One of my best excuses for not posting in, well, a month is the fact that I just moved to a new place. And it’s great. No more bashed-in windshields, no kids throwing basketballs at our walls, no more awful Revere Beach traffic. Everything is excellent, and I have no complaints.
But one thing is missing: I don’t have a local yet.
Though I had my life threatened more than once at Bill Ash’s Lounge, it still remains my favorite bar of all time. It was my local. I have a lot of great memories from that den of sin, and I will always remember it fondly. But this isn’t a looking-back-and-gagging-while-being-all-nostalgic post. Nope. This is a looking-forward-and-trying-to-find-the-next-place post.
So let’s get into that, shall we?
Like any job, a new local bar search has both qualifications and nice-to-haves. So, in that style, here is my "Bar Wanted Ad":
Title: Local Bar
Location: Waltham, MA
Category: Bar
Position Type: Part-Time
Experience: 5+ Years
Barry Freed is looking for a new local bar in the greater Waltham, MA area.
Qualifications:
- An established base of sarcastic regulars
- Some degree of danger and uncertainty
- Keno is non-negotiable
- Dart boards with at least an in-house league
- A chip system whereby a gentleman can buy another patron a drink without waiting for them to finish their current beverage
- Jameson
- TVs showing sports
Pluses:
- Draft bud light (bottles are fine, but draft is preferred)
- Foofy beers for my out-of-town fancy friends
- Terrible cover bands
- Terrible original bands
- Shots that are not measured
- An outdoor area out back where drinks can be taken
All qualified candidates should leave a comment in this post. Know a bar that fits this position? We do offer a referral bonus of a beer and a shot for anyone that refers the right candidate. If several qualified candidates are found, they will be reviewed here on TellHimFred.com.
8 responses so far ↓
1 jo // Jul 21, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Sweet pea…have you driven down Main and Moody? There are several on that little stretch that fit your bill.
In fact a hop over in Auburndale (waves) and can recommend good Thai on moody, Taste of Siam, great ethnic markets (if you cook Indian, Thai or Asian), again on Moody, a decent Farmer’s market (Sat AM on the corner of Main and Moody), good Italian cold cuts, Moody again, and further up Main towards rte 20 across form old Bickford’s a very good Itlaian sub shop/bakery worthy of a visit…names are all escaping me as I just drive in auto pilot…but pressed I could come up with them, Russo’s in Watertown…follow River St and look for boatloads of cars on the right..cold cuts, produce, CHEESE galore, fresh pasta…
I used to live in Revere for many moons, so welcome to this side of the river where the living is good!
2 Barry Freed // Jul 22, 2009 at 7:56 am
I have been down Main and Moody and have visited a few places like Bully’s and the Mad Raven, and I go to the Skellig anytime our own Jimmy Hoffa has a gig. I’ve also been to the Watch City Brewery a handful of times. All decent in their own way, but none fit the bill for my new local.
Thanks so much for all the other great suggestions! I’ll have to check out all of them.
3 Jimmy Hoffa1 // Jul 22, 2009 at 11:53 pm
PS, it wasn’t Bully’s it was Bullets…and the sobriety tokens next to the half-empty bottles of diet coke on the bar kind of self-selected them 0ut of the running.
But we have a loaded cylinder full of new places to try this weekend!
4 Barry Freed // Jul 23, 2009 at 12:00 am
What do you mean sobriety tokens? Those are chips, the bar’s own form of currency.
5 Jimmy Hoffa // Jul 26, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Dude, you gotta tell em about The Wave. I still wanna find that guy and stick a pen in his neck.
6 Barry Freed // Jul 26, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Oh, I will. I’ll write that post today.
7 Kate L. // Jul 30, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Hey Nate- Welcome to the ‘hood. Phil and I are in Watertown, and have a place we go called Fit-Z’s. On main street in H2OTown, divey, lots of locals, Keno, apps and sandwiches and a couple of dinner specials, I believe they have bud or bud light. Have to check on darts, but I know they have Golden Tee. The bar has two front doors, one for locals that leads right to the bar, the other for the jerks like me who sit at a table.
8 Kristen // Aug 26, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Just a thought: the bar you are in search of actually exhists in Brighton…maybe you’ve heard of it? Hogan’s Run? Hmmm?
Oh yah, you hate that place.
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