Sad news sent from new music evangelist and old bar connoisseur Frank J. Oteri about the apparent closure of a bar important to the history of both New York City and Mandounette. It was here that I had my first underage single-malt scotch and it was one of the last bars I visited on my last trip to NYC in June 2004. Strangely, they claimed they were "replenishing their Scotch menu" and didn't have much in stock, so I settled for a Bass. Truly a sad day.

Here's Frank's message:

This is extremely depressing and I’m still trying to ferret out the details, but it seems like the Landmark Tavern at 626 11th Avenue, arguably the greatest of all old NY Bars, in continuous operation since 1868, has gone out of business.

Their phone number—(212) 757-8595—has been disconnected and when I called Verizon Info to find out more, the operator (a confused man who seemed familiar with the bar and who said that he had given out the number numerous times in the past) said there was no listing for a Landmark Tavern in Manhattan on his computer. Just like that. No further information. Welcome to the digital 21st Century where information disappears without a trace. (I shudder again at the thought of Diebold voting machines…)

Molly found a link to a blog that shows a photo of the Landmark Tavern from the week of Aug 17 with an iron grate closed over it and the words Gone for Vacation written on it… http://whatisee.org/mt/archives/entries/000287.html

Such is the fate of one of my favorite spaces of all time, the place that was the final destination of countless historic pub crawls over the years and played host to a remarkable historic recreation party that I helped coordinate marking the 65th anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition (December 5, 1933) on December 5, 1998 (in which all attendees came in period costume personifying people who could have been there that night). It was even the site of the first ever in person get together of the participants in ArtsJournal.com’s AJ Blogs this past year.

To paraphrase the words of Ira Gershwin written to the last ever song written by George Gershwin (whom I personified that evening) a mere 4 yrs after that fateful evening when Prohibition was repealed…

“In times the Rockies may crumble, Gibraltar may crumble, they’re only made of clay.”

We all have suffered loss in our lives and will continue to do so but today is a very sad day, made sadder by the fact that the Landmark Tavern undoubtedly closed before today and its passing was more than likely not deemed newsworthy enough by the folks who control the information we get to receive.

The last time I was there was June 18th and on that evening the single malt scotch collection was remarkably depleted. When I asked the staff what was going on they told me, “Don’t worry. We’re replenishing the stock.”

Indeed

:(

If anyone knows anything else about this, please share…