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 Frank
Faria, Jr., proprietor of Frankie's Hide-A-Way at the Holiday Inn
Airport West at 3255 NW 87 Avenue, keeps a file folder under his bar.
In that file are almost 30 letters--some from people
right down the street, others from places as far away as
Holland--thanking Faria for one kindness or another that he has showed
since opening his bar in Doral a little over two years ago.
"We get a lot of businessmen in here," he
explained, "a lot of people who are travelling and just want a
place to unwind and enjoy themselves. I try to make this a friendly
atmosphere, the kind of place people can come into and have someone to
talk to and have a drink."
One would be hard-pressed to find anyone easier or
more interesting to talk to than Faria, a Rhode Island native who has
lived in Miami for 22 years now. A veteran of the service industry,
Faria has had his hand in a variety of successful South Florida
establishments, including South Beach's Clevelander Bar and the
now-defunct Bar Room.
"I've met a lot of nice people in this
town," he said, "and gotten to do a lot of things, but I
love what I'm doing now."
Although Faria has some Doral area customers, his
business is still primarily comprised of hotel clientele. However, he
believes more residents will stop by for a drink as word of his
establishment spreads.
The only way to describe the Hide-A-Way is informal
and relaxed--which is exactly how Faria likes it. The cozy bar is on
the second floor of the hotel and is about the size of five or six
regular hotel rooms and has an expansive balcony outside.
The music selection is dictated by whatever Faria
prefers at the time, although he's been known to play CD's brought in
by customers.
"People bring me CD's all the time, he said,
"and I'll usually play what they give me: oldies, ZZ Top,
whatever the mood is for the night. And soon we'll also be adding
speakers outside, too."
Faria, who likes to give good customers bar t-shirts,
is also something of a mad scientist when it comes making new
concoctions.
He has drink specials almost every night during the
week, and features a number of his own creations including the Pink
Frankie, which is comprised of crème de almond, Kahlua, Vodka, and
Ice Cream. Other exotic concoctions like the black martini, the
Hide-A-Way, the Captain Frankies, and Junior's Delight, all of his own
creation, are Hide-A-Way staples.
The bar opens at around five in the afternoon and
Faria said that he, "never call(s) last call--I wait until
everyone is ready to leave," although he conceded that his liquor
license does end at 4:00 AM.
If you like to get in touch with Faria, you can reach
him at the Hide-A-Way at 305 500 9000, extension 7250.
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