As most New Albanians already know, a fire early Monday morning claimed the historic Steinert's Grill and Pub, which in its earlier and more respectable incarnations was a local landmark, having been established in the latter part of the 19th century.
The Tribune misses the scoop because of its Monday off day, but the newspaper has a brief on-line story and a few photos that were submitted by regular NAC reader and blogger John Alton.
The Courier-Journal offers this quickie:
Fire damages popular New Albany restaurant
Fire swept through Steinert's Grill & Pub in New Albany, Ind., around 4 a.m., causing heavy smoke and structural damage and taking 15 firefighters from the New Albany Fire Department an hour and a half to contain, according to New Albany police and fire communications.
There were no reported injuries, and the cause of the blaze was undetermined. The popular restaurant is in a two-story frame building at 2239 Charlestown Road.
All the reports coming in today indicate that the building is a total loss, and will be razed as soon as practicable.
Me? I hadn't been there in years and won't pretend that it was my kind of place since, I dunno, some time around 1983, but it was a slice of New Albany history … que sera sera, and all that. Hats off to a bit of history now passed.
But it just goes to show that bad karma really does last forever, and that estrogen-crazed bartender never should have kicked me out that night back in 1984 for playing with the salt shaker.
Thank you for the mention Roger. My full story and more pictures are on my blog at http://altonsindependentdemocrat.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteAction John on the Scene with Camera in hand. I sat on my porch and watched the flames jump up over the other houses between the Tavern and my home, and did not think once about grabbing the ol' nikon.
ReplyDeleteOf course I was more in shock at the fact the place was burning down!
Its sad, I had family who worked there, and I am sure they are all ready scared about their future!
Shame....
You may not remember meeting me there a few times for the 2001 playoffs. I recall you being caustic (wink) and ordering two beers (Bass?) at a time.
ReplyDeleteA vast majority of the best times in my adult life were perpetrated in Steinert’s. It was a great place to drink, flirt, and study people at their best and worst. I am very sad today. A part of my heart will always belong to that crazy place and the good-hearted men I met there.
ReplyDeleteMany memories for me at the Steinhole as a young man of 21 and new to the area; eating plate lunches in the original bar area with other blue collars there for food and beer on their brakes. Old guys as barkeeps that still operated it like it was their own place all under the watchful eye of Mr. Steinert himself. They should have never expanded from its beloved neighborhood style bar.
ReplyDeleteJust so you know there was a firefighter injured and underwent surgery o repair tendons in his hand. He is doing well and should return to work in about 8 weeks
ReplyDeleteI just wanted a beer. . .
ReplyDeleteI showed up at Richo's for a pint of guiness but was flatly told that last call had been called. *GAH*
So -- being new to the area... I decided to stroll down the road to Jack's. They had this nice little oatmeal stout in a bottle. Not to shabby, it would have done nicely.
Alas, it was not to be: "We don't take credit cards but you can use our ATM... but its out of money."
"?!"
"You can walk across the street to the bank."
Um, no thanks. I needed a proper beer frau. Not one recommending I play in traffic.
So -- I drove to Steinert's. It was a beery-sounding name. The parkinglot looked PACKED so, I had high hopes. I walked through the door and there was this HORRIFIC band playing Violent Femmes. The doorman shouted that I needed to pay cover. DAMN.
no cash on me. >_<
Of course, they too had an ATM and I was directed to the opposite side of the bar, across a throng of... honestly, of I don't know what. --It was shoulder-to-shoulder. There was NO WAY I was going to fight a god damned crowd for a beer.
so, I just kinda looked at the man with tired eyes. He was an older fellow, so -- I imagined he owned the place or knew who did. I told him, "I just want to find a place where I can sit down and drink a god-damned beer at midnight. I don't want all of this." and I gestured to the writhing mob -- that's what they were, they were a mob.
I could tell he didn't want it either -- he had that kinda, sympathetic nod in his look as I turned and left.
1 day later the place is burned to the ground.