Tickles moving downtown

Tickles. Wotta name. Wotta concept. The gay piano/sports bar opened a year ago in a quiet corner of northeast Minneapolis. Maybe a little too quiet. Its general manager, Joel Janssen, says Tickles is leaving Nordeast for downtown. Tickles will move into the space once occupied by the legendary Little Wagon.

The Wagon, if you'll remember, was a bar stuck in time. The old-school joint, located near the Metrodome (and the Star Tribune), closed in May. The Wagon space is about double the size of the previous Tickles, so Janssen said the bar will expand its entertainment offerings.

It'll still be a piano bar (and a sports bar), but Janssen might offer dancing in another part of the restaurant. Tickles' last night in its current location will be Dec. 28 -- for the Minnesota Vikings' Monday night football game. It will open in downtown on New Year's Eve.

1032 3rd Av. NE., Mpls. 612-354-3846. www.ticklesbar.com.

Three monkeys walk into a bar

Never thought I'd say this, but a sports bar has opened on Eat Street. That long stretch of Nicollet Avenue, famous for its ethnic eateries, is now home to 3 Monkey's Pub and Grub. It serves American fare and has a bunch of oversized TVs. The bar replaces Bali, the recently closed Indonesian restaurant (which replaced Safari before that).

1410 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls. 612-208-0826.

www.3monkeyspubandgrub.com.

Darkness falls on NYE

Hai Truong, the beer-loving owner of Ngon Vietnamese Bistro, is planning to give his brew brethren a treat on New Year's Eve. Truong will tap his rare keg of Surly Darkness at 5 p.m. Beer geeks can buy pints for $6. He'll also have a three-course dinner ($30) with beer pairings. Note: It sounds like the restaurant will close at 10 p.m., per normal, so you'll have to watch the ball drop somewhere else.

799 W. University Av., St. Paul. 651-222-3301.