On Monday, December 1, 2014, Manhattan restaurant moguls, Nicola Kotsoni and Steve Tzolis celebrated the 125th birthday of a mahogany beauty, an Anheuser-Busch original bar that the duo salvaged from its original home on 108 W. 18th Street. Most well known as Harvey’s Chelsea from the year 1889 to the early 1990s, Tzolis and Kotsoni recognized the value of preserving pieces of New York bar history, particularly in the notoriously fast-paced industry where the elusive restaurant success story is often short-lived.
After managing one of the first East Village speakeasies, Arlo and Esme, head manager of The Bar Room, Harry Joannides commented on the celebration saying, “At The Bar Room, our goal is to become ingrained within the fabric of the neighborhood. Since our opening over a year ago, we find that our regulars and everyone celebrating with us tonight recognizes the significance of allowing this bar’s legacy to live on. Tonight, we are are proud to be celebrating a wonderful 125 years for our restaurant’s namesake and look forward to many years to come.”
Guests of this New American Bistro enjoyed the most luxurious brews of the Anheuser-Busch portfolio including the Goose Island Matilda from Chicago and Widmer Upheaval IPA from Portland. To complement the rich beer flavors, The Bar Room’s Executive Chef Sunil Sharma served savory hors d’ouevres including a venison wellington and duck rillete with cranberry chutney.
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