Guy Fawkes Night at Pacific Standard

The guys at Pacific Standard threw a Guy Fawkes Night party last night, the 5th of November, of course. Remember, remember? The 5th of November? Jeez, I could have sworn I told you about it. Most Americans don't know who Guy Fawkes is and only recognize the mask from V for Vendetta. This is understandable because we're no longer a colony. They still celebrate it in the colonies of Canada, New Zealand and Australia, to some degree. And I think they still pay tax on tea.

So who is Guy Fawkes? He's the guy from the famous Gunpowder Plot in 1605. He tried to blow up Parliament and kill the king of England. They caught him with loads of explosives and gave him a a bit more than a slap on the wrist. They tortured him, hung him and then did it again once a year for four hundred years. The holiday is also known as Bonfire Day or Fireworks Day. Setting off explosives seems like a funny way to celebrate his failed attempt, but it is less violent than burning him in effigy.

"Are you setting him on fire?" an early visitor to Pacific Standard inquired of the dummy-in-the-making. "No," John, one of the owners, replied, "Not allowed to, but he's actually a piñata."

Ah, Guy Fawkes makes it to the New World as a piñata. Perhaps one day we can see his face on a totem pole! I did not stick around long enough to see the destruction of Guy "Guillermo" Fawkes, but I stayed long enough to have a great time. This bar is a gem, and, with 4th Avenue Pub a few doors down and Cherry Tree right across the street, the block might be the best beer bar block in the world. I'm moving into an apartment two blocks away! Seriously, I am.