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The Emerald Inn

Opening Hours
Today: 12pm–4am
Fri:
12pm–4am
Sat:
12pm–4am
Sun:
12pm–4am
Mon:
12pm–4am
Tues:
12pm–4am
Wed:
12pm–4am
Location
250 West 72nd Street
Neighborhoods
The Emerald Inn 1 Irish American Beer Bars Late Night Eats Upper West Side

The Emerald Inn had its home on Columbus Avenue and 69th Street since 1943, but in 2013, the family was unable to renew their lease. Charlie, the current owner, pointed out the "Emerald Inn" sign on the wall that came from the original bar. Although a third generation American citizen, we found Charlie to be Irish through and through. He explained that his great-grandparents, who started the Emerald Inn, grew up in the same town in the county of Galway, but that they magically met here, in the Bronx. Every May, Charlie does his best to travel to Ireland, and in return, his Irish relatives have visited him and his bar in Manhattan. He announced, "They have liked what they've seen."

Charlie has tried to maintain the Gaelic charm that his father, grandfather and great grandfather brought to the Inn. The menu continues to include Irish favorites like corned beef, fish and chips, and bangers and mash, but also offers some American classics like burgers and Reubens. "We do a solid lunch – everything is good here," Charlie said proudly. As he poured a pint of Guinness like a pro, waiting for "the black stuff" to settle before filling the glass, I asked him a bit more about his family. I learned that his grandfather is still alive, in his eighties. Charlie told me that his grandfather used to be chummy with Hugh Downs, a former 20/20 ABC TV news magazine host who frequented the bar, along with many other ABC celebrities. Charlie remembers coming to the bar when he was as young as three years old. Once he hit working age, he slowly rose from dishwasher to waiter and then to bartender before taking over the bar from his father, who is now in semi-retirement.

On a subsequent visit to the Emerald Inn, I was able to see all three generations together.  Each man shares the same sense of humor and geniality.  An excellent sense of hospitality clearly runs in the family, since all three men showed the same amount of friendliness and humor towards the Manhattan Sideways team, offering them plates of "Irish lasagna" and chicken marsala, which warmed the team's stomachs (along with the generous pitchers of beer!).

Charlie confided that he was worried when the rent on the previous location doubled, causing him to have to search for a new home. "We were very beloved in the neighborhood," he informed me. They found the current location entirely by chance – Charlie's father was driving by as the previous owner was clearing out. He noticed a commotion, recognized that the space had been a bar, and immediately snagged it. Charlie was pleased to say that two years later, the bar has both gained new customers and retained many of their old ones. "There's a mix of everybody," Charlie said matter-of-factly. "People are still finding us two years later." One group that keeps coming back is the New York Ballet. They use Emerald Inn as their neighborhood hangout, but are a little disappointed with the low ceilings in the new location. "They used to be able to dance on the bar," Charlie laughed. He then admitted that many of the dancers have known him since he was very little. "They still call me 'Baby Charlie,'" he said with a grin.

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The Emerald Inn 1 Irish American Beer Bars Late Night Eats Upper West Side
The Emerald Inn 2 Irish American Beer Bars Late Night Eats Upper West Side
The Emerald Inn 3 Irish American Beer Bars Late Night Eats Upper West Side
The Emerald Inn 4 Irish American Beer Bars Late Night Eats Upper West Side
The Emerald Inn 5 Irish American Beer Bars Late Night Eats Upper West Side
The Emerald Inn 6 Irish American Beer Bars Late Night Eats Upper West Side
The Emerald Inn 7 Irish American Beer Bars Late Night Eats Upper West Side
The Emerald Inn 8 Irish American Beer Bars Late Night Eats Upper West Side
The Emerald Inn 9 Irish American Beer Bars Late Night Eats Upper West Side
The Emerald Inn 10 Irish American Beer Bars Late Night Eats Upper West Side
The Emerald Inn 11 Irish American Beer Bars Late Night Eats Upper West Side
The Emerald Inn 12 Irish American Beer Bars Late Night Eats Upper West Side
The Emerald Inn 13 Irish American Beer Bars Late Night Eats Upper West Side
The Emerald Inn 14 Irish American Beer Bars Late Night Eats Upper West Side

More American nearby

Lost Gem
Malachy's Donegal Inn 1 Bars American undefined

Malachy's Donegal Inn

With its prime 72nd Street location, I have passed by Malachy's Donegal Inn almost daily, but had never stepped inside. I was always waiting for the day when I would be working on this street, so that I could go in with the Manhattan Sideways team and have a good time. And that is exactly what happened. "Looks can be deceiving, believe me, " owner Bill Raftery immediately said when we popped in during the lunch hour in the middle of the week. He continued to speak lovingly and confidently of his pub, which has been in business since 1989. "This bar has the best pub food of any like it in the area, " Bill stated. Looking around, we were pleased to find the old wooden bar packed from end to end. According to Bill, most of his lunch customers are crew guys from local theaters like The Beacon and Lincoln Center, and "they are loyal. " Engaging in conversation with more than a dozen men and women, we learned a lot about Bill, and the warm environment that he has built. As Bill continued to serve people from behind the bar, he spoke of how much the neighborhood has changed since he purchased Malachy's. On Saint Patrick's Day, the area used to be blanketed in green bar-goers. "You could not move in this neighborhood the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. There's nothing like seeing them blow up those balloons. " Hikes in parking and travel costs have drastically reduced business on both of those days, he lamented. Still, he brightened up when pointing to the crowded bar, and said how his regulars are certainly devoted customers. Quite busy, he told us to stop by for a drink sometime soon, and headed into the kitchen.

Lost Gem
Alice's Tea Cup 1 Breakfast Tea Shops Brunch American undefined

Alice's Tea Cup

Across the park and nine streets north from the 64th Street location, Olivia, a member of the Manhattan Sideways team, was still visibly excited to be sitting down to breakfast at Alice's Tea Cup. Though she loves each of the teahouse's three "chapters, " the 73rd Street cafe is the original - and the first one she visited as a young teen. She shared stories with me of coming here and marveling at the tiered Afternoon Teas that would arrive at her table, filled with scones, finger sandwiches and sweets. She questioned whether or not she might have been a bit too old at fifteen to celebrate her birthday here and then spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around New York blowing sparkle-filled bubbles, dressed in a pair of shimmering fairy wings acquired from the tea shop's front room, which is filled with whimsical retail items. On our visit to Alice's, Olivia, now a mature twenty-five, had her usual - a pumpkin scone with a personal pot of tea - while Tom, our photographer, ordered "the biggest coffee" they had. It arrived in a mug "the size of Tom's face. " Olivia pointed out all the Alice in Wonderland themed decorations that she remembered from previous visits, including a quote from the character of the Duchess written in fun purple font along the walls and an angry painting of the red queen in the bathroom, telling employees to wash their hands or "Off with your head! " Her favorite little decorative touch, however, was on the swinging door into the kitchen. There is a giant keyhole window, suggesting that maybe, like Alice, the diners had shrunk to the size of mice, and would be swept away into a magical land, scones and teacups in hand.

Lost Gem
Fischer Bros & Leslie 1 American Butchers Kosher Family Owned undefined

Fischer Bros & Leslie

"It's good to see you, and it's good to be seen, " Paul Whitman said to Mrs. Lloyd, who has been a regular at Fischer Bros. & Leslie for the last fifty years. From across the shop, Paul's brother-in-law Steve Niederman smiled and said, "Mrs. Lloyd, from 57th Street! " Paul wrote down Mrs. Lloyd's order in his big book of house accounts and she was on her way. Over the course of the thirty minutes that we spent in this butcher shop, we witnessed many scenes like this. A regular would arrive, be greeted by name, place an order, pay via their "house account, " maybe set up delivery, and be off to their next errand. It is something that does not happen everyday, especially in New York. Fischer Bros. & Leslie, which has been in business since 1949, has proudly served three, sometimes four generations of families, and vice president and partner Paul Whitman has gotten to know most of them throughout his tenure with the shop, thanks in part to their commitment to the house account system. Fischer Bros. & Leslie does take cash, checks, and the occasional credit card, and it does have a website, but Paul encourages everyone to open a house account. "You get to know the people this way, " he told me. They will call a customer to let them know that one of their favorites is in stock: "We have some rib steak, just what you like. " The store even accommodates their regulars by preparing seasonal foods throughout the year, if demand warrants. Partner Yisroel Brown told us there is an older couple that loves their gazpacho, even in the wintertime, so "we'll make a batch for them, " and then added, "Just like latkes are not just for Hanukkah. "Paul has been a part of the Fischer Bros. & Leslie family ever since he married Leslie's daughter Marcy, whom he met in college. After graduate school at The Stern School of Business at NYU, Leslie invited Paul to work at the store while he got his resume together. "That was thirty-five years ago, " Paul told me. The full-service kosher butcher shop also prepares a large variety of Jewish favorites in-house, including matzo ball soup, which was initially prepared for Marcy one day years ago when she wasn't feeling well, but then became so popular that it was added to the menu. Paul went on to say that they set a wall on fire making the soup, which spurred them to build a kitchen. Another fire occurred years later, just before Passover, when someone left a brisket in the oven. Luckily, Paul was staying in the family's office upstairs at the time, and a neighbor (who knew he was there, thanks to his motorcycle parked out front) alerted him to the fire, and a Passover crisis was averted. When I walked out of this old world shop, Jenna, a member of the Manhattan Sideways team, turned to me and said, "My family has been in New York City for over a hundred years, and I have heard them tell stories of places like Fischer Bros. & Leslie, places where a customer was greeted by name, where money only changed hands at the end of the month, where quality of product went hand-in-hand with quality of service and character, but I had never experienced it myself. Wait until I tell my Grandma that a place like the ones she reminisces about still exists. " (Good thing they deliver to Brooklyn. )

More places on 72nd Street

Lost Gem
Tip Top Shoes 1 Mens Shoes Women's Shoes Family Owned undefined

Tip Top Shoes

When I visited Tip Top Shoes in the summer of 2015, the store was celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary. Danny Wasserman proudly showed me the most recent edition of Footwear News, which was essentially dedicated to Tip Top. There were messages from countless sponsors in the shoe world, congratulating the Wasserman family for their longevity. Sitting down with Danny and his children, Lester and Margot, who are in charge of West NYC and Tip Top Kids respectively was an absolute pleasure. Having grown up just a block away, Lester and Margot were immersed in the business even as toddlers. In high school, both began working at the store with their dad. Lester was immediately drawn into the world of shoes, learning as much as he could with the ultimate goal of opening his own sneaker shop, West NYC, a few doors down. Lester explained to me that Tip Top already sold sporty designer men's shoes, but that he expanded this concept into a trendier store in 2007. Margot, on the other hand, knew that she wanted to work in retail, but began her career with Ralph Lauren. She stayed there through the dot-com revolution and then returned to work for her father. Included in the copy of Footwear News was a picture of how the store looked decades ago. Display cases took up the first few feet on either side of the door. Danny's grandfather originally opened the store after coming to the United States from Israel. He chose to buy the little shoe shop, which had been uptown in Riverdale, from an elderly German couple. The family then moved the store to 72nd Street. "Things were very different, " Danny explained to me. "People were less affluent, there were fewer options, and every shoe in the store was in the window. " He told me that at one point there were two black shoes and two brown shoes for men, and that was what customers had to choose from. Expanding on the neighborhood's history, Danny said that the street was frequented by pimps. "We had white boots with fur at the time that we couldn't keep in stock. "Later, the store was expanded both forward (eliminating the window displays) and back. Today, Tip Top continues to have a loyal following, many from the next generation of shoppers. Having walked so many streets in Manhattan, Tip Top has been a wonderful reminder to me that the old world concept of customer service, with a warm staff who have been working with the Wassermans for years, still exists. This thinking was solidified when I asked the family why they never considered expanding to another location. The response from Danny simply stated that they never wanted to spread themselves too thin. "The reason for our success is because we're all here. "It was really touching to see how strong the glue is that holds the Wasserman family together. I was not surprised when I learned that Lester, Margot and their parents live in the same building, a block over on 72nd Street - but on different floors. Yes, Tip Top has been an incredible success story in the world of mom and pop stores, but not everyone has had the great fortune of such a beautiful family relationship. When I expressed this sentiment to Danny, he replied, "Everyone says how fortunate I am to have my kids, and they're right. " He then went on to say with a warm smile, "I mean, my son chooses to work with me six days a week. " Lester shook his head in agreement and responded, "And I am lucky to have the best possible teacher to educate me. "

Lost Gem
Gebhard’s Beer Culture 1 Beer Shops Bars Beer Bars undefined

Gebhard’s Beer Culture

“We are beer nerds, not beer snobs. ” That is how Bo Bogle, the general manager of Gebhard’s Beer Culture, and Peter Malfatti, its beverage director, would describe the wood-furnished, cozy bar and restaurant that they opened in the summer of 2016, featuring various local and foreign artisanal beers on tap. The people behind Gebhard’s Beer Culture - the sister restaurant to Beer Culture on 45th Street - are as enthusiastic about beer as they are about educating customers. Because many of the beers that they offer are unknown to the general public, Gebhard’s will always work to find the draught that best suits each customer’s palate. If one feels like tasting several selections, the beer flight - a tray of four small glasses - is a good choice. Along with the continuously changing list of beers, the kitchen offers an ample menu of munchies, many from Belgium, as this is where owner Matt Gebhard spent time as a foreign exchange student. I was enchanted to discover how playful the space is: Upstairs, there is a games room, complete with a dartboard, shuffleboard, Hacky Sacks, and BulziBucket. The decorations throughout the bar and restaurant are eclectic, with various beer signs and novelty items covering the walls. At the front, I discovered a nook full of records, as well as a well-loved bicycle helmet. Bo and Ryan, the bartenders on duty, matched the vibe of the restaurant with their jovial nature as they poured beers for the Manhattan Sideways team. They set out glasses of citrusy TarTan Ale, a Central Waters Brewing Co beer, and a fresh, hoppy Southern Tier 2x Tangier. The two men knew exactly what to select for a hot day in the city and enjoyed tag-teaming descriptions of each beer and brand. Bo explained to us that the motivation behind Gebhard's Beer Culture is essentially a “passion for the local beer market. ” With the recent proliferation of local breweries around the city and in the rest of the country, Bo feels that “individuals are making great beers and that should be acknowledged. ” However, he believes it is not enough to simply have them on tap, but rather, the bartenders should teach customers about the local beer scene. Beer Culture’s objective is as much educational as it is to host many good nights with friends. When asked about the one thing that he would like customers to know about their new bar, Bo grinned and said: “the second beer always tastes better than the first. ”

Lost Gem
Malachy's Donegal Inn 1 Bars American undefined

Malachy's Donegal Inn

With its prime 72nd Street location, I have passed by Malachy's Donegal Inn almost daily, but had never stepped inside. I was always waiting for the day when I would be working on this street, so that I could go in with the Manhattan Sideways team and have a good time. And that is exactly what happened. "Looks can be deceiving, believe me, " owner Bill Raftery immediately said when we popped in during the lunch hour in the middle of the week. He continued to speak lovingly and confidently of his pub, which has been in business since 1989. "This bar has the best pub food of any like it in the area, " Bill stated. Looking around, we were pleased to find the old wooden bar packed from end to end. According to Bill, most of his lunch customers are crew guys from local theaters like The Beacon and Lincoln Center, and "they are loyal. " Engaging in conversation with more than a dozen men and women, we learned a lot about Bill, and the warm environment that he has built. As Bill continued to serve people from behind the bar, he spoke of how much the neighborhood has changed since he purchased Malachy's. On Saint Patrick's Day, the area used to be blanketed in green bar-goers. "You could not move in this neighborhood the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. There's nothing like seeing them blow up those balloons. " Hikes in parking and travel costs have drastically reduced business on both of those days, he lamented. Still, he brightened up when pointing to the crowded bar, and said how his regulars are certainly devoted customers. Quite busy, he told us to stop by for a drink sometime soon, and headed into the kitchen.