At the start of 2020, I binge watched the show “Cheers” on Netflix. While many, including myself, ended up moving through more recent additions to the binge-worthy category (Looking at you, Joe Exotic), there was something charming about the Boston neighborhood bar based sitcom. All 11 Seasons, totaling 275 episodes ran as I avoided the news and propped my feet on the recliner. I couldn’t determine which character I most identified with, because I think that in the case of quality writing, there are redeeming traits to be found in everyone.

Houston is multifaceted in that it is a City that both boasts a large population yet can feel very “small” in certain ways that a town would. It is easy to get lost in how vast the opportunities are, as well as how personal specific locations can be. Houstonians never fail to impress me with how inviting we can be. Quick with a recommendation, just as fast with a cold drink and a smile; Houston is the best friend you may have never realized was waiting for you all along.

As July approached, word arrived that Houston was losing one of the friendliest places around; Alice’s Tall Texan. Open for over 30 years, serving up 18 ounce goblet shaped chalices of Lone Star and Shiner Bock for $3 each, Alice Ward was a friendly face who prepared a place for you that I think Cheers would envy.

I didn’t get the chance to spend much time at Alice’s before it closed, but I think that to many, local establishments like Alice’s are what will be the saving grace of the bar and restaurant industries. What may lack in a corporate overhaul, will make these businesses stand out like a welcome oasis. And that quality of caring about one another is what we really crave.

Which is why our track this week is Tall Height’s “Horse to Water”. It’s not just the name “Tall” is in both titles, but that both describe being brought back from a darkness the way that only a friend can. People who care for others, Houstonian or not, are the way that we can make the rough days even more bearable. The cheap beer specials are just an added bonus.