Daily Archives: December 3, 2006

Beijing Boyce XXVII: Closing Shots

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Some readers think this newsletter is nothing but fun and games, wine dinners and plush monkeys. It usually is, but consider a recent incident. A bar invited me to visit. I went. I paid my bill. Then, the owner gave my newsletter and character what I’ll politely call a “negative evaluation.” That’s not exactly my definition of customer service, though we have since smoothed things over. For the record, I care what owners, managers, employees and patrons think, and I expect criticism where it’s due, but that doesn’t extend to public personal attacks a.k.a. shooting the messenger. / In case anyone’s interested, I’ve extensively expanded the “about” section of my blog. It explains why I started this newsletter (I like writing, I like bars, there was convergence), my reasons for focusing on certain places (they’re close to my house and/or I like them), whether I pay for drinks (as a general rule: yes), and other minutiae. / I’ve been particularly busy the past three months and thus apologize for the repeated lateness of this newsletter in general and the dearth of write-ups in this issue in particular. Several wine tasting write-ups are still coming and the next Bourbon, Rye and Whiskey League (BRAWL) event is in the works. / Finally, thanks to Kraft-D, M-Dawg, The Crow and Will “Gonzo” Mo for their advice on this edition.

(From Beijing Boyce XXVII, first emailed on November 23, 2006)

Beijing Boyce XXVI: Opening Shots

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TRIO has taken The Park Grill and The Cellar down a few notches and now offers a more affordable wine list (see Hanky Panky at Frankie’s below). / An investor in The Pavillion, which marks its one-year anniversary on November 16, says the group will open another venue in the Workers’ Stadium area in March. / Tim’s Texas BBQ (formerly John Bull Pub) will open in mid-November, says Frank Siegel, who is eager for the public to try his smoked meat. Frank says Tim’s will retain the popular trivia nights and look at incorporating the Friday and Saturday Mexican food cart. / Q Bar plans a December debut for its website, which will include a game where patrons drink cocktails made by George and Echo at faster-than-life speeds. Back in reality, a special East meets West drink – namely, a dragon fruit margarita – should soon roar into life at the Q (more on this next issue). / As part of the shift from blues spot to gallery and events venue, Icehouse has walled off its bar to create a narrow and intimate zone that could become a nice after-work getaway. The event experimentation continues as the venue hosts the high-energy Central Asian music of Panjir on Saturday night (50-kuai entry fee includes one Tsingdao). / Eddie O reports that Blue Fox, unable to replicate the success of its neighbor Centro, has howled its last. / Cafe Europa, a comfortable place to enjoy wine by the glass or bottle in the Soho district, will hold a tasting of four Cabernet Sauvignons (with tapas) next Thursday (150 kuai, email josefkiang@yahoo.com to RSVP). / Here’s a bar you don’t hear much about - Marine House. It’s on U.S. Embassy grounds, serves up the coldest beer in Beijing and is one place where you don’t want to anger the bouncers. / Tongli Studio’s Top Club is changing into Kokomo Bar and Restaurant. Yay! I mean, boo! I mean, hmmm… Meanwhile, Kebab Nation is now open on the studio’s ground floor. / The City Weekend website has an upgraded bars section that includes editors’ picks and a better directory (with handy phone numbers). As always, the forums on thatsbj.com are a good source of information on Beijing’s nightlife scene, including the recent Halloween bashes. / Add this to the list of drinkable Chinese wines: Grace Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2005.
(From Beijing Boyce XXIV, first emailed on September 21, 2006)