Tuesday, June 12, 2007

THE TENDER BAR

The other day I finally went out to my first Sunday brunch in quite sometime. One of the few perks of being closed on Sundays in the summer- getting to enjoy Sunday brunch. It's one of the few relaxing moments of the week where I can truly kick back and enjoy the moment of the day. My ongoing passion has always been to find that one place where I can enjoy a Sunday brunch without feeling rushed.

This time, Sunday brunch took place at BANC CAFE, a local high-end bar/lounge/restaurant. Joined by BABY GIRL, we were able to secure an outside table rather easily. After ordering up a couple of Bloody Marys (which, by the way, were not nearly as good as the ones I make), we began chatting about the bar and its imminent demise.

BABY GIRL brought up the book, THE TENDER BAR by J.R. MOEHRINGER. One of those "coming-of-age" memoirs, I was given the book for my birthday by AMERICAN PSYCHO and remembered it being a good read. I was curious as to why she would bring up this particular book. She explained how the very first paragraph of the story described Third and Long and what the bar meant for her. After thinking about it and going back to the book later on that day, I then understood what she meant:

"WE WENT THERE FOR EVERYTHING WE NEEDED. We went there when thirsty, of course, and when hungry, and when dead tired. We went there when happy, to celebrate, and when sad, to sulk. We went there after weddings and funerals, for something to settle our nerves, and always for a shot of courage just before. We went there when we didn't know what we needed, hoping someone might tell us. We went there when looking for love, or sex, or trouble, or for someone who had gone missing, because sooner or later everyone turned up there. Most of all, we went there because we needed to be found." -"The Tender Bar", J.R. MOEHRINGER

Thinking about that paragraph, what BABY GIRL said hit home. Call it what you want, but the bar did encompass many things for many people. I guess over the course of a given day you don't really think about it in those terms. And once I was able to look at it on those terms, the thought of the bar closing really hit home. And it made me sad.

Now when strangers and old time patrons stop by and share a story about a memory they had of the bar, I get it now, whereas before, I thought that many of them were simply sharing their well wishes. For many of the former and present patrons, this bar really represented a time in their lives (for whatever reason) and they simply wanted to acknowledge it. And no matter what happens with the place, I will always treasure those shared moments.




nuff said