Reds on the town

[RedsManRick]

So I'm sure that drunken posts are highly discouraged, and usually I try to be intelligent. That said, I just went out with some friends (I am NOT the bar hopping type) and happened to bump in to Arroyo, EE, and Dave Ross in a bar in my neighborhood in Chicago. It's definitely off the beaten path a bit (Wicker Park -- SW of Wrigleyville, NW of downtown).

Anyways, they took off before I could say anything (I was gonna say something to Ross since Bronson was getting all the attention from the ladies AND guys), but I'm still going to enjoy my random brush with Reds' celebrity. None of my friends here would really care, so I thought maybe the RedsZone crowd could appreciate it.

Here's to a slightly better outcome tomorrow at Wrigley so the boys have something to celebrate!

[jmcclain19]

Drunken posts are always highly encouraged. If possible, the edit button should also be turned off on said posts, so you can go back and unsay embarrassing typos & ramblings the next morning.

[jojo]

Drunken posts are always highly encouraged. If possible, the edit button should also be turned off on said posts

AND embarrassing pictures should be attached for posterity's sake....

:beerme:

[Joseph]

AND embarrassing pictures should be attached for posterity's sake....

:beerme:

And he says posterity because we always make a backside :mooner: of ourselves during these posts.

[KronoRed]

Good spelling in said drunk post :clap:

[RedsManRick]

The firefox spellchecker is a lifesaver at 2am... I wish I was aware enough to work my cellphone. I will say, Ross seemed like he was along for the ride. Quite entertaining.

[TC81190]

Huh, those don't seem like guys that hang together for some reason. Surprised BP wasn't there.

[Benihana]

Rick, where were you/they at in Wicker Park? I'm just curious (I live in River North).

[RedsManRick]

I can't remember the name of the bar -- it's on the north side of Milwaukee just north of the North/Damen/Milwaukee intersection. I suppose technically that may be Bucktown -- same difference.

It was actually quite funny. Arroyo was surrounded by the typical superficial blond "trixie" types that we've seen pictures of him enjoying in the past. EE did look like he was digging the scene much and Ross was just sort of there -- much like I would be if my friends took me some place I wouldn't go on my own.

[Reds Freak]

I wonder if EE was in search for the slumpbuster...

[Heath]

Any post of a drunken nature needs to have a photo attached to it of Advil.

Or Goody's.

[Handofdeath]

I will say, Ross seemed like he was along for the ride.

So, his life outside baseball is pretty much the same as his life in baseball.:)

[KittyDuran]

Ross was just sort of there -- much like I would be if my friends took me some place I wouldn't go on my own.
That's me at most RedsZone functions...;)

[Yachtzee]

I can't remember the name of the bar -- it's on the north side of Milwaukee just north of the North/Damen/Milwaukee intersection. I suppose technically that may be Bucktown -- same difference.

It was actually quite funny. Arroyo was surrounded by the typical superficial blond "trixie" types that we've seen pictures of him enjoying in the past. EE did look like he was digging the scene much and Ross was just sort of there -- much like I would be if my friends took me some place I wouldn't go on my own.

My favorite bar in that neighborhood is The Map Room.

[vaticanplum]

I can't remember the name of the bar -- it's on the north side of Milwaukee just north of the North/Damen/Milwaukee intersection.

Hey, that's the neighborhood where I used to hang out all the time. Maybe they were looking for me.

[Yachtzee]

Hey, that's the neighborhood where I used to hang out all the time. Maybe they were looking for me.

They were hoping to buy you a few to see if they could get you to drunk dial Tracy Jones. ;)

[FlightRick]

Hey, I know that neighborhood, too! My main memory is of a super cool place called "The Double Door," where they apparently have awesome rock shows almost every night of the week. I know I've planned trips to Chicago a few times knowing ahead of time that there'd be a cool band there as a bonus, but the best ones were the times I'd get into town, pick up a paper, and see "Holy crap, the Cherry Valence is playing tomorrow night." [My band had actually played with the Cherry Valence twice in Dayton, and the second time, we had them drive out of their way for a booking, since (a) they rocked, and (b) we knew we could do some legwork and get them a pretty full house and a respectable payday for a Thursday night. Imagine the comedy when I happened to pop up at one of their shows in Chicago not long after that second show.]

My other memory of that part of town is that nobody ever knew of any non-hoity-toity place to drink within walking distance where we wouldn't go broke in less than an hour. If anyone can provide names and details of cool "holes in the wall" in that neighborhood, I implore you to spill... otherwise, my trips to Chicago will continue to include the quick 3 mile cab ride up north to a slightly less-sexy part of town, where the final portion of the night can be whiled away at The Greatest Bar In The World: Delilah's. One time I was there, I swear, the girl was serving me $8 quadruples of Maker's Mark in a pint glass, because apparently I didn't strike her as the type of guy who bothers with mere pansified doubles (which are what I was trying to order, and certainly is all that I was paying for). Heaven, it was.





PS: My meeting-baseball-players-in-Chicago story is this.... on one visit, we did end up meeting that day's Winning Cubs Pitcher, Glendon Rusch (he had defeated the Cards, which on this day sometime around Memorial Day '04 meant that the Reds finished the day in first place of the NL Central, so all was good with those of us who had driven 4 hours from SW Ohio). It turned out that he was renting a house that was the across-the-alley/backyard neighbor of the guy who has hosting our party, so Rusch somehow ended up coming over and he ate some of our burgers and drank some of our beer, was quite laid back and personable, and didn't overstay his welcome on the grounds that he quickly deduced that our grill-out was the proverbial "sausage-fest." HEY! On that night, we had an excuse! It was a bachelor party, and the only girls allowed would be the kind that were gonna get paid some retarded sum of money to illustrate various Alternate Uses For Whipped Cream to a room full of guys who I never knew were so easily amused (or so easily relieved of $20 bills) until that night. Good times, though. Good times.

[vaticanplum]

My other memory of that part of town is that nobody ever knew of any non-hoity-toity place to drink within walking distance where we wouldn't go broke in less than an hour. If anyone can provide names and details of cool "holes in the wall" in that neighborhood, I implore you to spill...

The Happy Village, Innertown Pub, Gold Star, and Club Foot were the places where I drank away most of my money in Chicago. They're all not far from the area RedsManRick references, and sort of close to the Double Door (which is a great place by the way, albeit in a kind of terrible location). If we were feeling particularly adventurous we might go to the Rainbo. You're about as likely to run into a ballplayer at these places as Eric Milton is to pitch a perfect game tomorrow, but apart from that they're exactly what you describe.

[Yachtzee]

When I lived in Chicago, Mark Grace used to turn up at Yak-zee's after games, probably looking for slumpbusters.

Seriously, in the Wicker Park and Bucktown area, I highly recommend the Map Room (http://www.maproom.com/). They have an incredible selection of beers on tap. The other bonus is that one Tuesday a month they host "International Night," where they have a buffet featuring the cuisine of a selected country. The buffet is free with a 2 drink minimum.

[Benihana]

I gotta check that out Yachtzee. I usually only run into ballplayers at Le Passage in the Gold Coast (unfortunately, still yet to run into a Red.) Talk about expensive drinking...

[RedFanAlways1966]

... and Ross was just sort of there -- much like I would be if my friends took me some place I wouldn't go on my own.

Kind of how David Ross has looked at the plate this year. :devil:

[Cedric]

I like a place called The empty bottle. Nice shows and good crowd.

There is another English pub where I ran into some hockey players. It's in Lincoln park.

[smith288]

Ross behavior sounds like how I would have been. Married, out with some singles guys and not really down with the scene.

[mth123]

Ross behavior sounds like how I would have been. Married, out with some singles guys and not really down with the scene.

He doesn't seem to be comfortable doing anything right now.

Maybe there is more to the pitcher catcher relationship. Remember, his first extended role in Cincy was as Arroyo's catcher last year.

Sounds like they are good freinds and may be together a lot for all we know.

[vaticanplum]

I like a place called The empty bottle. Nice shows and good crowd.

Scratch what I said about the Double Door. It's the Empty Bottle that's a great place but in kind of a terrible location. It is unsurprising that I've confused the two; I called the Empty Bottle the Broken Bottle for about six months.

Though the Double Door is a good place too. And more conveniently located, close to the subway and a lot more bars.

God, I'm getting old.

[Redsland]

Google Earth shows three drinking establishments near the corner in question. The Double Door, The Note, and The Subterranean Lounge.

Head south to Division, and there's a place where you can apparently buy "extremely sharp swords and knives," FYI.

:duel:

At press time, there was no word on whether they have nunchucks.

[vaticanplum]

Google Earth shows three drinking establishments near the corner in question. The Double Door, The Note, and The Subterranean Lounge.

The Subterranean is a good place too. They have a few floors with a stage on the first for music, and the middle is cut out. So you can stand on the upper floors and look down to the band. All that said, it's still a pretty little place, pretty homey.

I guess I was more sociable in Chicago than I thought.

Redsland, there are a lot more bars there than three though. That's a pretty hopping area. Some of them might be more underground and not showing up on google earth is all I can think of.

[Edd Roush]

I wonder if Harang could get any women as Arroyo's wingman. Sure, Harang is one ugly dude, but being friends with a rockstar persona like Bronson surely could land him the slightly less attractive ditzy blond. Just thinking out loud.

[Redsland]

I guess I was more sociable in Chicago than I thought.
But can you answer the nunchuck question?

:)

[vaticanplum]

But can you answer the nunchuck question?

:)

I have my shortcomings as a tour guide, I admit.

[vaticanplum]

I wonder if Harang could get any women as Arroyo's wingman. Sure, Harang is one ugly dude, but being friends with a rockstar persona like Bronson surely could land him the slightly less attractive ditzy blond. Just thinking out loud.

Harang is married. Arroyo is not. Not that it makes that big a difference, I suppose.

[Yachtzee]

I wonder if Harang could get any women as Arroyo's wingman. Sure, Harang is one ugly dude, but being friends with a rockstar persona like Bronson surely could land him the slightly less attractive ditzy blond. Just thinking out loud.

I think he's taken, but I'm sure he has his own following. A lot of chicks dig his cereal.

http://www.derok.net/countchocula/images/count%20chocula%20box%20old.jpg

[Redsland]

I wonder if Harang could get any women as Arroyo's wingman.
He'd need a good pick-up line.

Like: "After you divorce me, we'll each have $12.5 million dollars."

:)

[Chip R]

He doesn't seem to be comfortable doing anything right now.

Maybe there is more to the pitcher catcher relationship. Remember, his first extended role in Cincy was as Arroyo's catcher last year.

Sounds like they are good freinds and may be together a lot for all we know.


Yeah. Ross has to be down about his performance so far this year. Maybe Bronson took him out to cheer him up.

[Redsland]

Yeah. Ross has to be down about his performance so far this year. Maybe Bronson took him out to cheer him up.
"Hey, dude, don't worry about it. Say, me and Eddie are going to hit some clubs later, if you really want to strike out."

:)

[vaticanplum]

"Hey, dude, don't worry about it. Say, me and Eddie are going to hit some clubs later, if you really want to strike out."

:)

Now, David Ross is adorable.

To go all stereotypical for a moment, I would think Encarnacion would do very well around there...turn a couple of corners and you're in a very Hispanic area, with some absolutely fabulous little hole-in-the-wall Spanish bars and so on. Maybe someone told them about it. Very old-school neighborhood. I had some Mexican friends who lived over there and went to one, all of one, barbeque at one of their houses. The food, the music, and the atmosphere was something to behold. They drink tequila like it's water. For me, the evening did not end well.

I miss Chicago. Congratulations universe, you win.

[EddieMilner]

Hey, I know that neighborhood, too! My main memory is of a super cool place called "The Double Door," where they apparently have awesome rock shows almost every night of the week. I know I've planned trips to Chicago a few times knowing ahead of time that there'd be a cool band there as a bonus, but the best ones were the times I'd get into town, pick up a paper, and see "Holy crap, the Cherry Valence is playing tomorrow night." [My band had actually played with the Cherry Valence twice in Dayton, and the second time, we had them drive out of their way for a booking, since (a) they rocked, and (b) we knew we could do some legwork and get them a pretty full house and a respectable payday for a Thursday night. Imagine the comedy when I happened to pop up at one of their shows in Chicago not long after that second show.]

My other memory of that part of town is that nobody ever knew of any non-hoity-toity place to drink within walking distance where we wouldn't go broke in less than an hour. If anyone can provide names and details of cool "holes in the wall" in that neighborhood, I implore you to spill... otherwise, my trips to Chicago will continue to include the quick 3 mile cab ride up north to a slightly less-sexy part of town, where the final portion of the night can be whiled away at The Greatest Bar In The World: Delilah's. One time I was there, I swear, the girl was serving me $8 quadruples of Maker's Mark in a pint glass, because apparently I didn't strike her as the type of guy who bothers with mere pansified doubles (which are what I was trying to order, and certainly is all that I was paying for). Heaven, it was.





PS: My meeting-baseball-players-in-Chicago story is this.... on one visit, we did end up meeting that day's Winning Cubs Pitcher, Glendon Rusch (he had defeated the Cards, which on this day sometime around Memorial Day '04 meant that the Reds finished the day in first place of the NL Central, so all was good with those of us who had driven 4 hours from SW Ohio). It turned out that he was renting a house that was the across-the-alley/backyard neighbor of the guy who has hosting our party, so Rusch somehow ended up coming over and he ate some of our burgers and drank some of our beer, was quite laid back and personable, and didn't overstay his welcome on the grounds that he quickly deduced that our grill-out was the proverbial "sausage-fest." HEY! On that night, we had an excuse! It was a bachelor party, and the only girls allowed would be the kind that were gonna get paid some retarded sum of money to illustrate various Alternate Uses For Whipped Cream to a room full of guys who I never knew were so easily amused (or so easily relieved of $20 bills) until that night. Good times, though. Good times.

Take Armitage into bucktown. go under the train tracks past the dog park. On the left is bar called Lemmings. They have $2 pints of Old Style all the time. Best bar in chicago.