Discovering a new bar and reconnecting with a friend
It was a few minutes past 6:00 and I was walking to meet my friend Aileen Quinn (who you may know as Little Orphan Annie from the movie ‘Annie‘). We were meeting at Farside (531 Washington St). A couple of thoughts were passing thru my weary brain along the way. First was how much I was looking forward to seeing her. A couple of nights ago we ran into each other at The Goldhawk and were shocked at how long it had been since we really spent any time together.
The other thought was how I had never been to Farside before. Not for any reason. I mean I walk by this place all the time and it sure seems fun enough. Heck, this is Hoboken. You’d be hard pressed to walk any real distance without passing a bar. It’s like that old brain teaser where you have to draw the shape of a house without lifting your pencil or intersecting any lines.
As I walked up closer to Farside, I could see the ever-present smile of Aileen waving to me. I was greeted by her friend Doreen who got up to offer me her seat. I was trying to be a gentleman by gesturing that she should sit. It was then I discovered that she was actually the bartender and was only outside for a smoke. So I sat and ordered a Guinness. To my delight it was a very, very well poured pint.
This is a entertaining place with that familiar, neighborly feel. There are many reasons to pick a favorite bar. Some folks choose a place because of the ambiance or the maybe music. Others crave the easy, half naked sloppy-drunk suburban chicks. Still others go in for those multi-TV screen joints to drool over some local sporting event. I prefer places where you can have a few drinks, talk to anyone about anything and walk away feeling as though you’ve made a new friend or two. Farside is certainly that kind of place.
As Aileen and I caught up on life and the assorted works of William Shatner, small servings of odd dough were being passed around. The bar, never wanting to settle on its laurels, was concocting some new treats. These were their Deep-Fried Pretzels which had a very interesting taste and texture much like a salty zepolli. I told owner John that these would do very well at around 1:00 and they complimented the beer (or vice-versa). I think they have a potential hit on their hands.
Not too long after this, we got our order of Chicken Fingers and Fries which were fantastic. I was told after it was too late that I should’ve tried them with vinegar. Doreen returned for another smoke break and told us that she had freed the blender from storage to experiment with making frozen drinks. First up would be the Pina Colada. I did not partake but Aileen said it was delicious. I’ve never been a fan of frozen drinks and particularly those with coconut.
As pleasantries and conversations shifted from stranger to stranger, I took notice of a few other interesting things. There was a little girl who kept sneaking off to the spa/beauty shop next door called Good Kleen Fun returning with her hands full of sweet smelling cream samples for Aileen. One of the bartenders began barking comical orders thru a bullhorn.
Speaking of barking, the two large Huskies that I once thought were strays I discovered belonged to the bar and, apparently, it is quite easy to get them to howl loudly. Much to the dismay of the man with the bullhorn who, growing serious for just a moment, told us how certain neighbors had complained about the dog chorus. Yep, welcome to Hoboken. Oh sure we have a great nightlife, but keep it down please. We’re getting old and want to turn this place into a retirement home someday. Thank you very much.
The night ended with Aileen going to Upstart Studios to sing with local music legend and all around swell dude Chris ‘Gibby’ Gibson. She was going to an audition the next day for a new agent in the hopes of getting better acting gigs than she had been recently. So she needed to let off some steam to work out any stress or nervousness. What better way than by belting out a few tunes?
I wish I could have been there to see it but instead I stopped into Louise and Jerry’s (329 Washington Street) for a couple of cocktails and reflected on this night of firsts. I got to experience a new bar with a new crowd of people as well as catching up with a friend. Afterwards, the long walk home felt refreshing. This was a good night indeed.
