Monday, June 30, 2008

IT'S ALMOST FIREWORKS TIME!

Sorry for the long gap in between posts; Don't want to really get into the particulars, but let's just say it's been one of those weekends.....

As we begin a new week, it just dawned on me that we're already into July and the Fourth of July holiday weekend! Damn time sure flies! We've had our share of extremely hot days thus far and there's no end in sight. And with our dear friends at CON EDISON talking about going on strike, let's just say that I'm somewhat nervous about the state of our A.C. output. Keep your fingers crossed folks.

So what's on the agenda for the Fourth of July? Since the holiday falls on a Friday this year, it's somewhat difficult to predict what the masses will do. I'm sure there will be the usual exodus out of the city with folks headed to the Hamptons, Jersey Shore, or the Poconos. That being said, with the gas prices being what they are these days and the crazy shenanigans of the airline industry, we may find more people staying close to home this time around.

Macy's will hold their Annual Fourth of July Fireworks Celebration on the East River that night. Since we are only three blocks from the river, we usually get a good crowd at the bar before AND after the fireworks. And as tradition dictates, we always serve up our classic Red, White and Blue special: Pabst Blue Ribbon Buckets 5/$10.00 (or $3.00ea.), all night long! That goes along with our regular Friday Happy Hour Special ($4.00 all Draft Beers and Mixed Well Drinks, 5-10pm), which makes for an enjoyable Fourth of July all around!

HOLIDAY WEEKEND SCHEDULE:

Friday, July 4: 4pm-close

Saturday, July 5: 4pm- close

Sunday, July 6: CLOSED

EURO '08: Congrats to SPAIN on a hard-fought, well-deserved victory over GERMANY in yesterday's EURO '08 Final, 1-0.

The tournament itself was (for the most part), smoothly run and pretty exciting to follow. It was a nice shot in the arm for the bar as it brought about a whole new set of patrons that we wouldn't have seen normally. It never ceases to amaze me the passion that follows this sport. Granted, for a place like ours, the only time we really get to experience it is during worldwide events such as the Euro Cup or the World Cup, however, every time one of these events take place, the passionate fans of various countries come out in full force and it is a sight to behold.

HAPPY TRAILS

One of our regulars got a sweet fellowship gig in Washington D.C. and a group of his friends decided to throw him a going-away party on Thursday night. It's always nice to see groups of close friends getting together for various reasons, especially when it's something like a going away party. While D.C. is only four hours away, I'm sure he will be missed by all. Good luck in D.C.!

Good Luck in D.C. Joe!

Is poor Lenny ready to puke here? Hope not...

Again, sincere apologies for the lack of posts the past few days. A lot of stuff going on behind the scenes.... and there's only but so much time in my day. Hope everyone had a great weekend!



Nuff Said

Thursday, June 26, 2008

ESPN DROPS THE (soccer) BALL!

Yesterday was the first Semi-Final of the EURO '08 Cup, featuring Cup favorite GERMANY and the Cinderella team of the tournament, TURKEY. As I predicted before, the bar was filled with anxious and happy Turkey supporters, ready to cheer their team on. And the National Team did not disappoint the crowd, taking an early lead to stun Germany and their supporters.



Excitement for the Turks was short-lived, however, as the German team came right back to tie up the match shortly after the first goal was scored. The two teams went back and forth in an exciting match until...... the ESPN satellite feed disappeared! The packed bar was bewildered as the TV's showed a blank screen, while at the same time, listening to the confused announcers trying to give everyone the play-by-play without the benefit of a picture. Very surreal.

After a few minutes, the picture came back and by then, Germany had taken the lead. As the match was beginning to wind down, the Turkish fans were showing signs of fear that their magical run would end. Then the improbable happened: We lost our feed again!!!

This time, the Turkish fans were going nuts. A few minutes left until the end of the match and the feed disappears??? WTF? During that blackout, the Turkey team found a way to score to tie up the match. The fans went crazy, only to get disappointed as the TV feed came back, just as Germany re-took the lead with about a minute left to play. It gets better.

As the game resumes with literally stoppage time left to play, the feed disappears YET again, forcing both fans of Germany and Turkey to stare at blank TV's and listen (with hope) to the announcers as they described the last few moments of the match. Germany ultimately won the match, crushing the dreams of the Turks. What could have been a dramatic and exciting finish to witness, turned into a confusing, mish-mosh of nothing. Talk about dropping the ball, ESPN!






Alas, the dream run ended for the Turks. While they were sometimes annoying to deal with, they definitely brought something unique to the bar.

Later on in the evening, we hosted another session of GUITAR HERO. Now I still don't quite get the purpose of this game, however, it seems to be popular, so when in Rome.....







All told, while it was a LONG day, it was a pretty good one.


TONIGHT: "Bucket 'o Lights" (Buckets of Coors Light, Michelob Light and Miller Lite, 5/$15.00) 5pm-10pm!



Nuff Said

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

THEY'RE BAAAAAACK!!!

Wednesday is "D-Day" for soccer fans as we head into the Semi-Finals of EURO '08. The first match features heavily favored GERMANY and the cinderella-story team from TURKEY. Match begins at 2:30pm and if recent history is any indication, then I expect the bar to be filled to the rafters with hardcore Turkish fans, ready to cheer their team to an improbable victory. Part of me looks forward to the match, just to see the passion of the fans; The other part of me is anticipating a mild sense of chaos, as the Turkish fans can be a handful to deal with. Hopefully their band of hot female fans will show up, ready to go. Definitely pleasing to the eyes at the very least. And if you are truly my friend, then you'll show up in time for the match to help protect me from this zealous lot (just kidding.... somewhat).

TUESDAY NIGHT was a busy one for yours truly. The early part of my night was spent at dinner with my co-manager and our bosses, talking "shop" over a hearty meal at SMITH and WOLLENSKY'S, one of Manhattan's more popular steakhouses. Food was good (I had the salmon, as always), conversation was good; no complaints at all. Got a lot of work accomplished too.

Afterwards, we headed back to the bar so that I could check in on DOLLAR DRAFT MADNESS. The bar was teeming with suits and wannabe hipsters. Half of the suits were of the Intern variety, of course. My doorman was filling me in on how many underaged punks he turned away, many of them using fake id's or trying to use their big brother/sister's old driver's licenses. As a matter of fact, before heading out to dinner, I also had an opportunity to turn away a group of potential patrons because a few of them had fakes on them. What can I say? It's that time of year.





There were a lot of strange and bizarre folks hanging out for the cheap beers; I guess that's to be expected when you invite all of New York City to join us for dollar drafts. We ended up bouncing a few folks out for drunken behavior, but aside from that, most of the night went smoothly.

REMINDER:

EURO '08 Semi-Final: TURKEY vs GERMANY (2:45pm). $4.00 Carlsberg drafts, $3.00 Bud/Bud Light and Coors Light, bottle and drafts!


GUITAR HERO (8PM)

If you aren't into the sporting atmosphere, join us tonight as we bring GUITAR HERO back to Third and Long! Show everyone your "inner rockstar" as we hook up the game system and let everyone "ROCK ON"!!! With $3.00 Coors Light and $3.00 Mixed Well Drinks during the promo, it's something could turn into a monthly thing if we have a good turnout. Festivities begin at 8pm!!!! See you there!


More Updates to Come!!




Nuff said

Sunday, June 22, 2008

SPAIN vs ITALY.... ANOTHER CLASSIC

Sunday afternoon brought forth another classic matchup for hardcore soccer fans as SPAIN faced off against ITALY to determine the fourth and final Semi-Finalist for EURO 2008. Up to this point, aside from Germany, all of the quarterfinal favorites fell by the wayside. So there was a lot of pressure on the Spaniards to win their match as they were the favorites against the old, but pesky Italy team. History wasn't on Spain's side either, as the past revealed that the last four times that the Spaniards played a meaningful match (i.e. World Cup or European Cup) on June 22th, they lost each time.

As with practically every other match that took place during this tournament, there was a pretty nice crowd at the bar to check it out. Speaking of which, what's up with the preponderance of hot chicks that turn out for soccer matches??? First Turkey, now the Spaniards and Italians (though I'm not as surprised by that) come in with their groupies and the female versions are usually pretty hot. Makes it hard to watch the matches.

In any case, we were treated to yet another fascinating match as Spain and Italy went back and forth and ended up going to penalty kicks before Spain was able to pull out a hard-fought victory, 4-2 (p.k's).

We had various members of the SUNDAY BREW CREW in attendance for the match, including T-BILL, AFRIKA BAMBATTA, NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, TURBO, SILENT BOB, DIRTY SANCHEZ, HORNY GOATWEED, and DOUBLE-S among would-be soccer enthusiasts. Even BOBBY DEWARS tried to get into the match, but his attention span held up for only about fifteen minutes.

We also met up with a friend of one of our former BREW CREW members, REDSKINS CHICK, who entertained us with some funny stories of her own. She's also the author of the pretty funny blog, "LET'S BLOG IT OUT".



All told, it was a pretty relaxing, yet funny afternoon. One more week of EURO '08 madness before the final takes place a week from today. It's been a good run. Now bring back the NFL.


UPCOMING EVENTS:

Monday: "Mug Night Madness" ($2.00 Domestic Draft Mugs, $1.00 Bud/Bud Light Mugs)

Tuesday: "Dollar Draft Madness" ($1.00 Bud/Bud Light mugs)

Wednesday: "Guitar Hero Party" ($3.00 Mixed Well Drinks for ladies, $4.00 Coors Light and $1.00 off all IMPORTED beers).


Thursday: "Bucket o' Lights" (Miller Lite, Coors Light or Michelob Light buckets, 5/$15.00).


Friday: "Subway Series Happy Hour" ($4.00, all draft beer and mixed well drinks, 5-10pm)


And finally, HAPPY TRAILS......

To one of America's greatest comics, GEORGE CARLIN, who passed away over the weekend of heart failure, at the age of 71. To read more about him and his comedic legacy, click HERE. This man was simply one of the best and his acerbic wit and view on life will be missed.









Catch ya later!


Nuff Said

Friday, June 20, 2008

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER (officially).....

Sorry for the late post; I'm finding myself running around with my head cut off, dealing with meetings, errands, vendors, staffing, etc. You would think that Fridays are casual and laid back. Alas, that's the life of a bar man. Anything is possible.

It's June 20, the official start of Summer. Believe it or not, the bar is pretty packed right now; We've been invaded by the Turks again, as they are playing Croatia in a quarterfinal match at EURO '08. As much of a pain in the ass the Turks are, a couple of things stand out:

1) They roll deep and they roll hard. Rabid fan base.


2) Turkish women (at least the ones here watching the matches) are H-O-T!!! For some reason I pictured Turkish women as a faceless bunch, hiding under a veil of secrecy. Boy was I way off base on that assessment.

Right now it's 0-0, beginning of the second half. I'm in a quandary because part of me want to see the team lose, simply because the fans are a pain in my arse. At the same time, it wouldn't hurt the business to see them win because they roll so deep. What to do, what to do....

Last night was a good night for the bar as the "BUCKET 'O BEERS" special is going well so far. Miller Lite and Michelob Light were positive movers and there's something about having a bucket of beers at your table that makes one feel cool. Not sure why, but it is what it is....

TONIGHT:

"After-Work Happy Hour" (5-10pm), $4.00 Mixed Well Drinks and Draft Beers!!!


After many requests from you, the patron, we will be signing on with the MLB EXTRA INNINGS baseball package any day now. This means that we'll be able to carry ANY and EVERY GAME in Major League Baseball!! So for you fans of the CARDINALS, INDIANS, CUBS, DIAMONDBACKS, PIRATES, and every other team in between, we'll soon be your home of all things baseball! Look for great drink specials to coincide with the launch of MLB EXTRA INNINGS!


EURO '08 WEEKEND SCHEDULE:


Saturday: NETHERLANDS vs RUSSIA (2:30pm)


Sunday: SPAIN vs ITALY (2:30pm)


We will have great Carlsberg giveaways during both matches, including jerseys, t-shirts and soccer balls!!! Make sure to join us!



Have a great weekend!!!


Nuff Said

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

(Yahoo!Sports/Getty Images)

BOSTON: "TITLETOWN"????

Last night the NBA season officially ended with the BOSTON CELTICS winning the title in 6 games over the LOS ANGELES LAKERS; Their first title since 1987. This team more or less dominated the regular season and as a result, claimed the championship of professional basketball. A feat well done, accolades well deserved.

Now that basketball season is officially done for the summer, you have to step back a moment and take a look at the city of Boston and what they've accomplished sports-wise over the past year:

MLB World Series Champions: BOSTON RED SOX

NFL Super Bowl Runner-Up: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

NBA Basketball Championship: BOSTON CELTICS


The proof is there in front of your face. It's not very often where you'll find one city that is the home of so many championship teams in one year. Now the pressure falls on the Boston Bruins to step up and keep the legacy going. And the way things have been going for the City of Boston, you may have to place a bet on that team to do just that.

Kudos to the Celtics on a job well done.


EURO '08 results:

The League of Death produced the drama that everyone anticipated and when the dust finally settled, we found ITALY as the lucky team to emerge out of Group C with the NETHERLANDS to advance to the knockout round of eight.

With one more Group to play out (Group D), the stakes go higher as we find ourselves down to eight teams. After Wednesday's matches, we are headed to the "Knockout" round where it's ONE and DONE. It's quite simple now: Win and you move on- lose.... and it's "thanks for stopping by". The matchups are more or less set (aside from deciding the runner-up of Group D). They are:

Thursday June 19: PORTUGAL vs GERMANY

Friday, June 20: CROATIA vs TURKEY

Saturday, June 21: NETHERLANDS vs Runner-up,

Group D Sunday, June 22: SPAIN vs ITALY All matches begin at 2:45pm.


LADIES NIGHT tonight!!! ($3.00 Mixed Well Drinks for all ladies, $5.00 Cosmos/Appletinis, $1.00 off ALL imported beers)!!!

Speaking of ladies, I want to take a moment to introduce the room to a trio of cool neighborhood chicks: THE BECKERMANS.

If you live or have extensive access to Murray Hill, then you've definitely seen the BECKERMANS (l-r, Chloe, Callieanne and Samantha) around. They are usually seen together, walking their cute little dogs and almost always with a smile on their faces.

I remember when I first encountered them, I would always ask myself, "What is their deal????". I'd always seem them walking around the neighborhood throughout the day with their dogs and they would always say hi and go on about their business. Now I pride myself on knowing who my neighbors are and for the life of me I couldn't figure them out and it drove me nuts.

One day, I was on the toilet, reading a copy of Time Out New York. Flipping through the pages I come across a fairly large fashion article and I see a picture of them. At first I did a double-take as I wasn't quite sure if I was looking at the same girls. As it turns out, it was indeed them. So these girls were in the fashion industry and pretty well-established to boot. I couldn't help but to get a chuckle out of it. It simply goes to show that you never know who lives around you.

That being said, I checked out their site (BECKERMANS.COM) and it's pretty extensive as far as offerings go and pretty cool (if you are a female). I'm pretty impressed with what they've done with their careers thus far and the fact that they are so down to earth, it's pretty difficult to find that in the Fashion industry.

So ladies, check out their site and tell me what you think. And if you happen to hook up with them on anything, tell 'em that I sent ya!



Nuff Said

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

MUG NIGHT MADNESS

Last night we featured MUG NIGHT MADNESS, a new twist on DOLLAR DRAFT MADNESS. With $2.00 mugs of Blue Moon Ale, Sam Adams, Sam Adams Seasonal Ale, Coors Light, Yuengling Lager and Sierra Nevada to choose from, along with the usual $1.00 mugs of Bud and Bud Light, it was the proverbial smorgasbord of fun for those who find themselves on a budget financially, but excessively rich in good times.







With the brews flowing, music pumping and Jenga being the arbitrary game of the moment, Monday night turned out to be a pretty busy and fun night. If MUG NIGHT MADNESS turns out as well as it did tonight, then I think we have a pretty good special on our hands. We'll see what happens next week!





EURO '08: THE LEAGUE OF DEATH.....

Today we find some matches with some major ramifications behind them.

THE NETHERLANDS vs ROMANIA

The dominant Dutch squad have already punched a ticket to the quarterfinals, so they pretty much have nothing to play for. The Romanians, however, need a victory to punch their ticket to the knockout stage.

FRANCE vs ITALY

The biggest disappointments of the tournament thus far, face each other with their short season on the line. Loser goes home for sure. In fact, there's no guarantee that the winner of this match will move on either, depending on what happens to Romania. Both matches kick off at the same time (2:45pm), which adds to the drama.

As always, we'll carry both matches live and let the chips fall where they may......


DOLLAR DRAFT MADNESS TONIGHT! ($1.00 Bud/Bud Light Mugs)



Nuff Said

Monday, June 16, 2008

WEEKEND RECAP

This past weekend was a pretty good one for the most part. We've been getting some good play with the EURO '08 tournament (even with the annoyingly pesky Turks), which is brilliant. The tournament has helped to fill a void during the early dog-days of summer and for that, I can't complain. There's been more than a few really good matches to boot, which is an added plus.

FRIDAY found yours truly working an unexpected double-shift, slinging drinks during the day and managing the night shift. The afternoon went really well, with a nice segue from the EURO '08 matches leading into the after-work Happy Hour. For some reason, there were more people around on Friday than normal, and as a result, we had a very busy, yet laid back vibe to the early Friday night session.

From there, the night only got busier and busier, to the point where we had probably our best Friday night of the early summer season thus far. Everyone seemed to be having a good time and continued to do so until we kicked out the last person at 4am. We had no problems at all, which is always great and it gave me hope for the rest of the weekend.

Unfortunately things took a turn for the sour on Saturday afternoon when we were greeted with what was probably the closest thing to a monsoon that I had ever seen. We were pounded by torrential rains for most of the late afternoon and well into the night. When all was said and done, the night was shot as most folks elected to stay in for the night.

Sunday was Father's Day and if you read yesterday's post, you'll know how that day went. Damn Turks.....

TODAY:

EURO '08 (2:45PM)

Austria vs Germany

Poland vs Croatia


TONIGHT:

MUG NIGHT MADNESS

$2.00 Domestic Mugs
$1.00 Bud/Bud Light Mugs


More updates later....


COMING SOON: By popular demand- GUITAR HERO!

Nuff Said

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

HOLY HEATWAVE, PT. II

It's 12:45am and as I write this, it's still 86 degrees outside. Hot, humid and funky. What a way to enjoy a Monday night. According to my weather goddess, HEIDI JONES, we will have to endure near 100-degree weather for one more day before we are hit with a deluge of rain that will break the heatwave. I only pray that our air conditioning system holds up until then.

CHEAP INTERNS RULE THE NIGHT

I stopped in a short while ago to check in with the staff and to see how things were going. It was obvious that the night was a good one: plenty of beer mugs all over the place; cluster of small groups engrossed in conversation and music, having a good time. The majority of the crowd that was still there when I arrived were definitely interns. Some of them were still wearing temporary ID cards on their chests.

As I hung out at the bar, talking with FIRE MARSHALL ED, I couldn't help but to notice during the few transactions that took place that none of the big time spenders were leaving any tips. One group in particular would stroll up to the bar, order a fist full of mugs, pay for their bounty, and simply tuck away their change- with no thought whatsoever to leaving a tip. What's up with that?? It was bad enough that they didn't even bother to think about leaving a tip- what made it worse was some of the attitudes these kids had. As if they were doing you a favor. Where do they think they are? England??? Talk about nerve.


THANKS, DEE DEE....

During the course of the recent NHL Playoffs, I had the pleasure of meeting a lot of great hockey fans. One fan in particular was a young lady by the name of DEE DEE. She was a diehard Detroit Red Wings fan, from Detroit who was not only cute, but knew her hockey too (a very nice combination, I must say). She came by the bar for every Red Wings game, sat in her same seat each time and never complained the few times we didn't have the sound on for a game.

Saturday night I found myself working as a last-minute replacement for FIRE-MARSHALL ED (he got called away for duty). While in the middle of a conversation with another employee, imagine my surprise when this hot chick came walking through the bar with a small bag in her hand. It was DEE DEE. She caught me off guard because quite frankly, I've never seen her without her Red Wings jersey before. She turned out to be hotter that I thought.

DEE DEE walked over to me and presented me with the small bag. She said it was a token of gratitude for us being so nice to her and her friends during the hockey playoffs. To be honest, I was quite taken aback by the gesture. It's not very often that a patron would go out of their way do that for me. It was a nice feeling, I have to admit.


EURO 2008 UPDATE:

Monday saw our first upset of the tournament as the pesky Dutch squad of the Netherlands decided to put aside their differences to put on a masterclass display on the favored Azzurri of Italy, trouncing them 3-0. It wasn't even close. The Italians are probably wailing in the streets of Rome as we speak.

The other match featured Le Bleus of France and Romania, the "weakest" team in this group, otherwise known as the Group of Death. That match, on the other hand, was a bit of a snooze-fest, as each team played tentative soccer, resulting in a 0-0 tie. Whoopie.

TODAY'S SCHEDULE:

Spain vs Russia (12 noon)

Greece vs Sweden (2:45pm).

$4.00 Carlsberg Drafts during the matches!!!


That's it for now. I'll be working the day shift tomorrow, so you won't catch me online. Try to stay cool and if you are around during the afternoon, stop in and say hello!


Dollar Draft Madness tonight!!! ($1.00 Bud/Bud Light MUGS)


Nuff Said

Friday, June 6,2008

EURO 2008 IS HERE!!!!

Opening kickoff is on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 12 noon!!! We will be broadcasting ALL EURO 2008 matches with $4.00 Carlsberg Drafts during the whole tournament! Saturday should be one hell of a sports-packed day, beginning with the Women's French Open Final, followed by two EURO 2008 matches (Switzerland vs Czech Rep./ Portugal vs Turkey); During that time there's MLB with NY Yankees/K.C. Royals and Mets/Padres. And of course, the day won't be complete until the running of THE BELMONT STAKES (6pm).

So buckle up boys and girls, you're in for one hell of a ride!


Nuff Said

Friday, May 29, 2008

AND WE'RE BACK!

After what felt like a L-O-N-N-N-N-G week of suffering without cable or Internet access, I finally got everything fixed and back up and running this afternoon. So keep your fingers crossed that we actually keep our service this time.

This week started out a little slowly, due to the post-Memorial Day hangover. That being said, we still had some good nights, thanks to the STANLEY CUP matchups between Detroit and Pittsburgh, as well as some great NBA playoff action.

The bar also got a dose of some VH-1 action, thanks to their Fall Upfront Staging Parties, where we were one of many venues to entertain their clients. The regulars didn't quite like the "vivid" bar wrap with their logo all over it, but rest assured, it's all gone now. The bar is back to normal.

Other than that, it's status quo at the bar going into the weekend. Speaking of which, don't forget about next weekend when EURO 2008 kicks off. A month-long tournament featuring 16 of Europe's best soccer teams face off for bragging rights of their continent. It also marks the halfway point to World Cup 2010 in South Africa. You can catch all of the action of EURO 2008 here, with two live matches each day, beginning at 12 noon and 2:45pm.

CARLSBERG is the major sponsor of EURO 2008 and we will highlight their beer as BEER of the MONTH for June in commemoration of the tournament. So beginning on Sunday, we'll feature CARLSBERG on tap for $4.00/pt.

TONIGHT: After-Work Happy Hour (5pm-10pm), $4.00 ALL BEERS, HOUSE WINES and MIXED WELL DRINKS!


SATURDAY: KICK the KEG Saturdays (12pm-8pm): $2.00 mugs, ALL BEERS ON TAP! STANLEY CUP GAME 4 (8PM)


SUNDAY: SUNDAY FUN-DAYS: $4.00 Domestic Drafts ALL DAY LONG!


A more in-depth update to follow. Thanks for your patience and support this week!



Nuff Said