Apache | Pete’s Tavern | Black Tap NYC | Monarch Rooftop | YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s Pint&Pen&Paper is Apache by The Sugarhill Gang. The hip-hop group originated in Englewood, New Jersey in the late 70s.
I gotta be honest. This song is one of my Core Memories of middle school because my friends danced it at the talent show. The performance was truly vulgar. Great bit fellas!
Also, I never knew this song was called Apache, could’ve sworn it was just called Jump On It.
@CancelCulturalists let me know if you want me to round up all the boys’ home addresses, phones, and dates of birth of all those who participated in air-humping to Jump On ItApache in the middle school talent show. Disgusting! I was in the audience and had nothing to do with it, we’ll take them down!
Look at that, I found the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air scene they replicated!
On to the Pints!!!
#GuinnessChallengeSeason
@Kids don’t try this at home. Not just because you’re underage and will have plenty of pints to drink if that ends up being your thing when you’re older but also because Guinness is actually best served in a pint glass from a tap. A pint of Guinness varies depending on the drinking establishment. If the keg it sits in is rarely poured, it can lead to some underwhelming taste. Rather than stealing gimmicks, I’d like to start taking Notes while drinking Guinness. My grandfather from Connemara, whom I never got the chance to meet, Thomas Davis, used to drink pints and by all accounts was a self-taught thinker. The one rule I’ve imposed on myself is that I will only have 1 pint per sitting from each establishment I review, so @AnyoneWorrying, don’t worry about my drinking habits. The Guinness Challenge is to “cut the G” on your first sip (more like a gulp and a half). If this is your first time hearing about it, I didn’t come up with the fun challenge @YouTheReader can try the next time you have a Guinness. The 0.0 to 10.0 scale will be extraordinarily nuanced but as a reference point, the only perfect 10.0 I plan ever to give out is at the Guinness Factory in Dublin one day.
Song On In The Background: Disorder by Joy Division
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Oldest bar in New York City, goes back to 1864. At one point it was a hotel. During the Prohibition, it was a flower shop with a fake door. The doorway to the speakeasy is still there as you walk into the dining room. The owners of Pete’s Tavern had a 100-year lease. The burgers and salmon are recommended. Good crowd. Their Guinness, spritz rose, and espresso martinis are all popular. The patron next to me is also a huge fan of Guinness. He has a buddy who is a Diageo rep, “He goes around giving out free drinks. Diageo won’t let the reps or vendors get free Guinness though. It sells itself.” Peter D’Belles was the bar’s first owner. O. Henry (aka William Sydney Porter) wrote “The Gift of Magi” in a booth at Pete’s in 1903.
Pete's Tavern is the oldest continuously operating restaurant & bar in the United States, since 1864! Tis the season, so of course, Pete’s Tavern has decked its halls with great Christmas decorations. They even have a Frosty the Snowman on their roof. The original building of Pete’s Tavern was built back in 1851 and it was the home to the Portman Hotel. The main floor of the bar was a “grocery and grog store” where drink was first served in 1864. In 1899, it became “Healy’s Cafe” and then in 1922, Peter D’Belles bought the bar. The forty-foot rosewood bar, decorated back bar, tin ceiling, and tile floor are all original fixtures, which have been in place since 1864. With Pete’s being just 3 blocks from Tammany Hall, politicians during the Prohibition turned a blind eye to the establishment with some even using the watering hole as a place to conduct business. Pete’s Tavern sold fresh flowers like orchids, roses, violets, and gardenias from this fake store. Patrons entering through the side door, in what is now the first dining room, who were in the know, would signal and give the password, and then be escorted through a dummy refrigerator door (whose hinges are still intact). They would enter into the bar, where they could drink and socialize while conducting any business necessary. When Prohibition was repealed on Dec. 5th, 1933, the florist signs came down, and ‘Pete’s’ remained in business. (Source: Pete’s Tavern) I look forward to grabbing another pint of Guinness at Pete’s Tavern again soon!
Song On In The Background: Better Angels by Marcus Mumford
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Japan vs Cuba opening round of the Little League World Series on TV. I got $12 hundred on Cuba. Next to me, patrons are having a heated argument about the Guardians’ and Commanders’ name changes. Amber is bartending. She is from Tucson and is here for law school. She likes New York, “It’s busy, there is always something to do- good and bad.” Irish Playwright gets a good amount of regulars and tourists. Their penne a la vodka is recommended. Amber likes the Big Apple Martini, it looks like Frankenstein. She is a Mariners fan because of her dad. Randy Johnson is her favorite player. Irish-owned pub, they are from County Donegal. They have an upstairs used for parties and DJs.
Located on 35th, the Playwright Irish Pub supports Real Madrid and Dallas Cowboys. There was quite a bit of celebrating the Cowboys over the Eagles on Sunday night. They will be hosting a holiday party this Sunday, December 17th, as Real Madrid takes on Villarreal in La Liga. Make sure to RSVP if you’re interested! For College Football, they are an Iowa Hawkeye pub. They also have rugby matches like the World Cup and Six Nations, so you can go there to watch the boys in green. I look forward to grabbing another pint of Guinness at Playwright Irish Pub again soon!
Song On In The Background: Apache by The Sugarhill Gang
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Burger and beer joint. You can see the burgers being made, it’s one of those kitchens out in the open spots. The smell is incredible. I could use a juicy burger right now but the Guinness will do! The Charged Lemonade and All American Burger are recommended. From ‘15-‘17, Black Tap was awarded the Blue Moon’s Burger Bash People’s Choice Award for NYC. Their cookies and cream are the recommended milkshake if you’re a big Oreo like me. Fire Cashman.
It appears my initial research was mistaken, Black Tap NYC has been named the Champion of Burgers in The City 5 times at the Burger Bash! They are home to the Crazyshake, which makes sense because their milkshakes look amazing. Originally starting in SoHo in the 1980s, Black Tap has grown with locations now on 35th in Manhattan, as well as Anaheim, Miami, Las Vegas, Nashville, and Dallas. They’ve even gone international with restaurants in Bahrain, Iraq, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Switzerland, and the UAE. No matter where they end up, they make sure to keep their timeless New York vibe and attitude with them. I look forward to grabbing a burger and having another pint at Black Tap again soon!