@YouTheReader this Pint&Pen&Paper was very special to me because of the faces&places I had with me. Every pub&bar that I stumble into along the way is an absolute Thrill but if you read me out I’m sure you’ll understand why.
My parents in the 90s were supers to a bunch of spots I lived at in NY/NJ growing up. Thus, my memories of those apartment homes are extremely fuzzy because I just didn’t live in one spot for too long. That said, Westwood, NJ, has always felt like a home away from home to me. The Hub of the Pascack Valley has really always been the one constant town I’ve always been able to stumble into from the time I couldn’t even crawl. I even attended Kindergarten through 2nd Grade on Berkley Ave before my family finally settled up at the Town of Friendly People in ‘03.
I’ll be the first to admit that I may have no real musical talent but who can hate Billy Joel’s “Piano Man”? One of my friends once bought his parents’ anniversary tickets to Billy Joel at the MSG without checking if they were fans because as he put it, “Who doesn’t like Billy Joel?” I can assure you that this will not be the last time I use this song because every line in it has its own story. So it’ll be played out in 15-second reels over the course of time on the Week to Week Notes for @You_The_Reader.
I’ve only been doing the #GuinnessChallengeSeason for about 6 weeks, but you’d be surprised by the number of times when I sit down and there is an old guy with a grey beard sitting next to me sipping away at a glass of his favorite drink. I don’t always get a chance to converse with them. I may ask them a question or two to see if they are interested in talking, some of the time they may not really want to, but as long as I’m sipping on Guinness pints, I’ll always be there to listen.
Guinness Challenge Season #1
@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, who 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. I’m planning on this to be a SEASONal thing for me because I don’t know about you, but I prefer a pint in the cold weather months until the end of March. The 0.0 to 10.0 scale will be extremely nuanced but as a reference point, the only perfect 10.0 I plan to ever give out is at the Guinness Factory in Dublin one day.
PJ Finnegans’s 2/3 ‘23
Service & Staff: A+
Guinness: 9.8
Guinness Challenge: Failed. *I Failed.*
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Rob and Nancy standing next to me. Nancy says, *“I always felt so bad because they failed. I didn’t know it was you.”* Rob talking to Ivan on the side, “Tonight is just like the day of your wedding. It’s freezing out there.” A picture here is of Connemara. College flags are all over the ceiling. Galway sign on the wall. Classic Life magazine covers as well as other pictures from the past are all over the walls that don’t have as blank space in the pub. Jordan next to me in a Jets sweatshirt is worried that Aaron Rodgers is “about to be Brett Favre 2.0. Brett was a great Jet for about 8 weeks.” He has spent many nights at the PR Saloon, “some I ended up stumbling up the block.” He is a Jets/Mets/Rangers fan to spite his ex. “It is fun playing devil’s advocate.”
@YouTheReader alright so I have to admit, I had more than one pint at PJ Finnegan’s last Friday…
One of my uncles was banned from PJ Finnegans for 5 years or so because he told a joke that my dad told him. (They told me it off the record. It will not be on Week to Week Notes. Sick puppies these ones.) Jason Cooper and Rich are the bartenders. Jason did not invent the high tube socks for hoopers in the 80s as my uncle thought at the time while playing with him for Westwood, “that was Michael Cooper, he did it first.” Rich has been working at Finnegan’s for over 35 years. The original owner of Finnegans bought this bar as a side hustle. He let “someone who knew what they were doing” run the show and decorate everything in here. When Finnegans first opened, they had a collared shirt-only policy so that they could establish relationships with regulars. Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Dr. J's photos on the wall in the corner are Rich’s favorites. The original managers brought in pennants of their kids’ colleges and then parents started showing up with college pennants of their own kids to hang them up. Drew standing next to me is in the St John the Baptist Hall of Fame for Basketball.
It felt great sharing a few pints with family and attempting some Guinness Challenges. PJ Finnegan’s in Westwood is one of the most authentic Irish pub settings you can find on this side of the pond. I could probably write a book based on their walls and all the faces that drink their top-selling pint. @YouTheReader - don’t believe me? Go check it out and see for yourself sometime, it is right in most of your backyards set in the Hub of Pascack Valley. This for sure won’t be the last time we plan on having a Friday at Finnegan’s so the more the merrier next time, you might even get your own bit of feature in one of Billy Joel’s Piano Man volumes. While we were leaving, Steve in the corner thought my mom was my wife. Keep Note that as you read - there may be a callback involved. I’m looking forward to having more than a Pint or two at PJ Finnegan’s again soon!
Quick Intermission the next morning…
…Watched the Irish defeat the Welsh. Then I caught a local youth basketball game….
…Took some Notes during both games…
I have a chaperone with me. Her name is Jeannette. @YouTheReader: Yes, my mom was my designated driver on Saturday, what ya think I was walking in that cold? Cop on to yourself!
Cornerstone 2/4 ‘23
Service & Staff: A+
Guinness: 9.0
Guinness Challenge: I Failed.
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Piano Man on in the background. Shamrock in the foam head. Nancy is the bartender. She has worked at Cornerstone for 3 years when it first opened and has not returned for the last 2 years. Cornerstone used to be called Bourbon street and JP Anthony’s as well as a few other names. Nancy was down in Florida for a bit, “felt like I was on vacation all the time.” Cornerstone has a lot of college kids on the weekends. 3 Berkeley Elementary School kids sitting at the bar. “I love Westwood. That is why I came back up here.” Worked in Pearl River for a bit at Maggie Malloy’s, PJ Ryan’s, and the Grass Hopper. She actually “took over for Peggy because she was pregnant around 1995.” Nancy recommends the southwest chicken salad and skirt steak.
My mom and I had a great time talking to Nancy at Cornerstone. Pretty cool how we found out that the 3 of us shared our own experiences at Berkley Elementary School. Also, what a small world that Nancy may have taken over a role around 1995 because a good friend of mine from Pearl River was on his way to getting born. I’ll have to confirm with the source sometime soon. My mom and I feel the same way about Westwood, it really is a special town. The Cornerstone may be located in Hillsdale, but they share Kinderkamack so I’m sure Hillsdale is every bit as special. I’m looking forward to having another pint at The Cornerstone again soon!
The Iron Horse 2/4 ‘23
Service & Staff: A+
Guinness: 8.8
Guinness Challenge: I Failed.
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Barbra is sitting next to me. “I’m warning you, I have a gift for the gab.” She just finished her chicken tortilla soup, “it was quite good.” She moved to Hillsdale in 1963 after graduating from Teaneck high school. She remembers Cornerstone when it was called Hemme’s Corner. “Wood-Ridge is my home now.” She has been coming to the Iron Horse drinking establishment building since the 1960s. I’m the 2nd person she met whose family is from Galway. “I saw rainbows all over Galway Bay.” She came from an Irish household, “my father loved to play spoons. There was a lot of singing and partying in my household growing up.” Prior to moving to NJ, Barbra actually lives in Manhattan as a kid. “Central Park was my playground. My sister and I would pack a sandwich and head over to the MET at 12 years old by ourselves.”
My mom sitting next to me and I had a great conversation with Barbra. She was a very sweet lady and I’m very glad that we were lucky enough to hear about just an inch of her story! As we were leaving, Barbra thought my mom was my wife. The second time in less than 24 hours that this occurred. Maybe it is Something In The Orange beard that makes me look older, or come to think of it, my mom hasn’t had a birthday since she turned 37 so I guess that’s it. I’m looking forward to having another pint at The Iron Horse again soon!
Prohibition Westwood 2/4 ‘23
Service & Staff: A+
Guinness: 9.4
Guinness Challenge: I Failed.
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: As soon as you walk in, there is a massive mugshot of Frank Sinatra on the wall. Stephanie is the mixologist. Maria is the owner of the Prohibition. This Prohibition was established in ‘20, and it has all the feel of the 1920s. “Liquor has come a long way since Long Island Iced Teas.” Stephanie’s personal favorite drink to concoct is a smoked old fashion (it looks amazing). The most popular drink at Prohibition is the One Night Stand- St Germain, Kettle One, homemade blackberry syrup, and a bit of lemon. The buttermilk fried sandwich is her favorite bite on the menu. She has worked here at Prohibition for 2 years and loves it. “Bringing Mom along for the ride, I love it!” The rooftop is currently in the works. Maria’s goal is for it to be one for adults only. Maria has experience owning a bar for over a decade but, “it takes a team. It always takes a team”, as she credits her hard-working staff. My mom’s coffee rating is a “10 out of 10.”
@YouTheReader the Rooftop Bar at Prohibition Westwood is going to be fantastic. Maria actually handed me the blueprints of it and it’ll look amazing right next to the Westwood Movie Theater. I also just want it Noted that as soon as my chaperone and I walked inside we knew familiar faces eating dinner at a nearby table. They bought me my Guinness round, a veteran move without us knowing, so I got the next pint! Before we left, my mom sitting next to me and I made it clear the dynamics of our relationship, so Stephanie and Maria got a kick out of the idea of a 28-year-old drinking a pint and talking to people while being chaperoned by his mother. @YouTheReader it is kind of hilarious, no? I’m looking forward to having one of Prohibition Westwood’s phenomenal special drinks hopefully before their rooftop is even ready, just have some more Guinness pints to do first!
The Dog House Saloon 2/4 ‘23
Service & Staff: A+
Guinness: 7.8 (Standard Can)
Guinness Challenge: I Failed.
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” by U2 on in the background. The Doghouse has live music every Friday and Saturday. Every Wednesday they have a live open mic. It is mainly a neighborhood bar with local regulars and college kids whenever they are home. They are known for their burgers. “The meat lovers’ burger is the best. Crispy chicken tacos are also very good.” The bartender is picking the Chiefs to win and Aaron Judge is her favorite Yankee. “The Doghouse is my home away from home.”
As we were heading, my mom heard an Irish accent in the corner so I went over and shook a hand of a man from County Kerry. We had a good laugh about there being a Red Head Festival in County Cork every year and of course, South Park’s “gingers have souls came up”, but it was obviously all in good fun. He suggested “The New Maggie’s” as a spot to check out in Carlstadt, NJ, so I’m hoping the chaperone is free for a weekend soon! Also looking forward to checking out The Dog House Saloon for a pint and live music again soon!