Bistrot

The etymology of the word bistrot (or, bistro) is uncertain. Dictionnaire de L’Académie Française dates the word back to the late 19th century suggesting it may be linked to bistro (innkeeper), bistraud (little servant) or bistrouille (cheap liqueur). According to a popular folk tale, the word originated among Russian troops who occupied Paris in 1814; in small, cheap cafes they visited they’d shout “bistra” (quick in Russian) at the waiters and waitresses, and the word transformed into bistro. Serious linguists dismiss this explanation though, as the term bistro did not appear well into the late 19th century.

The essence of a bistrot extends beyond the menu.

According to chef Alain Fontaine who is seeking UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Status for the art de vivre found in Parisian bistros, an authentic bistrot is “an eatery that’s open continuously from morning to night, serves French comfort foods at moderate prices, and houses an active bar where locals can gather for a drink and some lively conversation.”

Parisian Bistrot, source: parisfoodaffair.com

Typical bistrot offerings are based on French recipes that focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients, accompanied by wine from small and often local producers. The menus are usually limited and might change daily based on the availability of products in markets. However, some of the staple items offered in a typical bistrot include French onion soup, coq au vin, ratatouille, steak frites, croque monsieur and madame, salade niçoise, and tarte tatin.

The essence of a bistrot extends beyond the menu. It is the intimate, friendly setting; the thoughtful selection of wines; the casual, convivial atmosphere; the charming simplicity of the interior; the courtyards and terraces crowded with small, round, marble-top tables; and, of course, the special relationship between the regulars and the owner that make the bistrot a Parisian fixture. In these quintessential incarnations of the French art de vivre, regulars are always welcomed by their name and outstretched hands, and for years they share the same tables with their fellow regulars, served by the same staff members.

“The bistrot is a place of exchange, of conversation, a way of life. You can have a blue-collar worker elbow-to-elbow with a CEO and an office worker sharing coffee, or a glass of wine, discussing everything and nothing. Anyone can afford bistrot prices, erasing all socio-economic boundaries.”

Alain Fountaine, chef and owner of Le Mesturet Bistrot

Cantina

Historically, cantinas were reserved for men to drink, converse, and play dominoes. So much so that, the oldest cantina still standing in Mexico, El Tio Pepe (1878) still carries the original sign banning entry to “women, minors, and hawkers.” Today, they constitute the perfect excuse for men or women to get together and spend some time in the company of a compadre, and an ideal escape from the hectic daily life with cerveza or tequila.

Housed in historical buildings with walls adorned by photos of ordinary or famous (such as the singer/songwriter José Alfredo Jiménez and singer Chavela Vargas) regulars, cantinas open during the day (some as early as 10 am) and serve late into the night. Music is a crucial part of the cantina life and wandering guitarists and singers offer their trade to the clients for a small payment.

“A cantina is that somber corner where you take refuge to calm the pains of love, but also where men go to show their comradeship accompanied by a bottle.”

Carlos Monsiváis, El Elogio de la Sombra

During the early 20th century, many feared that the crimewaves that crippled Mexico City would spell the end of cantinas. However, as the city center became safer and cleaner, and a young art scene started to take shape, cantinas made a massive comeback in the 2010s. Today, they continue to be seen as a cornerstone of Mexican cultural heritage by many.

Bodega

Spanish bodegas were originally shops selling bulk wine, liqueur, and ice. But in time, they metamorphosed into classical wine bars that occupy an indubitably important place in the lives of the residents of their barrio (neighborhood).

The Bodega: A Cornerstone of Puerto Rican Barrios: (The Justo Marti Collection), source: Centro Press (December 9, 2016)

Spain is not the only place where bodegas are adored by residents. New Yorkers fell in love with their urban, Puerto Rican bodegas in the 1920s, and their fondness for these “convenience stores” truly knows no bounds. The bodegas, as Carlos Sanabria, author of The Bodega: A Cornerstone of Puerto Rican Barrios asserts, did not merely satisfy locals’ material needs: “They were emblematic of recent migrants’ needs to forge relations and seek community in a new cultural environment.” Today, bodegas in New York are probably the only convenience stores where regulars and owners forge personal relations over the years, where communities come together, and where the diverse urban cultures that make New York what it is, come together.

Contemporary bodegas serve vermouth, sherry, and wine, sometimes directly from wooden barrels with taps. These small, often decades-old establishments are known for their shabby old furniture and soda siphons that date back to the 1960s.

A bodega is part of the fabric of the barrio, its beating heart.

1. Bodega in Barcelona, source: culinarybackstreets.com, 2. Bodega Salto in Barcelona, source: timesofindia.com

Many bodegas in Barcelona have a traditional vermouth hour during which they serve vermouth done right – chilled with only a single olive as garnish. Also, increasingly, pintxos are offered alongside tapas accompanying local wine.

The wine selection in bodegas is as thoughtful as in the Parisian bistrot as many barrels carry chalk marks that show their region. And neighbors (the word often used by bodega owners for their regulars as residents of a barrio almost always prefer their local bodega) come in, fill a jug of wine to take it home, and perhaps pause for a game of cards, a drink, a bite to eat and some much-needed conversation. As David Montero, owner of the Bodega Quimet in Barcelona, says, “We are part of the fabric of the barrio, its beating heart.”

“The most important thing here is the neighborhood. We are like family. The postman used to leave mail for the neighbors here. It has been a refuge for five generations of locals.”

Jose Esteban, a retired regular of Bodega Sallat, Barcelona

Source: The Observer

Osteria & Trattoria

Osteria and Trattoria are traditional Italian restaurants that serve local wine and traditional Italian food made with family recipes handed down from generation to generation. Both are less formal than the ristorante and if a comparison had to be made, trattoria would likely be called the more formal between the two.

Alexander Laureus - Roman Osteria, 1820.jpeg

1. Alexander Laureus - Roman Osteria, 1820, 2. Carl Bloch - In a Roman Osteria, source: wikimedia

During Medieval Times, osteria were inns that served locals, but also tradesmen and travelers, who would bring their own dinners often consisting of bread, cheese, and cured meat. Wine, of course, was consumed in copious amounts on the premises. By the 15th century, they had transformed into gathering places for citizens and intellectuals who would engage in endless discussions accompanied by good wine, of course. Finally, early in the 20th century, they turned into wine bars that served a small selection of food that might change daily based on what fresh products were available in the markets.

According to various historical accounts, although osterias were spread throughout Italy by the 15th century, Venice had the highest concentration by a mile: at least 150 were in operation by the turn of the century!

A strong connection to local culture, being run by families from the neighborhood has turned the osteria into a mecca for regulars looking for more than mere dining and drinking. And that is why, today, you can spot regulars from the neighborhood crammed up on a communal table, enjoying the appetizer-sized dishes, drinking local wine, and playing cards or dice.

Trattoria in Italy, source: eatingarounditaly.com

Trattorias, which typically had a larger kitchen than osterias, also focused on serving traditional Italian cuisine using local products picked from the daily markets. These informal eateries, known all over the world for their signature red and white squared tablecloths and rustic interiors, have what the regulars call a “homey feel,” which is what draws the locals to these often family-run establishments in the first place.

Trattoria in Tolmezzo, source: wikimedia

Cucina povera has become one of the defining traditions of the post-Second World War trattoria culture and is another reason why almost all these establishments have no shortage of regulars. Before the Second World War, those who worked the land, the mezzadria, worked under wealthy landowners, often under horrible conditions. The war made things worse for them. And as author Pamela Sheldon Johns points out, “From these hard times came recipes that have endured…More than recipes, la cucina povera, ‘the cooking of the poor,’ or ‘peasant cooking,’ is based on the philosophy of not wasting anything edible and using a variety of simple techniques to make every bite as tasty as possible. It is a cuisine of ingenious creativity in using next to nothing while maintaining a reverence for everything.”

Trattorias, unsurprisingly, also take their wine seriously. Traditional ones sell wine not by the bottle but by decanter. And, almost all trattorias sell local wine and avoid famous brands, forming an even closer bond with their neighborhood and the larger region.

The Pub

Perhaps of all the establishments that breed their own regulars, pub needs the least to be said about. This is an institution that has not only persevered but thrived and spread throughout the globe over the last thousand years. Partially its success has been down to the pub’s ability to adapt: as pub aficionado Pete Brown points out, when new types of pubs (from the gin palaces to the craft beer houses and gastropubs) emerge, they are attacked ferociously by the traditionalists but soon, they “go on to join the pub’s rich tapestry.” So, while they reflect the times and change to meet evolving needs, they never cease to anchor regulars and customers alike in history and tradition.

People who have a local pub in which they are a regular are happier.

1. British Pub, source: gremlintravels.com, 2. British Pub, source: studyandgoabroad.com, 3. British Pub, source: blogs.brighton.ac.uk

“Research shows that people who have a local pub in which they are a regular are happier, have wider social networks, and even drink more responsibly than those who only visit big town-center pubs where nobody knows your name.”

Pete Brown, The Pub

On February 9th, 1946, George Orwell published a piece titled “The Moon Under Water,” in the Evening Standard. This witty, conversational piece listed all the aspects of a pub that appeal to Orwell; in other words, his ideal pub, his home away from home:

“only two minutes from a bust stop, but it is on a side-street, and drunks and rowdies never seem to find their way there.”
“the regulars who occupy the same chair every evening and go there for conversation as much as beer.”
Victorian furniture with “no modern miseries.”
“A good fire burning in at least two bars in the winter.”
No radio, no piano, and no singing of any kind – even on Christmas Eve; “In the Moon Under Water it is always quiet enough to talk.”
“The barmaids know most of their customers by name, and take a personal interest in everyone.”
Six days a week it serves affordable lunch and “the special pleasure of this lunch is that you can have draught stout with it…a soft, creamy stout…”
They serve beers in strawberry-pink China mugs which are rarely seen in London anymore.
And finally, it has a beautiful garden with “plane trees, under which there are little green tables with iron chairs around them.”

Near the end of the piece, Orwell reveals that there is no real pub called the Moon Under Water and that he has never seen a pub that fulfills all the qualities he demands, which means there is no such thing as the perfect pub. Or better put, the perfect pub only exists insofar as it has the regulars who think it so.

Part 2 / Regulars of the World, Unite!