Owned and run by former NYC firefighters, this jovial watering hole is probably not violating any fire codes, but if a fire did break out, you’d be in good hands. The unattractive, concrete-stairs entrance on Broadway belies what awaits inside. Push on down the two flights and you’re rewarded with a 90-foot mahogany bar where you can relax over a tall cold one served up by a smiling bartendress. On most nights of the week, garrulous owner and former fire lieutenant Bill Ahearn holds forth, warmly welcoming the crowd. Like most downtown spots, he says, “We’re open when the market’s open”, which is to say only during the week. The American comfort food – potato skins heaped with sour cream, cole slaw, sirloin steak, BBQ spare ribs – is nothing to write home about, but it’ll certainly take care of your hunger pangs. What’s really impressive about this historic bar and restaurant is not so much that they’ve been around since 1908, but that they’re still going strong after September 11 – and that alone makes it worth your patronage.