Where's a good moose head when you need one?
One year after it was shuttered, Bullwinkle's Saloon is scheduled to reopen Saturday under new ownership. For the most part, it'll be the same townie college bar except for a few minor changes. For one, its signature moose head is gone. It walked off when the Seven Corners bar was closed.
"If somebody wants to bring it back, we'll welcome it," said new owner Bob Rick.
The bar also sacrificed part of its name. Now it's simply Bullwinkle Saloon. Earth-shattering, I know. (Supposedly, the original name is tied up with the old corporate entity.)
Rick, 68, a retired computer research analyst, is an unlikely savior of this 35-year-old bar. He knew the building's owners, the Singh brothers, from doing software development for them at the neighboring Jewel of India restaurant. After several suitors fell through, Rick stepped in to lease the space.
As a longtime West Bank advocate, he told me: "Somebody's got to do it."
But getting the doors open has been tougher than expected. While the weathered wood interior hasn't changed, Rick spent about $40,000 of his retirement money rehabbing stuff you don't see (behind the bar and in the kitchen). The food menu will get a slight update, but don't worry, the Coney Island dogs aren't going anywhere.
While most bar owners love to talk about how they're re-creating the wheel with bar food and craft beer, Rick seemed most interested in chatting about overconsumption and charity (two things close to his heart). He wouldn't let me off the phone without repeating several times: There will be no binge drinking at his bar. (Sorry, college kids!) He's also planning to hold charity events that will benefit nearby American Indian health groups.
