Ms. E's Mission pick

Although it was only my second time there, last Wednesday evening I visited what I'd say is my favorite watering hole in the Mission. At 22nd and Valencia there is a nice establishment called the Latin American Club. It possesses several interesting things that amuse and entertain me. First, the entrance is a dutch door. In all of my experiences, dutch doors make for good bar scenes. It's something about the open-for-business feel they give off. Next, the LAC has a fake dorado fish hanging above the bar. The one notable fish I ever caught in my life was a dorado. I caught it off the coast of Loreto in the Sea of Cortez in 1990, though it was only about a 20 inch juvenile. So the mounted fish over the bar just feels comfortably hokey. Next, there is a nice, small stage in the back of the bar where one large table is perched. It looks like a fun place to sit - you have a good view of the nice ambience of the place and its handsome patrons . The place has great lighting, too. Just dark enough.

The one downer about the LAC is that the service at the bar is kind of pathetic. There are plenty of bartenders, it's just that they appear to be enjoying themselves just as much as the patrons - there's a lot of drinking, flirting, and carrying on that goes on behind the spacious bar space. No harm done, however. I was happily distracted with the company I was with so my empty glass presented a nice opportunity to sample what my date was drinking. So in that way, I cannot really criticize the lack of service too much.

I've not been to the LAC with more than one person, but it looks like a great place to come with a small group of friends. Especially if you can score the stage table.