S.F. Bay Area Kilt Night

**michael steinrok** · 26th February 06, 09:44 PM

Ended up staying home. Too much to do too little time to do it.

**Rigged** · 27th February 06, 12:14 PM

I stayed home. Had company over and a wedding to prepare to attend the next day.

**Rigged** · 4th March 06, 09:58 AM

I've found another place for us to have a kilt night. Bogart's Lounge in Sunnyvale.

Here's directions: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1209+W...yvale+CA+94089

It used to be a dive with a bad reputation. Apparently they got shut down at one time for serving drinks to a 17-year-old.

It's under new management now and has a very diverse clientelle. I saw skateboard punks in leather and black jeans, cowboys, and office workers.

The bar is clean and well-lit. It's decorated with photos of movie stars from the old days -- Monroe, Bogart, etc.

They have two pool tables, a juke box with everything from country favorites to hip-hop and hard rock.

The owners run a clean house. The bartenders will cut you off in a hearbeat if you're showing signs of not handling your drink. At the same time, they keep the atmosphere fun. Occassionally, someone will shut off the juke box, grab the guitar and launch into a song or two.

They have live bands some nights and Keraoke nights "with people who can actually sing."

There's a long table near the bar itself and when someone's feeling the spirit (or the spirits), they can climb up and dance. That seems to happen a lot.

The place still has a divey flavor. The drinks are reasonably priced, the pool tables are kinda beat up and my pool cue was "chipped, warped... perfect!"

The owners are open to hosting kilt nights. In fact here's a photo of me and owner, Noel in heavy negotiations on the subject:

Well, ok, we're table-dancing... It was her birthday.

Fun place!

Oh, a tip. Beware of co-workers with cellphone cameras.

**michael steinrok** · 9th March 06, 08:32 PM

I will be there.What time?

**Rigged** · 10th March 06, 10:08 AM

Well, it turns out that I'll be going to the theatre tomorrow night. Sherri scored a couple of Suite tickets to an Alvin Ailey performance at the Flint Center.

You guys will have to soldier on without me this time.

**motorman4life** · 11th March 06, 05:24 PM

So, being that TONIGHT is the 2nd Saturday of the month... am I to assume the Southbay Kilt night in Sunnyvale is off?

I don't see any info/details/promotion and from what I heard, the last (and first) one at the Firehouse was not well attended, had expensive food & drink and it was somewhat awkward walking past a couple of good Irish Pubs to go to some preppy BBQ joint. Or, did I read it wrong?

Enquiring minds what to know.

**Rigged** · 12th March 06, 01:29 PM

Well, the BBQ joint was kindof expensive, but good quality. I thought it would be a good starting point, but once we all got there, no one wanted to leave.

I thought the gathering was well-attended by friends and family and non-drinkers.

I've recently offered up another location, that being Bogart's Lounge. It's just a bar -- nothing fancy, but it was a fun place even on a rainy Thursday night.

I've mentioned that there are two or three Irish Pubs, a Bavarian bar/restaurant (with real German beers), a wine shop with a tasting bar and live music, and several restaurants (Sushi, Chinese, Greek, Middle-Eastern, Italian, Thai) and a French Cabaret all within a block of two of each other on Murphy street.

While certainly not as romantic and adventurous as driving down a dark street through the lonely industrial section of a town to find a brewery in the back of a parking lot, downtown Sunnyvale is... well... Yuppie.

We could go off the beaten path and try "Shooters" on Mathilda or "Blue Max" on El Camino Real (it's in a mini-mall between a fish-'n'-chips joint and a costume shop).

There's also "Black Watch" in Los Gatos. I've never been there, but here's a review:

http://siliconvalley.citysearch.com/review/1073384

I'm sure we can all agree on something. ::stifling a laugh::

Let me know.