Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The Telephone Bar and Grill closing after 22 years


An EV Grieve readers points us to the Facebook page of The Telephone Bar and Grill on Second Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street... where this message awaits:

In case you haven't heard: Telephone has been sold will be closing on Jan.31st.
This is a special invite to all Telephone family past and present who have shared in so many memories. All are welcome!!




[Telephone photo via]

21 comments:

EV Grieve said...

The owner of Down the Hatch is taking over.

Barbara L. Hanson said...

A friend and I had a tradition of going to Telephone after the Stuy Town flea market for Stilton fritters. Now, both are gone. At least I have the recipe for the fritters!

Jeremiah Moss said...

woah

esquared™ said...

wtf?

on some weekday afternoons, there are still a feeling/remnant of the place being back in the '90's/'80's of it being an english pub. one of the few places where i can get a half-a-pint of guinness.

might as well serve some atomic wings, since this palce had become a nyu/b&t/frat hang-out.

Anonymous said...

THIS SUCKS

They had the most amazing vegetarian shepherd's pie -- made with lentils. And it was such a pleasant, unpretentious place. I meant to bring my mom there on one of her visits and never got the chance. Now I never will.

GODDAMN IT

Anonymous said...

This is terrible news - 2nd ave won't feel the same

Melanie said...

I have walked by the telephone thousands of times and never went in..sounds like it was cool. RIP

Anonymous said...

I am so sad. I love Telephone, and always recommend it as a reasonable, friendly place to eat. What happened?

Anonymous said...

The East Village is losing a best friend. Such a soulful loss.

JM said...

I didn't see this one coming. Terrible news.

I'd say 'there goes the neighborhood', but it went a long time ago...

Anonymous said...

Save the Telephone Bar!

Billy said...

This makes me sad. And confused--the place always seemed pretty crowded to me, even during off-hours. Dammit!!!

curiously chel, an optimistic o'reilly said...

long live the Queen of Clubs sandwich.

don't even get me started on the jazz on wednesday nights... so epic, so era, so so so sad. i'll see The Cangelosi Cards play anywhere, but that was THE place to take someone to...

Anonymous said...

This is tragic! For an ex pat a brill place to get fish and chips in a paper hat and a pint of cider - way before anyone was thinking of it!

Sad days indeed wish I could make the party.....

Sheila

Sheryl said...

so many fond memories ... the British Pub next to the Irish Pub ... going from one to the next...

Hippiechick said...

This is horrible. They had the best chicken pot pie in the world...what's going in here, another stoopid frozen yogurt place for the incomers?? HAAAATE.

alsivi said...

Who remembers the Orchidia? On the corner of 2nd and 9th. Great, weird pizza and draft Spaten.

Hippiechick said...

I remember the Orchidia! Only Italian-Ukrainian restaurant in the world. Then there was in that space the horrible and mercifully short-lived Steve's Ice Cream, which every right-thinking East Villager boycotted, then In Padella, which was pleasant enough, and now Starfucks...maybe I'm missing some incarnation in between?

Jackie Brown said...

Telephone closed? I can't believe what I'm reading. Back in the late late 80s, Telephone was my gang's clubhouse, gang being a bunch of neighbors, local writers, musicians, ex patriate Brits. Every evening we'd convene at the round table up front for happy hour drinks and mischief. I met my still best friend there. What a time we had back then! Back when Second Avenue Deli was still across the street. Back when Abe was still alive.

Here's to the end of a remarkable era.

RIP Telephone Bar & Grill

EV Grieve said...

Thanks for the comment, Jackie. Many people share your sentiment... a shame that it closed... and I don't like the sound of the sports bar/frathole confab taking its place...

teary i. imbiber said...

I can't believe I didn't find this out earlier and didn't know this as I drank my last pint of Newcastle there in late January. It's been my go to spot for a pint the once or twice a month that I felt the desire. The evening bartenders always had a good personal mix playing and it's been, for me, the most comfortable place in the neighborhood for the last 19 years. PLEASE COME BACK !!