Surely not all the town gossip about the Hotsy Totsy could be rooted in truth.
decorated with a hodgepodge of dog paintings, pinup girl photos and black-and-white monster movies playing in the corner seems to have a way of making locals stick around.
Now, you’re probably imagining the Hotsy Totsy as a very particular type of watering hole: that kind of skeevy local dive bar that’s been a neighborhood staple for forever, serving up shot and beer specials and probably not carding anyone. And it was exactly that — until 13 years ago. They remodeled the timeless bar while taking care to preserve its historic identity, Maria created a world-class cocktail menu, and slowly but surely, they breathed new life into the neighborhood hideaway.“When we took the spot over, it was really neglected,” Valladares said. “It was gross. There were carpets and cat piss and puke and just everybody's mistakes.”
“Growing up here, this was considered the problem in the town,” he explained. “... There was this corner down there where something was happening, and it always seemed like it was something wrong.” What they did find to be true, though, was that the Hotsy has been around a long damn time — since at least 1939, if not earlier. That’s just the first mention of a bar listed at 601 San Pablo Ave. they were able to uncover in the archives.
“This was the designated place to go and get drunk, maybe find a woman of ill repute and do some gambling,” Valladares said. “And there were a lot of juke joints that would play Southern music, so Southerners here working during the war could feel a little bit of home.”
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Princess Diana Would “Surely Be Proud” of Both of Her Daughters-in-LawAn expert says the late Princess of Wales would have not only admired their style, but also their poise in the midst of marrying into the royal family.
Read more »
East Bay pets of the week for April 29Area shelters’ dogs and cats need their “forever” homes.
Read more »
Female artists dominate the Venice Biennale for 1st timeVENICE, Italy (AP) — For the first time in the 127-year history of the Venice Biennale, the world’s oldest and most important contemporary art fair features a majority of female and gender non-conforming artists, under the curatorial direction of Cecilia Alemani.
Read more »
Our California and Bay Area endorsements for races and measures on the June 7, 2022, primary ballotMercury News and East Bay Times editorial board recommendations for Contra Costa, Alameda and Santa Clara counties.
Read more »
Alameda County Task Force Seizes $4.2M Worth of Fentanyl in Massive Drug BustDetectives in the East Bay say they recently seized a $4.2 million haul of illicit fentanyl in Oakland and Hayward, according to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.
Read more »
A fight over a vaccine column could kill one of the oldest alt-weekliesThe owner of the Chicago Reader objected when the staff raised concerns about the claims in his column. Now the paper faces financial ruin.
Read more »