Rainbow's End

The Bad: In it's previous incarnation, this bar was known as Puzzles, and on Groundhog Day, 2006, some demented neo-Nazi scumbag by the name of Jacob Robida entered, and after having a drink and confirming with the bartender that, yes, it was a gay bar, pulled out a hatchet and a handgun and attacked several patrons. The Good: It's moved on. On the evening of the Barflies visit, all were keenly aware and disturbed by the memory of Robida's violently homophobic actions, but encouraged to see that the bar had come into its' own as a proud, openly gay bar. The name change and the sign - using the graphic image that has become visual shorthand for "gay," the rainbow arc- were steps in the right direction. There were no draft beers available, but the bottled selection was adequate. Mr. Mix, channeling the spirit of Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City, ordered a Cosmopolitan, while admiring a vintage video game in the entrance way. The bartender, Ken, was friendly and professional and armed with a ceiling mounted array of upside-down liquor bottles, assuring that each patron gets exactly the correct allotment of booze in his glass. A small stage was adjacent to the bar proper which would soon be the setting for a drag show, which a poster promised would feature, among others, "Miss Diane Ross" and "Miss Paris Hilton" and "a lite pastry buffet." Frankly, the Barflies were more curious about the pastry than the Ross and Hilton wanna-bes. The Ugly: The place is a bit dank, with the decorative highlights being strings of tiny Christmas lights and some kitschy gold-painted statuary situated in alcoves. Gay doesn't have to mean campy. And the restroom could use a good scrubbing. All in all, the Rainbow's End is tight in the middle of the ratings scale: a 5. (Roll Call: Mr. Draft, Mr. Mix, Mr. Merlot, Mr. Cork, Mr. Martini)