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Oh, really?

No, O'Reillys — and a few other one-liners

By Dave Faries
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
August 8th, 2007 issue

For the past six years, Robert Norton has been a fixture at his New Town bar.
Not a bar, really, but an institution. More than 1 million people have wobbled out of Rocky O’Reillys during Norton’s tenure. But, not long ago, he concluded a deal transferring ownership of the Irish-style pub to the Legend’s Sports Bar crew.
“I was approached about selling the bar and I was shocked when I said yes,” Norton recalls. “But it was a super deal — everybody is happy. They got a great bar.”
What drove him to dispose of such a moneymaker? Nearing 60 years in age, he claims to be slowing a bit. Really, though, it was the unexpected death of his brother — described as a very healthy nonsmoker — that caused Norton to back away from the restaurateur lifestyle.
“It was the right time,” he says.
Norton’s brother was responsible for naming Rocky O’Reillys when he brought up the name of a mutual friend called … you guessed it. “The guy [the real Rocky O’Reilly] nearly dropped dead when he saw 16 beautiful waitresses with his name on their chests,” Norton says with a laugh.
There are no plans to change the popular Štěpánská institution, although the former owner expects new blood will help keep things rolling along.
Meanwhile, Norton is enjoying his retirement, though perhaps temporarily.
“I enjoyed every minute of Rocky O’Reillys,” he sighs. “I miss it already.”
Swinging doors
Well, well, well. A somewhat trustworthy source insists that the long, long-awaited Bukowski’s finally, allegedly, opened. The Žižkov pub began pouring drinks — according to the story — just over a week ago, before management found appropriate signage or anything else to indicate a change in status. But that’s just what I’m told.
Another oft-delayed announcement: La Biftique, a new restaurant in Old Town’s Malé náměstí, opened for business recently. Just so you know: It’s not a vegetarian destination.
Yet to open, but surprisingly on schedule, is the Irish pub Shamrock’s, replacing the long-standing Wenceslas Square sports bar owned by Jaromír Jágr. Arnie Foley (formerly of Lions and the aforementioned Rocky O’Reillys) and his team are in the midst of a round of “soft openings,” testing service flaws. They expect doors to swing open for real in September.
Oliva, meanwhile, is shutting its doors for much of August, when half the local population disappears. The stellar Mediterranean destination reopens on the 20th, a few weeks before Czechs meander back to work.
Bad news for fans of wasabi peanuts in New Town: Vegetka cannot restock the fiery little goobers until September, when they too reopen.
The good little all-hours Tex/Cal-Mex joint, Picante, first changed hands and then closed down.
Knocking around
Indonesian native Ari Munander has been bumped up to the executive chef position at Essensia in the Mandarin Oriental. The kitchen veteran worked on three continents before settling in as sous chef for the hotel’s noted restaurant last summer.
In other hotel news, La Rotonde in the Radisson renovated its hidden terrace, just in time for midsummer recess — adding a new facade, trees and a hardwood floor to probably one of the few tranquil places in that part of New Town.
Final (slurred) words
An Australian firm is marketing Babicka brand vodka, a so-called “Czech witches brew” steeped with wormwood. Yep, the same notorious twigs responsible for absinthe and (supposedly) Van Gogh’s attempt at home surgery. The company’s Web site defines the name as “old women sometimes attributed with mysterious reputations for witchcraft” — perhaps meaning they vanished from office jobs in August. It goes on to report that, “not persecuted or burnt at the stake by the religiously tolerant Czechs, the babickas gave the base to some of the most advanced herbal medicines.” Hmm … who knew centuries-old herbal remedies counted as advanced? And, historically, more witches died at the stake in Bohemia than in England — but no matter. The vodka sounds interesting, although spokesperson Arran Russell says there are no plans to distribute in this area until early next year. At least Czech grandmothers are getting some publicity.

Dave Faries can be reached at dfaries@praguepost.com


Other articles in Night & Day (8/08/2007):

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