I'm trying hard to withhold judgement about the upcoming Varga Bar that will be opening in the former Azul Cantina spot. After all, it will have Victory Brewing's root beer on hand pump (Root beer. On. Hand. Pump.), as well as 22 beers on tap - eschewing the Coors/Miller/Bud triangle for "hard to find" American craft brews. Sounds fantastic. The menu - described as something called "comfort food", topping out at $22 - isnt quite as exciting but looks to be at least solid.
I guess the thing that troubles me is the driving theme behind the operation: it is a bar designed around the pinup girl artwork of Joaquin Alberto Vargas y Chavez. I realize they're from different eras but theres something vaguely 1990s/swing dancing/Reel Big Fish about the fashioning of a gastropub around Vargas' purdy lady drawings.
Like I said, I'm not trying to judge (I guess I am...a little). But if I see one Vince Vaughan or Jon Favreau silk-shirt-wearing wannabe I'll head elsewhere. After I finish my root beer of course.
