01/27/2013 Update

My winter bar doldrums continue as one of the places that had opened after I started doing this blog, The Landing, has reportedly shut down (the sign outside has winter hours posted, but last time I passed by at night it did seem as though it was closed).  Add to that, Del’s in Eldridge burned down, the Bad Boy’z Davenport edition is now not slated to open until the end of the month, and the bar that was planned for the ice rink in Moline doesn’t look like it will be open until well after the skating season.  On the upside, there appears to be some activity at Rubikon and the For Rent signs are down, so maybe it will be resurrected soon.

Speaking of The Landing, I remarked in my post that even though I had passed by it numerous times, I wasn’t aware of its existence until Sarah (former daytime bartender at Mulligan’s Valley Pub and on my Favorite Bartender list) told us about it almost 8 months after it had opened.  I thought I had a pretty good handle on what was happening tavern-wise in the Quad Cities, but that proved how much I didn’t know.

Similarly, I had no idea there was a place in Eldridge called The Buzz Bar and Café until my QC Times email deal for the place hit my inbox Monday morning.  Headed over on Tuesday for a beer and a fabulous Reuben, and when I asked, I was told they had been open about 5 Years (though my guess is the “Bar” was only recently added to the title lately)!

I’d also driven by a Mediterranean restaurant named Sultan a couple of times over the last few months, but didn’t stop in until they posted signs saying the bar was open late on Fri / Sat.  The Buzz and Sultan bring my (dare I say) League Leading total to 474!  Once again, since I visit any new places as soon as I find out about them, my What’s Left list remains at 14.

My last post (and frankly, the start of this one) had more pining for the old days and negative news than I usually care to share, but I only catch what’s hit to me.  It’s not all bad, though!  While in the last month closings have outnumbered openings, and I think out loud about places I miss, there have been some cool new places that have opened since I started my blog, and some of the places that closed have been replaced by much better bars:

5 BARS BETTER THAN THE ONES THEY REPLACED:
Caddy's > Overtime
The Main Event > The Goal Post
Bier Stube (Moline) > J Gatsby's
Lucky Shamrock > Augie's on 20th
The Muddy Waters >>> The Wagon Wheel
 
Lucky Shamrock and The Muddy Waters opened after I started my blog back in October 2010.  Besides those two, my ten favorite new bars (opened after 5/1/2009) in the Quad Cities:

TOP TEN NEW BARS:
129
Leclaire
Blackhawk Bowl & Martini Lounge
Davenport
Bleyart's
Davenport
Blu Shamrock
Cordova
Blue Iguana
Leclaire
Barrel House 211
Davenport
Doc's Inn, The
Silvis
Front Street Brewery - Freight House
Davenport
Legends Corner
Rock Island
Rooster's
Rock Island

Nasty McGinn’s, The Beach House, and The Landing would have been on this list, but, well, ya know…

My friend Rick (co-owner of Rick & Kathy’s in Silvis) asked if, with the addition of a 50” flat screen that one of his customers got the bar for Christmas, I would take him off my list of “favorite bars that you wouldn’t really want to consider for watching sports”.  It does; Bon Air takes their place.

Hall of Fame bartender Mary has once again caught up with Destiney – Crust was the sixth place Mary has served us.

Finally, I’m saddened to relate the passing of our friend, Bill Bearce, who would often accompany my wife and me on our bar excursions.  I can truly say he was part of the genesis of this blog; he was the one that took us to The Meat Market, which got me thinking about how many Quad Cities bars I had been to.  Early on, he introduced to places that we continue to go to today, such as the Polish Pub, Poor Boys, Rick & Kathy’s, Sam’s Take Time, Monkey’s Riverdale Pub, and Bon Air.  More recently I was the one taking him to new ground, like Mulligan’s Valley Pub, Jeno’s Little Hungary, Rascal’s, Rosy’s Watering Hole, Old Stardust, and the North Shore Inn.  Besides being a golfing, bowling, and drinking buddy, he served in the Air Force in Texas, Arizona, Guam and Japan.

He’ll be missed.

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