– “Not expecting anybody, no, it’s just me” – and, with a book or magazine (and sans the lecherous grin on the face of the ubiquitous creepy guy at any given bar), rock the night away by yourself with a drink or two.
Most of my friends aren’t fans of alone time at bars. But I find it almost calming. It’s solace amid chaos, singularity amid group activity, individuation and introspection amid mob mentality and Bacardi burps. It’s not about becoming best friends with the bartender or hitting on the girl two stools down. It’s about finishing that food issue of The New Yorker because two others already have arrived and the guilt is overwhelming.
Some bars are better than others for the solo swing – which is, mind you, very different than the singles scene. (Hence the inclusion of “solo.”) Swimclub is great, and the Paris Wine Bar is even better. Brasserie Rouge was epic in regards to a couple cocktails, short conversation with the bartender and quality reading/chill time. And so I was psyched to find that, while the Rouge is gone, its replacement in the primo LoDo space is every bit as great.
Via Italian Eatery & Bar (1801 Wynkoop St., 303-295-1488) is a comfortable bar. It’s situated the same as Brasserie Rouge, with the long bar on the same wall overlooking Wynkoop Street and the restaurant stretched out across the rest. After work, the light trickles in through the windows, and at night the lighting is comfortable, kind and not harsh – a good reading light, if you will.
The joint specialized in Assagini – small dishes, i.e. Italian tapas – and they’re OK. But the pizzas are more satisfying, and they’re better bar food too. The drinks are good, but especially kosher are the bartenders serving them. In these early days, it seems like the bar is well-stocked with tenders, even in off hours, but regardless of how many people are back there, their timing and service are impeccable, creating an experience, whether you’re alone or with others, that is an excellent treat.
Staff writer Ricardo Baca can be reached at 303-820-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com.
Funky: Something about the
bar’s back wall of tree slices anchors
you in nature, in a space
that is chill and refreshingly remniscent
of the stones underneath
Swimclub’s bar.
Skunky: The crowd – even in
these early, early days – is very
LoDo chi-chi. But that could soon
change.