In which I review, insult, and then review some more

Well, I'll be damned...a weekend without a drenching miserable downpour means a little time about town. In our parlance that means getting out and getting intoxicated while in public. While the uptight might frown on this time-honored behavior, we drunks will use it to explore some unfamiliar surroundings and spread our profane joy. First up, we visited a neat little Mexican Joint on Emory Road: Three Amigos. To be honest, this new restaurant is similar to many such places...common but very tasty fare, and a preponderance of drinks. Some grand like my sumbitchin' 32 oz beer:
For the record, the patrons did not care that I prefer Dos Equis. I, for the nonce, did not care for this...thing:

Every so often, Atlas will go out of his head and make a bizarre drink order...which in this case resulted in something wholly unmasculine. Reported to be a Blue Motorcycle(Jesus), this monstrosity was described by the manager as containing tequila, rum, vodka, and half a dozen other liquors/liquers before his voice trailed off. Personally I think he was just looking at the bar and rattling off what he saw. Feh. In good faith, I would like to point out that the staff at Three Amigos busts its collective ass so I will be going back for more of those huge ass beers and to heckle the shit out of anyone ordering a Blue Dandy. The rest of the weekend proper was a blur...

On Sunday Mackey, Tag, and yours truly went back to Latitude 35 for some lazy beers and a quick sammich. As Mackey has alluded to before, Lat 35 maintains a diverse menu ranging from familiar dishes with a twist- to the forgotten classics, and some unique appetizers to keep the modern drunkard sated. Service was great, as it has tended to be so far...and my Dagwood was superb.

Modestly priced and on the table within minutes. It was so good that I put the tomatoes back on the damn thing...and I'm not a fan of those bastards at all.

The next visit to Latitude 35 will mostly be a large scale drinking adventure...the wine list is begging to be explored. From what I've seen so far, Shiraz and Pinot reds are equally represented along with the more traditional Cabs and Merlot that one sees in run of the mill joints in K-town. I'll let you know how that potential disaster turns out.

Panda FAIL

This place near Callahan/Clinton HWY doesn’t serve beer, wine or booze but they do cook a pretty mean bourbon chicken.

Am I missing something here?

Update-The Pint House

Last August, we blogged a brief review of The Pint House in North Knoxville on Merchants Drive. Roughly 50% screed and 50% actual bar review, yours truly finished up the post by stating that the establishment needed to get its liquor license sorted if it wanted to scourge the corporate image that restrains watering holes in that part of town.

I'm happy to report that now they do indeed have their shit in order; hooch and wine flow freely. That's great news for them and drinkers everywhere that might find themselves needing to pull off Clinton Hwy for an eye-opener.

Bar Review: The Pint House

When most people think of bars on Merchant's Drive, they think of typical and garden variety franchised eateries that maintain a 'lounge' so that folks can drink some crappy beers and weak drinks while awaiting chicken wings, chicken tenders, or the omnipresent chicken breast. Feh. Worse, the lowbrow degenerates that make up surrounding counties deluge the place with their corpulent asses and fool themselves into thinking they are 'at the bar.'

Sweet Jesus, sometimes I don't know why some people even get out of bed in the morning. It's this kind of woolly thinking that holds the human race back two decades. Drunkards as a type grow and evolve, and while it might have been quite fine to knock back some beers at TG O'Crapplebees when there was no other option, it is now quite gauche. Hell, I might even laugh at you...provided I entered those cesspools to begin with.

This is the kind of stereotype with which places like The Pint House have to contend. Located on the west end of Merchants Drive, this joint is tucked into a little shopping center. Touting itself as a beer and wine bar, one thing you will first off notice is that there is no wine. I'm told that this is a work in progress...and I did notice that the bar wells were labeled in anticipation of liquor as well. However, at the time of this entry, it's entirely beer. To be fair, it is a fine selection of beer-they claim around fifty brands available- and most are available on tap. Newcastle, Cottonwood, Carlsberg are represented...as are the usual staples. Hard to beat those cheap Yuenglings, and their happy hour runs daily from 4-7.

The Pint House also bucks the trend of risk conscious bars by serving pitchers...although it can get pricey with the higher end beers, it is a refreshing decision by management to allow patrons to decide for themselves what is an appropriate amount to order.

The bar is itself is a mix of modern video and audio equipment along with a practical and workmanlike decor. Functional if basic tables and barstools sit on concrete floors...but a nice feature is the long row of barstools and other seating near the pool table in the back. In short, if you are there chances are you can find a place to kick back and chug. Although it wasn't occupied during this particular visit, I am told there is a patio out back which should further appeal to the modern drinker. As reported earlier, The Pint House is located in a small marketplace, so parking is a bitch, I won't kid you.

To sum up, if this bar can get their wine and liquor shit sorted out with the draconian state it should be quite successful. I personally enjoy it if for no other reason than it bucks the current state of faux-drinking on Merchants Drive.