November 10, 2011
(This was originally going to be put up yesterday, but I heard the news of Fedora’s passing and wanted to put up a tribute to her. So here this is, a day later.)
It’s Tuesday which means it’s the night to go out in search of a swizzle stick. Although I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be getting one tonight, it’s more of a mission of curiosity and dread.
Last week, Fat Al put up a disturbing post over at The Half Empty Glass, check it out here: Oh, this had better not be true. Fat Al reported that Eater had posted that the legendary Upper East Side dive bar, the Subway Inn had closed. After several frightened comments and yours fooly offering to buy everyone a McRib sandwich, Fat Al’s calmer partner in crime, anonymous271 left this comment: “Chill out. They’ve re-opened. They were simply closed for renovations. Not sure what a renovation in the Subway Inn would look like, applying new duct tape to the booths?”
The word, “Renovations,” kind of sends a chill down my spine. I hope they didn’t fancy it up too much. Let’s go check it out, I'm praying the Marilyn Monroe pictures made the cut.
Well, here we are, the outside looks unchanged. I love the neon here. Let's go inside and check it out.
Well, this is a pleasant surprise, it looks exactly the same, let's get a drink.
And here's Cesar, the same bartender who served me when I came here on the 365 bar crawl. When I walked in he pointed to me and shouted out, "It's the bar guy!" Ha, a true sign of a classic bartender is remembering his customers and Cesar is clearly a master of that. Here he is serving up the double gin and tonic.
There's no swizzle stick, but there is a straw and as Cesar pointed out, it's a bendable straw, so they get points for that. Cesar also told me that they were closed for maintenance issues, not renovations. He said a few leaky pipes had to be fixed. Let's go take a look around this classic joint.
Here's the well stocked supply lit up behind the bar.
Marilyn looks down at the baseball caps, hardhats and various tchotchkes adorning the top of the bar.
I love the greenish, nuclear look the booths have from the bare fluorescent light bulbs hanging to the side of them.
In the Subway Inn, the night once again surrenders to Michelob. Time to party like it's 1986!
Another classic Marilyn picture, beautiful!
The bar is crowded for a Tuesday night.
Drinks lined up at the bar. There's always at least two shot glasses on the bar at the Subway Inn.
And yet another shot of Marilyn...
And a glance out the front window and it's time to leave. Nice to see some things remain the same in New York City. Goodnight everybody and see you tomorrow after dark.
Further reading: EV Grieve, Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York and 365 Bars.
Maybe you think that love was made for fools,
So it makes you wise to break the rules.
20 Comments
Reader Comments (20)
Thank God ! ....... that's all I gotta say ......
Agree with GENE,,,,a NYC landmark dive survives!
Love the plutonium chic lighting in the booths. I could see myself on acid sitting in one of those booths, watching in abject horror as my arms turned into tentacles...
So what did ya do last night? Are we going to forever be a day behind from now on?
Marty needs a time machine to get back to today !
@GENE: Agreed!
@Al: Great to see the place back in business exactly as it was before it closed for a week.
@Jaws: A true "Go Ask Alice" moment indeed!
@Bruce: I just came home last night and had a few thousand beers and took the night off. Something I was never allowed to do last year and it's nice every now and again to do it! Back on schedule tonight!
@GENE: The time machine arrived and now I have to go to work. Ugh!
@MAD -- Hopefully work doesn't rip a hole in your space-time continuum ...
Bendy straws totally get points! Awesome.
Nice Ruby's tshirt on Cesar! fyi Rubys will be open this weekend according to their facebook page.
I'll comment as soon as I'm finished with my personal renovations.
@GENE: I'm here now and so far so good...
@Britta: To bendy straws!
@Spike: I complimented Cesar on the shirt. Thanks for the Ruby's update!
@csp: Don't go changing, to try to please us, we like you just the way you are!
Are those mugs hanging above the bar for the regulars?
P.S. I'm glad you didn't have to buy everyone a McRib Sandwich. The world's a better place because of that.
i hear McRib and cringe....
was there a post.. i was cringing...
ha!
@Biff: I'm not sure about the mugs, but I'll ask next time I'm there. And you're right, a McRibless world is a beautiful world indeed!
@Gidgie: I cringe too when I hear McRib, but when I think of the 7-11 version I throw up in my left sock!
Mental note: Marty keeps his money in his right sock.
csp is hot tonight...that said...glad i might be able to check out a real ny dive before it dies...off topic...my order from st. mark's book store arrived yesterday...ordered on saturday and sunday...all look like classics...am sorta afraid to crack the exterior film..oh well can't make an omelet w/o crackin' an egg or two...
I'm an old man who has known a great many problems, most of which
never happened.
----Mark Twain
rr
Please allow me a quick YAY! about this... I was expecting the worst.
Long live Subway Inn!
@csp: If I get robbed tonight it's your fault!
@rr: Get out here and I'll buy the first six rounds! Thanks for buying books from St. Mark's, let me know what you got when you get a chance. Love that Mark Twain quote!
@EV Grieve: Shit, I'll allow you a long YAY and raise you a HIP HIP HOORAY!
Those booths are the best! I'm glad to hear about Ruby's this weekend & tempted to get out there - it'll be in the 60s on Sunday. Hmm...
@onemorefoldedsunset: The whole place is great and I'm so glad they didn't change anything!