Close Encounters of the Bar Kind ~ 3
Taking a Bite Out of the Big Apple

When C took me to New York for my birthday two years ago the smoking ban had just gone into effect. You have no idea just how addicted you are until you stand outside in twenty-eight degree weather smoking through blue lips, trying to cup the cigarette so a giant snowflake doesn’t put it out causing a nicotine induced meltdown. In addition to seeing the usual tourist traps, it became our mission to find the secret smoking bars in the city.

My aunt, who lives in Brooklyn, told us to go to Campbell’s Apartment because she had heard you can still smoke inside. Campbell’s Apartment is inside Grand Central Station so needless to say we were skeptical but our dinner reservations weren’t until 11:00 (p.m. that is) so we decided to give it a try. Walking into Campbell’s Apartment was like taking a drink of water after forty days in the desert. There was a big toasty fire, fluffy couches, a long dark wood bar and best of all an ashtray on the table. We couldn’t get our coats off fast enough.

The only thing Campbell’s Apartment does not have enough of is seats so when three couples approached us about sharing our space we were more than happy to oblige. Sharing with these people ended up making my birthday a truly unforgettable experience. They drank, they smoked, they told funny stories of children left at home while the adults grabbed a weekend in the city.

While sitting there on our big fluffy couch our little group incorporated another patron into the fold. A woman sitting on the couch behind us was clearly alone and wanting to join in. She was missing her tap recital by being in NY for the weekend so she performed her routine for us all. Very interesting seeing a grown woman tap dancing.

A few bottles of champagne and a dozen or so Vodkas later, we were all a few sheets to the wind so at the time bad ideas sounded really good.

Bad ideas disguised as good in chronological order as they occurred on December 14, 2003:

1. Ordered not just glass, but bottle of champagne at 6:00 when dinner reservation was not until 11:00.

2. Allowed new friends to buy me second bottle of champagne because at this point I really couldn’t feel the giant hole bottle one was burning into my stomach lining.

3. Blew off dinner reservation at one of NY’s top dining establishments because we were having way too much fun.

4. Met fellow Sound of Music fan and began singing “I Am 16 Going on Seventeen” (in public no less).

5. Decided to make the experience more authentic by pretending to be Liesl while new friend pretended to be Rolf. Was asked by waitress to please stop jumping on the couches.