One Woman Revival

I got caught up in a gust of mania this past weekend and may have overcommitted to plans. On the Friday evening before a packed Saturday, I had intended to just have a quiet date night with my partner. But somehow, we ended up an impromptu bar crawl. I have a tendency to line up a series of bars within walking distance as if a 20-minute jaunt between drinks will somehow negate the alcohol I consume. Perhaps we were both trying to ignore the news or just distract ourselves from work exhaustion, but we succumbed to the temptation of a night out for no reason. 

Our first stop was the Royal Cuckoo Organ Lounge far south on Mission st. I had often gotten it confused with their affiliated Horsies Market, a vermouth bar which had opened inside a bottle shop previously called Royal Cuckoo Market. Both establishments have the feel of an eccentric grandmother’s cluttered living room though the inside of the Organ Lounge is bathed in red lighting characteristic of divey music venues but also makes you feel as if you stepped into a 1980s porno. We opted to head out to the patio and grabbed one of the few open seats. It seemed like 1980s facial hair had become popular among the hipster crowd swigging dark cocktails among with fairy lights. When we were satiated with people watching, we surrendered our seats and trekked up the hill to our next stop.

I had been meaning to visit Holy Water in Bernal Heights ever since it was first described to me as a bar packed with Christian paraphernalia. I had thought it would have a similar quirky hoarder aesthetic of the Royal Cuckoo bars but it was actually quite stylish. The menus were bound in bright red covers with delicate golden script on the front and felt like they should be held with reverence. I skimmed the cocktail options but decided to go with a beer given the wide selection on tap. The walls were indeed covered in gilded crosses and wooden Jesuses but they were spaced out in a way which gave the semblance of a museum. I would imagine a truly religious person would not be sure if they should be offended. Which was perhaps the intent. 

From here we abandoned plans of walking any further and instead took an Uber to the Sunset location of a bar called The Red Tail. Popular for their trivia nights, this bar serves beer and wine as well as an endless supply of popcorn. This is probably where we had one drink too many as we got caught up in a game of dice with the bartender. We lost many dollar bills and made no new friends before eventually stumbling home. And while it was a pointless night out in the city, it might also have been just what we needed.