More Tacos

Taqueria Ramiro and Sons

A couple of Fridays ago, I wrote about San Francisco’s Mission District and the search for the perfect taco and I though it only fitting to give a plug to couple of my local Alameda Taquerias. These are no Taco Bells or sitdown Mexican restaurants; these are quick in-an-out places that serve fresh, quality food. So if you visit this little Island, I have two places for you to grab a taco and/or burrito.

Best Taco – Calaifa Taqueria at 1445 Webster Street

These are best tacos in town. A corn tortilla, perfectly seasoned grilled steak or chicken, a little onion, cilantro and salsa. Two tacos and a beer and this is a perfect meal. The place is small, but always clean, with about eight tables inside and two outside. A salsa bar an assortment heat levels to spice up your order or dip in the free chips. The owner’s son is a huge soccer fan and there is almost always a game on the TV. The tacos are fantastic but if you are not in the mood try the tamales. Three pork or chicken tamales for $5.00 and you won't be disappointed. On Tuesday afternoons, you can go to the farmers market in the parking lot next door and then head over to grab a taco.

Best Burrito – Taqueria Ramiro and Sons at 2321 Alameda Ave at Park Street

A taqueria has been in this location since 1982, before the big ass burrito was a staple for college students, and the staff works the steaming quick and efficiently. Ramiro took over a few years after the initial shop opened and with the change in ownership it has been an Alameda institution since it rolled its first tortilla into a burrito. The Super Burrito will tame the hungriest person and must way close to two pounds. If you are picky about Beans, Ramiro offers refried, whole and black unlike other locations in town. Ramiro is known in the area for their Carnitas and people will travel from neighboring cities just to get their fix. They chop up the fried pork in front of you and drop a heaping mound into you tortilla. You want to reach over and grab a piece; the meat cleaver keeps all hand at bay. My staple is the carne asada, just because the carnitas is way over the top. Not a big fan of the chicken, boiled. If you have a small appetite, try the child’s burrito it is a good option when you are not looking to blow out your stomach. If you are not in the mood for a burrito, can’t believe that, try the super quesadilla. The place can get flooded when the High School, half a block away, is in session, avoid the place from 12:15 to 12:40. They have four or five tables, not a great place to sit and eat, but the burrito is worth the stop.

Dopo -- Delivers Big

Dopo on Oakland's Piedmont Avenue

So the other night my wife and I, join our friends James and Brenda for dinner. The dinner was arranged by my wife and James, and it was suggested to go to Dopo, on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland. Now the reason was James and Brenda suggested the restaurant was because they thought we had dined there in the past, fact was a few years back we dined across the street at LoCoco’s. LoCoco’s is fine homey, down-to-earth, tasty pizza and Italian food place, but I had no idea that a mistake had been made, until later in the evening during dinner conversation, but this was a terrific mistake.

In all years eating on Piedmont Avenue, I had not been in Dopo so it was great to get a chance to try something new. James had a bottle of wine from the Piemonte Region, a 2005 Nebbiolo, Casina Morassino, waiting when we arrived, a very versatile vintage. A very good call by James. Dopo offers a very good selection of Italian wines and the list is designed to support the menu with good bottles from small producers. It’s easy to find a selection to pair with your meal. If you are craving a cocktail you will have to wait a while, Dopo currently has a limited liquor license, and they are petitioning to expand the bar offerings.

Dopo is sleek and sophisticated with warm lighting and abstract prints. Jon Smulewitz, a former cook at Oliveto in the Rockridge, assembles food from an Italian menu as tiny as the space itself. We started with Dopo’s house-cured salami; Copa, mortadella and Calabrian-style salami show there is a true passion for the pig in this kitchen. The plate was an excellent starter with our wine.

The second bottle of wine was from the Tuscany Region, a 2005 Morellino di Scansano, Erik Banti. This was a hardier bottle with a heavier taste. The table liked the first bottle, but you got to test them to know.

Our table had three pasta orders and a calzone. James and I had the braised short-ribs over pappardelle pasta. The sauce had an excellent flavor and complemented the meat. The pasta was cooked to perfection. My wife had the seafood (clams, mussels) spaghetti and Brenda had the calzone. The menu changes, so I will not go into the dishes in great detail, except to say that the quality of the food was fresh and full of flavor.

Even though no one at the table ordered pizza, you could tell it was a staple of frequent diners. Dopo uses a wood oven to create crackly, chewy pizzas: spicy peppers and sausage option, coated with vibrant tomato sauce and the buffalo mozzarella and basil flowed out of the kitchen. A must try next timed.

The desserts are simple but not boring, the offerings included a lemon tart, rich chocolate-almond torte and a cannoli. I had the cannoli, not the best ever, but very good for the West Coast.

Overall Dopo delivers. The service was good, although we were talking and enjoying the wine, although I truly did not notice the job the server was doing, which is a good thing. As mistakes go, this was one my taste buds could live with.

Dopo
4293 Piedmont Ave Oakland, CA 94611
Phone: (510) 652-3676
Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; dinner 5:30-10 p.m.
Reservations accepted for parties of five or more.
Credit cards accepted.
Beer and Wine.
Street parking is tough, tough, tough.

La Coco’s 4270 Piedmont Avenue Oakland, CA 94611 (510) 652-6222. Cash only.

Simple Eats: Eureka and Noe Valley

The Meister Burger

If you are heading out to Noir City, I have put together a couple places for you to try out before or after the film festival. I have tried to keep it close to the theater, so you could be within walking distance, so you only have to park once if you are driving. I know that there is a big-old hill between Noe Valley and the Castro, but if you park between the two neighborhoods on Castro, Church or Noe Streets it is not that bad (no Billy Goat jokes).

But on to the food and drink . . .

The Eureka Valley/Castro is a great neighborhood for food and drink. The neighborhood has its share of diverse dinning from the casual to the elegant. Since, it’s a local film festival I thought I would stay on the casual side.

Nothing is more casual than Burgers and Fries, so here are two Castro recommendations: Sliders (449 Castro) and BurgerMeister on Church at Market (138 Church Street). Sliders is a dive and the food is very average, but a burger is under $5. Good choice after having a few drinks. BurgerMeister has four locations in the city and they go all out it creating your ground up dinner. First it cost a lot more than Sliders, but this a place where you get what you pay for, patties are ½ lb Niman Ranch Beef and are loaded with toppings. Here are two examples: Bacon Cheeseburger Niman Ranch's Applewood Smoked Bacon w/ Cheddar and The Meister Burger Everything Burger with Avocado, Bacon, Mushroom, Onions and your choice of Cheese: Cheddar, Jack, Pepper Jack, Bleu, Swiss, & White American. Need large hands and lots of napkins for this burger.

If you are looking for comfort food, head over to Home (2100 Market St), to fill your belly and in my case remind me of my childhood family menu. Pot Roast, Macaroni and Cheese, Meatloaf, Sloppy Joe Dip and Apple pie are staples at this diner. Prices range between $12-$20. If you looking to save a buck or two, Home has an Early Bird Special Every day from 5-6 pm, this is a three-course prix fixe menu with glass of wine. The prix fixe menu changes daily. Also a full bar, Saturdays & Sundays Build your own Bloody Mary Bar from10 am—2 pm.

If you want something a little different try La Mediterranee (288 Noe Street between 16th St & Beaver St). If you want to sound like a local call it La Med. I have been going to the location on College Avenue in Berkeley for years and have always been fed well. I can recommend the Levant sandwich, chicken pomegranate and filo dough specialties.

Bars: Café Du Nord (2120 Market) and Lucky 13 (2140 Market). Two real different places, give a try. Café Du Nord has music most of the time, check their calendar http://www.cafedunord.com/. Lucky 13 is young and the jukebox is loud, they have a pool table, foosball table, a couple of pinball machines, and some shooting video game. This is a typical dirty dive bar with cheap drinks, loud music, and smelly bathrooms

Since Noe Valley is a little hike I will keep it simple, 24^th is the main corridor and you can find tons of places to eat, but very few places for a drink.

Burger: Barneys (4138 24th Street) http://www.barneyshamburgers.com/

Food: Firefly -- the prix fix menu, which is only $35. http://www.fireflyrestaurant.com/

Drinks: The Dubliner and the Bliss Bar

Noir City opens this Friday

One of San Francisco unique Film Festivals, Noir City, opens this Friday at the Castro Theater. The Festival runs through February 3. The great thing about this film festival is you get to see classic movies on a big screen, they way they were shot to be seen.

If you are into film this is a great history lesson. You will see films, we would now call independent films because of their low budget, that used lighting and shooting techniques to give it a classic look.

For those of you unfamiliar with Noir Film, it is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize moral ambiguity and sexual motivation. Classic noir derive from crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the Depression.

Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as stretching from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white style.

Besides it is worth a trip to check out all the Eureka Valley and Neighboring Noe Valley have to offer in the way of food and drink. Tomorrow a couple of places to go before and after the films.

Noir City -- Jan. 25 - Feb. 3

The 6th Annual San Francisco Film Noir Festival opens with two films featuring Joan Leslie, along with an onstage Q&A with the legendary actress. Saturday, James Ellroy introduces Joseph Losey's "The Prowler," which is being screened as a tribute to blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo.

http://www.noircity.com/noircity.html
http://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/

La vida en la Misión: Tacos, Cerveza and much more

24th Street at Mission

As promised, I headed to San Francisco's Mission District yesterday. I took BART to the 24th street exit and planned to work my way back to 16th street, searching for some great hangout and good tacos. The visit to the Mission was very fruitful.

When you exit the BART station towards the eastern side, you come up from the underground station to a plaza. Walk through the plaza and on 24th Street you will find two good stops. Even if you don’t venture far from the station you can find five taquerias and one good waterhole. Carlos’ Bar, Taqueria El Taco Loco, Taqueria El Farolito, Taqueria San Jose are within a hundred yards.

Carlos’ Bar is a true neighborhood bar. Regulars bring in food from the local neighborhood restaurants, Tejano music blares from the jukebox and there is a pool table. The long bar can accommodate a big crowd. If you are into oil paintings of bare breasted women, this is a definite stop. Carlos’ boast four, very large paintings, of Romanesque women draped with very little and breast in full view as they hang throughout the bar. A beer cost $4.

I tried tacos at both El Farolito and El Taco Loco. Farolito has a line that goes out the door. It has a full taqueria menu and serves beer. The taco was $2.25 and the the Mexican Beer was $3. The Taco was a solid B. Good tortilla, the steak was seasoned well, but the meat quality was a bit on the cheap side. El Taco Loco fared on the C side, by my grading standards. There are much better places in the neighborhood, so I would skip it.

As you walk down Mission, you can see a neighborhood that once must have been a thriving district. I counted four, former large movie theaters that are now dilapidated and following apart. The street is full of shops, low cost shopping and place to eat on the cheap. There are two nice dining stops on the street, Foreign Cinema and Cha Cha Cha. I have eaten at both in the past, but this was not part of the excursion.

The street has some of the best little Mexican bakeries. If you have a sweet tooth, stop into any of them. I stopped at Acaxutla, they have these large cookies for a quarter. I did not know you could still by anything for a quarter. The cookies are perfect for a cup of coffee.

The final stop on this trip was Taqueria Pancho Villa on 16th Street. This is the cleanest and brightest place in the neighborhood. The food is excellent and the salsa bar is bursting with incredible flavors. Pancho Villas boast their wins from the State fair in the Salsa Division on the wall. I had the grilled Chicken Taco $2.44 w/tax included. A boast that they definitely backup. For more local flavor, head next door to El Tin Tan for a drink. The Mission is a great place to spend an afternoon.

There is so much to take in and to experience. I covered very little ground, after several hours, and still have Valencia from 16th to 24th Street to write about. Well another afternoon.

Weekend Planning

With the long weekend approaching, for some myself included, I like to stay away from driving anywhere and find a bunch of small things to do in one neighborhood. I do like to dive into neighborhoods and see what I can find: from the classic neighborhood bar complete with bartender/local historian, cheap eats and cultural happenings.

This weekend I am going to try and hit two neighborhoods the Mission and probably the Richmond District, not locked into the Richmond. The Mission is a must, I am still in search of the perfect street taco. I love tacos and burritos. Growing-up in a house where my abuela, would make the best chicken mole and homemade tortillas. So, I am a bit of a snob when it comes to tacos and especially tamales.

The Mission between 16th and 24th gives you a ton of options, so tomorrow will be a quest to find another great place to eat, plus it gives me more to write about here.

Heading to the Cal Men's Basketball game tonight, so more about the Mission on late Friday or Saturday.

Salute

Ocean Film Festival

SF Ocean Film Festival

Living in the San Francisco area the Bay and the Ocean are central in our lives. These large bodies of water drive our weather and in part give us the mild climate that we enjoy. I have sailed for years and the Bay has been my playground, a source of recreation. Through sailing I have met great people, visited a few yacht clubs for drinks, and have enjoyed the exhilaration that sailing provides.

One of my other great loves is documentary films so I am excited that the San Francisco Ocean Film Festival is approaching. The Event runs from February 1-3 at Ft. Mason and has nearly 40 short films that have some association with the Ocean. I will be attending Session 4, where the schedule and interest intersect. The cost for one session is $10.50

The festival does sell a VIP Festival Pass admits the holder to all Festival events and screenings and is $105. This includes the SeaChange special performance with Roger Payne and Lisa Harrow on Thursday, January 31 at 7 PM, the Opening Night Party on Friday, February 1 at 7PM at the Aquarium of the Bay, as well as the seven (7) film programs on February 2-3 at Cowell Theater.

The two films from this session that caught my attention were The Science of Big Waves and Sliding Liberia. The Science of Big Waves is by Chris Bauer and is only 10 minutes, but it explores those four-story waves at Mavericks, just south of San Francisco. He looks at how they are generated in the Gulf of Alaska, three thousand miles away. Sliding Liberia by Britton Caillouette, is 48 minutes (YouTube »watch trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgrwrTruuhk) the story is four American friends travel to Liberia, West Africa, and find a nation torn apart by recent civil war and the ensuing poverty, displacement, and psychological trauma. Young local surfers are rebuilding their lives on a perfect wave, sliding across the ocean from a painful past into their bold, independent futures.

A Session 1film that deserves a mention is Surfing Thru. It documents three women with late-stage cancer live and surf in the immediacy of the moment.

For more information or to buy tickets, visit oceanfilmfest.org. Cowell Theater is at Fort Mason Center, Pier 2 San Francisco, California

If you need a place to eat or get a cocktail in the area, go to Chestnut Street. Just a few blocks from Ft. Mason, it has a wide variety of dining places and some great local bars. IZZY'S Steak & Chop House (http://www.themenupage.com/izzys.html), 3345 Steiner St, some of the best steaks in the City and the IZZY'S own Potatoes are awesome. For a quick bite try Andale Taqueria the grilled chicken makes their tacos and burritos. Andale also serves drinks. Donahue's Marina Lounge, 2138 Chestnut Street, is one of those great local bars.

Plan B with a View

PLAN B -- Beach Chalet Exterior

Okay, I have slack-off on the post, no excuses but the rain just put a damper on the week. So with this weekend precipitation free it was a good time to get out and have Sunday Brunch. The original plan was to head to a little French Breakfast Bistro in Cole Valley called Zazie. It is right on Cole and if there is a wait, usually there is, you can head next door to Finnegan’s Wake for a drink. Finnegan’s Wake is a great neighborhood bar, but is was food that was on the agenda.

Every person in San Francisco must have had the same idea, for food and a beverage, at the exact time. With the Sun, even in the avenues, people were swarming to and fro to get out from under the storms of the prior week. The wait at Zazie was way to long and even a drink at Finnegan’s could not comfort me for that long, so on to Plan B.

Since it was a nice day we drove towards the Ocean and headed for one of the best view places in the City, the Beach Chalet. Even though the Chalet is a bit on the tourist side the food, microbrews and cocktails are worth the trip and the tourist. The Chalet is located on the Western edge of Golden Gate Park and has sat across from the Pacific Ocean since 1925. The building opened as a lounge and changing rooms on the first floor for those heading to the beach and the restaurant on the second floor provided diners with a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. Over 80-years later it serves much the same purpose.

The building was designed by the famous San Francisco architect Willis Polk and includes some fantastic murals, mosaics and wood carvings that were incorporated into the construction in 1936 as part of a federal works program.

But a few years back the building was restored and renovated and the restaurant reopened with a microbrewery. More recently the restaurant has expanded and they created the Park Chalet on the first floor of the building looking into Golden Gate Park. The Park Chalet is a very nice setting, but people come here for the Ocean View in the upstairs dining area. Yesterday, the waves were breaking between 3-7 feet and made for a great view.

The food is always solid, and the brunch menu is enough to wait for when the lines get long. I had to have one of the micros: today it was the RIPTIDE RED it has a toasty and caramel maltiness and mild hop bitterness. The finish on Riptide Red has a sweet taste. Very good and could have had a few more. We also tried the MAVERICK'S MARGARITA: Herradura Silver, Fresh Lime Juice, Triple Sec, Sweet n' Sour.

Going on a first date or looking for a way to impress out-of-towners here is a big tip. Find out when sunset is and book a reservation(415.386.8439) for 20 minutes before sun down. The place will stop when the moment happens.

The Beach Chalet is open 364-days a year (closed Christmas Day) and they do have live music, check their calendar.

The Beach Chalet

http://beachchalet.com/index.php

1000 Great Highway @ Ocean Beach
Between Fulton St. and Lincoln Way

415.386.8439

Great Little Neighborhood for Food and Beer

Kingfish

With more rain in the forecast, I took advantage of the sun we had yesterday and headed over to 51st and Telegraph in Oakland. This area is the Temescal neighborhood, and it has two of my favorite places to grab some food and one great dive bar. Yesterday, I only got to visit two of the three yesterday (what happen to the two drink lunch?).

First off a little about the neighborhood. This Oakland neighborhood has changed dramatically after the housing run-up in the Bay Area and especially in Rockridge neighborhood just to the North. During construction of the 24 Freeway, the Temescal was severely neglected and many who lived in this neighborhood just packed up and took flight to the burbs, but with its great freeway access and close access to BART this neighborhood is once again thriving. The main business corridor of Telegraph Avenue has seen an enormous growth and with it has come shops and restaurants.

So what do I like in this neighborhood.

First off a great deli. Genova Delicatessen and Ravioli at 5095 # A Telegraph Ave. This is a great place to pick-up a sandwich and a beer if you like (just not yesterday). They have a few tables both inside and out if you would like to sit and eat. Genova's is now inside a shopping center that takes up most of the western block. I still remember the old shop that was a few hundred yards away, where you could barely fit 10 people inside with all shelves filled with food circling you. The old location had a real cast of characters that could entertain as they made your sandwich. Some of those characters made the move over to the current location and if you get one of the old timers you will get a sense of what the old deli was like. Grab a box of Raviolis and some gravy to go for the evening dinner.

If you want a treat, walk across Telegraph to Bakesale Betty, 5098 Telegraph Ave. There is no sign, but you will see all of the people at this corner location. The cookies and pecan shortbread are just awesome. Betty's also has sandwiches. The have become legendary in the neighborhood for their Fried Chicken Sandwich. Betty's also makes chicken pot pies, and I would suggest that you order ahead they go fast, you can call your order in 510.985.1213. Betty's has seating outside and uses old iron boards as tables.

Finally a place to get a drink. Although I did not stop in yesterday, a great local dive is the Kingfish 5227 Claremont Ave. Just one block from Genova's and Betty's. The Kingfish traditionally is Cal hangout, but this former bait shop is a true neighborhood watering hole. The Kingfish serves beer and wine (in a box). This shack is a hole in the wall but it does have shuffleboard, great jukebox, a dice game if you want to get in. Plus, my initials are etched into one of the post since 1987. Just a great place to hang out.

If you haven't visited this great Oakland neighborhood, give it a try.

A Fire and A Warm Drink

Baileys Irish Cream and Coffee

With four days of rain pounding the West Coast, I have not been out of the house much just trying to stay dry and warm. The rain was also a good excuse to watch two-week marathon of football and the only reason to leave the couch is for food, drink and a comfort break. So I have no new spots to write about today.

But as was stoking the fire the other day, the heat made me a little thirsty and It got me think, "I'm on vacation so why not a cocktail, I know it's 10 am, but hey football has been on for a half an hour" but the day did not call for an ordinary drink.

On a cold, rainy day you have many options: Irish Coffee, Hot Totty, Hot Chocolate and Peppermint Schnapps, Hot Buttered Rum or Rum and Warm Egg Nog. So many choice. First I needed to have the ingredients in the in the house so the Hot Buttered Rum and the Peppermint Schnapps were out. No way I was leaving the house, plus with Peppermint Schnapps you have to be 19-years old and on a ski trip with your BFF.

I had Egg Nog in the house, but I am not a big fan of the Nog. An Irish Coffee and Totty just seemed over the top; so what was left? The old standby Baileys Irish Cream and Coffee. For me it may be the perfect rainy, cold day drink.

I started by brewing a pot of good coffee, Peet's Fair Trade Blend, a little strong to hold it flavor once you add the Bailey's. I love the smell of coffee brewing. The aroma filled the kitchen.

I like my coffee in a beer pint glass, so as I waited for the brewing process to finish, I put a small portion of Bailey's into the bottom of the glass. Once the coffee was ready the pour. The pour is like watching Yosemite Falls in the Spring, a beautiful sight. The Bailey's swirled in the glass and move to blend with the coffee, symmetry.

The first sip is always the best, because you have waited and anticipated this moment. It was a perfect cocktail for a day that had no agenda, except football. So to those kids that say "Rain, Rain Go Away" . . . I say "hold on a minute and let the adults enjoy the moment."

The fireplace roaring and a warm drink not a bad way to start 2008.

Holiday Break with Bao Bing and a Cocktail

I have been on vacation the past two week and I have been very busy around the house without adding in the task of a job. I have a host of things that I am trying to accomplish before returning to my day job. So as the vacation winds to an end, neither my wife or I felt like cooking, and we took a dinner break at Ching Hua, 1650 Park Street in Alameda.

Alameda has no shortage of Asian inspired restaurants and about a dozen of them are Chinese. What standout from the other resteraunts is Ching Hua has a great bar, I had two cocktails, the first was a Tanqueray and pom and the second was a Crown Royal Down. Both very good, preferred the gin drink. Would recommend if you like tart drinks. The second is the quality of the food. Chinese food in Alameda can vary from the very poor and greasy to the mediocre, but Ching Hua has step up the level.

Last night, we ordered the pot stickers, won ton soup, lamb bao bing and dry sautéed green beans. The entire order was good, my favorite was the pot stickers they get them very crisp. The soup stock was very flavorful and the won tons packed with meat. The bao bing is a solid meat dish with tons of flavor. The green beans are flashed fried and then tossed with a mixture of ginger, garlic and preserved Chinese turnips.

Tip: Ching Hua serves brown rice.

This is a sit down dining place with real napkins and the price reflects it the food was about $35 for the order. Cocktails range from $6-$10. Ching Hua is located in Alameda's Market Place and if you get a chance take a tour though the hall, some great vendors.

For look at Ching Hua's menu http://chinghuaonpark.com/index.htm.

Take a Dive Into the High Tide

High Tide Cocktails at Jones and Geary

Happy New Year to All. In my first post of 2008, there will be no resolutions or tips on how organize your life, but I will direct you to a another great place to have a drink in the San Francisco Bay Area. In my last post, I wrote about Bourbon and Branch, a luxury style in San Francisco's Tenderloin bar, but right up the block is one of the City's great and true dive bars; the High Tide.

This is a place where you can see the true diversity of San Francisco. As I entered on my last trip in, Mexican music play from the jukebox, probably for the one patron sitting at the bar. The bar breasted oil painting over the cash register gives a tacky feel, but good tacky. There is a pool pool table and the drinks are cheap compared to other bars two blocks away in Union Square.

This is a true neighborhood bar that welcomes all into it's corner location at Jones and Geary. There is no dominate group in this bar, this is a place about the people. You get a true cross section of San Francisco's population from the blue collar to the hipsters. If you walk to the bar you may have to deal with the working women that dot the neighborhood. Once inside, on occasion a homeless person will wander in, but the staff has a lot of experience and deals with these situations very fast. Speaking of the staff on my visit it was three Korean women staffing the place, look to be the owner and two bartenders they are very entertaining and friendly.

The Tenderloin has always had a reputation of being a rough and tumble neighborhood, but this establishment will break from that tag. This is a very accepting and friendly bar with Suits, Working Class, Asians, Hispanics, Africans, and drunks all together having a wonderful time. Not a place to go when you're not dressed up heading to the Theater but if you are thirsty for a drink or on a small budget give it a shot.

Average cost of a call cocktail $6.