Nooooooooooooooooooooo! Okay, this just sucks. Last night while heading to a show with The Finnish Ambassador (our friend Samuel for those new readers and not the real deal ambassador of Finland) we were locked into the plan of meeting up at the Bull Moose Saloon. I’ve often mentioned how Smith’s was my go to hang for the pregaming before Metal shows over at B.B. King’s and Best Buy Theater but lately the amount of tourists had been edging me out of the place and while its great for their business it is NOT good for me when I only have a little while before jumping into the musical fray. With that being the case I had opted for the Bull Moose Saloon for several months and enjoyed that it was just off the beaten path of the tourists and kept a regular customer base of working NYC union folks and stage people along with folks such as I. The prices were great and the food always managed to hit the right spot. Today that would change for the worst.
As I hit the block where the bar was located I received a text from Samuel saying the place was not open at the moment and there was a gate at the door. With that being the note, I had to walk down just the same to assess the situation and see if I could determine what was actually going on. Samuel mused aloud that perhaps the place was being cleaned up but I countered at how Thursday was not a night one often finds pubs in NYC closed for business. Maybe a Monday or Tuesday but not on a day that pretty much leads you into the weekend. When we reached the pub there was a massive gate and there were no more neon signs in the window nor was the big awning that said the bars name there. It appeared to be a grim situation.
I told Samuel this did not appear to be a routine cleaning but the look of a place now gone and making way for something else. It was a shame because I really liked the place. Mind you my little group would still hit Smith’s now and again but if there were a larger bunch of us we would just convene there since there was never an issue with space for us. They also made a fantastic Reuben sandwich and Buffalo Chicken wings. I apologize for whining but this is the third place that I liked to go to that has closed and the second in one year’s time. I am starting to think there is a secret cabal out there following me to see what I approve of so they can close it up LOL. Of course I am kidding.
You were great sanctuary and a fun place to meet my friends and we enjoyed your fare and were glad to have enjoyed it for the couple of years that we did walk through your doors. I also want to send good luck wishes to those staffers we always got to talk to like Ellen, Mike, Kit and the rest on their next adventures. Goodbye Bull Moose Saloon. You shall be missed. Hell’s Kitchen will not be the same without this one.
