Day 127—Sunday, May 16th, 2010
Molly's Pub and Shebeen
Okay, tonight there’s three guest stars joining me on the old crawl. Gene Rubbico, his wife Debbie and their friend Terry drove in from Baltimore to spend a few days in Manhattan. Gene’s in the Air Force Reserve and is going to be deployed to Afghanistan nest week for four months and this is duty where there’s no booze available, so I’m honored he’ll will be joining me on my Sunday bar crawl.
These people are serious bar crawlers. When they come to New York they average about 13,000 bars a day and have roughly 27,009 drinks daily, so it’s going to be rough to keep up with these people. Gene’s been crawling bars in New York for years, so I Iet him pick tonight’s bar. He wisely chose Molly’s Pub on Third Avenue and that decision shows he knows what he’s doing. New York has hundreds of Irish pubs and bars, but Molly’s is the real deal, check out what New Magazine has to say about the place: New Magazine review of Molly’s. Okay, lads and lassie’s, it’s off to Molly’s Pub to meet Gene, Debbie and Terry!
Here we are at Molly's Pub. Looks like a great choice that Gene made.
A nice old-school Irish bar. I don't see Gene, Debbie or Terry, but then I have no idea what they look like, so I guess I'll have a beer and let them come to me.
Here's Nick, the bartender for the evening.
Seated next to me was John, enjoying a beer and some French onion soup. John lives in the neighborhood and is a regular at Molly's. It also turns out that John goes to my home town of Peoria on a regular basis, so maybe he'll turn up in another bar crawl when I go back there.
And here John took a photo of the tradtional wearin's of the Guinness on the head.
And shortly later, I met Gene and his wife Debbie.
And here they are with their bar-crawling buddy, Terry. They had already been to 7421 bars before they met me.
Four bar crawlers in one bar, this could get dangerous!
Gene inscribes a message in the sawdust covered floor.
365 is alive in Molly's!
The brick and wooden walls are lined with Irish photos and knick-knacks.
John and Jonathan had just ordered dinner at one of the wooden booths opposite the bar.
Molly's legendary fireplace.
Jake, Josh, Dave and Saya were enjoying the Sunday night at Molly's.
Gene, Terry and Debbie are still going strong!
Nick works the bar at Molly's Pub.
Here's the spacious back dining area.
Two bar crawlers and two brothers in Bud!
These bar crawlers are catching their second wind. Goodnight everybody!
Review
Manhattan has hundreds of cookie cutter Irish pubs and bars, but Molly’s Pub is the real McCoy. From the brick and dark-stained wooden walls, to the saw dust on the floor to the Shepherd’s pie on the menu, this place is a genuine slice of Ireland in the Grammercy neighborhood of Manhattan. The bar is cozy and inviting and there’s wooden booths opposite for dining and drinking with friends. The wood-burning fireplace is a treat in the winter time.
There’s a full bar and Molly’s pours a perfect pint of Guinness. Harp, Smithwick's, Murphy's Stout and Murphy's Red are also available on tap. In addition to award-winning burgers and appetizers, Molly’s Pub is know for their Shepherds Pie which is a blend of ground sirloin beef, vegetables, and mushrooms with mashed potato topping and then baked golden brown. Other entrees include: Lamb Stew, Fish & Chips, Pub Sausage and Mashed Potatoes and Chicken Pot Pie. Molly’s offers a weekend brunch Saturday and Sunday from noon until four o'clock.
The New York Post declared Molly’s Pub as “New York’s finest Irish pub,” and I can’t disagree. It was great to meet Gene, Debbie and Terry on the crawl and they’re here for a couple more nights, so they just might make another appearance or two. Stay tuned!
Molly's Pub and Shebeen
287 Third Ave (Between 22nd and 23rd Street)
212-889-3361