11/20/2017 Update: Covering new ground.


10/31/2017 Update:  Covering some new ground.

Rudy’s Bicycles, Beers, and Brats opened in Davenport in what was back 3/4 (front quarter is a panini restaurant) of Jaguar Alley, and is now the farthest eastern outpost for drinking in the rapidly broadening downtown.  A garage door opens to the back patio where, if you stand, you can see a little bit of the Mississippi (sitting, you only see the railroad bridge crossing to Arsenal Island, and the vacant lot across Iowa St.), and they’re putting in a sand volleyball court and some much needed landscaping.  The bar is long, with about a couple dozen stools, 20+ tap beers, and a bicycle shop in the very front of the bar.  My last trip in, the kitchen had started serving appetizers, and should have their full (but brief) menu available now.  The thing that struck here was how happy the owner and employees seemed to be – we had very recently been to UP for the first time, and despite working in an upscale rooftop bar in downtown, most of the staff seemed to be a little pissed off that they were working. 

Boots Western Saloon replaced Bootleggers in Davenport’s East Village.  No remodeling, just a slight décor change – bicycle rims, business end of a pitchfork (no handle), and a sign that says “Cowboy up!”  If they’re trying to emulate Broken Saddle, they’re falling a bit short. 

Also in the East Village, Wide River Winery opened a second tasting room (the other is in LeClaire, plus the actual winery in Clinton) in a 160 year old house. There are decks front and back with heaters, as well as more inside seating than the Leclaire location.  Though it’s perched a bit higher at the corner of 12th and Mound Streets, the river views aren’t quite as good as the bars on 11th St.


On October 27, Armored Gardens – another location in the eastward expansion of downtown Davenport, this is contiguous with Triple Crown Whiskey Bar and Raccoon Motel on Pershing just north of 2nd St., and is owned by the same people as Analog Arcade.  To the right, sleek modern bar stools line a modern bar with flat screens that not only have the draught beer menu with the ABV and IBU ratings, but also the size glass it’s served in, and a graphic showing how full the keg is.  Fortunately there are paper menus too, since even from the bar the screens are hard to read with these old eyes.  They have 100 taps, and 96 were active that day I visited – it will be interesting to see how long they’ll be able to support so many beers (the maintenance alone has got to be labor intensive). Incongruently, 8 or so white picnic tables sit to the left of this modern bar, which I guess goes with the fact that the food menu is strictly barbecue (not a huge barbecue fan, but theirs was above average), served from a cafeteria line to the left of the front doors.  There is also a patio in the back with 2 ping pong tables and an 8’ square chess board / set.  With Raw, the Raccoon Motel, and Ruby’s, that’s 4 new bars east of Brady in the last year.

Jaded Java / Jackpot Lounge is almost too nice to be in East Moline. It’s more of a coffee shop than a bar, though they do have 2$ beers and 3$ Bloody Mary.  The front section has a nice granite bar and a section in the window with living room furniture.  The mid-section has the “Jackpot Lounge” part with 3 slots.  This has become almost a necessity to survive in the bar business on the Illinois side of the river, but it does detract from the class of the lounge.  Food is limited to pre-wrapped wraps, muffins, cookies, and bagels. 

Van’s Downtown (Davenport) is my final addition to my list for this installment, bringing my total to 620.  No change physically, just a name change from The Starting Line.  It’s the same ownership, but a change in which owners are more active in management (I’m told).  I’m curious as to why the Starting Line name was given up, as there’s a history at that location.  Maybe more recent history has detracted from the brand?  I haven’t heard anything to that effect.  On the up side for me, the Starting line had downsized their menu recently, and had dropped my favorite sandwich, ‘The Paulie’.  With the Van’s menu in place there is now the ‘Balboa’, which is even better. 

These 6 additions bring the number of Quad Cities bars I’ve been to up to 620.

Other Bar News:

A couple of closings in Rock Island since the last post: RIDR’s, the country bar in the district, and Gunchie’s (they still have their Davenport location). 

Van’s in Moline also closed, not long after changing the name from Brix.  I’m kind of at a loss to explain why so many bars / restaurants have closed at what I feel should be the premier downtown Moline location.  Since I’ve been in town (1997), this space has been Sydney’s, Blackthorne, Brubaker’s, Jack’s Place, Wide Open, Brix, and Van’s.

Harrington’s in Port Byron has pared back their food menu, and I’ve heard rumors that they will be doing away with food altogether, or closing.  I have to say I miss the days of G’s Riverfront Café, which I felt was one of the top 3 restaurants in the Quad Cities.

Besides the new bars I’ve made it to, Baked on Tap (just up Mound St. from Baked in Davenport), Princeton Ale House, and Union 525 (in Moline, where the Speakeasy and, most recently, Stack’s, were located) have all opened with in the last week.  Also, Junior’s Sports Bar opened in what was the L’il Cow Bell in East Moline.  Sometime after the first of the year, Tap 22 is going to open in Silvis at the P.K. Dugan’s location.

D’s Smokin’ BBQ & Taphouse in LeClaire also opened last week.  I technically was in D’s months ago, when they weren’t officially open (they’ve had a few conflicts with LeClaire city council), and they didn’t have a bar, or even furniture then.  I decided it would require a trip back to be avle to add them to my list.

Governor’s will become a Hy-Vee gas station within the next year or so, and it sounds like they’ve decided on building a new bar / restaurant by Tanglefoot and Devil’s Glen in Bettendorf.  Also said to be moving is Moe’s Burger and Beers, from its present location to what was Ducky’s Formal Wear on River Drive in Moline.

Despite hitting 4 bars on my What’s Left list and RIDR’s coming off because I didn’t get to go there before they closed, the list grew to 17.  I better get busy!
  
Normally, my posts this time of the year would include some photos of my favorite bars in Key West.  This year we decided to go on a road trip, covering parts of the Gulf Coast we hadn’t been to before (Gulf Shores, AL and Apalachicola, FL), as well as hitting the Food & Wine festival at EPCOT, something we hadn’t done since 2007.  Alhough I can’t get as liquored up as back then, it’s still a lot of fun drinking at Walt Disney World.  10 days an 3,156 miles later, here are some photos of the ground we covered:




Lulu's in Golf Shores, AL, before it got busy that day.  Owned by Lucy Buffett, sister of Jimmy:



Lulu's



Flora-Bama, Perdido Key, FL



Flora-Bama.  This is where Kenny Chesney played in 2014, broadcast later on CMT


My favorite Disney bar, the Rose & Crown Pub



The Biergarten at EPCOT



Cantina de San Angel at EPCOT



Paddy's Raw Bar, St George Island.  Tough to see the sign 
in this photo, but it says "A sunny spot for shady people"


The Thirsty Goat, Port St Joe, FL 


Bars since the 8/31 post ( * = New to my list)

* Mother Hubbard's (Chicago)
Boozie's
Harley's
Applebee's (Elmore)
* Van's Downtown
129
Moe's Burgers and Brews
Zeke's On The Hill
Fargo
Redstone Room
Governor's
Funky Desi
Johnny's Italian
Harrington's PB
Duck City Bistro
Bass Street Chop Bar
Bix Bistro
Generations
Treehouse
* Captain Joe's (Whiymore Lake, MI)
Biaggi's
* Jaded Java / Jackpot Lounge
* Armored Gardens
Tuggers
Rico's Tropical Cantina
Bleyart's
Caddy's
Barrel House - Davenport
* Bear Creek Bar and Grill (Columbia, TN)
* Thirsty Goat (Port St. Joe, FL)
* Coneheads 8080 (Cape San Blas, FL)
* Paddy's Raw Bar (St George Island, FL)
* Blue Parrot (St George Island, FL)
* Gormley's Pub (Apalachicola, FL)
* Haughty Heron (Port St. Joe, FL)
* Lighthouse Bar & Grill (The Villages, FL)
Rose & Crown Pub (Lake Buena Vista, FL)
Cantina de San Angel (Lake Buena Vista, FL)
* Delta Hotel Bar (Lake Buena Vista, FL)
* Village Hideaway (Gulf Shores, AL)
* Beach Club Tiki Bar (Gulf Shores, AL)
* Flora-Bama (Perdido Key, FL)
* Lulu's (Gulf Shores, AL)
Brew In The Village
Pint's
Baked
* Wide River Winery (Davenport)
Parkside
Sports Fans
Osaka (Dav.)
Pub 1848
Steel Head Tavern
Steventon's
Red Ginger
Bierstube Moline
TGI Friday's
Jimmie Lee's
Bad Boy'z Pizza
Broken Saddle Saloon
Go Fish
* Ruby's Bicycles, Beers, & Brats
Stray Dog (New Buffalo, MI)
G's Pizzeria (Saginaw, MI)
Cabanas
* Boots Western Saloon
Barrel House - Moline
Rick and Kathy's
Rudy's Cantina
GiLanella's
 *  Saloon (Iowa City)
Soi 2 Thai Street Food
Svithiod Club


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