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The Mets need to get more "official" bars around

SteveJRogers Apr 11 2008 10:50 PM

Recent meetups in the city made me feel a little nostalgic for Rusty Staub's old restaurants, though I never once stepped foot in them (I believe both were long gone by the time I turned 21 in Feb of 1998). Just did some googling, and there is a restaurant in where the original Rusty's was on Third, but I'm not sure what occupies 525 5th these days, the former home of Rusty's on 5th. I wonder whatever became of the Outfielder's Lounge on Astoria Blvd.? Anyone know if Bobby V's name is still on the bar in the Ramada on 114th Street? Be kind of neat for the Mets to have their "Mickey Mantles" or "Harry Carays" or "Lee Roy Selmon's" (Tampa Bay Bucs legend) where fans can meet up, or like the pre/post game of Mets Extra did during the 1986 postseason and radio stations (or TV stations like SNY) could do shows from there. Yeah I know it would have all the trappings of a modern tourist trap; crowds of visitors who wouldn't know Yogi Berra from Yogi Bear, food that is so damn expensive that makes you pine for stadium prices, overpriced merchandise, etc. But it would be fun, especially since you'd know the Met game HAS to be on, and not some random replay of an NFL regular season game from the previous year! And if the guy (or guys) whose name is on the establishment is still living, you would stand a chance of that player (or players) popping in from time to time, with friends. Always a good thing! And it doesn't seem as random as just bar hopping and hope that the establishment is friendly to A) sports fans in general (and I've seen quite a number of bars where a movie or a TV show was on the televisions) and B) the team you root for, granted in New York it's a 50/50 bet, but still you say "Yo put on the Met game" I wouldn't be surprised if a good percentage of barkeeps were Yankee fans and would tell you to get lost! I don't know why someone from the Mets hasn't attached their names to a place in Manhattan in a long time, I think it might just work, even if the Mets were cellar dwellers. I mean it's still baseball, it's still a restaurant/bar. Plus everyone would know where to go. Ah well I guess, doesn't seem to be any Jet or Giant, Knick, Ranger, Islander, Devil, Net with their name on a NYC area establishment, or current, and living, Yankee as well so maybe it really wouldn't work in NYC. Heh, maybe I'm just waxing this way simply because I never got to pay proper patronage to either one of Rusty's places before they went to that great big restaurant in the sky.

willpie Apr 12 2008 09:14 AM

How this isn't a slam dunk for Keith is beyond me.

KC Apr 12 2008 09:41 AM

Before the Mets can open an "official" bar in the spirit of Mickey Mantle's Restaurant, don't they need a player of his caliber who happens to be a fallen down drunk who probably didn't remember 3/4's of his life because he was always sauced? I haven't been there in ten years, I don't really hang around in that sec- tion of Manhattan much ... but what I remember of it I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there. The bartenders had sticks up their asses, the waitresses sucked, the menu was over-priced, etc. Central Park South, I'd love to see the lease and how their pulling off paying that rent or if they got some sweet fifty-year deal to be a tourist attraction and subsidize the glorification of Yankeeness. Yuck, Stevie Jeets strikes again.

TheOldMole Apr 12 2008 09:54 AM

I was at the original Rusty's, when Rusty was still playing. When he came up to bat, everything in the restaurant stopped.

soupcan Apr 12 2008 10:04 AM

I walked by the original Rusty's on Third Ave. once (which at some point later became an E.J.s Luncheonette) and sitting at a table in the window was Rusty, Keith and Darling. There are plenty of sportsbars to go to to see a game. I've never been turned down when I've asked a bartender to put the Mets game on. If you are looking for a Mets themed place then I guess there's a void out there but really is that a need?

SteveJRogers Apr 12 2008 10:22 AM

KC wrote: Before the Mets can open an "official" bar in the spirit of Mickey Mantle's Restaurant, don't they need a player of his caliber who happens to be a fallen down drunk who probably didn't remember 3/4's of his life because he was always sauced? I haven't been there in ten years, I don't really hang around in that sec- tion of Manhattan much ... but what I remember of it I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there. The bartenders had sticks up their asses, the waitresses sucked, the menu was over-priced, etc. Central Park South, I'd love to see the lease and how their pulling off paying that rent or if they got some sweet fifty-year deal to be a tourist attraction and subsidize the glorification of Yankeeness. Yuck, Stevie Jeets strikes again. LOL! I threw out the name of other spots with names linked to them (also Mike Shannon's place in St Louie, I believe Ozzie Smith has one as well, and there are a slew of others as well I'm sure) and you had to go with the Mantle blast! Yeah I'm sure they do have an official "deal" with the Yankees and/or MLB that has kept them afloat in mid-town Manhattan while other tourist traps have come and gone over the years (All Star Cafe, Planet Hollywood, WWF NY, etc), no reason why a bar couldn't do that with a Met player and the Mets. Plus they do sell some of the interesting memorabilia on their wall so I guess that brings in income as well. And the knocks you mentioned pretty much describes just about every NYC tourist trap themed restaurant as well, including the ESPN Zone. I agree, in terms of better dining, and drinking, experience nothing beats hole in the walls, even if they are as famous as Virgil's or Brother Jimmy's.

themetfairy Apr 12 2008 10:43 AM

soupcan wrote: I've never been turned down when I've asked a bartender to put the Mets game on. I've sometimes had to fight hard for it, though. Like the manager at ESPN Zone who initially told a table of us that it was "impossible" to show the Mets game (while they had on things such as an NFL Network replay of a regular season football game from last year).

KC Apr 12 2008 10:46 AM

Actually, I'm blasting your Yankeeness via Mickey Mantle's. Any desire, small or large, for Mets, Mets fans, Mets hangouts, Mets anything, to be more Yankee-like, exposes your not-so-latent Yankee fan tendencies. How's that for a run on? Just roll with it Steve. Admit it, and be done. You like the Yankees. The rest of us don't.

AG/DC Apr 12 2008 01:04 PM

What the world needs are Met-friendly establishments (and Met-friendly humans). Getting the official sanction of a name-player on the marquee just gives them license to mark up and water down.

sharpie Apr 12 2008 03:40 PM

There are Met-friendly bars in my neighborhood. Last thing I would want, however, is to go to an "official Mets bar." Or an "official" anything bar.

Frayed Knot Apr 12 2008 03:57 PM

Even Rusty's, when it (they) existed, weren't designed as Met-centric places. They were more a reflection of Staub's interest in food as an off-season/post-career business. The original did have a sports motif to the decor - the best being a display of all 20-whatever Rusty baseball cards in progressive order, plus a sequence of photos from his crash into the wall catch in the '73 NLCS - but was still more restaurant than bar and didn't feature the assault of TV screens you'd see in a place like those ESPN-Zones which are as much theme-park as eatery. IIRC you could probably see a TV set or two if you were right at the bar but that was about it. His shorter-lived midtown joint had no sports theme to it at all and was more designed towards catching the post-work/pre-theatre crowd. btw, Mantle never owned that place on CPS (he maybe had a tiny piece). Mostly he just leased his name to it and agreed to occasional appearences as a way to generate some income after blowing much of his career earnings. Imus used to suggest that the place ran a contest where you'd get a free dinner if you could guess what table Mickey was under.

Willets Point Apr 14 2008 02:50 PM

I'm down with an official "serves inexpensive but quality beer with good company" bar.

Grote15 Apr 14 2008 04:46 PM

I just want a neighborhood bar where my bartender takes care of me.. Even if the Mets are rarely on the main TV..They reserve the back tv for us. Hey..its a Yankee world... An official Mets bar..Whenever our local gin mill accumulates more than 5 Mets at the same time somebody seems to get tossed...Not yours truly...yet

Gwreck Apr 14 2008 04:46 PM

sharpie wrote: There are Met-friendly bars in my neighborhood. Last thing I would want, however, is to go to an "official Mets bar." Or an "official" anything bar. Which neighborhood are you in Sharpie? (The Slope?) Here in Greenpoint, we just got a new sports bar (and the first real sports bar in the 'hood, actually) that I have yet to watch a game at yet. The food -- we did takeout -- was pretty good though. Dickshot, you been there?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 14 2008 05:28 PM

Yes, nice spacious room, lotsa flatscreens. Hope to watch the remains of Thursday's game there after the book event.

Gwreck Apr 14 2008 06:55 PM

I'm in. Still debating whether or not it's rude to bring a walkman and listen to the game with a headphone in one ear during the book event or not. :)

TheOldMole Apr 14 2008 07:13 PM

Official, no. But if Barry Lyons, say, were to come to town and open "Barry's" on his own, I'd give it a shot. At least until "Gary's" opened down the block.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 14 2008 09:02 PM

Gwreck wrote: I'm in. Still debating whether or not it's rude to bring a walkman and listen to the game with a headphone in one ear during the book event or not. :) I'll prolly have mine too.