Ministry of Information

It's Where We Drink

by Will Dean

447 Poplar St., 215-925-0999

Michael Nutter's smoking ban has changed the air inside our bars—for better or for worse, depending on whom you ask. But like most things in Philly, there's a loophole if you look closely. NoLibs' not-just-hipsters' hangout, Ministry of Information, has found a novel way to keep patrons puffing: Serve Swanson frozen dinners.

One of the caveats of the ban grants smoke-'em-if-you-got-'em waivers to bars that receive 90 percent or more of their income from drink sales. (This'll soon drop to 80, if Mayor Street signs the revision City Council passed on Nov. 30.) So Ministry decided to cut down on their food income by scrapping their entire Mexican menu—which featured made-to-order burritos, nachos, tacos and enchiladas—and switching to the lazy parents' and fat dudes' favorite, Swanson.

For only $3, you can get a chicken pot pie. If you're trying to impress someone, lay down a fiver for the meat loaf, fried chicken, sliced turkey or Salisbury steak (brownie included).

"We're getting the waiver next week, and we'll be the only bar around here where you can smoke," says bartender Kevin Dougherty. "Legally, anyway."

Standard Tap fare it ain't, but the pleasure of seeing a pub cloudy with smoke is worth the risk of braving Swanson's sketchy grade-F meat.

"Plus," adds bartender Dave Peter, "the prep time's really short."