McSorleys - a family tradition

Tuesday, May 21, May 28 Cont'd

After Grad Alley we headed on down to McSorley's  Old Ale House, reputed to be the oldest Irish Bar in  New York City.  It's on 7th Street in the East Village of Manhattan and was Men Only until 1970. John first went here in 1963 with his Dad, and became a McSorley Boy.  Unfortunately, the book he signed was stolen, which Maria found out on her first visit here!  

As you can see it was established in 1854, and has been going ever since.  It has sawdust on the floors and a real pub ambiance.  Nothing has been removed from the walls since 1910, so it's pretty crusty.  They have a pair of Houdini's handcuffs fastened to the bar rail, and wishbones left by boys going off to WWI,  to be retrieved when they got home. John enjoyed telling Jack about his initiation.  

McSorley's was made famous by Joseph Mitchell in "McSorley's Wonderful Saloon" a book of stories about the characters who frequented the saloon.  Mitchell worked as a writer at the now defunct World-Telegram from 1930 to 1938 and the rest of his career at the New Yorker was a reporter and literary artist interested in nearly everyone and everything in New York.

 The menu is exceedingly simple: your choice of  light or dark beer, and this cheese plate that comes with soda crackers,  sliced onions and hot mustard. Thinking the mustard was a cheese spread, (its kinda dark in here) I generously spread it on my cracker, until Joel stepped in, told me it was very hot mustard, and gently took the cracker from my hand before I was in deep trouble and would need extra pitchers of beer! One of their mottos is "Beer, Raw Onions, and no Ladies" although the place is actually owned by a woman descendent of the original owner.

 Cesar, Mary and Cassy catching up on things.

 I'm glad I finally got to see McSorley's, the last one in my family to do so, since Chris and John had made the visit several years ago.  Fun night and now we must get home to bed to be ready for the graduation!