I am an idiot. For regular visitors to this site, the news is hardly a shock. Newcomers, however, have now been brought up to speed.  While evidence pointing to my lack of intellectual prowess abounds in the archives, the full extent of my idiocy only came to light late last night.

Let me explain. For almost 13 years, I lamented to anyone who could stand to listen, that Halifax lacked a truly cosmopolitan bar, one where age, race, and income did not matter. In my travels, I had encountered such venues, places where the music -and only the music - dictated the proceedings and caused people of all stripes to intermingle freely in one joyous and raucous mass. Up until last night, I was convinced that only a plane ride could get me there. Then, after thirteen years living in this city, I stepped into Bearly’s House of Blues and Ribs for the first time.

After being seated at the Ristorante Piccolo Mondo, I was immediately imbued with a senses of optimism. Its cause was not the $9 glass of house wine that I had just imbibed at the bar. Instead, it was the conversation that was coming from the table next to us.

There, bathed in candle light, was a middle aged man chatting up a beautiful woman in fluent Italian . Being an expert in these matters  - I have after all not missed a single episode of the Sopranos- I instantly deduced that it was his goombah. “Bueno, Bueno”, I thought: this place must be the real thing.

There are some positive reviews that are easier written than others. Take for example last weeks review of the Bach Café: I wrote it in the full knowledge that any praise would not cause me any inconvenience, since Korean food has only a niche appeal. Hence, there was little danger that the next time I would decide to pop by, the amassed crowds would keep me from claiming my usual table next to the window.

Situated on the Corner of Agricola and Young, the Bach café is run by a charming, middle aged, Korean couple. Note, that the term ‘run’ is used rather loosely in this context, since time - mimicking the waiter - seems to stand still when one enters through its doors.

After having seated oneself, the first thing one can’t help but notice is that the small cozy space is made even smaller and cosier by a  rather large and  important looking stack of stereo equipment and speakers that could easily have been sacrificed  to fit in an extra table or two.