05/23/2013 Update: Wish List (with photos)

As predicted, May is turning into a pretty good month for upping the bar count in the QCA. Pub 1848 opened May 5th in Moline at what was formerly The Landing, a couple doors down from the Bass Street Chop House. Ashley, formerly of Pints, is the managing partner in another Mark Romer venture. A little renovation (including getting rid of a useless half wall that chopped up the place) and paint went a long way, and they've added a patio to the rear.

Big Shots Sports Bar and Grill in Moline had a soft opening May 14th, and early indications – namely, a good lunch crowd and a full bar with 4 young ladies doing a surfboard shot at 11:45 the next day – bode well for their success. The place is a little more cohesive without the Mexican flag-colored walls from Rubikon, the shingled bar awning from Tailgater’s, and various leftovers from the women’s clothing store that preceded them all.

I stopped in at Funky Desi, also in Moline, back in April, but, at that time, they hadn't received their liquor license yet. That has been rectified, and they are now added to my total.

Club Privileged (formerly Club Fusion) was supposed to open May 17th, but as yet I haven’t been by to verify; I do have to have something for my next post. On the down side, Zero To Sixty (right in front of Club Privileged) has closed. I thought it was a really cool place inside, but maybe opening a NASCAR themed bar in the Rainbow district wasn't the move. Parker’s in East Moline, which has been up for sale for a while, has also closed.

In addition, Go Fish! reopened last month in Princeton under new ownership, and It’s On The River finally opened again on May 16th, with semi new management and a new menu. I wish both good luck, as they are two of the best two true river bars in the area (more on that below).

Other news: My-Lees restaurant in Bettendorf (formerly Beaver’s East, Trader’s, Pfitz’s Fast Lane, Open Range, and Pizza Express) is becoming Hall of Fame Pizza and Wings, and the addition to Rudy’s Taco’s in the East Village has put up a sign proclaiming it to be Rudy’s Cantina. This could actually mean that there would be a Rudy’s that is a destination bar, not just a desperation stop to add to my tally.

The additions of Pub 1848, Big Shots, and Funky Desi, plus Sunrise Golf Course in Bettendorf, bring my total to 487, and my “What’s Left” list goes to 10, adding on Rudy’s Cantina (not sure what to make of Hall of Fame Pizza and Wings yet, so I’ll leave that off the list for now).

WISH LIST

I've marveled at how an area this size has so many bars, and with a pretty good variety, but that doesn't stop me for wishing for some of the types of bars I love in other places to be present here. I understand that there are going to be some genres that can make it in a big enough metro area that won’t go over in the Quad Cities, so there are no Poetry Slam or Steam Punk clubs on my Wish list (and I’m okay with that), but I think my list is mainstream enough that what I would like to see here would have a good chance to succeed.

Tapas Bars – There’s only a couple places in the Quad Cities that I've been to with a tapas menu, and while the Star Bar at Le Figaro and Thunder Bay Grille are both fine places, they’re still more restaurant than bar. Sometimes my wife and I will go out to a decent restaurant and sit at the bar and just eat appetizers for a little variety. I’d like to do the same at a bar, but the standard mozzarella sticks or spinach artichoke dip doesn't always do it.

More River Bars – For the biggest natural assets in the Quad Cities region, I think the Mississippi and the Rock is a little underutilized as far as bars / restaurants. While there are a number near the river, or with a nice view of it, I only count seven that are smack on the Mississippi, meaning you can actually pull a boat up to it: in Iowa, Go Fish In Princeton, The Oasis in Bettendorf, and The Boat House in Davenport. Illinois has It’s On The River in Port Byron, Ducky’s Lagoon in Andalusia, Captain’s Table and TGI Friday’s in Moline, plus the North Shore Inn on the Rock. Others in very close proximity include Martini’s On The Rock in Rock Island, Bier Stube in LeClaire, Enchanted Inn and Front Street Brewery (Freight House) both in Davenport. Okay, might sound like a lot when you list them out, but we’re talking about roughly 50 miles of coastline. Maybe we could kill two birds with one stone by combining this category with…

Tiki Bars – which, by definition, are on the water. Add a little thatch and some cheesy decor and you've got a perfect fit on the Mississippi. Currently, Go Fish is the closest thing we have, and that’s at the northern boundary of my defined zone. Put together a tiki bar and a tapas menu, and now we’re making some progress!

That brings me to my #1 bar wish:

Irish Bars – There is a number of good bars in the Quad Cities with Irish names. They have shamrocks, leprechauns, and wooden plaques with funny curses or wishes on the wall. Some have floats in the St Patrick’s Day parade and big parties afterwards, and serve up corned beef and cabbage. I’m talking about places like Shenanigan’s, Kilkenny’s, Mac’s Tavern, Bleyart’s Tap, Kelly’s, Harrington’s, O’Keefe’s, Casey’s, Harley’s, Murphy’s, Malarkey’s, and Bennigan’s. What they don’t have is the decor of an Irish tavern, with huge ornate back bars and booths separated by walls with stained glass. They don’t have menus that include great fish and chips, sausage rolls, or an Irish breakfast that includes eggs, sausage, back bacon, black pudding (blood sausage), white pudding (pork and oatmeal sausage), baked beans, grilled tomato, fries, and soda bread, that you can order at 9:30 at night. Most of all, there is no Irish music, whether it be some Dropkick Murphy style Irish Rock, or the traditional Irish music that no one I know doesn't like. I've been fortunate enough to visit Ireland, and though there’s nothing like being there, there are many places in the U. S. that can very closely replicate the experience, such as Meg O’Malley’s (Melbourne, FL), Jack Quinn’s (Colorado Springs, CO), Raglan Road (Orlando, FL), Nine Fine Irishmen (Las Vegas, NV), Tommy Condon’s (Charleston, SC), Kell’s (San Francisco, CA), Pig 'n' Whistle (New York City), and Kitty Hoyne’s (Syracuse, NY). Quad Cities current or aspiring bar owners – with the right location, this is a home run waiting to happen.

Following are not all my photos, but I've been to them all, and my wife’s only missed a couple.

MY FAVORITE IRISH BARS