Bronx, New York

Hola! After Christmas we took a ride up to New York City to spend a couple days visiting with Yolie’s family. We spent the two nights at the Cabana Hotel in the Bronx. Warning: Do not stay at the Cabana Hotel! There was no heat, no hot water, no window…but there was plenty of noise from the Major Deegan Expressway (I-87) that seemed to be running right through our room. Placing aside the accommodations, we had a wonderful time visiting family. While in NYC we did have an opportunity to try out a pair of new spots that were quite different from each other.

The first place we crashed was Fella’s Bar & Grill in the Bronx. It’s actually in a part of the Bronx called City Island. The area has dock bars, restaurants, and water views akin to what you’d find in our own Anne Arundel County back in Maryland. It’s hard to grasp that such a nice place is within the hardscrabble confines of the Bronx. If you happen to find yourself there someday, then by all means stop into Fella’s. The unpretentious hangout with its long bar, narrow room, and pool table in the back reminded me of the many corner bars in my hometown of Baltimore. The affable Saul behind the bar was top notch. He made us feel right at home and kept our glasses full with delicious cocktails and brews like their featured "Beachbum". The jukebox background music was great, the prices were right, and we thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon sitting in a booth by the window catching up on family happenings with momma Rosa. Fellas was a definite winna!

Our second new spot was the Cue Bar in Queens. The place has 21 pool tables and clearly caters to the shooters in town; however, it was a quiet Wednesday afternoon and there were a couple of empty comfy sofas for us to crash. We chuckled at the huge murals on the wall of Saquon Barkley and Pete Alonso posed in their Giants and Mets uniforms. Seems that being immortalized at the Cue Bar is not a good omen as Saqoun is now with the Eagles and Pete just signed with our beloved Orioles! Woo hoo! Unlike Fella’s, which felt like a Baltimore corner bar, the expansive Cue Bar and neighborhood around it had a college town feel. We had a great time wiling away the afternoon eating, drinking, relaxing, and shooting the breeze. After settling up the tab at the Cue Bar we said adios to NYC and made the four-hour trek back to our Land of Pleasant Living. Until next time…Happy New Year! Here’s wishing everyone a happy and prosperous 2026! Once again, we thank God for traveling mercies!