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Two things inspired GreatJoints.com: a love for bars and
frequent requests from travelers that would ask for out-of-the-way
and offbeat places to enjoy. We started with five cities:
Dallas because David Mullen resides there, New York and New
Orleans because both David and Christopher Mullen have spent
much time there, and San Francisco because that is where together
we gained our appreciation for great joints.
Oakland rounds out the initial list of cities because the
brothers Mullen were born there and no one would ever think
of going to Oakland and the East Bay for fun. The Oakland
columns will dispel the myth that "San Francisco's Brooklyn"
has little to offer except for rowdy sports fans and higher
education. (Those don't seem to go together, do they?)
At GreatJoints.com, we feel that the matchbook is a subtle
definition of the personality of a bar. That is why, when
possible, the bar's matchbook accompanies the review. California's
smoking ban has made it more difficult to obtain branded matches;
thus a generic GreatJoints matchbook was developed.
GreatJoints.com will try to avoid the chain bar or restaurant,
although some joints have become so popular that expansion
was inevitable. We avoid the velvet ropes and steroid enhanced
bouncers. We think that picture books are for the coffee table
and not to be used as a menu.
And with apologies to Ron Shelton, here is what else we believe
in:
We believe in the bar, the tavern, the watering hole, eating
at the bar, the small stem of the martini glass, ice cold
beer, single malt scotch, a quality cigar, and that there
is nothing good about drinks flavored with chocolate or jalapeno
peppers.
We believe that shots can be sipped and should be poured
into a rocks glass not a jigger. That jukeboxes should have
more rhythm and blues than country music and that the Irish
Coffee should be served only in the traditional glass and
never with crème from an aerosol can.
We believe that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone. We believe
there ought to be a Constitutional Amendment outlawing blender
drinks and the Cosmopolitan. We believe in the Highball and
the Manhattan and that bartenders should wear white shirts
and ties. We believe in tipping for good service, buying a
round, and knowing what to order immediately upon request.
We believe in the "usual," that you can meet women
worth dating in bars, that no one can tell the difference
between "shaken" and "stirred," and that
you can drink anything you damn well please before noon, not
just a Bloody Mary.
We believe most of all in a place where you can relax and
make friends. We believe in GreatJoints.com.
G'night.
- D.M. and C.M.
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