I admit. I’m as guilty as some of you of too often opting for some new, buzzed-about joint in deference to an old standby. There’s a name for people like us –– and it isn’t pretty.
When I lived in Houston, we labeled the nightflies who were always, constantly, searching for the next cool hangout The Fickle 500. In other words, there were about 500 people in town who seemingly did nothing but patronize the shiniest, prettiest new bars, bar/restaurants, or nightclubs for a couple of weeks, get bored, and then move on to an even newer establishment. The demographic was a byproduct of the rampant urban redevelopment redefining Houston at the time, the late 1990s. Seriously, a new joint opened up every other day. The Fickle 500, obviously, determined the longevity of some places. A lot of pre-boom joints thrived, a lot of them went bust, and a lot of new joints –– more like most of them – bombed. But based on a couple of visits to H-town over the past few years, the boom-era joints that are still in business were insulated from failure to begin with. They started out by offering great service, a safe environment, and affordable drink/food prices.
In Fort Worth, especially after all of the urban redevelopment in the West 7th Street corridor, a Fickle 500 is probably developing as we speak, though it’s probably more like a Fickle 300 –– Houston is a much larger city. And I have to come to grips with the fact that, well, I’m pretty darn fickle.
Going back a couple of years, the first shiny new West 7th object was Lola’s Saloon, a rec room disguised as a bar/venue established by the owner of one of the most popular indie-outré bar/venues in Fort Worth if not the entire Southwest, The Wreck Room.
A couple of months later, a shiny (well, metaphorically speaking) new West 7th object appeared right down the street. The 7th Haven quickly became a go-to happy hour spot for us Weekleteers, credit mainly to the crack bartenders and cheap, strong drinks.
A couple of months later, we fickle beasts began driving past Lola’s and the Haven and pointing our cars toward The Wild Rooster. Then The Durty Crow opened up, and my friends, co-workers, and I thought we’d give that place a try. At the moment, we’re on a steady rotation of 1.) the Rooster, 2.) the Haven, and 3.) the Crow (in no particular order).
To do something different last Monday, because the West 7th development is about to max out, the wife and I got a little crazy and went to a place that when it opened several years ago was high on our rotation but kinda fell off after the West 7th boom: The Ginger Man, in the nearby Cultural District.
What a pleasant surprise. Though Mondays are pretty much dead all around, I’ll venture to say that The Ginger Man isn’t hurting on that dreaded evening –– nearly every seat at the admittedly smallish bar was taken, and most of the tables and booths were occupied. Arguably the best part about the comfortably packed atmosphere was the short wait for refills, and several refills –– primarily of Rahr & Sons Brewing Company’s blonde lager –– were giddily consumed.
With all due respect to my current rotation, I may have a new Monday night spot, fickle nature be damned. –– Anthony Mariani
New Lounge Opening
Speak of the devil. The West 7th corridor is getting a new nightlife establishment, one that may fill the swanky void recently left by the dearly departed M Lounge. As you first read no doubt on my Twitter page (https://twitter.com/#!/Anthony_Mariani), in the space adjacent to Poag Mahone’s on Carroll Street, the ultra-lounge Wired Willy’s will open in about three months, said building owner Matt McEntire. Check back here for more details.
Contact Last Call at lastcall@fwweekly.com.
