The sturdy, stately building of grey granite that stands at 1401 East Carson St. is one of the architectural gems among many on what is recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the "Great American Main Streets."

According to the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Web site, the building was constructed in 1896 and combines Greek and Roman elements in the American Renaissance style. Originally, this building was founded as the German Savings Deposit Bank, and its architectural highlights include rounded arches with decorated keystones, a triangular pediment above the doorway, and elaborate flower-like column capitals. The flat roof is topped with a parapet and balustrade with a date stone.

Munch presents you the facts regarding this historic building because, as best Munch can tell, it has fallen into the hands of Steven Stiffler, of the "American Pie" movies. More specifically, a group of brothers intent on using a gorgeous, 110-year-old building to recreate their frat house basement.

The Carson City Saloon opened this summer, promising to operate according to their "creed," which contains among others, the following nuggets of wisdom:

There is absolutely nothing wrong with making out with a complete stranger. Strangers, after all, are just friends you haven't met yet.

Everyone be good to each other because remember the patrons at Carson City Saloon are your extended family, your fathers and mothers, your brothers and sisters. Except you get to sleep with these sisters. And if you're really drunk, the mothers.

Your athletic days are not over. Bar Pong has just as much skill as your high school sports did.

Brilliant.

Munch popped in for a few drinks on a Friday night and had a great time. Not gonna lie. Bumpin' music. Fun crowd. Lots of attractive Munchettes around. Munch cannot complain about this. What Munch can complain about is the two subsequent visits, and generally the conduct of the management and the wait staff.

1. Playing beer pong in the middle of the bar and generally hanging with your friends and the rest of the wait staff, while your customers wait around forever and a day for service, a drink refill and ultimately average-at-best though completely uninspired food is not the best way to get those customers to return.

2. If you put on NFL games for your customers to watch, even going so far as to install flat screened TVs at their booths (a nice touch, by the way) they should be ABLE TO HEAR THE GAME. Especially when the Giants are on their way back to beating Filthydelphia after being down 24-7. Maybe playing your own music at F-18 afterburner level decibels while you play said Beer Pong game with the Zeta girls and Sully and Phi Delt boys is also not the greatest idea.

3. Most successful owners of an establishment would probably spend the hours and minutes leading up to a Monday Night Football game featuring the hometown icons -- something of a social, if not religious event -- making sure that said customers are being served, enjoying themselves and that the operation is running smoothly. They would not park themselves at the corner of the bar, cordoned off behind makeshift police tape and a sign reading "Owner's Box" calling attention to themselves at an almost pathetic level.

Disclosures:

1. Munch was Greek in college, so this isn't a knock on members of fraternities or sororities in general -- just the living embodiments of their stereotyped persona.

2. Munch played so much beer pong in college and at tailgates in the past decade that tendonitis developed in one of Munch's joints. "Pong Elbow," I believe, was the diagnosis. So it's also not a rip on that activity per se.

3. Munch was enough of a meathead in the day that Munch would instinctively answer when Archie Bunker made reference to Michael Stivic when "All in the Family" re-runs came on TV Land late at night.

Oh right -- this is about food -- almost forgot. A quick summary:

Burgers -- good. Munch enjoyed the "Billy Mac" Burger ($6.69) which was topped with mushrooms, onions, bacon, peppers and Swiss and American cheeses. The cook must have been psychic that Munch wanted it medium rare, because the waitress never asked.

Roommate of Munch gave high marks to the Egg & Peppers sandwich ($5.99).

Grande Nachos ($6.99): terrible. A pile of chips with chicken so dry it might have come from the Gobi Desert. Peppers, black olives and minimal cheese. Salsa in a side dish (?).

Lady Friend of Munch said her Buffalo Chicken Salad was OK, but nothing special. And those words pretty much sum up the entire menu. OK, but nothing special. Nothing interesting, nothing done particularly well.

But they're living up to their creed: "Our goal is to have the food just as good as our drinks, but who are we kidding I've never had a sandwich that was as good as a cold beer. But we'll try."

Try harder.

In closing, the Carson City Saloon is a marvelous waste of a majestic space. A swanky martini bar, brew pub, chic club or fine dining establishment belongs there, not a bar that could literally be anywhere, much less one that has a business plan that was by the owners' own admission (on the menu!) drawn up in about 10 minutes.

Maybe Munch is getting old, and if so, Munch can accept that. But Munch has spent more disposable income than Munch cares to admit on closing time bar tabs, and more Saturday and Sunday afternoons in bed because of it. And while Munch has never run a restaurant, Munch has been in and out of enough to know a thing or two about what makes one successful. If the idea was to create a great weekend party, then mission accomplished. Great job.

But the concept of "cool" being the fickle lady that it is, the party is going to end. Soon. And the places that have stood the test of time on Carson St. -- Jack's, Piper's, Casey's, Smokin' Joe's and FatHead's to name but a few -- have done so on the strength of their concepts, reinvention and ultimately customer service in which the people buying the beer are made to feel like the stars, not the people pouring them.

Carson City Saloon is located at 1401 East Carson St., South Side. Call 412-481-3203 or log on to www.carsoncitysaloon.com/