Bring your mittens … this beer is cold.

Eric and I found a great little place last week, sort of hidden in the Albertson’s strip mall on the Millwood corner of Trent & Argonne, called Bag O’ Nails Pub.

From the outside it looked kinda like a hole in the wall. But once we got inside it felt more like a cozy Man Town mixed with a slightly girlified hangout. Chess and a couple of other board games sat waiting to be played, and there was a golf game in the corner and a video poker machine on one end of the bar. Beyond that, patrons have to depend on each other for entertainment – there aren’t any TVs hanging on the walls, and the tunes coming from the jukebox (is it legal to call that digital music player on the wall a jukebox anymore?) are loud enough to hear but not loud enough to infringe on table talk.

One of the things I instantly liked about this place was the wide selection of brews. There are something like 47 bottled beers to choose from – all of them buried neck-deep in ice. The owner, Zeke, plans to put in a lone tap – Rolling Rock – one of these days, but with so many micros to choose from, I’m not holding my breath. The crowd is really eclectic, too, which makes anyplace more fun in my book. Construction crews, girls on the way home from the office, guys making a mid-run hydration pit-stop, soccer moms, deadbeat dads, happy couples and singles on the prowl. How could this combination make for anything but an interesting evening?

We stopped in for the first time one night after a longish swim at the Y and let me just say I was extraordinarily hungry – as in so hungry I was willing to overlook the lack of French fries on the menu. Not to worry. The sandwich I ordered more than filled my belly – turkey, avocado, sprouts, olives, green peppers, onions, pepperoncinis, lettuce, cheese and mustard all smooshed between two thick whole wheat slabs of bread. I washed it all down with an ice cold – and I do mean ice cold – Twisted Tea. It was ultimately disappointing, but I eventually made up for the tea’s lack of taste with a Pike’s Kilt Lifter.

Eric went straight for a big bottle of Men’s Room Elysian Red, brought to the bar with a frosty glass so cold your tongue would stick to it should you feel so inclined. After a few beers (collectively) we headed home. But a call from a couple of friends sent us bellying back up to the bar within 45 minutes.

Since then we’ve returned a few times, and the place is more crowded with each visit. Which is an awesome problem for a new Valley pub to have, even if it means we have to wait for a table.

You’ll find Bag O’ Nails at 8901 E. Trent Ave, Suite 109.