One of the worst things is living the drinking life and you find a great bar that you really enjoy. And then it closes. You mourn it like a friend that passed. That's what these posts are all about.
We used to go to this great cigar bar and restaurant called Mike & Tony's on Fifth Avenue and President St in Park Slope. It was built in an old funeral home and had a great set up. It had a great bar in the front room where you could get a great glass of wine or some single malt scotch and smoke a great cigar. My friends and I were really into the hobby at the time so we had all the toys. Humidors, cigar wallets, cigar cutters and fancy lighters. We would end up there and enjoy a great steak at the bar and watch the games on a big screen TV's while drinking fine wines and topping it off with a great cigar and some port. They also had a great restaurant room in the back that was through a sort of air-lock so none of the cigar smoke could go through if you were with someone who didn't smoke. My wife went there quite a few times when we were first dating.
Now this joint was owned by a big time chef who is well known and his father-in-law. They owned another great Italian joint across the street. But at some point the guy became his ex-father in law and that was the end of that. I guess it was all for the good because a couple of years later the Nazi's banned smoking in bars so the whole cigar thing was over. Soon they will be banning red meat and wine and we will be back to speakeasy days.
But I still miss the place.
