Tracks of My Beers
 Pub crawling on Metro-North railroad and tasting the season's libations
December 7, 2006
By Craig Gilbert, Staff Writer
Many folks enjoy the wintertime pub crawl—starting at one bar and staggering through the snow drifts and deserted streets to others, having a “pop” in each tavern.
But doing it Woody Guthrie-style can be a lot more fun. Why not hop a Metro-North train this year? Avoid snow-slicked roads, those pesky DUI charges and killing yourself or others by jumping a commuter train in New Haven, heading out to Stamford (or vice versa) and wandering through new environments while getting stewed along the way. There are plenty of lively pubs right off the train platforms. But to minimize your pain, stop just a few times: Each time you re-board the train, you’ll need a new ticket to the next stop, and that can be a major buzz kill.
New Haven
There are plenty of bars a few blocks from Union Station, on Crown Street; I decided to hit Firehouse 12 first .
Address: 45 Crown St.
Specials: An eggnog martini, coming soon.
Booze of Choice: Local brew Sea Hag IPA. Two of ’em.
Bartenders: Just one. And I used to work with him.
Food: I saw some bags of chips.
Music: CDs of the ’tender’s choice.
Interior: Distressed wood and stainless steel. Low-lit.
Vibe: Jazzingly chill.
Quote: Nah.
Drunk Factor: I had two Sea Hags and moved on. It was early, and I hadn’t eaten yet.
Sauntering up Crown, I decided to hit the BruRm at BAR .
Address: 254 Crown St.
Specials: An autumnal rye beer and, coming soon, an espresso stout.
Booze of Choice: I got the Pale Ale. Um, guys? Check those tap lines.
Bartenders: One young lady.
Food: Pizza and a menu. But go with the pies.
Music: Piped in. Sundays at 9 p.m., there’s a free rock show in back that’s quite popular.
Interior: Exposed brick and pipes. Industrial and factory-ish, but clean.
Vibe: You could bring the kids, drop ‘em off at home, and then come back and hit on someone while the night is still young.
Quote: Didn’t stay long enough.
Drunk Factor: Well, I’m several pints in and all’s well. Time to hit the next stop.
Milford
I grabbed my pal Jaimie for this trek. Exiting the train, we rambled over to the Southport Brewing Company (SBC) to taste the suds of the shoreline.
Address: 33 New Haven Ave.
Specials: “Big Chill,” a seasonal dark beer soon to be on tap.
Booze of Choice: A pint of their Robert Treat Pilsner.
Bartenders: One dude. Nice enough guy. No gripes.
Food: There’s a menu with salads, pizza and steak, but we passed.
Music: Piped-in, but we were mostly entertained by some loud, drunk chick arguing with another patron.
Interior: Lots of glass, really clean, well-lit, kind of modern. Lots of tables. The back bar lighting does change color, even if you’re not drinking.
Vibe: More “sit and eat” than “sit and booze.” Middle class.
Quote: From drunken grouchy chick, “Fuck you. No! No! No, nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh no. Fuck you.”
Drunk Factor: Now I’m starting to feel nice. Good view of a river running alongside the place. I watched it for longer than I should have on my way to the head. Where’s that loud chick? I’ll fight her. It’d be a good match. Better not. On to the next stop.
South Norwalk
Doing SoNo solo and not knowing anything about the area, I had to navigate using the Force. Walking blind, I meandered down Monroe and hung a left on South Main, then turned right under a big metal bridge. There I found the Black Bear Saloon .
Address: 80 Washington St.
Specials: $3 Coronas and Miller Lights on Tuesdays.
Booze of Choice: I threw back a pint of Bass and then sucked down a Guinness.
Bartenders: One smiling guy and an adorable female complete with lower-back tattoo.
Food: Yup. But I’m on a liquid diet tonight.
Music: Inviting dance beats. On a trip to the john, I noticed there was another bar attached, with a live band playing.
Interior: Bright and loud.
Vibe: Big crowd for a weeknight. Late 20s to late 30s, suburban, baseball hats, guys with big necklaces.
Quote: “…And a Sam on tap.” “What’s your last name?” “Why?” “So I can put it on your tab.” “I don’t have a tab.” “Huh?” “Sam on tap .” “Oh. I heard you say tab.”
Drunk Factor: I feel a little like Mel Gibson in Braveheart .
Stamford
After walking out of the station down Washington Boulevard, I hung a left on Main Street, again walking blind. But Obi-Wan would’ve been proud—there were bars all up and down this strip, including Tiernan’s .
Address: 187 Main St.
Specials: Don’t know, don’t care.
Booze of Choice: Boddington’s.
Bartenders: Nice. They served me.
Food: Full menu of pub food: crab cakes, burgers and the like. I saw some nachos on the bar.
Music: Internet radio station thing with a trillion stations to choose from. And a live band, Stone Groove.
Interior: Trying to be Irish pub-y. Kind of pulled it off.
Vibe: Mix of old and young, serene, watching the game.
Quote: Nothing. I was drinking.
Drunk Factor: Getting tanked. Better start heading home.
Enjoy the winter and get your “hobo” on, since you’ve got all those accumulated vacation days you’ve got to use up before the end of the year. Oh. And if you live south of New Haven, simply read this backwards.●
cgilbert13@yahoo.com
Subscribe to the Hartford Courant today and receive up to 50% off!
|
|
E-mail story
