Shark Bar
307 Amsterdam Ave.
(Btwn 73rd and 74th Sts)
NY, NY
(212) 874-8500

By William Mills

On any night NYC’s Shark Bar is crammed with young professionals of color, Hip-Hop entrepreneurs, West Side residents and attractive singles sipping gin and juice

and trying to restore sanity after a day battling “the man.” The restaurant’s dark hues, soft lights, beautiful charcoal etches and black and white photographs culminate in a definition of cool that’s a mix of down home formality and urban sensibility. The restaurant offers a variety of Southern favorites and prompt and friendly service. With ample space, the restaurant section is excellent for people watching, relaxing and dining intimately with one or more friends. Known for its camaraderie, the Shark Bar is an optimal place for getting your “Mack on.” But as with cruising any body of water for a mate, swimming in the singles’ world requires some rules.

1. Never swim alone.

For a guy, it’s OK to be single, but never look lonely. Lonely could be easily mistaken for desperate. Always hit the bar with a good friend, preferably someone who could have fun at a ballpoint pen convention. Also, women have a tendency to be accompanied by friends. Take their lead. If you and your sidekick see two women and you’re attracted to one, the possibility of a conversation involving four eliminates some of the pressure found in a one on one.

2. Dress for the water.

OK this is tricky. Since I don’t have the time or disposable income to buy Dolce & Gabana or Geoffrey Beane, I usually enter the water with jeans, a pressed shirt and nice shoes. I might shave. The advantage to this is that a woman sees exactly what she’s getting. I think of it as the rugged, non-bothered, I’ll-dress-up-when-we-have-more-of-a-commitment look. But there’s a hazard in this approach. It’s often perceived as the “broke” look. The Shark Bar can be intimidating on this front, so if you are hard on the make you might want to spruce up.

3. Have your talk ready.

This area is where you can make up for breaking the other two rules. If stupid things tend to fall out of your mouth, you’ll find yourself bobbing in the water alone. To catch the hip, sultry-voiced, woman of your dreams (as well as any other), be clear about what you want and advertise that truth. While it’s your prerogative to pretend you’re one thing in order to get something else, it makes for rough seas later. If you are ignored, battered or bruised by the young sapphire you desire, remember half of this game is confidence. It’s just like swimming; you have to relax.

The Shark Bar is a staple in the Manhattan social world. It’s a great place for intimacy and good conversation on several levels beside “the Mack”. There isn’t an out of town guest or family member I wouldn’t wine and dine there. OK, maybe my friend Tony from Florida. M

September 1999