So, I’ve been in Western New York all weekend because my buddy Shaun got married.  Today, I made the jaunt with my buddy John farther West.  He dropped me off in Rochester so that I could visit some other friends.  It’s been a weekend filled with culinary adventures (more of which I’ll write about later) but the one I had tonight was pretty much the pinnacle.

Tonight I got to visit my favorite pub in the world, The Old Toad.   It’s some place that I started going to back when I was attending the Rochester Institute of Technology and I’ve been a fan ever sense.

You walk in and your struck by the fact that you’re seeing all different type of people from all different shapes, sizes, and ages.  They’re all peaceably coexisting together.    It’s busy but it’s not overflowing with people.  Music is on but it’s low enough that you can actually hear the people across the table and have a conversation.  It’s very chill and relaxing.

For me, it’s “that bar” that I just always love to go to.  When you add some good friends and one of their many delicious beers that they have on their rotating tap list and it’s really perfect experience.

It’s the kind of place that I want to tell people about but I don’t at the same time.   I like that it’s just *my* bar (even though I don’t live in Rochester any more.)  I’d be afraid that if word got out that it’d become to cool to go there and I’d have to find some place else.

In Washington, DC, there are just too many people.  Over the last couple weeks we’ve seen the opening of the Birch & The Barley/The ChurchKey but when I tried to go last weekend, I was met at the door with a “We’re currently at capacity and can’t let any other to go to the bar.”  That’s just far far far too crowded for me.

Tonight, the Old Toad was busy but it wasn’t overflowing with people.  It’s just my favorite bar.

Do you know what I’m talking about?  Is there a place the Old Toad which is “that bar” for you?