New frontiers are hard to come by. Modern frontiers seem to be more about discovering a nuance instead of a grand new thing. Of course there are grand new discoveries all they time. They just require great machines and sophisticated equipment to explore. We have neither.
We don't have deep sea submarines or interplanetary rockets, so we have to create a new kind of frontier. We are going to have a drink at every bar in Flint, Michigan. It may be part of the known universe and almost all of the bars can be found in the phone book, but most bars in Flint don't have more than an address listed on the Internet. That will not interfere with our sense of adventure in exploring the city. Especially when the it requires us to have a beer.
One night last November we were having a drink together when we started listing all the bars we had seen in our travels around Flint but that we have never been to. Each of us came up with a nearly unique list. There are grimy old holes in the wall, singles bars, biker bars, nightclubs, shop bars, bars that open at 7 am, topless bars, gay bars, etc. The list went on and on and we thought to ourselves, "We live in Flint, we love Flint more than anyone probably should, why haven't we experienced every corner of it?".
That's when the idea for this blog was born. We are going to drink a beer in every bar in Flint, Michigan. We are going to take a piss in every dirty bathroom, eat every overcooked hamburger, generously over-tip every waitress that calls us 'hun', burn our mouths on every 35 cent hot wing, and tip back a few with every kind of person we have in this fair city. Flint isn't so big that it can't be done, but it is big enough that this will be an epic journey and we hope you'll read along as we drink our way to adventure!
I keep hearing Maria Von Trapp in my mind... Climb every mountain, drink at every bar... I can hardly wait!
ReplyDeleteYou crazy dreamers. I admire your courage. Many have attempted this quest, although most didn't realize they were even on it at the time. All have failed. But I have a good feeling about you three.
ReplyDeleteI'll be following your adventures on Flint Expatriates.
And don't give up. And don't be afraid to write at the bars. Although, now that I think about it, flashing a laptop around some Flint bars might not be wise. I suggest just taking notes on cocktail napkins and scanning them into the blog, as is. More authentic and much easier.
Good Luck!
www.flintexpats.com
We're doing this au natural. This is a pencil and napkin operation.
ReplyDeleteThis is going to be great. Are you planning to write three separate reviews of each bar?
ReplyDeleteTerrific idea for the winter months.
ReplyDeleteGet a load of this...
One of my more memorable dive visits was at a place located on Fenton rd. a knife throw from the historic "Grand Funk Railroad" bridge.The name slipped my memory, however it isn't too important since you'll get there sooner or later.
This joint has a bonus feature.
*Spoiler Alert*
It has its own lo-tec game which consists of a string hanging from the ceiling ending in a metal ring about 2 inches in diameter which is usually attached to a hook on the wall next to the door.
The goal here is to step back with the ring in hand and release it at the appropriate spot, thus hooking it on the hook. You'll love it even before the booze hits your liver.
Keep it foamy, keep it greazy, and above all keep it consistant. Maybe you'll feel a tug at one of your six elbows and it'll be me wearing my Bukowski mask.
At this point we're just getting our blog legs so we all decided to post on Deville (plus we all were really surprised by how much we liked it!) In the future you can expect one post with multiple points of view. Unless we each have a LOT to say about a particular place.
ReplyDeleteWhoa! Thanks for the tip Phil. I bet you're talking about Terri's. I've been intrigued by their "Buy one get one free hamburgers Mon-Thurs" wooden sidewalk sign for a long time. It also happens to be a knife's throw from where we live so we'll stumble there one of these days!
ReplyDeleteNo, Phil was talking about the Red Ribbon. It's only a stone throw away from Terri's. The Red Ribbon is a classic hole in the wall. The mens bathroom has a trough to pee in. I'm not sure about the ladies restroom.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot crazy stories about Terri's Lounge. I caught the man stealing my car at their parking lot a few years ago. There was also that gun fight. Good Times.
Ah the Red Ribbon. I've not been there but Jason has. He has fond memories of that place. I can't wait! Eventually (when the weather gets better) we want to organize a dive bar crawl of all the dives on Fenton Rd. There are a ton. It'll be good times.
ReplyDeleteYes! The Red Ribbon! Multiple thanks to you,Mracine.
ReplyDeleteNext time you slip on over to the Red Baron (and really,how could you resist?) ask 'em about the "Wall of Foam" which I think is still in effect. You'll be issued a card that will get stamped whenever you order one of their world beers. Fill up the card and you will get some nice parting gifts plus your name on the aforementioned "Wall of Foam" making you an immortal of sorts.
We all love the Red Baron and hang out there frequently. But alas, the Red Baron is in Burton.
ReplyDelete