10/18/2013 Update: 500!
I started tracking the number of bars I’ve been to about
four and a half years ago and, on a friend’s urging, started this blog in
October 2010. At that time, I thought I
had been to 287 bars in the Quad Cities area.
I knew that number was light, and over time I’ve remembered (or been reminded
of) at least a dozen more. Within a month I got to 300, and hit 400 in Jun 2011. It took another 2 years and 3 months, but…
A change on my Favorite Bartender list. With the closing of Shenanigan's, Megan moves from the current to the past section (until I find out she's working somewhere else).
Correction: On my bar directory, I reversed the addresses of the Front Street Brewery and the Front Street Brewery Tap Room. The Tap Room is the one at the Freight House, and the directory has been amended.
Riley’s Roadhouse in Cordova, the former River Oaks, became
number 500.
And, despite the buildup, there were no balloons or confetti dropping from
the ceiling.
I was somewhat surprised to see that they are dressing the
place up a little. They tore out the
grill behind the bar in advance of putting in a new kitchen, and gave the interior
a coat of paint.
So, now that I’ve hit 500, I can start acting my age and put
away this silly blog? Naaah. I’m gonna go anyhow, so why not document
it. After I get my Julie/Julia type
scriptwriting deal for the first 500, I’ll need a sequel.
And so it continues…
Also remodeled and now owned by Happy Joe’s is the 350
Grille in Eldridge, formerly known as Lancers.
More extensive menu, too. Only
two days after chalking up # 500, this became 501
– actually, I tried to hit the Platinum Club (the old Last Chance in Rock
Island) first, but despite information found on their sign it was closed at 5:30
on a Wednesday.
Out of the 501, 349 are still open, 68 have changed to
different bar, and 84 closed (or are no longer bars), and these numbers seem to
change weekly. Those recently closed
include Wide Open in downtown Moline – they auctioned everything on September
25; D’Alessandro became DeBord Café and
Catering in Rock Island (no liquor license);
and the recently opened nightspot Club Privileged in Davenport (I sort
of thought the location at the corner of 2nd and Warren might be a
challenge for the type of bar it wanted to be).
It also looked to me that the Probstei out in the northwest hinterlands
of Davenport may no longer be open, but that is not confirmed.
On the brighter side, ‘Me and Billy Kitchen and Bar’ is due
to open 11/11/2013 at the corner of 3rd and Main in Davenport. My last post I projected that Riverside Bar
& Grill in Bettendorf would be open by now, but after seeing the
construction photos in Facebook, it looks like another month. Rudy’s Cantina in the East Village has
completed the outside, but still a lot to do inside. Rumor has it that in the Rock Island
District, what was Kai’s last time I was in it (it’s been Tilt and Envy since)
has been leased to someone hoping to revive it.
So, what are my ongoing prospects? Is 600 an attainable number? I’ve floated around 10-13 on my What’s Left
list (currently at 11 with addition of Me & Billy) for some
time, and you’ve probably noticed some that have been there a while. Wondering why I just don’t knock those off
the list? And how many places (not just
bars) are available to count in the Quad Cities area?
First, the What’s Left list:
- 4 out of 11 (Me & Billy’s Kitchen and Bar, Plaza Pub, Riverside Bar & Grill, and Rudy’s Cantina are not yet open. That leaves:
- Rainbow Inn (or Jimmie’s Tap, not precisely sure what it goes by now). I live in Port Byron. It’s at the corner of 7th Ave and 7th St in Rock Island, and doesn’t open until 9:00 pm. That, plus the fact that if you google it you’ll still come across police reports of stabbing deaths, ensures that it’ll be on the What’s Left list for a long time to come.
- A couple of the others, Pulse (only open on Friday and Saturday) and Rascals Live stay on because we typically like to get closer to home when it gets later.
- As I mentioned above, I’m not sure of the Platinum Club’s status. The posted hours didn’t match up with real life. As far as I know, they may already be closed for business.
- Though I should have reckoned there was, I didn’t think of the bar at Ski Snowstar until recently (not even sure of the name, if there is one – I just know it exists). I’ll hit it when the snowflakes fly and the hill opens.
- I don’t have much of an excuse to not have hit Zoomie’s at the Cordova Dragway by now – it’s less than ten minutes away, and I’ve never been to the drag races. Sounds fun, just never got around to it.
I’ll have fun trying, though.
A change on my Favorite Bartender list. With the closing of Shenanigan's, Megan moves from the current to the past section (until I find out she's working somewhere else).
Correction: On my bar directory, I reversed the addresses of the Front Street Brewery and the Front Street Brewery Tap Room. The Tap Room is the one at the Freight House, and the directory has been amended.
Bars since the September 25 post ( *
- new to my list):
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