For all of the headlines we share about chefs comings and goings and restaurant closings and openings, it’s very possible that the biggest story of the year in Savannah Food and Beverage didn’t have anything to do with food. I think it has been a while since that was the case, it seems all we talk about these days is food. Good food, bad food, expensive food, cheap food. Yeah, most people love themselves a good beer every once in a while, and the number of places to enjoy one in Savannah is certainly not lacking. However, if things had broken a different way in Savannah over the last 12 or so months, we may have very well lost a Savannah institution. It didn’t and we didn’t. Has anyone noticed that The Original (Former Pinkie Masters) at the corner of Drayton and Harris Streets downtown Savannah is still one of the best spots in town for a cocktail despite a year of what can best be described as turmoil? I don’t know about you, but I am certainly thankful.
The events that led up to the closing of what was once Savannah’s most popular bar have been well documented. There’s no point re-hashing them here. Where we got lucky is that there was bartender in town who hoped to one day take over the corner bar whenever that was. “I let it be known a couple of times over the years that if this space came available, I’d be interested” he says.
Matt Garappolo moved to Savannah from New Jersey a number of years ago. “I bought what had to be an old crack house and started fixing it up.” Eventually he landed a bartender gig at Sapphire Grill on Congress Street. Long before there was a Grey or a Cotton and Rye or a Florence, it was one of a couple of spots where you could find a well made craft cocktail. As is usually the case, timing was everything. It was no different for Matt.
He had looked around here and there, there and here hoping the right opportunity would come along to open his own place, but there was no rush. He had to have the right fit. He never really thought he’d end up taking over Savannah’s most popular dive bar, but the fact that he had made it pretty clear to a few people that he’d be interested certainly helped his case once the space officially came available. “I wanted to keep it the way it was. Maybe clean it up a little bit, but not change anything. I think that was the main selling point.” He was right.
When The Original opened as the former Pinkie Masters, they didn’t skip a beat. Except for a random text I got from a friend in New York City asking me ‘where’d Pinkies go?” There’s been not a peep about the new ownership, the new bar, the cleaned up (slightly) look and the old school vibe inside one of the most popular saloons in the state. That takes skill. Like the best officials at a sporting event, they are doing their job well when they just blend into the landscape.
It would be easy to say “Cmon, how hard can it be to open a dive bar?!” But when that dive bar is as popular as Pinkie Masters was, the slightest change could turn people off. If you walk into The Original on a random Thursday night, you would never know anything has really changed. The music on the jukebox is still solid. It’s still dark in there and it’s still cash only. Well, I take it back, there is now a menu for you to see what you can order and how much it will cost you. A tiny one, but it is there. Otherwise, this is the same as it ever was.
The oldies may say it has changed. A good bit of memorabilia is gone, but there is still enough to give the space its signature feel. At night it’s still dark. During the day, it’s still a spot to belly up for a PBR and a shot. Hey, why not, right? “Some of the oldies told me to gut the place. Gut it! They said. Get everything out of here.” Garappolo tells me. “I didn’t want to do this. This bar has its place in Savannah and I wanted to keep everything as normal as possible.” He’s gotten a ton of compliments as well.
“Pinkie’s daughter came in one day. I forgot what she said, but it was his birthday. Like 105 or 107 or something. ” he says. “She said she’d probably never come in again, but thanked me for cleaning it up. Then she walked out.” he added. “We’ve had other family members in here as well. Most of the feedback has been positive” Of course it has.
There is some change, however. For the better if you ask me. Matt is making some of his signature cocktails behind the bar. Manhattans with a fresh orange rind? That’s how he does things. Then those unused oranges get squeezed for fresh mimosas on Saturday afternoons. Blasphemy if you ask an old timer. Brilliant if you ask a savvy business man. Which Matt clearly is. “Keeping it simple and fresh.” he says “doesn’t mean they have be more expensive. That’s not just my philosophy with this place, but every place. You should be able to get a good drink and not get gouged.” he adds.
That’s always been the untold story at Pinkie Masters. Strong drinks or a cold beer and on the cheap. You won’t find $14 mint juleps or mojitos on the menu. He may make you one, but The Original isn’t that kind of place. Which is interesting because the bar scene is beginning to bubble in this town “it’s kind of going nuts” he says. But Savannah is strange like that. Yeah, we will very likely visit new spots on Whitaker or on Bull Street next to Public Kitchen and Bar, but there will always be room in town for The Original. As long as they kind of blend into the background on the bar scene, which they have done for years. And if Matt Garppolo has his way, will continue to do.
See you on TV
Jesse
