"Where else would you go when you have an ax to grind?"

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Places to see before I die #943
My standard answer when I am asked why I came to Japan is that "I came for the waters" when they look confused, I add "I was misinformed" -- so it won't surprise you to know that of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, if there is a place I need to have a drink in some day, it's this one. After all, everyone comes to Rick's.

3 comments:

JJ said...

Agreed! I've wanted to have a drink there ever since I saw Casablanca.

There's a place in the Bahamas called "Harry's American Bar" that's kind of modeled on "Rick's Cafe"... teh cool, I still have the T-shirt.

Rev.Paperboy said...

Harry's American Bar is a chain based on the original in Paris where Hemmingway famously drank

Frank Frink said...

For a spell in the late 70's, early 80's, an old Gastown hippie hangout caled the Anchor (sometimes Ankor) Hotel was remodeled as a tribute to Rick's Cafe Americain with the live music (mostly blues and jazz) bar taking that very same title. Got to play there a few times, including NYE, in and around '82-'83. Beautiful looking room, great sound.

Old hippie hangout? Uh-hunhn. It makes an appearance or two in Rand Holmes' old Harold Hedd comix.

Sadly, it's now gone back to being an essentially decrepit downscale SRA hotel (IIRC, now called the 'Walton Rooms'). Still one of the oldest brick building buildings in Vancouver and was the home of the first, and only, legal brothel back in BC's British Colonial days (when it was still called 'Caledonia').