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| - Hey, wanna meet me for a beer? Sure, where do you wanna go?
You should really have an easy answer to that question when someone asks you, but lately I haven't. I've lived in Bloomfield for two years now, and have yet to identify "my spot." I love the neighborhood -- great restaurants, bars, local business, art spaces, etc. I like several of the bars, but just haven't figured out which is my go-to spot.
Last night I asked a friend to meet me for a beer and she suggested Lot 17. It is literally right around the corner from me. (And when I say literally, I do NOT mean "figuratively," which so many people do, by accident I suppose, but they're saying exactly the opposite of what they mean! Grrr) It's right around the corner, and since I had actually never been in, I thought it was a perfect choice.
The first thing you notice is the classy wooden decor. Everything is all really nice hardwood. It has a very simple style -- the traditional wood, simple chalk board beer list, a couple of nice HD TVs -- none of which stands out or tries too hard to grab your attention. The bar and a few tables are in the front while several more tables for dining line the back area.
It was nearly empty. We were there late -- from about 10-11pm -- on a freezing cold Tuesday night. A young couple sat quietly at the bar, another guy in the corner chatted up the bartender, and I grabbed a seat a little further down the bar. I ordered a Full Pint Festivus draft, which is a great brown ale from a brewery in North Versailles that I've heard wonderful things about.
After a few sips my friend came in and joined me. She had a Guiness, I had another Festivus, we chatted about this and that. It was quiet, low key, and comfortable. It's a place that looks really nice yet had a friendly almost dive-y vibe. I was only there for an hour and no one else was really there, so I shouldn't jump to conclusions. However, I will definitely be plopping myself down at that classic bar again in the near future, and who knows, maybe Lot 17 will become my neighborhood go-to spot for grabbing a beer on a whim.
There was a new, shiny, fancy looking, electronic jukebox that I will definitely have to give a try next time! And obviously I will have to eat there in the future, as I'm seeing several other great reviews
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