Following service this evening, Keith McNally closes his iconic Meatpacking District oasis Pastis, for what he's said are about 15-months of building renovations. Despite his insistence to the contrary, rumors have been swirling that the restaurant might close forever and be replaced by something else.
We've no way of knowing how it'll all turn out until it all turns out; nonetheless, some outlets have put out engaging reminiscences to the eatery. Today GrubStreet published a lengthy oral history filled with anecdotes from regulars, critics and long-time employees. Many rightly credit Pastis as a symbol of a changing neighborhood when it opened in 1999, a bartender talks about "literal Bloody Marys" after cutting himself in a brunch crunch; there's also lots of talk of "trannies."
Amidst the praise of McNally's pioneering spirit, neighborhood dedication and "respectable-plus" fare are a few salacious stories of debauchery and bad celeb behavior. Rampant drug use was "pretty typical among waitstaff," according to one server. Chef de cuisine Sascha Lyon talks about a drunk couple who "wouldn't stop having sex" on one of the restaurant's banquettes (the police were eventually called). There's also plenty of celeb bad behavior like "bitchy" Matthew McConaughey and a funny anecdote about Robert Downey, Jr. intentionally tripping a server.
The second season of True Detective practically writes itself.
