Secrets at the Shanty

– Shannon Perkins | Image by Michael Batty-

On 3rd and C Street in Eureka, a dive bar is serving one of the county’s best drinks, the Bloody Mary. The bartenders know their booze and make excellent drinks.  The Shanty is a place for locals and  travelers; anyone who enjoys a good drink.  Behind their green-walled exterior and neon-lit sign, you can play the jukebox, pinball, ping pong, pool, or sit outside in the back patio.  It’s off the beaten path in a historically rich part of old town, where ghosts of the saloons still linger. 

When I ordered a Bloody Mary, bartender Mike Vitiello asks, “Do you want it mild, medium, spicy, hot, or hurt me?”  I like it spicy, so I said, “Hurt me.”  Nailed it.  As tears involuntarily escaped my eyes, I smiled at the heat.  Garnished with olives, pickled green beans, and asparagus all soaked in a spicy brine, if you think you like a hot and spicy beverage I triple-dog-dare you to get over to the Shanty and drink one.  Or two.  Bloody Mary enthusiasts like it every way, from mild all the way up the scale.  That scorched throat feeling is a goal aimed for by many a bartender.  The Shanty will give it to you.  Cash only, but they do have an ATM.

213 3rd Street in Eureka