By END
December 16, 2009
I'm the kinda girl that advertisers love. Show me something shiny and sparkle-y and you have my 2 second attention span for at least double that. And I will totally admit that I'm a sucker for festive holiday lights. Driving thru downtown on a Monday evening a good number of the bars/pubs that I pass are completely dark and closed up waiting to begin the new week on Tuesday. But when I drove by this bar on Cherry Street I saw bright holiday lights displaying that they're open and were waiting for me to park the car at a meter and step inside. Like I said, I'm a sucker for pretty sparkle-y lights. Accompanying me was a girlfriend of mine. She said she had some time before she had to get home. She was cooking me dinner later and there was no way I would let her be late for that! I'm not sure if there are any free parking lots for C Street but there are meters all over. And if it's after 6PM, then you're in luck, the quarter eater is finished demanding your coins for the night.
When you walk up to the front door, C Street has this big sign saying it's Happy Hour and rail drinks are 2 for 1. I wanna say Happy Hour is from 4PM to 7PM. The decision on what to get was easy, easy like Sunday morning. Crappy vodka and soda for me and my girlfriend ordered a gin and tonic. After the bartender checked our ID's she poured us our drinks. And "poured" is the right verb to use, the lovely, lovely bartender filled our glasses with a healthy amount of booze. It was too soon to tell her I loved her, instead I just smiled politely, said thanks and sat at a table.
Looking around C Street I noticed that it's a small space but with the layout of the bar and tables with a couple couches added, the fit felt just right. Not to rag on C Street but this place looks like it hasn't been updated in quite some time. I mean that in the nicest way. But with the low track lights, the wood and mirror walls, candle lit tables, and all the holiday decor this place was perfect. The older look made this establishment homey. It had that Cheers vibe to it, you know, the kind of bar where you feel right at home. And let me tell you, the chairs we were sitting in were ugly. Straight up U-G-L-Y, BUT they were hands down the most comfortable bar chairs I have ever sat upon! I wanted to take one home with me and put it right next to the pea green recliner I hide in a corner because it's ugly but also oh so comfy. At the tables, they have a small drink list that consisted of fruitier type mix drinks plus a full bar of other liquor choices to quench your thirst. They do have beer on tap but Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus were covering the taps and I couldn't see what was under them. And if you're not in the mood for beer or liquor they offer a couple of wine choices as well. C Street doesn't look like your typical sports bar but there are 2 TV's, darts, a couple of arcade games and an internet jukebox if you're feeling playful. You can munch on some free popcorn too while you drink your double bubble.
The bartender brought over our second round but I had to pass off my second one to my friend, the roads were still heavy with snow and I didn't want to take the chance. My cup-o-vodka left me feeling nice and toasty enough. One of my first employers was a lovable raging alcoholic who always made me drive him home when I worked. Strange at it sounds, he was like a father figure to me for quite some time, he may have been a drunk but he was a kind-hearted good man who drilled in my head the cons to drinking and driving. Next time I come back to C Street I'm totally making someone else drive in order to enjoy those generous pours :)
