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I pushed past a couple of construction workers, inhaled a mound of dust, and then sat at the brand new bar. The Rails and Ales had moved and if the opening date appeared to be in need of a one or two day reprieve, it sure wasn’t going to bother me.

Len approached.

We’re really not open yet, he said.

I didn’t move.

We’re really not open yet, he said.

I didn’t move.

Len sighed and poured a grimy pint.

Seconds later there was a commotion as the JDawg pushed his way in from the street.

We’re really not open yet, said Len.

The JDawg just cackled and said, that’s fine, just pour me a pint.

We were underway, lads, and a collection of newcomers and regulars began to stumble in, anxious to see the new pub.

I was the first customer, I yelled.

Well, said Len, the first customer is the first person to pay for their pint. He held out an open palm.

It’s really not that important to me, I said, sipping away…

***

The new Rails and Ales Pub is proving to be a glorious success. It’s packed with old regulars from Pape, old timers from the locations previous incarnations, and curious newcomers.

The decision to uproot and stagger a few hundred yards east, past Donlands on the Danforth, was intertwined with the need for the creation of a different type of environment, if even just for the preservation of Len’s sanity.

Gone would be the multiple pool tables, the long languorous bar, those cool summer breezes, yes, but also the interminable water leaks, run down decor and occasional invading crack head.

The construct of a new Rail began with the desire to run a more traditional pub. The rebuilt Seanachi (formerly the Hargrave) is lush, the floors and bar a deep, inviting chocolate brown, the lighting soft and unobtrusive. You’re free to slouch at the bar, relax on the patio, or select a more private setting along the back wall. Like all great pubs, you can choose from multiple environments depending on how you feel that night, or at that moment. High def TV’s and gleaming taps provide the perfect punctuation for a stupendous bar.

It’s a new vision and one proving immensely popular. At the core of any business, though, remains the people, and it’s here where Len has always excelled, selecting poised, interesting workers. You can come to get trashed, but if that’s not your deal, you’ll surely be regaled with provocative conversation.

We we we we so excited…or something like that.

The Rail is dead - long live The Rail.

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