photograph by bruce vanwyngarden
Bridget Coletta with a “Fuzzy Connection.”
Say the words “Printer’s Alley” to a seasoned Midtowner and you’re liable to get a big grin and a knowing, if slightly sheepish, look. Printer’s Alley was infamous in its heyday as a late-night/early-morning destination, and I’ve heard more than one person talk about how they left the place as the sun was rising.
After the sun finally set on Printer’s Alley in 2021, the space remained dark for three years. The lights flipped back on in the little dive bar on South Cleveland in February. The new joint in the old digs is called Louis Connelly’s Bar for Fun Times and Friendship. The name may be long, but the place has quickly landed on the short list of must-dos for a whole new legion of fans.
“It’s the hottest bar in town,” says bartender Bridget Coletta. “And one of the best things about it is seeing the reaction of people who walk in, and the last time they were here it was Printer’s Alley. They look around and you can see them thinking, ‘What is going on here?’”
photograph by bruce vanwyngarden
What is going on is a spruced-up (but still funky) joint with excellent and varied bar food, great cocktails, and friendly service, the latter exemplified by Coletta, whose hearty laugh and big smile are unmistakably genuine.
“I’ve only been bartending for two years,” she says, “but I should have been doing this all my life. It’s the perfect job for me. I’m a firm believer in enjoying what you do for a living.”
Coletta graduated from Bolton High School, then left Memphis for 15 years, working in North Carolina and in Daytona Beach, Florida, where she owned a cell phone kiosk in a mall for eight years. She came back to town a little over two years ago to be closer to her family and hasn’t regretted it.
“My specialty is connecting drinks with names. If you order a drink from me, the next time you come in, I’ll have it waiting on the bar for you before you even have to order it.” — Bridget Coletta
“I worked at Central Station hotel for a year and a half, and at Canvas — my brother’s bar — where I still work one night a week,” Coletta says, “but this place has been so much fun. Louis is awesome — a great guy, super funny, lively. This is a side project for him but it’s really caught on. It’ll be packed by 10 p.m., then it thins out, and then another crowd will be shoulder-to-shoulder in here around 1 a.m. We’ve built a great clientele in a short time.”
There’s little doubt in my mind that Coletta has been a big part of that. Her energy is contagious and charming. “My specialty is connecting drinks with names,” she says. “If you order a drink from me, the next time you come in, I’ll have it waiting on the bar for you before you even have to order it, which reminds me to ask you: What kind of drink do you like?”
“I’m pretty flexible,” I say. “I do like gin, if that helps.”
“One of our house specialties is called ‘Fuzzy Connection.’ We use Waymar Gin, which is made locally. I think you’ll really like it.”
“Sounds great. What else is in it?”
“We add Lo-Fi Aperitif, lemon fizz, and simple syrup. It’s very popular.”
After taking a sip, I can see why. It’s a cocktail with no rough edges — not too sweet, not too tart, and very tasty.
As I savor the drink, Coletta busies herself with prep work for the evening’s crowd. It’s Trivia Tuesday and she expects a big house. As I stand to leave and we shake hands, I see a tattooed line of script on her forearm. I’d noticed it earlier and didn’t ask about it, but I’m curious.
“What does the tattoo on your arm say?” I ask.
“To live without risk is to risk not living,” she says.
Perfect. To which I would add: Take a (very) slight risk and go visit Coletta at Louis Connelly’s Bar for Fun Times and Friendship. You won’t have to stay all night, I promise.
Louis Connelly’s Bar for Fun Times and Friendship is located at 322 S. Cleveland St.
