Tiny Tap Tavern
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What to wear: Anything goes. Early in the day, locals wear shorts, NASCAR T-shirts and tank tops. As the night progresses, trendy Ashton Kutcher types come in wearing vintage shirts, stylish belt buckles and Von Dutch trucker caps.
Signature drink: Pabst Blue Ribbon in a can. If you're feeling saucy, Milwaukee's Best always hits the spot.
The scene: Locals make this down-to-earth joint home, and some even have their mail and phone calls forwarded to the tavern. The no-frills attitude coupled with cold, cheap beer and great conversation give this little bar the kind of character that makes patrons loyal for a lifetime.
The crowd: You'll find retired folks watching their favorite TV programs early in the day. Business types venture in during happy hour, and SoHo hipsters make it a starting point for an evening of partying. But the true regulars, many with nicknames, come at all hours of the day and night. People such as Big Cat, City Eddie and Dave the Wave give the Tiny Tap a "Cheers'' quality, and have called this pub home for several decades.
The specials: The beauty of the Tap is in the beer, which is offered for $1.50 on tap or $2 a bottle.
The scoop: The Tiny Tap was built in 1934 as a gas station. It was converted into a bar in the mid-'40s and has only had one expansion since. The late Orrin Powell bought the Tap in the late '60s and it has remained in the same family ever since.
The tavern is a one-room watering hole with two pool tables and a foosball table. The men's room is out back, and there's a freezer along the back wall with chilled pitchers for anyone who knows they're there. Two simple rules, posted on the tavern's wall, sum up the Tap's philosophy: "Be nice or be gone'' and "If you drink to forget, pay before you drink.''
The tavern's popularity is bolstered by the incredibly friendly staff, acceptance of everyone who walks through the door, and the fact that virtually nothing has changed in the Tap since it opened. You'll find the same photos on the walls, the same chairs along the bar and, quite possibly, the same drinkers. But it's the friendships forged while sipping a cold beer that give the Tap its character.
When you see regulars laughing and joking at the bar before 9 a.m., you know the Tap tradition is in good hands.
By Doug Van Sant
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