WitCanCarry

With apologies to dear friends Jim and Lois, I don't recall exactly from whose lines they took the name of their pub.  Was it Sir Francis Bacon?  Isaac Disraeli?  WitCanCarry now stands apart from its origin.  It is my second favorite pub in the world (with my own home tavern being my favorite).  Today, visiting the pub's new location, I got to fall in love with it all over again.

Jim and Lois, whom I've known for more years than I care to count, lived a mere twenty minutes away.  Add four hours to that, and their home and pub is no longer the place to stop in for a glass of wine, some snacks, and a lot of witty conversation.  Although I have not seen them since they moved over a year ago, we did the old pick up where we left off trick.

At their old home, Jim and Lois created a pub out of an attached garage.  It was a labor of love if there ever was one, as all of the work, including the construction of the oak bar, was done by hand.  Aside from the bar, there was a seating area with a small propane stove and the beloved ruby couch, Chunky Begonia.  The pub's decor consisted of many handmade puppets, small curiosities, nostalgic memorabilia, and all kinds of whimsical distractions.

And they were all there today in their new home!  Except for the bar, which was too heavy to be moved.  In its place is a fabulous replacement, built by Jim, and every bit as beautiful as the one left behind.  (What luck for the new owners!)  In a reminder that not everything can be replaced, the coins embedded in the surface of the new bar are United States quarters.  The old bar held foreign coins collected by Jim and Lois in their travels.  No matter where they're from, I still like circling the coins with my fingertip as I enjoy wine and conversation at the bar.

Jim's inspiration for his pubs was rooted in his childhood, when many suburban families renovated their basements into bars.  Picture those relics of the 50s, dark and dank respites from the hard work of the day.  In all likelihood, they doubled as fallout shelters during the Cold War.

But there is nothing dark and dank or cold about WitCanCarry.  The comfort of a couch with a name, the nostalgia of a lifetime worth of good memories, and the warmth of old friendships can carry the day.  Add a good dose of wit, and you can fall in love.