Regional Resources: Alt-Weeklies, Bullshit and Booze for Free Every Thursday

Alt-weeklies are essential reading for travelling executives in search of tranny-escorts and sanctimonious university undergrads who need to keep abreast of the latest developments in eco-conscious trade union sexual-self-empowerment BS. For the rest of us they’re a reliable source for concert listings and movie showtimes. They’re also a valuable tool when pre-planning a drinking trip to a new city. Most free weeklies maintain a comprehensive online archive that typically includes a regular food and drink column and an annual “Best Bars” supplement. Sift through the inevitable rave reviews for vegan cafés and you’ll find valuable intelligence on local happy hours, mainstay taverns and student neighbourhoods. You can use this basic information to do a more targeted Google search which will often turn up some additional related recommendations, blog posts, flickr shots and myspace accounts that you can build the rough outline of your tour upon.

Here’s a list of the major Canadian alt-weeklies and some from the US that I read regularly;

Toronto – NOW, Eye Weekly
Montreal – Hour, Mirror
Halifax – The Coast
Ottawa – xPress
Calgary – FFWD Weekly
Edmonton – Vue, See
Vancouver – Georgia Straight
Winnipeg – Uptown
New York – Village Voice
Detroit – Real Detroit, Metro
Buffalo – Artvoice, The Beast

And here’s a comprehensive list of North American free weeklies from Wikipedia.

Temple Bar: Old Fashioned Drinking

Once in a while a guy’s got to step up, put down his sports beer and be a gentleman. When such an occasion arises it’s time to pick up a cocktail, preferably a classic one, in a low ball glass with a bare minimum of fruit, swords and other accruements. There are a number of suitable, masculine options, but my favourite is an Old Fashioned, a solid drink that tastes decent and won’t leave you looking like a total pussy. Invented at the Pendennis Club in Kentucky in the twilight of the 19th Century many scholars believe it is the world’s first cocktail. The recipe later made its way to the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, where, incidentally, you can also visit my favourite cocktail lounge, Lafayette Street’s Temple Bar, for their acclaimed version of the drink. If you’d prefer to give it a shot in the comfort of your own rec room, follow this traditional recipe from Garden and Gun magazine.

If You’re Into That Kind of Thing: Three Places To Drink Bud By The 32oz Styrofoam Cup

The wife and I discovered this regional treat at Rosie's last spring. Looks like it's catching on...
1. Rosemary’s Greenpoint Tavern, a neigbourhood classic known for it's well stocked jukebox, reliably cheap booze and full size washroom.
2. Farrell’s Bar and Grill, well, actually no grill, but off duty NYPD/NYFD types hang out here so it must be good.
3. Jeremy’s Ale House is located in a converted loading dock under the Brooklyn Bridge. Picturesque? No. Unique? Yes.

Post SoHo Sanity-Recovery System: A LES Dinner and Drinking Strategy

Ever spent an afternoon being dragged around SoHo while your wife shops for shoes? Ever wonder why the fuck there isn’t a single bar in the neighbourhood where you could relax? Me too. I don’t imagine this problem will be addressed in our lifetime but here’s the next best thing: a handy map to mental salvation… starting with a monstrous pastrami sandwich:


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A. Katz Deli – “New York’s Oldest and Best Delicatessen.” Suggested order: pastrami sandwich , a pickle on the side and a lemonade
B. Cake Shop – Café and noise rock venue. Suggested order: desert and coffee
C. Max Fish – Former Alleged Gallery social club. Suggested order: bottle of Bud
D. Slipper Room – David Lynchian burlesque bar. Suggested order: either a whiskey or a Coors… depends on what the ladies look like
E. Mason Dixon – Southern themed frat party complete with mechanical bull. Suggested order: shot and a beer
F. East Side Company Bar – Fancy pants speakeasy owned by the Milk and Honey people. Look for the door through a sheet of plywood beside the alleyway… there’s a small brass plate engraved with the address. Suggested order: an Old Fashioned, or something else suitably classy