Fill out this form to email this article to a friend
Nite Out
Barfly on the Wall: The Emerald in a classic setting
By NICK MARGIASSO
Published July 14, 2005
Vitals: On St. Petersburg's Central Avenue, this time-honored tavern is a a few blocks west of the hub of nighttime activity near BayWalk. Open from 10 a.m. until 2 a.m. daily, the Emerald has a front that could easily be a kitschy California lounge in a Quentin Tarantino film. You have a good chance of parking sans meter, but the spots usually come with two-hour limits.
A diver's dive: The Emerald has been going strong since the '70s and hasn't changed much since the first pour. And even on this dive-heavy portion of Central, the Emerald remains the undisputed king, especially with live rock bands.
The decor: It's Grandpa's favorite postwar Elks Lodge all over again with its weathered wood paneling. Aged adornments such as a deer-in-the-wooded-brook painting right out of a Bob Ross instructional video and canisters full of cheap beer tabs lining the bar are lit with brass shamrock lamps.
Juke and jive: The jukebox is timeless: real cherry, complete with rainbow arch, dusty 45s and even the alternating baby blue and lady pink labels with the artist's name. Here you can play tunes from the likes of Judy Garland, Bobby Darin or even the Lettermen. Too cool for school.
Hangings on the wall: The Emerald's back wall, an artistic showcase of bay area artists' work, is more visually appealing than many galleries. Works range from a puzzle of multicolored cassette tapes (Chad Mize's Rewind) to a childlike drawing and narrative scribbles bursting off partially lined notebook paper (Lawrence J.'s The Angel Nurses) just like Mom used to send with you to kindergarten.
Booze, brothers: Finally, who wants a drink? Busch is the lone draft beer, while imported bottles including Newcastle, Bass and Blue Moon will only cost you $3.25 and a well-priced Julius Echter German is $3.75. Well shots or mixed drinks are about $3.
Go or no? While the bay area's best new bar - a chic brew connoisseur's cottage named the Independent - flashes brightly a few blocks away, the Emerald Bar lurks with tinted glasses, pipe's breath and a stiff $4 scotch and soda. And though it may not be the place to be anymore, this cocktail citadel knows it's the place to go before and after the flashy newcomers.
The Emerald Bar
550 Central Ave.
St. Petersburg
(727) 898-6054
[Last modified July 13, 2005, 09:36:06]
Share your thoughts on this story
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
|
News
Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
Print
Email story
Comment
Email editor