(Photo by: Bleeding Yankee Blue)
The first time I was ever at Mickey Mantle’s Restaurant was
in 1999. I was with Mikey and we went
there earlier in the day to eat, have a few beers and then we trekked downtown
to Madison Square Garden to see a fight.
I remember the place was packed that day and it really was like a
museum. So many amazing photos and
memorabilia and just being there gave you a sense of “home”. Sure the burgers
were ridiculously expensive, but I’m a baseball freak and you’re not only
paying for the burger, you’re paying for the history all around you. It was wild.
I was only back a handful more times since then because, let’s face it,
once you have kids, you don’t exactly get around as much as you want. When I read that Mickey Mantle’s Restaurant
was closing it’s doors after a 25 year run (Read HERE), I felt like something
was missing. My wife called me and said
“It’s the end of an era.” She was right.
This is a woman who really didn’t give a crap about baseball but knew I loved
it and would humor me and sit in a booth at Mantles and we’d share potato skins
and she’d listen to me babble on about “that jersey over there” and “this
picture of the Mick here.” She’s good like that.
(Photo by: Bleeding Yankee Blue)
Not too many people know this but this is the plaque that is
on the wall outside Mickey Mantle’s Restaurant.
I took a picture of it the last time I was there, in December. We took a trip in to celebrate my son’s
birthday, we went to Mickey Mantle’s for lunch and then we proceeded to the
Museum of Natural History.
My 8 year old
said to me…”2 museums in 1 day dad? Seriously?” It’s funny what kids say, but
he was right. Sure, I went to Mantle’s
for the food, but you could literally walk around that place for hours and just
take all the history in. Again, for a
Yankee fanatic, it was the greatest place on earth at that moment.
Yup, it’s true, my wife nailed it… it is in fact an end of an
era. But I guarantee you that one day when I’m old and gray, my sons will give
me a ring and ask “Dad, want to go to the Core Four’s Restaurant for
lunch?” I’ll think about this moment
right now… and then I’ll answer…”Let me get my coat.”
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