JJ FOLEY'S

By JIM STANTON | PHOTOS BY TAYLOR SEIDLER

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Ah, Foley's. The last South End refuge from the ever more gentrified (read: expensive) nightlife scene in this no longer up-and-coming, but now truly "up" neighborhood. Don't get me wrong, I certainly spend plenty of nights partaking in swank revelry, but when you're just looking for a cheap beer and good comfort food served by bartenders that really do know your name, Foley's delivers with aplomb.

Drink 1: Amstel Light ($4). My bartender Tony has the two TVs split between the Biography Channel's Notorious and CNBC's continuing coverage of the AIG bailout. The crowd is sparse, with a couple solo drinkers and a table of three raucously celebrating patrons. There are a couple people finishing meals on the dining side, but they're quickly gone. Tony and I, both being avid golfers, begin dissecting our side's chances in the upcoming US vs. Europe Ryder Cup.

Drink 2: Harpoon IPA ($4.25). For the "most popular" drink, it's time to take a census. Final result: tie between Stella Artois and the IPA, with two apiece, rounding out with one each of Budweiser, PBR, Bass and—curiously for the crowd—a Grey Goose Pearl Harbor. Tony tells of how his uncle was working at a tournament in Ireland where European Ryder Cup team member Ian Poulter was having a crappy round and kept blaming the crowd for moving and murmuring slightly as he's teeing off. The uncle is taking exception to this, as it's his job as "husher" to prevent just this from happening. Finally, after the third hole in a row of Mr. Poulter shanking his tee shot into the deep rough, the uncle calls out, "Don't worry, Ian, I think somebody coughed over at the next fairway!" bringing down the house much to the chagrin of the increasingly red-faced golfer.

Drink 3: Bloody Mary ($7). I know people do drink these at night, but I can't think of anything more associated in the zeitgeist with daytime drinking. Unspecified vodka ended up being the perfectly acceptable Absolut. Nicely spicy, with visible horseradish chunks and a celery stalk. I'm constantly shocked at how many places serve Bloodies without this essential accompaniment—keep your olives and limes out of my tomato juice!

Drink 4: Guinness ($4.25). The bar is now quickly filling up, and in contrast to the earlier variety of beverages, the crowd seems to be equally split between Guinness and Budweiser. To really allow the place to shine, I order the black stuff, which, as always, is poured to perfection. If there's any truly perfect pint this side of the Atlantic, this is it. The main TV is switched over to Manchester United's Champions League matchup with Villarreal, ensuring a constant bombardment of AIG (ManU's jersey sponsor) logos from both ends of the bar.

Drink 5: Grey Goose Pearl Harbor ($8.50). Yes, I did it. I know, it's possibly the girliest drink imaginable, but after the taste bud assault of switching from wildly different styles of beverage, I'm looking for something nice and easy. It just looked too good down the end of the bar all afternoon to pass up. After finishing quickly (lest anybody see me), I head back to the office to cover my tracks.