The Review

Issue date: 10/23/07 Section: Mosaic

Media Credit: Joanna Matarese

With the end of summer approaching and Spark magazine's annual bar guide release, Joanna Matarese and a group of friends devised a plan to evade the cool weather boredom.

As of Aug. 23, Matarese and a group of four friends, including her younger brother Bob Matarese and friend Michael Manlove, put themselves to the task of hitting all 189 bars on Spark's guide in one calendar year.

That works out to one bar every 1.8 days, a tall order for even the most avid bar enthusiast.

Their bar-guide challenge is more marathon than crawl.

Joanna describes the list as "an inspiration" for a journey designed to introduce the group to new beverages and bar scenes and explore the many interests to which Delaware bars cater.

"It's funny," Bob says. "None of us are taking it seriously. It's just a way for us to see new places, and a chance to do something different."

With a large grin and a full glass, the ambitious group is attracting attention from more than just the media - it is establishing a fan following as well. The five-person challenge has grown upward to 20 members, some familiar and some not.

Joanna says she is unfazed by the picked-up hitchhikers, saying assimilation into their group shouldn't be difficult.

"We haven't done any group outings yet, but we'll see how everything goes," she says. "Some people are a little leery about people we don't know joining, but I think it'll be fine. We're all fun and down-to-earth people."

Manlove isn't among the apprehensive, instead seeing the growth as positive.

"I think it's great - the more the merrier," Manlove says. "We try to plan outings, but everyone's a working professional."

Work, distance and time all pose obstacles for each "Challenger," which makes having a larger group conducive to completing the guide.

Bob says his commitment is strained, but he will give his best effort regardless.

"I live in Lewes, so it's going to be tough for me to make a big dent in the list," he says. "I'll try to make it up[state], but I can hit the ones down here. Part of the reason we did it was to meet more people."

With that goal, the challenge is shaping up to be an early success. The group has already visited sites ranging from biker bars to establishments on Main Street. Joanna says while her experiences differ from place to place, the reception hasn't.

Continued...

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