Beauty Bar – 2299 Mission Street

As I reached for the paper towel to dry my hands I gazed at the many magazine pictures draped on the walls, mostly pictures of naked women ranging from the 1970s, 80s and early 90s. The images were a nice distraction and, for a quick moment, had a sobering effect on me. I emerged from the restroom and, after passing the photo booth DJ stand, settled, once again, onto the white leather salon chair at the bar ready to take a sip of my brightly pink "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

The drink was sugar sweet and went down with ease which should have been a warning sign to take it easy because it- in a martini glass with shot glass containing the extra pour- was heavy with Rum and Vodka. As the bartender put it, "when a girl comes in to get a pedicure and says she's out to party, I give her this because it's easy going down and gets them drunk really fast." Boy was he right; it worked like a charm even without the pedicure.

Of the many specialty drinks available – many named after beauty products and supplies – I chose Breakfast at Tiffany’s based on the above recommendation. After a few Stella head start this proved to be all I needed to get that solid buzzed feeling that puts you on cloud nine while washing your worries away.

The music was kept fresh as a rotation of folks would stand at the DJ stand and select music ranging from 90s rap to 70s funk and of course 80s dance. All in an effort to get the hips moving which was working like a charm.

As a few groups came rolling in I noticed the diversity in the people here. There were hipsters alongside tattooed punks with a few yuppies sprinkled in between. A few solo acts also came in, undoubtedly waiting for a friend but what struck me was their reluctance to talk to anyone rather choosing to kill time by texting on their phones. What better place to kill time than a bar full of people with a friendly bartender and a drink to loosen you up. I guess the phone is an easy crutch which is a shame really. What happened to making introductions, meeting new people and possibly making a new friend at your local watering hole?

A couple of other things I noticed before heading out in search of a tall glass of water in an effort to sober me up were mustaches and Southern Comfort. I've heard that the mustache has made a comeback but figured that since mainstream American was aware of it that the trend must be dying but that wasn't the case here. Looking around I figured I'd need a mustache and blazer if I hoped to fit in. Alas, my one day’s growth wasn't cutting it so I have some work to do in that department. I hadn’t seen so much SoCo ordered at a bar in quite some time and can’t remember the last time SoCo was my drink of choice or if it ever was. A continuous flow SoCo shots were ordered throughout the evening.

Beauty Bar was a great way to pick up some momentum after visiting a few bars that doubled as restaurants. This deceptively small and colorful bar offering manicures for $15 while listening to good music, drinking one of the many bar’s specialties (sitting in salon chairs with built in hair dryers making you feel like a kid at the adult table because they sit so low at the bar) and mingling with a friendly crowd make it a wonderful spot to spend your night. And if you’re in the mood to get drunk have the Breakfast at Tiffany's, it didn't take long to get me going!