A-OK p-u-b

Let’s say you work at IGT or SBC or another TLA (three-letter acronym) business down south. Where do you go after work for a great variety of beers freshly pulled off the tap without a hectic drive up 395? FTP.

That’s right: FTP, Flowing Tide Pub. Now you don’t have to drive up north (think McCarran and MaeAnne) for an experience in pubdomhood.

A pub must have a social element, offer a variety of alcohol, obscure its windows against the street, have a set of regulars, and nowadays, have more emphasis on the food than in the olden days.

FTP is many things to many people. For simple people such as my husband and me, the Tide is a great people-watching venue, beginning with the waitresses (who are all cute, friendly and perky) and the bartenders (who are all buff, personable and swift of hand).

FTP, with its subtle nautical theme, is laid out perfectly so that no seat is a bad seat. On one side are tables in what seems to be the restaurant area, but the majority of the pub’s square footage is dedicated to tall tables, high booths and a massive bar.

The night we FTP’d, there was a group of 20 men at a table in the restaurant area, and the rest of the bar patrons looked like they’d just gotten off work. The ambience is good—with four large TVs above the big bar and three enormous TVs on the wall behind a pool table. The TVs are not in your face, though, which officially disqualifies FTP from sports bar status.

A person’s first dilemma inside FTP will always be which of the 25-plus beers on tap to order. I chose Black Butte Porter; Michael tried an Urquell, but changed his mind to a Spaten after the Urquell seemed a little off (maybe it was from the dregs of the keg). Beers cost $3.75 for 16 ounces; $5.50 for 25 ounces.

Next decision: what to eat? We chose only Tide Signature Dishes (TSDs), indicated by a tiny six-spoked ship’s wheel on the menu. We chose potstickers ($6.95) from the Pub Grub section. They were little bits of meat lightly fried in doughy shells that we dipped in both teriyaki sauce and hot mustard. Yum.

For the main grub, I had a Tide Burger ($6.95) which was a half-pound of cooked ground beef served with Thousand Island dressing, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and dill pickles on a sesame bun. I was in pub heaven when I saw the mound of french fries.

Michael ordered a Reuben ($7.95), which was lauded as “a definite Tide Specialty.” Corned beef and sauerkraut mixed with homemade Russian aioli dressing on rye with melted Swiss. He asked for the dressing on the side and dipped his french fries in it.

Michael proclaimed the sandwich great several times, though he thought it would have benefited from an authentic Jewish rye.

I recommend sticking with the TSDs at FTP, and you’ll be A-OK.