Thursday, August 5, 2010

Change of Scenery

She said "Meatball", like she was a Vegan.  I like hamburger on pizza, but meatball didn't sound appetizing at all, and the bartender sealed the deal.  I had a rare Tuesday to myself today, and decided to go have lunch at an old favorite.  I broke away from the brewery scene (weird, I know) to have a slice of New York style pizza and a PBR ($4 for both) at the Atomic Cowboy on East Colfax.


Actually, the Atomic is three establishments in one.  Fat Sully's Pizza operates out of what used to be a game room of the Atomic.  The game room was seldom used, and I have probably personally spent more on Pizza than the game room ever made.  Also, the Denver Biscuit Company operates out of what used to be the Atomic's anemic kitchen.  Ironically, the pizza is inexpensive, and the biscuits are overpriced.  The pizza by the slice, however, is usually burnt on the bottom (but very much edible and yummy).  The guys over there must have a hard time with attention span issues.


It has been a while since I hung out here at the Atomic.  I like to sit at the back side of the bar.  It is elevated about 3 feet above the front bar and I have an excellent view of the goings on in the bar and out to East Colfax beyond.  I like the pizza/beer special, and I liked their happy hour (4pm-7pm, $1 PBR, used to be $2 for everything else....but no more).  They have a collection of board games, if you are so inclined, like Connect 4, Candyland, Monopoly, Sorry, etc.), and my kids like to come here to see "the alien on the wall" and help me play games.  My childish friends like to come for the same reasons.


It is a traditionally hipster crowd, but since they started serving breakfast and lunch, it has become a high school hang out when East High School is in session.  When they started serving Pizza, families with children became the norm here daily during the dinner hour.  I have always liked this bar.  In the old days, I could watch the working girls go by, now at lunchtime I can drink and leer at the high school girls.  Try that anywhere else and it is a misdemeanor.  The owners of this establishment have effectively changed from a "Colfax Bar", to a neighborhood hang out.  It used to be it was me alone in this bar before 4pm.  Today, despite school being on summer break, there are about 25 or 30 paying customers.  They are making money.


What I don't like about this bar (besides the pizza problems and biscuit costs mentioned before) is that I used to have a bartender that knew I could be counted on for a great tip for an unauthorized extension of happy hour on the good beers.  Also, their happy hour used to be awesome. I could drink Newcastle for $2 a pint.  Now, while they have Stone IPA on draft.....no Newcastle, and no happy hour prices on Stone IPA or others.  But, like I said, they are making money.


The other weird thing....I just got a pint with advertising on it.  Business Solutions, criminal lawyers, and for god's sake, my dentist advertises on the Atomic's pint glasses.  I will post a picture later.  I do feel that it is somewhat a violation....but I have never been bothered by beer logos on pint glasses.


The Atomic has softened with time, but so have I.  Most of the things I liked about it, haven't changed, however, and it is a great lunch special. www.atomiccowboy.net.



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