Okay: it’s late October. We’ve got football, basketball, hockey AND the World Series of Baseball. Like a quadfecta. Trifecta plus one. Lots going on, sports-wise, and if you’re into that sort of thing, I think it’s pretty fun to go out and catch a game at any number of sports bars (or taverns or even dives, if you will).
Suggestions? Why yes, I do have a few. But I’ll say this first: not generally a big fan of sports bars proper. I prefer a regular old bar with a game on, as long as it’s not inappropriately wrecking the atmosphere. I don’t need the volume up to 11 to follow what’s going on in baseball. They have graphics for that. I prefer a bar—even when a game is on the TV—aurally defined by voices and music, not the play-by-play and constant onslaught of noxious advertizing. Now, of course, if it’s a big game or one of acute local interest, that’s another story. That’s when it’s appropriate and even fun to have the atmo defined by the event on TV. The World Series, the Super Bowl, World Cup, or just the Yankees beating the living hell out of the Mets. Then it can even be a good move to go to a full-fledged sports bar (of which there are some very good ones I’ve been to).
Okay, all that said, here are a few particularly good places (yes, including two dedicated sports bars) to watch the game. Or the match. Or curling, golfing, bowling or what-have-you, man.
1. Cody’s Ale House (Cobble Hill, Brooklyn) Old school Brooklyn neighborhood joint defined by its mostly manful locals (cops, firemen, semi-wiseguys, gamblers) and its clean, friendly vibe. A surprise, I know, but true. It’s only two blocks from our apartment and on our first visit to Cody’s we walked in during a Saturday afternoon to catch the Michigan game and into a Sea of Dudes. Colleen stopped, like the old headlight-deer, stunned by the testosterone. All heads turned, time froze, then a waitress called out from the back: “C’mon in, honey! We don’t bite.” Boom. We were in. She got us a seat, put the Michigan game on one of their dozen modest TVs and all was well. The bad news: they close in a week or two. Wha-waaaaaa. Another great local bites the dust. But this time it’s because they own the building and decided it’s time to cash out and retire, so the story has a happy ending.
2. Harlem Tavern (Manhattan, NY) Probably the friendliest and most joyful of the huge-rowdy-crowded sports bars I’ve ever been to in my life. Enormous room with high ceilings and 10 giant TVs lining the perimeter. Each TV gathers fans for each game that’s on every Sunday. And outside, there’s a sprawling front patio loaded with brunchers and a jazz band when weather permits. A lovely, lively place.
3. The Bronx Beer Hall (Belmont, Bronx) You wanna talk about game-day snacks? The BBH’s modest bar is smack-dab in the middle of one of the best food markets in New York City: the legendary Arthur Avenue Retail Market, where you can procure a huge salami sandwich, fresh gelato, piping hot cappuccino or (like we did) a friggin’ mountainous antipasto platter for a mere $15—enough to share with our neighbors at the bar, where we watched the Michigan–Michigan State game with a flock of post-game Fordham fans from their nearby stadium. Just a blast.
4. Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden (Astoria, Queens) Sprawling, outdoor 100-plus-year-old beer garden boasting a leafy canopy of 50-foot-tall trees. Beer service? Check. Hearty, European soul food? Check? Live music on weekends on the small outdoor stage? You bet. AND six large screens here and there on the walls that line the perimeter of the place showing everything from soccer to NASCAR. Everyone’s welcome, including the kids (who love this place), so you can really make a rather wholesome afternoon out of a visit to the BHBG.
5. The Kettle Black (Bay Ridge, Brooklyn) Another old-school brooklyn neighborhood joint where every single seat in the place offers a view of a TV. On top of that, the eats are excellent, especially, say, a football Sunday brunch. And their wings? Named in the top five of the nation by none other than Food & Wine magazine a couple years ago. Try ’em, you’ll like ’em! Go for the brunch, stay for the football, and thank me later.
