Sunday, January 20, 2013

Harry's Bar in Danger of Closing

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal caught my eye and made me feel sad. Harry's Bar is, "Drowning in debt, struggling with a decline in American patrons and battling to cut labor costs, Harry's Bar—inventor of the Prosecco-and-peach purée cocktail known as the Bellini—has turned to a distressed-debt fund to revive its business."

I have some fond memories of Harry's. The first time we went, we were shown to the stairs to the upstairs dining room. As we climbed the stairs, we heard feet running on another staircase. When we arrived at the top, our slightly out of breath host was waiting for us. He'd run up the back stairs!

Another time, we were sitting near a table of an American family. Mom, Dad, a teenaged son and a pre-teen son. The men were all wearing khaki pants, navy blue blazers and blue shirts. In the middle of the meal, they started to argue about something. They were very proper. No raised voices. No scene. But we could tell they were fighting. The teenager got red in the face; he clenched his fists and his eyes were wild. Then, the fight went out of him and the meal resumed.

Harry's always provided us with great people watching. One time an older gentleman came in with a much younger and very attractive woman. What I would call an "uncle" out with his "niece." She was swaddled from head to toe in a gray wrap. They sat and talked. He ordered wine. It came and the woman must have approved of the choice because she excused herself to go to the restroom. When she returned, the wrap was gone revealing a short cocktail dress....

We  used to enjoy our dinners at Harry's, but prices went up and the service and food declined. We don't go to Harry's any more, but have fond memories. It would be a shame if it closed. Click here to read the article.

The photo is not mine. I got it from Harry's Bar website. I suggest reading Harry's Bar: The Life and Times of the Legendary Venice Landmark.

No comments: