What was the name of the bar on State Street in the early 1980s that had barbershop chairs instead of bar stools? (I’m gonna feel dumb if it turns out to be … as I’m vaguely thinking it might have been… the barbershop?) Thanks, Abe.

Karen, you might be remembering an establishment known as the Bittersweet. As noted in a 1981 issue of Wisconsin Alumnus, the Bittersweet, 117 State Street, was "where customers sit in barber chairs in the front window and sip ice cream drinks." The Isthmus Annual Manual said the bar was known for its "unusual decor" and specialty drinks. The Bittersweet occupied that location from around 1978 until 1984. Previously, the building had been a furniture store (Leath & Co.), and afterward, it was a restaurant called Kostas, and later Spices Kitchen. It was most recently home to Frida Mexican Grill, which closed in early 2012.