Ending the Night at The Last Exit

Entering The Last Exit

The Last Exit has been mentioned to me by more than one fellow bar fly.  This weekend I finally made it to the popular bar and lounge at 136 Atlantic Ave (located across the street from previously mentioned Floyd, NY).  Walking in, they pretty much had me the minute I heard “So Fresh and So Clean” on the speakers.  The staff at The Last Exit is friendly and attentive, and I quickly ordered a classy Miller High Life- oh, yeah.  The details at Last Exit are beautiful, from the massive chandeliers to the interesting artwork.  The back booths were filled with couples.  I was even so lucky as to witness some intense face-sucking just a few feet to my left.

I ended up approaching a guy in a Brooklyn zip-up hoodie and dark rimmed glasses at the end of the bar, kind of standing half-in-half-out from behind the back fo the bar.  His name was Mitchell, and I found out he was another bartender, who was off the clock at the time, but stuck around for some socializing.

Bar Fly:  Oh, so you’re a bartender here?
Mitchell: Yes I am, for almost three years.
Bar Fly: Where else have you bartended?
Mitchell: A bunch of places, I won’t mention names, but a place in Hell’s Kitchen and one in the West Village for three years.
**Guy asks for check**
Mitchell: Ask her (points to other bartender) I’m getting interviewed here for a major blog!
Bar Fly: …which no one reads (except whoever you are, dear reader!).
Mitchell:  And in college for a year.
Bar Fly: Where did you go to college?
Mitchell: Ithaca.  11 years ago.
Bar Fly: Oh, I know Ithaca.  I’m from upstate a bit.
Mitchell: Where?
Bar Fly: The lovely OC (Orange County).
Bar Fly: How do you like it here- this bar?
Mitchell: It’s the best job I’ve ever had in my life. …Firstly because when I first started the owner gave me the keys and said when you work here it’s your bar.  In my career I’ve been waiting for that.  I mean everywhere you have to close and do the register and all that, but a lot of places they don’t care about you or trust you but here they do.
Bar Fly: Awesome.  What’s your average regular like?
Mitchell: We’ll there’s a couple of sets: My regulars, people who casually come in, and people who have come in since we opened in 1998. 
Bar Fly: Craziest thing that ever happened here?
Mitchell: I’m not at liberty to discuss that!  Ha, I’m one of those bartenders, especially when I was in the Village, crazy shit always happened when I’m working.  I mean people dance on the bar on a somewhat regular basis… One interesting story I was just thinking of, these two people were old friends, a man and a woman, and the guy was married, I don’t know if the woman was.  And they went to the bathroom for a long time and they clearly had sex.  But it was reeeeally awkward afterward and I couldn’t help but notice.  They were definitely having the conversation after, like, “Yeah, we can do this.”
Bar Fly: That’s funny. … Favorite drink to make?

Some back booths and interesting artwork

Mitchell: Manhattan.
Bar Fly: Least favorite?
Mitchell: I’d get fired if I said that!
Bar Fly: No, you wouldn’t.
Mitchell: OK- Mojitos.
Bar Fly: Oh yeah, they were popular because of that commercial.
Mitchell: Actually, I hate making anything people can’t pronounce.  “Stella Artois.”  …There was a commercial for what Bacardi?
Bar Fly: Yeah.
Mitchell: Do you remember that commercial for Cuervo Black and Cola.  Some idiot said that to me once, ha, “Can I have a Cuervo Black and Cola?” …I just said we don’t have Cuervo Black.  I don’t hate people, but get out of here!
Guy: (Says goodbye to Mitchell) This guy (he points to Mitch) is Mitchell: Mayor of Brooklyn, King of Awesome!  (They talk briefly.)
Bar Fly:  Favorite night here?
Mitchell: I actually work happy hour 4-8 Thursday and Wednesday night and Friday night are fun too.
Bar Fly:  Do you drink on the job?
Mitchell: Not typically.  I’m off right now.  I’ve been off for a while now.
Bar Fly: Gotcha. …Any recommendations?
Mitchell: On Smith Street- Sample, Clover Club.
Bar Fly: Everyone says Clover Club.
Mitchell: 5,6 years ago Belgium Bars were the shit.  Now, it’s cocktail bars.  My all time favorite is Quarter, on 20th Street and 5th Ave.  Park Slope.
Bar Fly: Are you kidding me?  I live like two blocks from there and have never been!
Mitchell: Go on Thursdays when the owner David is bartending.  I have to admit, full disclosure, that I am his replacement at this bar.  But it’s everything you want in a bar, has its own identity, but not pretentious.
Bar Fly: Decent prices?
Mitchell: It’s a cocktail bar.
Bar Fly: Let me guess, you don’t pay?
Mitchell: I do! … It’s just everything you want a cocktail bar to be.  I’m not tooting it because I have stock in it. I don’t!

What an informative bartender!  And I obviously love getting a great recommendation to a personally undiscovered bar that I apparently live just blocks from!  Thanks to Mitchell for a great chat, some funny stories, and another bar I now get to fly to.

Bzzzzz… Bar Fly

Learning the Exciting Sport of Bocce at Floyd, NY

A happy crowd at Floyds.

Last night I spent part of my night having great fun at a Brooklyn Heights bar called Floyd, NY, located at 131 Atlantic Ave.  The block between Henry and Clinton Streets has a few drinking establishments to choose from, but this one is a must.  The low prices include a selection of seven beers you can get for just three bucks and a special called “45 & a Bullet” which is a can of Colt 45 and a shot of low-end whiskey for six George Washington’s (I am unsurprisingly a 45  & a Bullet kinda girl).  The old family portraits, fireplace, and warm decor make the place feel welcoming and homey.  On a Friday night, even a foot of snow won’t get in the way of Floyd patrons.  The bar was packed with thirsty people all over the couches, surrounding the bar, and playing Bocce ball.

The Bocce court was on the back left wall and players waited on benches surrounded by old trophies while being cheered on  by fellow drinkers at picnic-style tables to the side. I’m an inquisitive little girl (true except for the little part), and any game that can be played in a bar is a game I like.  So, I asked if I was allowed to step over the Bocce court (“Yes of course”) and ask a few questions about this game I had only ever seen played by Floridian retirees.  Bocce players Jessica and John had the answers.

Bar Fly: Can you tell me what’s going on here with this game?
Jessica: It’s called Bocce.  B-O-C-C-E.  It’s an Italian game, played mostly by old men in Queens, ha.  The white little ball is called the palino and the palino gets – well, the 1st thing you do is flip a coin and there are four balls for each team and you want to get your colored ball as close to the palino as possible and the closest gets a point.  So, whoever is closest gets a point and they most you can get in one round is 4 points. (Referring to the game) So, they exhausted all chances… (Runs to go take her turn)
John: Where’d she leave off?
Bar Fly: They used all their turns…
John: Yeah and we’re the closest… Oh, got to go. Didn’t help you at all!  (His turn)
Jessica: (Picks up where she left off) And you play til seven and you play the best of three.
Bar Fly: Ohhh K.
Jessica: There’s a bar in Park Slope, Union Hall, they actually have two lanes there, and we are on a team in a league.  Our team’s called “Any Given Sunday.”  We play there and we never, ever practice on Friday’s like this.  This is rare.
John: This is our past chance for a point!  (Pointing to the Bocce court.  Jessica rolls, and her ball becomes the closest to the palino- my apologies for not being able to write this as if it were a riveting sport).  OHH! So, we get or second point!
Jessica- We sometimes play better a little drunk!  (Notices me writing) Just kidding!
Bar Fly: How many people are on your team?
Jessica: Ten.
Bar Fly: Ten? Wow

I love bar games! Bocci now included!

.John: Well, about ten on “Any Given Sunday.”  But you play with four on a team, right  now we are playing two on two, working with what we got.
Bar Fly: Who’s the best?
John: If varies day-to-day (Apparently not a sport where cockiness rules).
Bar Fly: How’d you get into this?
John: Started going to Union Hall. (702 Union Street at fifth Ave.)
Jessica: We’re actually here for a team reunion.
John: Our team has evolved over time and some people who can’t play anymore because of scheduling conflicts and stuff are here to just say hello.
Random friend of J & J: (Walks over) I love dogs, but you shouldn’t bring a dog to a f-ing bar. Same as children.  You can put that in your blog!
John: What happened?
Bar Fly: Whoa.
Jessica: (Ignoring the men) I’m one half Italian and my grandpa played in California with all his brothes in their backyears, their backyards were all attached.  That was the Friday night activity.  And my mom came to play once and she never had, but she was so good- it’s in her blood.
Bar Fly: How cute.
Jessica: Yeah, and we’re married.
Bar Fly: You and John?
Jessica: Yeah.
Bar Fly: Did you meet playing Bocce?
John: (Comes back over) We were dating.
Jessica: Yeah, we were a couple when we started, but we weren’t married or engaged.
Bar Fly: Awesome, so Bocce brought you together?
Jessica: I think it would’ve happened either way!

To summarise: Welcoming, comfortable, and fun.  Friendly people and warn in couches.  Good times at Floyd, a place I’d like to head back to soon and advise you to visit as well!  Also, never thought I’d say this, but maybe one day I’ll join a Bocce league?