‘Mission’ Accomplished

photo from yelp.com

It’s been a  very  long time since I’ve been in the mood to post.  Maybe it’s the nice weather, the fact that I am engaged in a 9-5 work-like activity again (and therefore less scatterbrained), or perhaps it was fabulous company of my brooklynite girly pals the other night, but here I am!

After about a year of scheduling and canceling a drinks date with two of my favorite girlfriends, the stars alinged, and we finally made it happen.  The place:  Mission Dolores.

Now, I do not drink beer.  This is not because I don’t want the calories, or due to a gluten allergy, but because I have utterly failed to acquire the taste – despite the fact that I have been having little, sippy tastes of it since I was a wee thing.  This depresses me a bit because, you know, beer is pretty damn cool.  It can be a fraternity boy’s sustinence, a connoisseur’s delight, it is often the cheapest thing on the bar menu, and your friends (especially those of the bachelor variety) always have it in their fridge.  My uncle, who has no sense of smell (and therefore no sense of taste) LOVES the stuff, and even he can enjoy the subtle, or not-so-subtle, differences between beers. 

The one kind of beer I can, and occasionally do drink, is fruit beer.  I even  enjoy  it.  Unfortunately ordering fruit beer makes me feel even girlier than when I order a french martini.  It is also rarely available at your standard drinking establishment.  When Mission Dolores, a beer garden in Park Slope, Brooklyn, was suggested as our meeting place, I immediately assumed I would be the idiot drinking the crappy wine in a sea of high-brow beer.  One of our crew frequents the place, knows the bartender, and has an ADORABLE new dog, who could hang with us if we went there. 

When I arrived, I was very pleasantly surpised that Mission Dolores had a full bar, complete with signature cocktails.  On any other night, I would have easily picked one (or two, or three) to try.  Unfortunately, I had had quite a late and boozy time of it the previous night, so I was thrilled to learn that they had a fruit beer on the draft list, which changes daily.  It was just the thing for me to enjoy on this particular evening, and the bartender (Brett), was very helpful in pointing me in the right direction. 

The place had a super chill vibe, and the clientele was a fairly even mix of peeps.  They had a great happy hour deal that included $1 off wine and draft beers, and $4 well drinks.  You don’t feel like you are sitting just off 4th avenue, which is great, but it does have a slight dive-bar feel.  The fact that the “garden” part is in between the enclosed entrance/seating area and the bar at the back, and that each section flows right into the next, gives the whole place a very open and airy feeling.  And, if you are like me and need to eat while you drink, Mission Dolores lets you have food delivered right to your seat.  One negative (or positive if you are so inclined) is that patrons can smoke in the middle bit.  This was barely noticeable (I am shocked to say)  with the occasional smoker, but became slightly unbearable when the two guys next to us began chain smoking.  This could be a deal breaker for some, but you should give this place a shot regardless – especially if you are a dog owner and like to socialize with your pup at your side.