Alexis at The Gally

Alexis is another wonderful person who works at The Galley. Honestly, there are so many great folks at The Galley. Among them are Emily, Angie, Camilla…and some of the regulars make the place a great place to visit. Whoops! I don't want go off on a tangent!


Recently, one of my friends told me that she’d been to The Galley and loved it. She especially loved the bartender there. My friend had only visited once and she didn’t recall the bartender’s name. I described Alexis and my friend was certain it was her. Alexis etched herself into my friend’s brain because of her attentive service, engaging disposition and awesome cocktails after just one visit. Not a bad first impression. That's Alexis for you. Memorable after one visit.

I’ve known Alexis for several years now and I strive to make it in when she’s working. Sometimes we'll have a shot together if she's having a bad day or just for the heck of it. I don't always know what the shots are and it doesn't matter since they always rock.

Being a regular I have earned the honor of receiving shit from Alexis and I appreciate it. She’s not rough with new clientele unless you deserve it. Since Alexis knows me and I made the apparent mistake of ordering a particular mixed cocktail for which I was severely ridiculed. Rightly so I’ve been told. I had my reasons for ordering that cocktail, but I won’t bore you with details. Alexis informed me that it was a girly drink and after finishing my drink I challenged Alexis to make me a manly drink. That was my second mistake. Since Alexis is a friend I got a ride home that evening.

No watered down drinks here. Alexis simply won't allow it.

Thursday through Saturday.
The Galley
2442 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405

P.S. - Alexis does more than sling the best cocktails on Main Street. She also slings the best spa products including bath salts, bath and shower gels and body lotions on the internet. If you don't believe me click on the link and see for yourself.
http://apothecaryhouse.com/

Pancho at Sport Harbour

Sports Harbour is one of my favorite dive bars on the Westside. It's a sports bar and I'm not big on sports bars or even watching most major sports. Who makes going there such a great experience is a bartender named Pancho. (Not too long ago I've heard some people refer to him as Francisco.) Personally, I've only known him as Pancho, but he'll answer to either name.

For a while a buddy and I were stopping in frequently enough to be recognized and always asked him to put Fuel TV on for us. Eventually, he'd switch to it as soon as we walked in. What service! We felt like special patrons! Secretly, I felt a little powerful too.

Among the many table games at Sports Harbour is air hockey. To get to the point quickly, Pancho is unbeatable. My friend and I, who aren't bad players,
consider it a victory every time he allows us to get a point in. And then, he turns up the heat! I've lost count as to how many games he's beaten me 0-7! Wanna see how good you are at air hockey? If it's not busy he's usually up for a game or two. You couldn't lose to a nicer guy!

Sports Harbour
13484 Washington Blvd
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292

Becky at Saints & Sinners

Becky is the inspiration for my starting this blog. Thank you, Becky!

Becky is the kind of barkeep you want to tell others about. Why? She’s engaging and treats you like an old friend. She’s got a great attitude and it’s easy to order drinks from her even when it’s busy because of her attentive eye.

She used to work at a bar somewhere on the eastside near Dodger Stadium if I’m not mistaken. One night I was having drinks at The Townhouse (she previously worked at The Townhouse in Venice where I met her) and there was a small group from that eastside bar that came out just to see her. Wow! Now, that’s dedication or she’s a bartender worth following. It’s probably both. I was impressed and thought perhaps I had struck bartender gold. No doubt that I did.

One night at The Garter in Venice (she worked there Wednesday nights until very recently) Becky turned me on to the Stevie Ray Vaughn, which apparently Stevie concocted. I’m not sure what’s in it, but it’s big and powerful just like Stevie’s guitar sound.

Becky wouldn’t let me take a proper photo. I guess she’s only camera shy. However, you can see both her hands and face when ordering drinks from her Wednesday through Saturday at Saints and Sinners. She’s one of the best. Any bar Becky works at is lucky to have her working for them. The rest of us are lucky to have Becky serving drinks.

Saints and Sinners
10899 Venice Blvd
Culver City, CA 90034

Jessica - The "Coolest Kid" at The Galley

Even though I've hung out at The Galley for some time I didn't always know Jessica, but it was easy to tell that she was nice and always full of energy. One night she was my waitress and I got an over flowing shot glass of Jessica. She is so fun and so nice! She's a real pleasure all the way around. I had no idea she was so cool and I was glad she was my waitress. I feel privileged to rub elbows with one of the "cool kids" every time I see her at The Galley.

If you're lucky, you'll get to hear Jessica sing the best version of Happy Birthday ever! On nights after it slows down she's known to start singing or whistling and she's a mean whistler and a nice singer!

Sadly, she will be moving back east in a few months. She will be missed. So hurry in before she bails on us!

The Galley
2442 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405

Abstract or Why.

The reason I wanted to start this blog was to spotlight great bartenders. The ones that have a great personality, always remember what you like, are attentive and have a certain je ne sais quoi. Then, I realized that I would quickly run out of bartenders to write about. I know a lot of cool bartenders, but as in any profession some folks stand out more than others.

It dawned on me that my focus was too narrow and I should open it up to anyone who's presence makes my visit a better experience. It could be the butcher or the checker at a market, a favorite counter person at the coffee shop or the auto mechanic I swear by and, of course, bartenders. There will be a few of those.

Further to my blog “mission”, I decided to give organizations a nod as well. There are quite a few who do incredible things to help people in need and who definitely strive to make the world a better place. They deserve to be recognized for their work (by me!) if they don't already get recognition. The more attention they get the better.

In my little corner of the world I want to point out people and groups that in my opinion deserve to be pointed out for who they are and what they do. And, if nothing else, if you're new to the area (Santa Monica/Westside) or plan on visiting you'll know where to go and who to see there.