Suney’s Pub: #3 on the Tour

The Bar: Suney’s

The Address: 216 Chandler Street

The price: 5 bucks

Did they ask me if I wanted a lime: No. I just got one.

What was the type of gin: He asked what I wanted and I said it didn’t matter. I received a well gin, nothing remarkable.

What was the gin and tonic like The drink came in a pint glass with a lot of ice. It was a serviceable drink, nothing more, but not terrible..

The Joint: A few years back they redid the storefront and it is a good looking facade. But facade is all it is. You walk in and you get a dingy dark saloon, the kind that Jack London used to pass out in. There is a bar in the back left. There are a few tables. Dart board. It all looked like it needed a fine washing. There were duct works above me. Painted black. Beautiful old tin ceiling, painted black. (I see a red door and i want it painted black…..Mick Jagger would have done well here). This color choice makes the joint feel small and dim.

Behind the bar area is a fair sized dining area. I went in the afternoon and no one was eating. It looked like an old school cafeteria. This too felt like it needed a good washing if not a complete overhaul. My thought was that I would never eat here, but I heard from one of my Virgils, Bartender Brian, that Suney’s food is great. That the chicken they have on the weekend is worth the trip. I asked him if it was worth walking through the dingy gauntlet of the bar area and he said yes, so there you go. When getting a bite to eat, close your eyes and walk thirty feet until you smell good vittles.

General Impressions: There were four or five at the bar. The bartender responded to me quickly and professionally. The type who sit at a bar on a nice Saturday at the end of March, the first nice weekend all year, is the kind that take their bar sitting and beer drinking serious. I ordered the gin and tonic and the bartender said, “Better weather must be coming, people ordering gin and tonics all of a sudden.” -”I didn’t know Gin and Tonics were seasonal,” I said. The bartender nodded like one of those old sages, “People want to drink gin and tonics when the weather’s good. I like them in the summer. Just the thing.” I didn’t know I was going to learn important lessons here so I just replied, “I was just in the mood for one.”

So now we all know kids, there are certain sure fire signs of spring: the groundhog not seeing his shadow, flower buds appearing on red maple trees, the song of the titmouse and now we have the increased ordering of gin and tonics.

I drank my drink and left. I was there for ten minutes.

Will I come back: Probably not. The decor just killed me. Nothing wrong with a run down joint, but this didn’t have much appeal to me. If Bartender Brian wants to take me for dinner in the restaurant area, I could be convinced, but I will walk through the bar quick like.