Ithaca Blog

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Sports Bar Report

Last Friday, we had a well-rounded night in Ithaca, first at a free screening of Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" at the St. Paul Methodist Church, and then watching the Yankees and Tigers (see Friday's posting).

We noted on Friday that although we have TV at home, for just such occasions, occasionally it is fun to go out and root in public, and to have a beer and a sangwidge or something, amongst activated partisans.

We also noted that we had never been in either of the downtown venues for such events, Benchwarmers and Uncle Joe's, and that we would file a brief Ithaca Blog report on our findings.

Our unequivocal conclusion: Benchwarmers is the spot. We went first to Uncle Joe's, and didn't stay even for a drink. The game was on various and sundry TVs, but there was also loud music playing, and I mean very loud, like shouting to be heard over music. Okay for NFL maybe, but not for the national pasttime, a game that encourages rumination and conversation. It seemed like Uncle Joe's couldn't decide if it was a sports joint, or a pickup joint.

So we went to Benchwarmers, and found a conducive atmosphere. The game was on, and while not everyone was locked into it, and there seemed to be a certain amount of pickup action here as well, everyone seemed comfortable in their personal pursuits.

We found the Benchwarmers service friendly and capable, and the food and libations more than satisfactory. We were left peacefully alone in our comfortable booth seating even after we were finished, but the game still had a ways to go.

So, our number one ranking goes to Benchwarmers. See you there this weekend, maybe, for the Mets and Cards.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog

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