Engaged in some serious Happy Hours after a long week, my phone buzzed on the counter. I received a text from Fernando in regards to our meeting:
5 minutes at PJs. I’ll let you buy me a drink. Haha!
Fernando may come off a bit intimidating with his tight T shirts, a Punisher ring and rockin’ the big guns, but he’s one of the nicest, most down to earth guys I know. That and he makes an insanely good Dirty Martini. So when I got that text, I couldn’t help but laugh and head across the street.
I’ll never forget the night I “officially” met Fernando. Sure, he was the Friday night bartender at Bistro on Bridge, but it’s when he approached me one evening at Club 212 that we became more than just bartender and regular customer. I assume he had off that Friday evening, or maybe it was a Saturday? We’re back-tracking a few years, but it was something along the lines of, “Hey, your last name is Dragone? That is sooo cool! It’s like Dragon. Dude, I love Dragons!”
Well, that caught me completely off guard. This was a guy I thought was your stereotypical jock (and in some ways, he is), but at the end of the day, we actually have a lot in common. For starters, How to Train Your Dragon remains one of our favorite animated movies. If you ever drop by Bistro on a Friday evening, you’ll probably spot me chatting it up with Fernando about the list of blockbusters coming out this summer or Thursday night’s episode of Archer on FX.
On this day, I slid my card to the bartender at PJs, ordered a Victory Hop Devil for myself, cringing at whatever cocktail Fern was going to order at my expense. To my surprise, he ordered a Guinness. Not even a Corona? Okay, maybe I am being a little too presumptuous here just because his last name IS Cuesta. We exchanged smiles, clinked glasses like gentlemen and began the interview on the same side of the bar.
Let’s start off with the obvious. How long have you been bartending?
Since 1999, I’ve been bartending on and off. I went to Allentown Bartending School. I started at Lone Star Steakhouse and eventually, Outback in Reading. I think a big reason they hired me was because they knew I was originally working at Lone Star.
I took a few years off from 2005 to 2008. That’s when a friend of mine told me Bistro just opened in Phoenixville and was looking for a regular bartender for Fridays. The girl there at the time was messing up on the drinks. I met with Zach (owner of Bistro on Bridge) that Thursday for an interview and they had me come in the next day.
That’s awesome. So you’ve been there since the beginning?
Pretty much. Two weeks after they opened.
Since you’ve been working at Bistro, have you gotten into the craft beers?
Oh yeah, me and Jeff (another bartender from Bistro) went to Victory a couple weeks ago. I like some of their stuff. That Prima Pils they have is amazing! I love that beer!
What do you normally drink when you’re off the clock?
If I just want to relax and have a couple drinks, usually Jameson on the Rocks or Captain & Diet Coke. If I’m partying all night, I’ll stick to Light Beer.
What’s in your liquor cabinet at home?
There’s usually beer stocked in the fridge and wine. Mainly reds like Pinot Noir. As for liquor, I have Jameson or Captain Morgan.
When you have the day off, what are you usually doing?
I love playing volleyball. That and working out. Gotta work out as much as possible. But oh man, one time, I accidently hit a girl in the face with the volleyball. I felt very bad. VERY BAD.
As he tells me the story, I couldn’t help but laugh. I felt terrible doing so, as I am sure, looking at Fernando’s size, she was in tremendous pain. I don’t think I’ll be playing volleyball with Fernando anytime soon. Heck, I’m feeling a little unsafe sitting next to him! Kidding.
What is your signature cocktail? What do you make better than anyone else? What should everyone order from Fernando Cuesta?
Hmmm. Probably Margaritas and Mojitos. Have you ever been to Wayne? My girlfriend and I used to go to the Matador right there by Christopher’s. The bartender there made amazing Margaritas. I needed to know his secret.
Is there a particular Mojito or flavor of Mojitos you make best?
Just a regular Mojito. Oh, that and Bloody Marys. You have to have the right ingredients like horseradish and Tabasco sauce to make a great Bloody Mary.
What’s the one drink you dread whenever someone orders it?
Any of those specialty martinis at Bistro like the Pear Flower Martini. Any of those. I have to constantly consult those ingredients.
How about when it comes to shots? I have to assume you don’t know how to make everything. Then what?
Oh yeah. Sometimes the same shot goes by a different name. Depends where you’re from. If I don’t know how to make it, the customer will just look it up on their phone and show me.
What is the biggest tip you ever received?
It was at Bistro. One guy left a hundred dollar bill on two beers. I figured it had to be a mistake. He only ordered two Coors Lights. That was a $93 tip! That was probably NOT on purpose. I don’t know if he was drunk or what, but I waited until close to see if he’d come back for his change. Once 2 a.m. hit, I was like CHA-CHING!
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen while working behind the bar?
Fern didn’t even look at me. He paused, smiled, recollected an evening working at Bistro on Bridge and began to tell a very familiar story. That’s when I interrupted and said, “Well, look at the time. I think we have enough here! I’m ready to close my tab.” He laughed and politely thanked me for the drinks; then we shook hands and exited the bar together.
I followed him over to Bistro on Bridge, where like any other Friday, he’s on his side of the bar, me on mine. With every free moment, we chatted movies and The Walking Dead and gave the occasional fist bump in between.
Find Fernando at Bistro on Bridge, located at 210 Bridge Street in Phoenixville.
Photographs credited to Kevin Dragone.
Have a local bartender you’d like to nominate for future “Behind the Bar” columns? Send an email to our Editor in Chief Amy Strauss at [email protected].
