HUNGRY GERALD

When HG was a young, heavy drinking journalist, HG ate many meals at Irish bars. Before being replaced by office towers, tall apartment houses and fashionable retailers, Third Avenue was speckled with Irish bars. Among HG’s favorites was Murphy’s (northeast corner of 45th and Third) a good place for an austere ham sandwich and mix of draft beer and Guiness Stout (Black and Tan ). Some yards west of Murphy’s was Mirror Bar. The Daily Mirror newspaper was housed in the building  (as well as International News Service, International]  News Photos, King Features and other Hearst enterprises–HG  had his office there, racing between INS, INP and television news services. Mirror Bar was rough and ready and drunken. Cuisine enjoyed by HG was hard boiled eggs and pickled pig’s knuckles. PJ Clark’s was a few blocks north on Third. It wasn’t fashionable though it had old time decor. HG enjoyed their cheap and juicy burgers. McSorley’s Old  Ale House on E. 7th  (just off Third) was the oldest bar in New York and is still thriving. In HG’s day it didn’t serve women (Supreme Court changed that in the early 70’s). Ale was (and is) splendid and  cuisine was limited–cheese, sliced onions, stale bread. Now it has an extensive menu as it attracts crowds of tourists. The ultimate bar room dish was pot roast in lush gravy from a long closed place (name forgotten on E.23rd (??). Ah, that gravy!! Cost was a dollar. Big favorite of the NYC police.