I was talking to McCoy's brewer Keith Thompson yesterday (his story will be on Fat City later this week to mark the return of our chef interviews), and he mentioned that the Westport brewpub has had to start keeping driver's licenses again in order to make sure the copper cups (they cost $15 each) that come with the Moscow Mules don't go walking out the door. Have you ever taken a "souvenir" from a bar or restaurant?
Showing 1-18 of 18
4 smallish metal signs (one of em says MONKEY BRAND SOAP, and has a caricature of a monkey doing his laundry). From Bennigans in the early 1990s. They are all hanging proudly in my kitchen!!
Glasses and coasters are my thing. If the service sucks...the resturaunt/bar is getting stuck! My curio and kitchen cabinets are fully stocked.
had a busload of bachelor party dudes steal a very nice electric neon Michelob mirror from a bar I owned. once discovered, after the bus took off for Westport, me and several drunk off duty bartenders and patrons formed a posse (complete with silver cardboard stars) and headed north. We found the bus...unattended...climbed aboard...searched furtively...did not find it. Decided that the guys in the green Explorer - not on the bus- must have stashed it.
We decided against breaking into the green Explorer.
I worked at EBT when if first opened in 79 or 80.
They thought it would be cool/cute to use little crystal bowls with little crystal spoons for salt and pepper on the tables. We couldn't order the spoons fast enough to replace the ones walking out the door. They finally gave up after about a month and went to normal shakers.
a group of us used to go on pub crawls and would compete to see who could walk out of the restaurant with the coolest souvenir. We ended up one night with a trombone, a bowling and a softball trophy and a barstool. No one had any idea we walked out of the bars with them.....they ended up on our bus and alledgedly someone returned them all the next week.
now, THAT'S a souvenier...
bet you looked cute in that reflection in there!
Two heavy glass shotglasses from the original Johnny's Tavern in Lawrence back in 1988. Souvenirs of the NCAA Basketball Championship season.
Now they serve shots in those throw away plastic things, probably because of people like me.
yes, okay..ummm, I took the porcelain vanity fixtures..the hot and cold water handles, hand painted and quite lovely, I might add..
from the old Houlihan's on the Plaza ladies' room...one night, back in the early 70's, it was really drunk out..and they were just so tempting..and I was soooo out of it..
the next morning, they were in my car's ashtray when I went to drive to work..I couldn't even remember where they came from..
the next week, we went back to Houlihan's for another adventure..and the ladies's room fixtures had all been replaced...and, the light bulb went ON...
tresdognite
I miss watching the swift justice at Sandersons when someone would try to get out of there with a salt or sugar shaker. Not unlike the bloodlust during the big finale in the movie Freaks.
I used to be pretty shameless. When dining in other cities I would carry a tote bag/messenger type bag. If dining with a group I would slide leather bound menus, wine lists, and dessert menus in the bag. These were the days before you could just ask for an unbound menu. As a food professional, I shouldn't have been so larcenous, but I do have a pretty nice collection of old menus.
Yes. The bar/brewery across the street from my apartment in France was called O'Niell's. I went there now and then, but not all the time...back then (it was my sophomore summer in college) I couldn't afford to drink as often as I do these days!
Anyway, on our final night in town, a bunch of us went there to celebrate the completion of classes/going home. And it was packed, as I recall. Teensy place, anyway, but still. It was also the first time in all the times I'd been there that I was given a glass that had the O'Niell's logo on it. I decided I wanted to take it home with me, and asked the bartender how much it would cost for me to take it with. He said it wasn't for sale. I told him why I wanted to take it, and he repeated that it wasn't for sale.
I tried!
We wound up having to stand outside with our drinks, the pub was so full that night. They had ropes up outside, giving us a little bit of space on the sidewalk to stand and drink. And I just went over the rope, and tucked my glass in front of me as I walked over to my apartment door, and went inside. Up the stairs, finished the beer, stashed the glass, and went back over to buy another beer.
I still have that glass. :D
Doesn't everyone take a Hurricane from Pat O'Brien's? Maybe you pay for the glass, I don't know. (That was awhile ago mine was real glass)
I took a shit at Jackpot Saloon. It was the nicest thing there.
I don't recall taking any souvenirs but I recall leaving some.
My college jazz ensemble has a legend about several players swiping the large metal ketchup dispenser apparatus from a fast-food restaurant. (This was a few years before I started college.) It was shipped back.
McCoy's (Foundry) lost my drivers license recently because of that new policy. The drink was delicious, but not worth the $20 it cost to replace my license. I played by the rules and got nothing in return. They offered up a less-than-genuine apology.
I took a mirror that has the Arby's logo on it years ago from an Arby's in Chcago. Its a big heavy sucker with a nice wood frame.
It was in the entryway between the 2 sets of glass doors. My two friends and I were the last ones out, and they blocked the view while I unscrewed 6 screws.
like
dislike
