Jeff Feintech/Old Gold and Black

Out on the town

By Phil Glynn
Perspectives Editor

Is it the lack of TV options that has come with the end of the college basketball season? Is it the need to encounter other life forms outside these walls? Did the meal card run out again, making another cocktail at Shorty's impossible? Whatever the reason, a number of students are spending their evenings off campus.

Whether at an out-of-the-way nightspot, a shoulder-to-shoulder dance club or just a plain ole' watering hole, a good time is lurking somewhere out there in the winding streets of Winston-Salem.

So, bribe a designated driver with the notes for the philosophy class he slept through, put your most convincing form of identification forward and party to your heart's content.

Say you meet someone at an on-campus party. You hit it off, but are having trouble communicating. A trip to a quieter atmosphere may be in order.

First Street Draught House bartender Todd Walls claims it is no accident that the bar offers a more low-key vibe.

"We try to keep it more of a restaurant-type atmosphere," he said.

First Street offers a number of imaginative grill options, but if your stomach is growling you had better tame it before 11 p.m. After that, Walls says this place is just a bar. Strategically placed TVs play mostly sports and the jukebox selections reflect the clientele.

On a typical weeknight, one can see a number of loosened neckties dangling over beer and wine. The mostly middle aged and young professional crowd mixes with a relatively small contingency of students from the university and the North Carolina School of the Arts according to Walls.

Over a bite to eat and a couple of import draws you were able to impress your companion enough to arrange a second meeting. If you discovered a mutual affection for good jazz in a classy but casual atmosphere, and you don't have an early class on Wednesday, why don't you meet at Leon's Café?

Leon's is a well known area restaurant, but is just as highly regarded for its Tuesday nights. Local artists fill the air with jazz while bartenders hustle to keep up with the often-packed house.

Chef Ryan Bargoil said the restaurant takes on a bar atmosphere on more than Tuesday nights, however. Saturday nights will also feature live music during the summer.

The last couple of rendezvous have gone well. But maybe now is the time to get a little wilder. If you've been enjoying the more out-of-the-way places, then you can't miss Satellite. One of Winston's well-kept secrets boasts a laid back social atmosphere in the afternoons. But things heat up after dark for drag shows, karaoke or an open dance floor on what one bartender called "party like hell night."

Karaoke is the buzz on Wednesdays, but the dance floor stays moving throughout the week. The drag shows play on Friday and Sunday nights, offering some of the areas wildest alternative entertainment.

Bartender Chuck Jackson, or Simone Del Ray on Fridays and Sundays, estimates the Satellite's clientele is 50 percent homosexual, 25 percent bisexual and "25 percent straight if that." Jacobson has worked as a bartender at the Satellite for just over a month but has been performing his show there for years. He said the unique atmosphere draws an eclectic crowd that often makes for some outrageous moments.

When asked what his strangest memory of the bar was, he said "Oh, dear God." After a thoughtful pause he added, "After a while there is nothing strange or unusual anymore."

After a couple of spins around the dance floor you may need to take it easy again.

How about a nice, quiet night of shooting pool? Cue 'n Spirits owner Paul Sherman tells customers they are welcome "if you want to have a good time with your friends and not bother the people next to you."

He says the pool hall's main draw these days is the relaxed style, spacious area and abundance of tables. The room has 22 pool tables and just added a snooker table.

The place was actually started by a former university student according to Sherman, but has since fallen off the radar of students seeking a place to cut loose. He credits this to a change in the pool hall towards a quiet hangout. He added that there are nearly no university students who frequent the place. A number of Forsyth Technical Community College Students and a few from NCSA still come in relatively frequently to play.

The place is also a favorite of world nine-ball champion Earl Strickland. Strickland comes to Cue n' Spirits often to kick back, practice or perform benefits to raise money for the Brenner Children's Hospital.

So, now that you've laid low for a while, you may want to engineer another "chance" meeting with someone. Well, you had better head back to the street where the bars often look like the Benson University Center with the lights turned down. That's right, Burke Street.

Black Bear bartender Melissa Hannah said the bar's style depends on the night. She said the place is pretty calm on slow nights, "weird stuff doesn't really happen here." But, she did admit that things get a little crazy from time to time. "Two Wake Forest sorority girls got in a fight last year. It was hilarious," she said.

Black Bear is well equipped for the slow nights with pool tables, a row of dartboards and an assortment of video games. But the place certainly has the potential to fill up.

Burke Street Pub seems to stretch away from the street without end. After working your way through the often packed front room with pool tables and the occasional band, you make it up some stairs to an oasis of quiet where an air hockey table, a ping-pong table and video games face some cozy couches. During the warmer months, one can venture even further to the outdoor deck with its own bar and tables. Many students like the proximity Black Bear and Burke Street have to one another.

Junior Sarah Steen said that beside the fact that it makes for a fun atmosphere in the area, that it adds convenience. "Burke Street is nice because Black Bear is across the street," she said. "Black Bear doesn't have enough bartenders, so we go to Burke Street to get beers." The street's namesake also offers frequent specials.

"Last call." "Let's move to the door." "You don't have to go home but you can't stay here." You glance at your watch and realize it is time to wrap up this tour of the town's attractions. Winston-Salem, despite its size, does offer soiree options for a number of personalities. But like many cities of its size, sometimes it takes a little searching to find the right place for you.