Last night I went to a bar for the first time in probably 15 years. I have to say...they haven't changed much. Granted this one is sort of a throw back type place, and I don't mean that in a cool, CBGB & OMFUG type way. It really wasn't bad, it was just a bar.
We were celebrating the birthday of one of my (young) friends at Pilot's Pub on Congress. They said I should meet them upstairs, which I did after only a small anxiety attack. Fortunately the staircase is just inside the front doors so I didn't have to wander too far into the main bar area. Not that that's a bad thing, I'm just well aware that I'm, uh, a year or two older than most of the bar patrons in this college town. It really doesn't bother me, but it seems like every time I make eye contact with someone they get that deer in the headlights look on their face as if I've been sent by their mother to check up on them.
When I got upstairs, it appeared to be nothing more than a long hallway lined with heavy closed doors with electronic keypad locks on them. I thought, "Oh dear God, what kind of place is this?!" Then I found a set of double doors that opened into another bar area that wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I really half expected to be required to give someone the secret password before they'd let me enter.
Since I don't drink (anymore) I asked for a bottle of water and got a nice cold bottle of Kentwood Springs filtered tap water. It was $1.50 for this same water that I buy by the case at Winn Dixie for $4.50. Thank God I didn't ask for what I really wanted which was a Pellegrino. I can imagine what that conversation would have looked like: "Pellegrino...it's carbonated water...P E L L E...no, club soda won't do...it's like Perrier...P E R R I..."
Part of the Pilot's Pub thing is "having hot girls serve great drinks in a cool atmosphere". I got that straight from their website. All I can say is...don't expect too much. All of the girls were really sweet but it sort of reminded me of my first trip to Hooter's. I expected to see what I've seen on television: chicken wings served by porn stars. I've been to several different Hooter's restaurants now (they really do have good wings) and have yet to see anything remotely resembling a porn star. Yes, the girls wear the tight, skimpy little outfits but most of them have no business doing so. If you've got a little belly, that's okay. I've got a little belly. But for the love of God and everything holy, don't parade it around in spandex that's 2 sizes too small.
The Pilot's Pub jukebox had the same selection of standard bar music found in jukeboxes 20 years ago so that was good, I knew all the songs. The only thing that was really different was the dog who came to our table for a visit. Apparently, it's a pet friendly place. Odd.
I had a good time with great friends and after two showers I think I've finally managed to get the bar smell out of my hair.
2 comments:
Several years ago when I worked downtown, there was a grand opening of a Hooters going on. One of my co-workers came in and breathlessly told me I *HAD* to go over and see. My experience with that chain is pretty much like you described, meh...
Well, with the grand opening they flew in the traveling Hooters calendar girls.
Well worth the walk over.
Heh. Yeah, I figured there was probably a dozen or so professional Hooters that travel around opening new stores, posing for calendars, and just generally making the rest of us feel bad about ourselves.
But the actual girls who are in the trenches slinging wings on a daily basis are normal, size 12 students working their way through college.
If that's not the case, I don't want to hear anything different.
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