What A Friday Night.

This guy can attest to the awesomeness of this friday night out. Shoes were unleashed upon the world, clowns kicked out the jams, and a little girl's wish for a balloon hat was granted. Stay tuned for a full report.

Waterin Holes and Holy Water

My first images of bar life were no doubt sculpted by places like these. You see I grew up in rural America. The only bars I ever wanted to go to had those sweet swinging doors like in any western film you've ever seen.

Now I may be old school, but to me these "hip" bars and "trendy" places just don't do it for me. I need to get back to my roots. Saloon doors and simple pleasures will do for me. Give me "The Pub" or give me death. The Pub is a local joint, just a couple blocks down from where I work everyday. And while easily missed you have to understand that it is something special. Imagine a bar/pub in your own home. Your own couches, your own ambiance, your own friends. And most of all imagine your own keg tap. For some this is a reality. But for most this is just a dream.


Enter The Pub. While it seems unassuming from the outside it is no doubt one of the quirkiest places in the bay area. It is the homeliest of bars. Take your living room, add a few taps, and some fresh cut tobacco and you have the pub. It used to be a place where connoisseurs of tobacco varieties and beer goodness, could congregate and be merry. And they could do it all inside, from the comfort of their own comfy chair. This is one of the few places I wish you could smoke indoors, I don't smoke but it is really the essence of this place. Though they have managed just fine with the whole smoking outside thing. Their patio is by far my favorite in the area. The pub is a celebration of all things adults enjoy (tobacco, beer, news, legos).


The Pub is a meeting place for long nights ahead, a place where one may write a novel, or begin a novel exploration of libations of the world. If that makes any sense at all (which it doesn't). The pub is my favorite place mostly because of the creaky wood floors, the door which does not shut, and the smell.

Oh the smell!!

Fine tobacco and rustic wood, mixed with old upholstery never smelled better. The couches and chairs are straight from 1970, like something my great grandmother handed down to me for use in my first apartment. Yet the smell of fresh smoking leaves wafts into your nose and leaves you dumbfounded. After a pint and a healthy sit in one of their comfy chairs, you will see what I am talking about. The pub is one of those places not easily replaced, nor found anywhere else than in Albany, California. It is a celebration of all things adult. Much like Toys R' Us is a celebration of all things childlike! Though the pub is much less corporate, and a whole lot more tasty.

My goodness, My Guinness!!

Never have I felt more at home than I have at The Pub. It really is a gem of the Bay Area, and the best part is that no one really knows about it. Most would say it is a boring bar (though it pushes the meaning of "bar" to it's limit). Yet in all my times I have been here, I have not once found it boring, there is too much soul for it to be boring. And too much good beer...

Weekly Blatant Filler Beer Review (WBFBR)!

Mighty Arrow Pale Ale.

This beer is inspired by a dog.

A beer inspired by a dog. I can think of nothing greater than that. My love for dogs is immense. I would have one right now if only I knew where I would be tonight and tomorrow morning. Not that I party that hard, it's just tough to know where I'll be regardless of the state of my inebriation. And with such a love for dogs I feel bad if I'm not able to be around for them.

"This is our brewed tribute to Arrow, Kim's Aussie/border collie mix who ran (literally) New Belgium for 12 years. When she wasn't patrolling the brewery grounds, she was famous for her office visits: She never met a tummy rub she didn't like. Atta girl Arrow."

Atta girl Arrow for sure. Regardless of taste, look, smell, this beer is a great one purely because it is dedicated to a dog. I guess I am easy that way, involve a bike and I like you, involve a dog and I will bow at your feet.

One day I will have a dog like Arrow. Perhaps when that day comes I will live in Fort Collins. That way I can be close to New Belgium Brewing (though I used to live here, which is close), because as far as I'm concerned they are the greatest brewery in the states. Bikes or no bikes, dogs or no dogs.

The Rite Spot

Rite Spot...Rong Thyme

Of all the bars in the bay area, this one holds the softest soft part of my heart. Not only is it mellow with good people and good music, but every Friday they have pie. And not just any pie, GOOD pie! The above picture was taken of a napkin drawing that a group of us did (I actually had no part in the drawing because I can't draw at all). It was for a friends going away party in which we did a pie crawl. Four different pie joints were visited, culminating in a trip to the Rite Spot.

Outside one of the raddest neon signs around marks the spot, with a handy little arrow. Inside the walls are adorned with an ever changing art show. This particular night had photos from many live shows in the area.

It was good to be back here, and it was good to see a real bar bathroom. Cramped, raw, graffiti everywhere, it was great.

All in all it was a great trip, mission bars are the best. They are the most random places you'll ever find, exactly what i'm looking for!

Weekly Blatant Filler

Originally uploaded by ohhhhhlisa

The ubiquitous graffiti in the bathroom is one thing I love most about the inebriated piss. I mean, have you read some of the stuff people write!? It truely is amazing. Generally I believe most diatribes on bathroom walls are the stuff that late night drunk dials are made off. Though I feel what is written on the walls is a distilled version, call it "Everclear" if you want. My favorite about this photo, just above the toilet is a pretty good drawing with the caption, "vag 4 life." Makes me chuckle every time...

A Monday Recollection of times Unrecollectable

I don't believe that is a word. Good thing too because it is hard to say. Anyway, Friday saw me out in the Mission. A place of the diviest bars, the dankest of bathrooms, and the raddest of places. Unfortunately I ended up here:


I shouldn't hate too much, it was a good time. I love paying 8 bucks for gin and tonic. Yet again I found myself at a trendy place, with sports playing on flat screens. This time it was UFC. Which when thinking about it is pretty much the worst thing to have playing while a bunch of men are hanging out getting drunk. Actions like this could insight a riot.

The one bright spot was that I got to flex my camera ninja skills.

Photographic evidence of ninja skills.

I mentioned in my first post, that i would try not to take pictures of bathrooms with people in them. Well I already failed (where's waldo?). But after seeing a steady stream of people going in and out, not to mention the line I waited in just to get to this point, I knew I had to seize the opportunity. My biggest disappointment of the night was this room right here. It was so clean! I had at least hoped for some random scribblings. Nope, it was pristine. So boring, much like the bar itself. I'm going to have to search out those seedy underbelly bars for some good stuff to write about...

Its Friday night, you know what that means...

time for whiskey.




Tonight San Francisco calls me. More specifically the Mission. With camera in tow I will forge ahead into the unknown...

It's time for a beer review

Because it is what gets us from here to there. I don't consider myself a beer snob, I just happen to like good beer. But for the most part, I will drink anything. Lately however, I have been getting into that strong stuff. Give me your IPA, Double IPA, and even those beers with the cork and extra yeast on the bottom. Sure it is more expensive, but in most cases it is more bang for your buck!

I originally went on a mission to find a bottle of this stuff:

Stone Brewing's Double Bastard Ale. I bought it on a whim a couple months ago and it seriously blew my mind. Of all the tasty beverages I have consumed over the years, this has been the tastiest. So when thinking of doing a beer review, I could think of none other than this beer to kick it off. Unfortunately it isn't available right now. Though according to this, it will be available again in November of this year. Awesome! Only 9 months to go (might as well have a baby)! You know I'll be eagerly awaiting it's return to my life. After searching every inch of a quite extensive beer section, I realized it was not meant to be. Meandering around, depressed and not knowing what to do, I finally spied an interesting thing. Canned IPA.

21'st Amendment IPA
(though I don't condone beating anybody)

I tell ya, it brought a tear to my eye as I scooped it up and proceeded to ride up the hill to my humble abode. I made it in record 6 pack time, no doubt due to the weight savings of aluminum rather than glass!

But would it taste good? Why hell yes it would!! It's freaking IPA! It was a crisp starter, with mild bitterness for an IPA. It was smooth, and had hints of chocolate and coffee. In fact it just tasted smooth, like butter. And if you know me, you know I like butter. After having a couple cans of it, a sweet fuzzy feeling swept over me. Yes it was a buzz coming on, but after two beers!? This is when I checked the alcohol percentage, sure enough 7%. Like I said, more bang for your buck!

It looks like the new thing is craft beer in a can. And while I have had Fat Tire in a can, I haven't experienced a put hair on your chest type beer in a can. Until now. You can bet I'll have my eyes peeled for the next one. And I'll be hanging on the edge of my seat until my good friend Double Bastard shows up on store shelves again. Until then, keep it in a can?