Overcast

Peter McManus Cafe is pub on 19th Street and 7th Avenue is an old UCB haunt.

While UCB's original location (death to the Tile Lady!) was nearer to McManus and there are a decent number of bars that are closer, McManus still persists as the preferred hangout. Outside of mere habit, I think McManus remains a favorite because it's a pretty old school New York establishment (without hawking that fact), the mix of clientele always includes regulars who've been going for decades, and they have pretty good food. It just strikes the right chord for getting together with friends for some drinks and good conversations. Music from the jukebox is present but never really overbearing.

Prior to the opening of UCB-LA, ex-pats who had moved to L.A. from New York performed at IO West, the Hollywood branch of IO Chicago. They even put together their own Harold team. That teams name?

McManus.

I was waiting for other folks to show up at on Friday afternoon prior to the DCM kickoff, but I was also pretty wicked hungry. I saw that the McManus menu had an item that combined two of my favorite foods - a pizzaburger!

It was pretty sloppily delicious.

We (Phoenix folks) started dropping by McManus during DCM a few years ago. It's a nice break from the madness and chaos of the dungeons of the UCB.

When new local laws prevented the traditional DCM Street Ritual, a gigantic organic group opening / controlled riot (one year, one of the chants was "WE ARE NOT AN ANGRY MOB!"), we started having informal meetups at McManus on the afternoon of DCM's start for all of our out of towns friends ... it's been open to anyone, really.

McManus is a nice way to kick off an amazing and ridiculous weekend - the calm before the storm.