Scouting Report

4/19/07

Say, remember when I said we'd keep looking for a new joint that matched our needs a little better? Well, it didn't take very long. Ladies and germs, allow me to present Jack Dempsey's Pub.

Jack Demsey's - 36 West 33rd Street @ Herald Square

Depsey's has everything I was looking for in a permanant replacement, a large private room, well lit, nice tables, decent beer, awesome location (about a dozen doors down from Jim Hanley's Universe) and close to transportation (Herald Square is right at the corner: N, R, F, B, PATH and the LIRR and 1, 2, 3 is a block away).

Here's the room:

Now these pictures are when the lights were down, or mostly off for that matter. But I've seen the joint all lit up, it's great.

That bar back there is not in service, but the cd player is, so we can program our own tunes. Which might be alright, 'cuz the music outta the jukebox kinda blows. But I don't think it's piped downstairs.

And, uh, there's a mirror. A beautiful mirror. With a sign posted on it of some sort. It reads, BAR SPECIAL FOR APRIL: PILSNER 4 BUCKS. There are plenty of full sized tables, room enough for 2 dozen people, which oddly enough, is the most we've ever had at a jam.

Did I mention they have food too? Oh yeah, food! Dave and I ate there the other night, he had a Shepherd Pie which was large and tasty, but a little salty. I had a turkey burger, which, no shit, was one of the better turkey burgers I've ever had, (there used to be a joint around the corner from my old apartment, unbelievable, but I digress) easily top five.

So, I talked to the bartender and one of the waitresses and it seems like we can reserve the room, but I still have to talk to the manager, which I'll do this week. If all works out, we'll have our March Jam there and every one after that. So next Wednesday, head over to Hanley's (it's new comic day) and pick up your weeks worth of nerd, then come by the jam for all the regular festivities!

3/14/07
So Strike Team Dodecca went out in search of a new home for our jams. Dubbed 'Operation: Le Petamane' the mission had our team visiting five suggested New York City bars, and one random one. The five suggested places were a wash (Sean MacManus', Flannery's, Ace Bar, Holiday and Lotus Lounge), they all had decent space, they lacked one or more of the necessary requirements. The best place we found was one we were randomly passing by and wondered into.

O'Hanlon's Bar - 349 14th Street @ 1st Ave.

O'Hanlon's features a nice, big, private back room that is currently not in use on Wednesday nights. The bar has a full range of draft beers, an internet jukebox, a pool table, darts and of course, Mega touch. Beers were a standard five bucks from James, the nine foot tall hulk behind the bar. The crowd seemed young, a decent amount of leftover after work types and a few regulars. Also next door was a coffee shop that seemed to be open late for snacks and what have you (also a Papaya King on the corner).

The room has nice lighting, dart boards (still in use), a video projector and a flat screen TV.

Which brings us to it's one drawback...

The small tables. (Pictured: Next week's contestants on 'Guess Who's The Spaz')

Airmarshall Cheese

O'Hanlon's