sports.

When I asked our second question, Jones said, “Church serves a similar purpose as a bar, a community, a social network.”

Mike said, “I don’t want to sound cynical, but I’ll never go to a church. My mom was kicked out when she was divorced. The people she thought were her friends gave her a cold shoulder. My sister was really religious, but the same thing happened to her.” He said he believes in a Higher Power, but he’ll never go to church. One time Mormons came to his door, and when he told them his point of view, they were dumbfounded. They left, leaving literature behind.

We talked for a while longer, then paid and got up to leave. Jones caught me at the door, because I’d left my notebook and pen behind. I thanked him, and then Mindy and I enjoyed the eight-minute walk home in the pleasant evening light and the very pleasant weather, with the pleasant knowledge that we could always walk back.

 

We Walk into an Airport Bar

Hometeam Sports Bar and Grill, Fresno, California

Mindy did some traveling last week, and that reminded us of a type of bars we hadn't yet visited or written about: those found at airports. (She also found an airport church, which she’ll write about on Wednesday.) This week, in honor of that travel, we decided to write about an airport bar, because they’re different from neighborhood bars. In fact, that’s what Ursula the bartender said when we visited the bar at the Fresno/Yosemite Airport, “This is a different kind of place, a different kind of bar.”

It was our second attempt to visit the bar -- the first time we tried to go, on a Thursday evening at 7:00 pm (usually bar prime time), it was closed. The other Fresno Airport bar was doing a booming business, as far as we know, but that is the bar is past the TSA checkpoint, and we didn’t have plane tickets..

So we went back home and tried the airport bar again a little before three on Friday afternoon. We weren’t the only customers at the time. A man with a backpack and tattoos asked for Sailor Jerry, which Ursula told him wasn’t available, so he went with a another nautical spiced rum option, Captain Morgan. He drank his drink and departed. I couldn’t help wondering taking a drink was intended to make getting on a flight a little easier.

We ordered our drinks and were reminded of one reasons we’d avoided airport bars in the past when we got the bill. An Angry Orchard cider was $8.00, and a single shot screwdriver was $8.50. These are not bargains, but that’s the reality of airports. The food and drink charges are comparable only to what you find in amusement parks, and the management and ownership of an airport bar makes sure that the pour is not overly generous.

Other people came into the bar and stuck around for awhile. A woman came in and asked for a Dr Pepper, but Ursula told her the soft drink choices were Coke, Diet Coke, and Sprite.  Ursula added, “It’s expensive.” The woman got a Coke and told Ursula that more friends would be joining her. Before long, five friends were gathered around a table. One of the women asked Ursula to change one of the TVs to ESPN 1, but Ursula said she hadn’t learned how to work the various remotes, but she’d ask the manager to change it when he came in. (He arrived about ten minutes later and changed the channel on that particular screen.)

Ursula told us she’s been working at this bar for fifteen years, but she has more experience than just that. She started in the service industry when she was 17, and is now the inverse age of 71 (she doesn’t look it). She has worked as a server, but prefers to be a bartender, and that’s what she’s done most of her career. She even owned a bar in the mountains for a number of years.

Like any good bartender, she tells good stories, like the one about customers at the bar she owned hiding a motorcycle in the ladies’ room. She even has stories about the airport bar, but we’re keeping those on the down low.

We were able to ask Ursula our two traditional questions, “What makes for a good bar?” and whether you go or not, “What makes for a good church?”

She said a good bar should be a friendly place where people will say “Hi, there!” when you come in. She said when she was a bar owner, customers never left the bar as a stranger. She said it’s important for a bartender to after customers rather than being off reading a newspaper. Good ownership is important as well, she said. Owners need to maintain control in a bar. She noted that in the airport, with police right there to act as security, things don’t get too out of hand. And, she said, it’s important that the bar have good drinks.

Then we asked what made for a good church. “To be honest,” she said, “I haven’t gone to church for ten years.The minister they had at my church then, she was great.” When that minister passed away, Ursula wasn’t thrilled with her replacement. Previously, she told us, the church really cared for people. “If you needed a turkey at Thanksgiving or a Christmas tree, they took care of that. They shouldn’t just feed the head, but they should feed the heart. Not someone droning on about the devil and sin. I don’t want to tithe to negative stuff. I want to tithe to something positive.”

Ursula comes from Germany, and she noted the difference in institutions in the two countries. In Germany, the pastors drink, they’ll go to a pub with people, which is less common in the States. And she said in Germany, bars have Gemütlichkeit which she said is a word without an English equivalent, but means there is friendliness, warmth, and heart. She told us that a good bar should have that quality.

The nature of airport bars makes them different from a neighborhood bar. A bar in an airport, even a relatively small one like Fresno/Yosemite, isn’t going to get the same kind of regulars, build the same kind of community, as the average neighborhood bar. But when we left, we could see a group of friends chatting happily together. And Ursula certainly made us feel at home.

Ursula said she’ll keep working, “I’ll continue to have fun as long as I can do it.” We hope that proves to be a very long time.

We Walk into a Bar to See Old Friends

Duke's Spirited Cocktails, Healdsburg, California

“We’re all about equal opportunity drinking here,” Tara assured a woman after checking her I.D.

But Tara didn’t check my I.D. or Mindy’s. I assure you, I look young enough, but Tara’s known me for years. Actually I’ve known most of the staff at Duke’s Spirited Cocktails for years. Most of them used to work at Spoonbar in Healdsburg, the restaurant that shared space with h2hotel, where I worked. Back then, when I was beginning my night audit shift at 11:00 pm, bartenders Tara, Cappy, Steven, Laura,and barback Jose were finishing up their nights.

Duke’s opened on June 26th last year,  while Mindy and I were still on our every state tour (I believe that was the day we flew into Fairbanks, Alaska). In fact, Cappy was one of the first people I told about our plan to visit a church and a bar in every state. He suggested “American Institutions” as a name for the project (which might still work its way into a book title).

During my final year at h2hotel, I watched the above mentioned employees of the Spoonbar depart. Cappy had been the first to go, when he left to open an establishment in Southern California. Next Tara (who had taken Cappy’s role as Spoonbar manager), then Laura left, then Steven and Jose. And then, at the end of 2015, I left as well.

It was always fun working with these folks, because they all enjoyed each other -- has carried on into Duke’s.

Laura told me that if we came in on Thursday afternoon, we could see almost all the old Spoonbar staff. And we did. Most greeted me with a hug. They asked how my year went, and I said that -- unlike many -- we’d had a great 2016. Tara agreed that for them it had been a great year as well, because they been able to open their own place. Laura said, “We had our dreams come true in 2016.”

Tara, Laura, and Steven got backing to open a bar on the Plaza in Healdsburg, which, over the last decade and a half, has become a mecca for food and drink. They asked Cappy to come for their “solid opening date” of May 5th, but construction issues postponed the opening for a month and a half. But when the bar opened, in the midst of tourist season, they opened big. Not only were they busy, but they were greeted with critical acclaim in the media, particularly for their creative mix of fresh herbs and spirits.

Before we even sat down, Tara brought Mindy and me a glass of Fool’s Paradise, which she told us is one of their signature drinks. Mindy especially liked the fresh bay leaf garnish and was surprised to like a drink with passion fruit puree and tequila.  

Watching the staff working together behind the bar is a pleasure. They enjoy each other, joke with each other, work efficiently with each other. Tara said, “This was meant to be. We are all still madly in love with each other.”

Laura said, “The gang’s all back together and we’re having so much fun.” Tara and Laura with prefaced many statements with “Not to be corny” and then go on to express their joy at working together.

I asked Tara and Laura about the struggles and trials of opening a new place. Laura told me about the struggles of working with one contractor for months before having to switch to another, which greatly delayed their opening.

Tara said, “One of the reasons we opened this bar was to give all our industry friends a place to drink.”  They dreamed of making a neighborhood bar for their friends in hospitality and winemaking (and winegrowing), businesses that many people in the area are involved with. That dream has come through, with many old friends coming in throughout the week.

Things change a bit on Friday and Saturday nights “when we become a nightclub,” Tara said. It’s a different crowd, and they’ve had to cut people off and even break up a fight or two. “We had a guest throw a grapefruit at Steven!” she added, but said they appreciate that those nights help keep the doors open the rest of the week to do the work that they love.

Tara said they want to be the kind of place where a field worker can come in with dirty boots  and still feel welcome. Tara said the town has gotten a bit snooty at times, but “we try not to keep our pinkies in the air or up our nose when we drink.”

But this isn’t a simple beer joint, though they do have a wide variety of craft beers on tap. The staff takes pride in making sophisticated drinks and selling quality brands. While we were there, Laura was working on a variation of The Sound of Music, a seasonal drink that they wanted to make available more of the year. After tasting it, Tara said, “I’m so excited right now. Are you excited?”

But eventually we needed to do what we have been doing for over a year now, ask our two bar questions: “What makes for a good bar?” and “Whether you go or not, what would make for a good church?”

It was fun to ask Cappy our questions, since he’d been in on our project since its inception. Cappy said, “It’s a hard question. There are so many types of bars: neighborhood bars, hotel bars, cocktail bars… I guess a good bar makes the clientele feel it’s a good place to meet. To ease up a little. Meeting up, spending time with people, relaxing.”

As for what makes for a good church? “A church should be inviting, people should be made welcome.”

Tara, coming over after helping another guest and thinking we were talking about bars, added “People should feel at home.” When Cappy said we were talking about churches, Tara replied, “Oh, if I went in a church, I’d light on fire,” but we agreed that feeling at home was good for a bar or a church.

Cappy said he also appreciated the sense of history many churches provided. Many neighborhoods have areas where houses have come and gone, he said, but often the church has stayed around. Cappy likes that.

A couple came in and sat at the bar next to Mindy. We realized they were our former neighbors, Ben and Brianna. We had fun catching up on their kids and what they’ve done with their house, but then I had to ask about bars and churches.

At a bar, Brianna said the key is talented bartenders. “They either know what they’re doing or not.”

Ben concurred, “That’s exactly what I was going to say.”

As for a church, Brianna said she want to be somewhere with people who are real.

Ben added “Whether you know the Gospel or not, people you can have a conversation with.”

Since Tara didn’t answer our bar question, Cappy took me to the office, so I could ask her what made a bar good. “A great bar comes with the bartenders.You can have good bartenders but it’s the bartenders that bring you back. Will they make you what you want? They should offer a variety of spirits and make it special, memorable.”

Laura was in the office as well, and she seconded what Tara said. She also added that as a new owner, “I am grateful and appreciative of every person who comes in.” She pointed out that it’s important for a bar, or really any business, to make the “experience of the customer take precedence over everything else.”  As for what makes a good church, she said many of the same things apply: they should make people welcome, feel warm, make people happy. She said she’s appreciated the times she visited her husband’s parents’ church where she was welcomed with handshakes and hugs.

In 2015, Steven was a finalist in a cocktail making contest that earned him a trip to Marrakesh. (When a computer ate the essay he’d written for the competition, I was happy I was able to help him make the deadline). I caught Steven just before he headed out the door. “Good booze, fun bartenders, good atmosphere, welcoming, engaging and educational.”  Educational isn’t a word I’ve heard very often in reference to bars, but Steven loves to learn and believes that Duke’s  does provide people to learn about drinks. For a church, Steven would look for many of the same things: providing an atmosphere where people can learn in fun and engaging ways.

We spent last year meeting mostly strangers in bars. It was great fun to meet old friends in a new place. It felt more like being welcomed into their new home -- their new home that serves award winning beverages.

We walk into a bar in Michigan

Glengary Inn, Wolverine Lake

“I don’t drink, so I don’t know what they taste like.”

It was an unusual admission from a bartender. Someone had asked for a Stroh’s beer; Stacy had offered the choice of the new or the old bottle. The man at the bar asked what the difference was. And that’s how Stacy the bartender answered his question.

We asked about her about it later, and she said that she didn’t like beer or most liquor but she there were a few cocktails she enjoyed. (I was glad to hear it wasn’t a Sam Malone situation for a problem drinker who worked as a bartender.)

We could sympathize with Stacy, since we’ve made a commitment to visit a bar in every state and we don’t like beer -- which is why we went with ciders this week, which we do enjoy. (Angry Orchard again for Mindy and McKenzie’s Black Cherry for the first time for me) But the fact that Stacy couldn’t really help with personal recommendations about drinks didn’t seem to bother anyone we talked to, as everyone had kind words about her and the rest of the staff and ownership at Glengary Inn.

We choose to go to the Glengary Inn partly because it was near where we were staying (my nephew’s place). We could have gone into Detroit, perhaps a scary bar in the future home of Robocop, but instead we went to a nice little neighborhood bar with good Yelp reviews and local press awards (Best Sports Bar, Best Fish and Chips, and Best Burgers).

The first customer we talked to, Gary, said he’d experienced the bar with a couple of different owners. The former owners “weren’t progressive”. By that he meant the staff wasn’t particularly friendly or accommodating to guests. He described the new owners as “magnanimous Pied Pipers” who have cultivated a following. He described the owners, JR and Linda, as “salt of the earth;” he said they know everyone and treat everyone well. He said they weren’t in the business just to make money, “their objective is grander than the daily deposits. I mean, this place is Cheers.” He added that they make the bar a fun place to be and that they host festive events like Euchre* nights. “You really landed in a great sweet spot,” he added. “It’s that bar everybody thought Archie Bunker went to at the end of his street.”

Gary talked a bit about bars that were the opposite of the Glengary Inn. There was a place in Illinois called Poor Pats that downright scary. “You had to drink 100 proof liquors to kill the germs on the glasses. The only possible reason you would go in there was that you were desperate for a drink.”

Most of the good things Gary said about Glengary Inn were in response to our standard bar question, “What makes for a good bar?” For him, Glengary Inn was an appropriate answer to that question. We also asked him our other standard question, “Whether you go or not, what makes for a good church?”

Gary said, “I’ve spent an exceedingly large percentage of my life in Catholic churches.” By his observation, it is important to have “a cohesive parish council is in synch with the parish priest.”  Sometimes, he said, a priest will come in thinking he has “a direct line to God” and make changes on his own initiative, such as firing a youth worker or worship leader who’s been doing good work just to bring in his own people.

He spoke favorably about a former priest, Father Bill, who was “approachable and embraced people. When it was time to sprinkle the holy water, he made sure everybody got sprinkled...You got touched.” A good church, he said, has “room in the tent for everybody.”

We also asked Stacy the bartender our two questions. As for what made for a good bar, she said, “The clients, the people, and my staff.” She spoke fondly of the people who came to this bar, “We don’t get the riff-raff, we don’t get the drama.” She also said the quality of the food was important, noting the awards the kitchen had earned. (We had a couple of the sliders, which cost two dollars apiece and are quite good.) She said that she wouldn’t know what made for a good church, since she didn’t go. When we pressed a bit for an answer, she said, “The pastor or preacher or whatever, and probably the community of people, too.”

I heard a couple of the guys at the bar talking baseball. (The Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Soxs were playing on the TVs, and the Sox were winning.) I was wearing an Oakland A’s shirt (one of my standard fashion choices), so we talked about the Tigers/A’s playoff serieses over the last few years. They (kindly) didn’t rub in the Oakland losses. I mentioned that we would be going to Illinois in a couple of weeks and Tim and T. asked me to remind people there that Lake Michigan is “our lake.”

This was Tim’s first time at Glengary. T. is a local and was introducing him to the place. (T. also said the new ownership had done much to improve the Inn.) I asked them what made for a good bar. Tim said, “A good bartender that you don’t mind talking to and had a heavy hand making good drinks.”

T. seemed happy if there were “sliders and Stroh’s”.

As for what made for a good church, they both spoke of good music from a good band. A local Hispanic congregation has a great bass player, good music. Tim said, “Good music is much more fun than a preachy sermon.”  They also added that air conditioning was a must.

I talked to one more guy as the bar (Mindy pointed out after we left that she had been the only woman in the place besides two women on the staff). William said that the atmosphere was important in a bar, “laid back, fun, and good food; good prices on drinks.”  As for church, he said, “I stopped going years ago.” I asked him why, and he said, “Personal reasons. The war was going on and there were a lot of conflict of interests.” (I thought about saying that when the war was going on, there were a variety of stands churches took on the issue, but it really was time for us to be going.)

When Mindy first suggested going to the Glengary Inn, I couldn’t help thinking of the David Mamet play and film, Glengarry Glen Ross about shady real estate salesmen. Fortunately, the folks at Glengary Inn seem to be the real deal.

*The game of euchre has origins among the German settlers of the Midwest. According to Wikipedia, it introduced the Joker to the modern playing card deck.