I'm a Culture Snob, Part 2: Oakland Bar Hop

Part 1 is Here!

During my trip we met up with cousins who lived in downtown Oakland, and they took us out.  If this was our downtown in Vegas, I would feel comfortable going down there.  At all.

First stop was some grub at Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe.  Our cousins mentioned to us that the Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt owned the place, and it seemed like a Rock and Roll kind of joint.  My sister and I shared one of the Huevos Rancheros that they serve all day long.  Shortly after ordering we saw the Malt Liquor shake on the menu.  Maker's Mark, Bailey's, Vanilla ice cream, and Malt Powder...in other words, "WAITER!!!  Shake Emergency!"  The place was decorated super fun, like a TGIFridays gone rock.  We had our food and went out for some bar hopping!

Next up was Bar Dogwood, a place that my cousin's deemed "A Dive Bar."  If you click that link, the place is called "Cocktails and Cured Meats."  I'm not entirely sure my cousin's know what dive means.  Maybe I'll take them to Dinos when they come here (Side note; Seriously, who named them best in Vegas?).  Dogwood had stuffed pheasants on the wall and Victrola horns hanging from the walls.  I had a Sazerac in honor of The Neon Beast, as that is his favorite drink...that he's never had apparently.  Afterwards I felt bad I'd had it before him, but honestly it wasn't my drink.  The drink I should've gotten there was a Whiskey Sour, which they made with an actual raw egg white!  I tried some of my sisters, and it was fantastic.

After some  good conversation and gandering at their meat and cheese station, we headed to Make Westing.  Named after a line in a Jack London short story, this bar also had some fancy hipster food.  We didn't get to try any, but I did have the Garden Gimlet.  It was like getting drunk in a really amazing herb garden.

But that's not even the best part.  They have a couple of Bocce Ball courts inside the bar.  If there is anything I love more than playing pool drunk, it's playing Bocce Ball drunk.  Okay, that's not really true, but you have to admit playing Bocce Ball is more exercise than anything at Insert Coins.  Oh, and did I mention playing is totally free, unlike when you have to buy $13 for one drink and bring a pocketful of quarters?

Since we had to drive pretty far to where we were staying, after a few games we had to call it a night.  All in all though, it was a really fun night, and I had 3 different alcoholic beverages that all tasted amazing.  Which is more good drinks than I've ever had in 7 years of living of Vegas.

Stay tuned for Part 3!