Bar Food

quote:

Originally posted by epiphany

Well said.

Bar none.

Now, THAT'S an epiphany!

Now that's funny, both responses!

Donna

I think this poster is more into "topless bars" than bars that serve food.

Or....empty bars....

We didn't even get a bar code.

Meanest board I have ever been on! If I was first time poster I would leave!

Anyway, its a good topic. Where is good bar food. When I travel I always want to just pop into a local bar and get some really good munchies and beer. But most of the time, the place either does not serve food, or if it does it is of the sysco cafe variety.

Any good places that serve up food that they did not buy from the same guy they bought napkins from?

Speaking of bar food, I started a thread some time ago, perhaps two years about pickled eggs. I made them and they were super.

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=317&SearchTerms=pickled,eggs

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I remember a bar in St. Louis that served brain sandwiches...definitely not Sysco-inspired. I think, though, that the best bar food is to be found in Hawaii.

I remember a bar in Honeoye Falls, NY years ago that served one of the best hamburgers I've ever had.

In my sordid past when I tended bar in college, we used to put baskets of chips and pretzels right on the bar for the customers. The salty snacks made them drink more (more tips for us) and made for good customer relations. Most of the neighborhood bars in the NE had good food - seems like food tastes better in a bar after you've had a few pops.

quote:

Anyway, its a good topic. Where is good bar food. When I travel I always want to just pop into a local bar and get some really good munchies and beer.

one word...Baltimore.

A friend used to live there, and we would stroll down the street to any of the local elbow bending emporiums, and get a great meal!

quote:

Originally posted by epiphany

There seem to be a growing number of folks around here who type much more, but say a lot less.

Best bar food - a meaty chicken wing slathered with cajun and tobasco sauce. I want to bite into a chicken not a bone. If I lick my fingers thoughout the meal, I know my attention has been diverted from the football game to the food. I have tasted some delicious chicken wings at Long Island pubs, but I'm still waiting to taste the ultimate lip smacking chicken wing. Maybe some day.

There is a bar in Kansas City called Harry's Country Club. The food is not your usual bar food. Garlic cheese grits, bbq fish, fried bologne sandwiches, fried chicken with chile gravy, corn and crab fritters and 2 dollar cans of Falstaff. There is nothing "upscale" about this place, they just wanted to do some creative food and they did. It's very good and the music is great. Johnny Cash and all the great ones.

When I was a youngster and came of drinking age (c. 1946) the free bar food offered by just about every bar in New York State was a dying benefit. I remember a German bar that served hot dogs and wursts cut up into bite size pieces with a very spicy mustard. In season, McAuley's Bar would sometimes offer hot ears of corn and drawn butter. I spent some time in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn in about 1950 and an Italian longshormen's bar used to bring out bowls of hot spicy mussels - wow, they were good! Just about every bar, especially upscale bars in hotels would have bowls of nuts and pretzels and sometimes cheese and crackers.

I found and lost and never found again a bar on Chambers St or Canal St in Manhattan that served the best, and only, liver sausages (little liver flavored hot dogs) I've ever had. They wern't free, but very cheap - maybe a dime.

The Crab Shack, out by the Dog Track on Gandy in St Pete serves their entire menu at the bar. The bartenders (both male and female) are very attentive and are quick to bring whatever you order. Our favorites there are oysters and shrimp. While the line for tables is out the door one can sneak a seat at the bar and get a full meal and a few beers and be on the way before the poor folks are even seated.

If you ever go to Crabby Bill's in St Pete (oysters $1.99 dozen) be sure to sit at the bar, the guys shucking oysters will throw you an extra now and then.

In Lambertville, NJ in the elegant old RR station the bar in the basement serves great sandwiches and soups and River Horse beer- not cheap.

The wife and I were tired and thristy late one afternoon in Brooklyn and found ourselves near the Brooklyn Bridge. I remembered having heard about an elegant restaurant almost under the bridge. We pulled up at the waters edge and went in- the place was not yet busy and the friendly bartender made us a pair of delicious Martinis, pushed some goodies in front of us, we sat and watched the sun set over Manhattan and listened to the string quartet warming up on the barge next door to the restaurant - pure magic!

Bar food is great food!!

Cheers, John

SEAFARER,you are the guy! A wonderful post,given the time and the money,I would go with you(on my knuckle)to every 'joint' you mentioned so lovingly.
Long ago,Eddie Malones Tavern,in Union,NJ,occasionally put out saltines which had been toasted with chedder cheese and onions, a feast!
Here in Tampa,O'Brien's Pub will put out 'happy hour'(which is neither happy or a hour) snacks that include Irish sausages w/ very hot mustard, a lovely treat as well
Thanks for those memories

When I want some decent bar food, I usually go to Mullen's on the north side of Chicago on Western Avenue (plus they have another location on Clark St. near the dreaded Wrigley Field). Great burgers, good chicken sandwiches and more, nothing fancy but good quality food for decent prices (well, decent by Chicago standards).

The Olde Town Bar in Manhattan -- where I happened to eat lunch today, sitting at the bar -- has really good bar food (burgers, etc.) But, some folks would consider it more of a restaurant.

There's also Denino's in Staten Island, where you can sit at the bar and eat their very nice pizzas.

Not only am I a bartender's daughter, but I am a bartender's granddaughter (and my grandmother was a bootlegger during prohibition!). I have wonderful memories of my dad's bar; he owned two; first in the Kensington area of North Philadelphia (I have very blurry memories of going in there as a tiny girl), and then one in Levittown (Bucks County), PA. My grandfather died a year before I was born (I'm his namesake). They used to make square pizzas up there which they did not call pizza, but Tomato Pies. That's actually a Trenton thing. He also had those wonderful Beer Nuts, remember those? They had a great taste! Do they still make those?


While in my 40s, I was girlfriend of an APA pool team captain, and they played all their games out of Camden County bars, so I would of course go with to watch pool, eat, socialize and usually get pretty buzzed. These bars around here are like the true South Jersey roadhouses. I ate more bar food than you can imagine during those three years, mostly french fries, chicken finger platters, steak sandwiches and some good hamburgers. I had good meals and bad ones. I did enjoy sitting at the bar near the pool tables and eating dinner and drinking a Molson Ice or two afterwards. Last I was there, the good old Greentop on Route 73 in picturesque Berlin, NJ still had great platters. And the parking lot is always packed, and I know people go there not just to drink. No idea how the pool teams are doing, though. Oh, the Town Tavern in Atco has good platters as well. I've eaten many good meals there. And the people behind the bar are ultra-friendly. They have very tough characters in there, and I have seen a few fights in the parking lot, but I've never personally had a problem in there. I've had grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches with some of the best fries ever.

I'd have to say that actually any biker or pool (as in billiards) bar in South Jersey that I've been in has friendly people and good food.

However! Charlie's in Somers Point deserves the last paragraph. They have wings that we have driven 40 miles and back for. If anyone wants a menu let me know and I'll scan it. One time we were eating in there and a bagpipe band marched through! I don't usually use this word, but it was awesome.

Yep, Beer Nuts can still be found in every package store in California, though mainly in cans.

Back in the day...'70's.. The Pioneer Club in Ketchum, ID had all you can eat beef and bison ribs from 4-7 p.m. Free! I ate there many a night. I would have to agree with the thought about Hawaii. I had many a free pu-pu platter there for dinner. Those were the days.

Bar Food = Finger Food


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=817&ncid=757&e=10&u=/ap/20041230/ap_on_fe_st/zimbabwe_finger