NEVER AN IRISH PUB.
Dear Friends and Patrons,
I’ve have been gratified by the outpouring of love, sadness, and honest grief by the my patrons and old customers. As I tried to say in my last email--S—t happens and sometimes there is no explanation.
I’m happy that Steve Hanson is taking it. Again, the O’Neal’s clan wishes him as many years of success and happiness as we have had on West 64th Street and the Westside,
The NY Post had it completely wrong and had us closing a month before we had planned. Tentatively the closing is going to be Monday, June 28th.
Florence Fabricant, (flofab@nytimes.com ) of the Times in her small mention referred to the restaurant as an “Irish Pub”, “not that there is anything wrong with that”, I Googled Irish Pub and it’s definition was a drinking establishment that served incidental food, usually cold—not us. I’ve always preferred the term, restaurant, bistro or even saloon but not pub. As a matter of fact Michael and Ariane Batterberry of Food Arts Magazine said that “we redefined the American Bistro when we first opened forty-six years ago”. I have always considered O’Neals’ a serious restaurant, serving good honest food at a moderate price.
Our first review in the “Times” was by Craig Claiborne, who went into ecstasy about our “Iced Mongol Soup”, I remember the day. The vichyssoise had turned and a our Chef Dione Lucas sent me to the corner Associated Grocery Store to buy 12 cans of Campbell’s Pea Soup. She mixed it ½ and ½ with heavy cream and put in a tablespoon of curry powder. Voila, Iced Mongol Soup—true story, check it out, Labor Day Weekend 1964. The Times didn’t give stars in those days but it would have been at least three.
I want to acknowledge our excellent Chef, German Cazeres and his wonderful staff of Sous Chefs, Line Men , Saute and Grill Men, Prep Men and Pastry Chefs.
Without them we could not have maintained the high standards that we have had over the years. My wife and I have been shedding tears thinking of saying goodbye to our many favorites.
Ah well. The West 79th Street Boat Basin Café and The Ball Fields Café are going strong and will continue as long as the weather holds out. To find out if we are open, check our web site-www.boatbasincafe.com and the plan your events in these places. partybbcafe@aol.com.
There has been an extraordinary amount of interest in our artwork. We are hard at work trying to determine a value for each piece. We will be posting our art collection on the O’Neals’ website. Give us a little time, there are many pieces to catalog. Keep checking the web site. www.onealsny.com.
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers and Still Continue to Help the Economy and DINE OUT OFTEN.
Sincerely,
Michael O’Neal
Saloonkeeper