Saturday, Oct. 09, 2004
Federal Hill overload, happy hour wonderings, posted at 9:04 a.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com Last night, I went to Cross Street Market for sushi and beer. NIce time. Afterwards, we headed to Crazy Lil's to watch the rest of the Red Sox game, then to Ropewalk Tavern to watch the debates, then to this party of a friend of Jesse's. All told, I parked my car at 3:55pm and didn't get into it again until after midnight. Long night, about twice as long as it probably needed to be.Cross Street was fun, as usual, and Crazy Lil's had nice flat screen TVs and had the game on loud enough to hear. I was disappointed with the results, because I would have liked to have seen a longer series, but that's fine. It's shaping up to be the Red Sox vs. the Yankees, which provides me with a dilemma of who to root for. I no longer hate the Yankees like I once did. Dynasty teams are good for sports, and the Yankees have just been a very well-run organization for a long time. Plus, it's hard for me to hate a team that Tony Clark, one of my first ever favorite players, is on. And, part of me just wants to be contrarian to all of my Red Sox friends, who whine about big budget teams when they're one themselves, they just don't do it as well.
But, that being said, I'm beginning to feel a little bit guilty about my anti-Red Sox stance. I met up with Bill and some friends of his from Boston the other day, and as soon as Bill made a snarky comment about the Tigers, I mentioned, "Well, at least the Tigers have won a World Series not only in my lifetime, but in my grandfather's lifetime." Last night, I commented to friends after a few drinks that I just "pitied" the Red Sox. "You've just got to feel sorry for them." Especially after Kerry made a dig at them last night.
We'll see. I still hope the Twins make it in and crush the Red Sox. I really like Johan Santana because he was a Rule V draft pick. That's how obsessive I get about little baseball quirks. I'm rooting for a guy just because he was drafted in a somewhat obscure draft a few years ago, because I like to use him as an argument as to why players like him should be kept on rosters because eventually they might pan out. Jay Gibbons is another, by the way.
Ropewalk was mediocre, at best. I had expected people to be watching the debate, but only about half the people were, and it was tough to hear. We did get approached by a reporter for an interview, though. He wanted Republicans, though, and we didn't think quick enough to say that we were. That would have been fun. But, alas, he went elsewhere. He said we were the third Democratic table at the very Republican bar, and he couldn't find any right wingers to interview.
The party was also mediocre. It was another reminder that I don't do well in large groups of people that I don't know. I enjoyed every conversation that I had, but I sat back in the background after the game of Flip Cup, and eventually got bored at left. The party was in the 1700 block of Light Street, and I ran back to my car on Cross Street, thinking it might keep me safe from mugging. It did. Or maybe people just thought a man running down the street in jeans at midnight was just a strange sight; I'm not sure if it really helped keep me safe.
I'm in a Federal Hill overload right now. I don't want to head back.
So I have a few ideas for the next meetup/Happy Hour, since she nominated me. I'm thinking that another Thursday might work well. Maybe Oct. 28? Also, I think one of the cool things of Happy Hours is discovering new places to go, or showing others cool places you know, and I've got a few ideas:
Ryan's Daughter. Cool, big place with lots of space. It's an Irish bar - not the cheapest, but not horribly overpriced. It's in Belvedere Square.
The Red Star: Beautiful new bar in Fell's Point. High ceilings; it almost looks like a lodge. The decor is really striking. They have pizza and cheap food, but beer is a little pricey ($3 or something).
Lulu's Off Broadway in Fell's Point. It's not as nice as either of the other two, but it has a cool atmosphere and better prices than either. It also has a pretty cool menu, with things like white bean guacomole. The owner is a nice guy and I know the place is struggling, so I'd be happy to support it. It also has Resurrection on tap, which is a big reason I like it. Plus, this is where I learned to love the Dark 'n' Stormy. They make 'em, and they're good.
I've also thought about a few more, like Club Charles (never been, but I'm going on the 30th for a wedding party) or the Spy Club (one of the most unique bars I've been to in Baltimore, but I'm not sure if they open for Happy Hour). Anyhow, I'd love to start taking feedback on it.