Not Fit For Print

I have to say that the fire at Tommy’s 4th Street Bar & Grill has me totally bummed.

I’ve been going to Tommy’s almost every Monday night during football season for about five years. Yep, I’m part of the group that’s always playing gin rummy.

It’s to the point where I sometimes show up at the bar and my drink (a Sierra Mist on the rocks, no chaser) will show up in front of me before I say a word to the wait staff.

Then half the time when I’d order food, I’d get some gentle ribbing about my usual reuben sandwich, no kraut. What can I say? Reliable works for me.

And that’s what Tommy’s was. It was good and nice and reliable, like an old friend or something.

Needless to say, it was weird having to interview Bill, who obviously was devastated by the blaze. It was a rough assignment, perhaps made a little bit easier — and a little bit more difficult — because I knew the source. Bill talked to me, and he might not for somebody else, but, damn, not easy to keep the eyes from misting up a bit, y’know?

Plenty of people stopped by to console Bill, and plenty of people were trying to give him encouragement to reopen the joint.

It will take time. Who knows if it will even be in the same location. But the patrons there, including me, well, we had a good thing going with Tommy’s.

At 10 a.m. Monday morning, some of the regulars were already thinking about what they could do as a fundraiser.

That’s the type of joint Tommy’s is — and probably will be again.

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