The Village Idiot closed four years ago. It was a great bar. It was clearly more legendary than Yogi's - it was bigger, louder, rowdier, more out of control. On the other hand, it was dirtier, smellier, rowdier, more out of control. Don't get me wrong - I loved the Idiot, but it wasn't for everyone. Ok, Yogi's isn't everyone's cup of tea either, but anyone who isn't a total snob can at least tolerate it. When you walked into the Village Idiot, the odor smacked you in the face; it was like the bar was saying, "fuck you! if you don't like it, get the fuck out!" I mean, it really smelled bad. Really, really bad. The floor was often covered in a layer of liquidy grime, obviously some kind of combination of beer, bathroom runoff, and vomit (I've witnessed multiple people I know simply throw up on the Idiot floor where they were sitting and then just go back to drinking as if nothing happened).
Yogi's could use a visit from Mr. Clean, but it's not on the same level as the Village Idiot. There were some friends I tried to take to the Idiot who walked right out as soon as they smelled the place. And even if they survived that initial moment, some people just couldn't handle how out of control the bar got sometimes. On the other hand, if I invite some random friend to meet me at Yogi's, I'm never scared that they're going to end up running out the door. Yogi's is sort of like the slightly mellower, more grown up version of the Village Idiot, which suits me well because I'm slightly mellower and more grown up than I was four years ago.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Floor Plan
You've already made one excellent decision tonight: you've decided to come to Yogi's. Now that you've walked through the door, there's a tougher choice to make: where to stand or sit. OK, you have some time to choose - grab a beer, survey the crowd, put a few dollars in the jukebox - but eventually, you'll have to settle in somewhere. Here's a summary of your options:
- The Bar - bar stools are the perfect place to see all the action, but are hard to come by during primetime. You can stand behind the bar stools, but it's a single file situation and you'll constantly have people trying to squeeze by you - this is a good option for 2 or 3 single guys, you can still manage to talk to each other and you can talk to girls as they try to walk by/get a drink. Best case scenario: hot drunk chick needs help getting down after dancing on the bar.
- Jukebox Area - at the end of the bar, there's a small area by the jukebox where you can actually enjoy a little standing room. This is a good little area - you're near the bar, you're near the jukebox, you're near the Bear. Best of all, there's a little bit of room for you to actually stand in a small circle with a few people. This area offers most of the upside of standing by the bar with a little more breathing room.
- The "Dance Floor" - it's just a few square feet by the bathroom, but anyone who's spent a few hours in Yogi's on a weekend night knows what I'm talking about. This is the place to show off your moves (or watch people make asses out of themselves).
- The Back Room - this is the area behind the Bear where there a few tables and a dartboard. If you're with a group and want to be able to talk to each other, this is your best choice. Unfortunately, you can't see the bar from here, so you feel like you're missing out on the action. When I was single, I would rarely venture back here. Now that I have a girlfriend, I'm sitting at a table within 5 minutes of entering the bar. Girls like to sit and this is where the seats are. Plus, you can put down your stuff (i.e. purses) and talk to your friends. Of course, you're a little more isolated because you're sitting at a table, but you can draw funny things on the chalkboard if you want to attract attention from any neighbors.
- The Best Table In The House - here you can enjoy the best of both worlds: you have a table where you can sit and talk to your friends; and you're right by the bar and the "dance floor," so you can witness/take part in whatever craziness is going on in the bar. Unfortunately, it's pretty much impossible to get this table unless you get to the bar really early or just get lucky. I guess a good game plan would be to try to befriend the people who have the table - you might be able to share it or take it over when they leave. This table is awesome; there's no better way to enjoy a night at Yogi's.
- The Bar - bar stools are the perfect place to see all the action, but are hard to come by during primetime. You can stand behind the bar stools, but it's a single file situation and you'll constantly have people trying to squeeze by you - this is a good option for 2 or 3 single guys, you can still manage to talk to each other and you can talk to girls as they try to walk by/get a drink. Best case scenario: hot drunk chick needs help getting down after dancing on the bar.
- Jukebox Area - at the end of the bar, there's a small area by the jukebox where you can actually enjoy a little standing room. This is a good little area - you're near the bar, you're near the jukebox, you're near the Bear. Best of all, there's a little bit of room for you to actually stand in a small circle with a few people. This area offers most of the upside of standing by the bar with a little more breathing room.
- The "Dance Floor" - it's just a few square feet by the bathroom, but anyone who's spent a few hours in Yogi's on a weekend night knows what I'm talking about. This is the place to show off your moves (or watch people make asses out of themselves).
- The Back Room - this is the area behind the Bear where there a few tables and a dartboard. If you're with a group and want to be able to talk to each other, this is your best choice. Unfortunately, you can't see the bar from here, so you feel like you're missing out on the action. When I was single, I would rarely venture back here. Now that I have a girlfriend, I'm sitting at a table within 5 minutes of entering the bar. Girls like to sit and this is where the seats are. Plus, you can put down your stuff (i.e. purses) and talk to your friends. Of course, you're a little more isolated because you're sitting at a table, but you can draw funny things on the chalkboard if you want to attract attention from any neighbors.
- The Best Table In The House - here you can enjoy the best of both worlds: you have a table where you can sit and talk to your friends; and you're right by the bar and the "dance floor," so you can witness/take part in whatever craziness is going on in the bar. Unfortunately, it's pretty much impossible to get this table unless you get to the bar really early or just get lucky. I guess a good game plan would be to try to befriend the people who have the table - you might be able to share it or take it over when they leave. This table is awesome; there's no better way to enjoy a night at Yogi's.
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