Beijing Boyce

La Baie des Anges used word play to co-opt Halloween for a specific group, the oenophiles, and create Hallowine. Now, The Boat is doing the same with its gay-friendly bash, HalloQueens. I see the trend and expect a flood of niche Halloween party invitations this afternoon…

• HalloBean: For vegetarians and fans of Rowan Atkinson
• Haloween: For video game nuts
• Halloweenie: For those who await the return of Maggie’s and its hot dogs
• Halloweave: For arts and crafts types
• HalloUyghur: For the Western China crowd

I could go on, but… oh, what the Heckoween, I will…

• Hallowheat: For bakers
• Fallowsween: For fans of the Atlantic Monthly writer
• Galloween: For Californian wine sippers
• GallowsTeen: For death-row youth (woah, where did that one come from!?)
• HalloGreen: Because Dick Cheney went to so much work on this costume
• Halloweed: For those who like to smoke
• Hallowheeze: For those who smoke too much
• Show Me Your Pumpkin: OK, now I really will stop….

But seriously, have we ever seen this many Halloween parties in Beijing before? In addition to HalloQueens at The Boat, other recent invites are for parties at Bed and TUN. See also party listings here and here.

2nd Floor
A genuine staff, a non-pretentious, airy, and earthy décor, reasonably priced drinks, and decent nibbles, including curry puffs (6-8 kuai each; vegetable, chicken, or beef). This place – below Le Petit Gourmand and accessible from the north end of Tongli Studio – seems busier every time I go. I tried the drinks special last night: Lychee Sangria (RMB20). With Dita, rum, pineapple juice, and wine, it is refreshing and – given its layers of red and yellow – colorful. I found the counterpart, Peach Sangria, a bit too syrupy for my taste.

Boutique Wine Cellar
Serves OK German Riesling at RMB20 (150 ML) or RMB30 (250 ML) per glass. (The house red is Hardy’s Shiraz.) My friend describes this two-tiered place with its laid-back tunes, plush furniture, and carpets as “early eighties.” Frankly, I kept expecting to hear, “Beauty and the Beast.” Boutique is in the former Mingle space and downstairs from Luga’s Villa. Cozy enough for a stop, but needs to work on the by-the-glass choices, given Nanjie offers just as many options (two).

Purple Haze
Three visits in two weeks to this Gongti North location that offers Thai food, 15-kuai pints, and shelves loaded with books. There’s nothing like putting on the beer goggles and trying to tackle a tome about how autistic people can translate the language of animals. (Great, maybe I can finally find out what my ex-neighbor’s dog had to tell the world at 5 AM every morning.)

Kro’s Nest
Sticking with the “We Hate Tuesdays” deal: A free keg or two of beer from 6 PM and then RMB5 pints until 10 PM. Given three people can split a pizza, this event is value for money.

Paddy O’Shea’s
The quiz night is back, every Wednesday at 8:30 PM, and apparently Thursday nights feature ska and reggae from 9 PM with two-for-one drinks upstairs.

TUN
Is it Browns Meets Poachers, is it Nanjie for Grown-ups, or is it… A Beijing Original. I’m starting to lean toward the latter given the mix of historical touches, lofty ceilings, and hundreds of egg cartons on the walls (think of how many omelets were made for your benefit, just so that the band’s sound would be absorbed). Oh yeah, and cheap drinks. Anyway, this seems a perfect time to segue into my Name that TUN contest…