Call Me Maybe | Iron Bar & Lounge | West End Bar | Dave & Busters | YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
We’re going to attempt to slip Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepson in here. Back when I was checking the stats, the Wednesday’s Volume 2s of the Pint&Pen&Papers usually would get less traction so I think we’re good. This tune was on in the background of one of these bars.
Hey, in fairness this was a monster hit in the summer of ‘12. Call Me Maybe was a #1 hit in Australia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, the UK, Ireland, and the United States.
To the bars and pubs of NYC, today’s were around Times Square. ‘Twas August 20th, the Dog Days of Summer.
Contrary to popular belief, I don’t give out my number during #GuinnessChallengeSeason, I’m working and that would be weird, but here’s my Week to Week Notes card, so check it out, maybe.
Carley Rae Jepsen said the hit taking off the way it did was a nice surprise. "When you write a bunch of songs, it's like being asked to pick a favorite kid. You wonder what will be loved and which will just be my own little journal entry that I personally like. It was a surprise that it took off the way it did, but a welcome surprise. I think how it was written - it was a folk song to begin with - it is simple and feels good, and I am a romantic at heart." (Source: Artist Direct)
It is kind of catchy… Simpler times… Everybody just started getting iPhones…Everyday civilians used to Tweet and Instagram was just starting to get popular…Parents started joining Facebook… What a time…
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.
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Skelton of the steel structures that make up the building’s interior behind the bar. It’s unique and looks cool! High ceiling. The Guinness was poured in one shot with no sit. This might not be great. **** behind the bar, she’s not a sports fan, but this is a sports bar. They have a Hookah Lounge after 7 pm every day. Their Upstairs is an illusion that looks like the Times Square steps. You can rent out the back room. Hell’s Kitchen Nachos and Chicken Sandwich are their recommendations. Summer Breeze and Iron Cocktail are recommended. Ohio State bar.
Located just a block from Times Square, the Gastro Bar has 45 draft beers on tap and 45 bottled beers on the corner of 45th St and 8th Ave. There are 20 television screens for sports fans including a 16ft wide projection and an amazing lounge area that is all sleek sofas. Their Happy Hour is until 8 PM and they have food until 2 AM. I look forward to grabbing another drink at Iron Bar again next year!
Song On In The Background: Jack & Diane by John Mellencamp
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Dayna is bartending. She is from Chicago and has been in The City for a year, loves it! She’s an actor doing her thing and is a White Sox fan if she had to choose. Chicken and waffles are recommended. Mezcalita is a recommended cocktail. West End is a blend of brunch spot and pub. Broadway crowds are the main patrons. They usually get slammed before and after shows. The public transportation is the biggest difference between New York and Chicago. I just started writing Stumblin’ Alongs on the New York Public Transportation Museum.
West End Bar is a lively restaurant bar in Hell’s Kitchen. They have large windows and a 30-foot mahogany bar. Their weekend brunch is a perfect spot if you’re visiting Times Square or heading to a Broadway Show. They are dedicated to a fresh and personalized dining experience served with the best hospitality New York City has to offer. I look forward to grabbing another pint of Guinness at West End Bar & Grill again soon!
Dave & Buster’s TS (@) 8/20 ‘23
Service & Staff: D&B
Guinness: 4.5
Guinness Challenge: N/A (No Logo)
Song On In The Background: Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: This is the Dave & Busters by the Port Authority. A masked bartender just handed me a can of Guinness with a glass and gave me the check. No hello. No how are you doing? No spoken word. Just kidding, I didn’t expect that at a corporate establishment like Dave and Busters right next to the Port Authority. I should probably head home and call it a day, but I can’t finish on a canned Guinness! To be continued…
Dave & Busters…EAT. DRINK. PLAY. WATCH.
1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2…
Yeah… the Yankees had just got swept in the Bronx by the Sox… vibes were low…
YouTube Rabbithole
2012 Yankees Season Highlights
This was the season Mariano Rivera got hurt shagging fly balls in Kansas City and then sadly Derek Jeter broke his ankle in Game 1 of the ALCS. CF Curtis Granderson was a beast, he hit 43 homers that season, and 2B Robinson Cano at this point was a perennial MVP candidate. It was the last competitive Yankee team of the Core 4 Era, the team started to decline, and wouldn’t start to compete again until the ‘17 Baby Bombers.