Farewell to Lefty O'Doul's, for Awhile, at Least

While I was in San Francisco this week during one of our recent ferocious rain storms, I popped into Lefty O'Doul's to take cover and for one last lunch.

Although all of the 400 pieces of baseball memorabilia that usually cover the walls and fill every nook and cranny of Lefty's have disappeared, it still had its usual comfortable feel.

The hofbrau cafeteria line was busy with other hungry customers in here for one last Turkey dinner or Corned Beef or Pastrami Sandwich.

I had my "usual," a Corned Beef Sandwich on Rye.

I must admit, it's been a few years since I last ate at Lefty's and, now, I'm regretting it.  My sliced-to-order hot corned beef sandwich has to be the best corned beef sandwich in San Francisco.  The corned beef was hot, moist, and lean...everything I want in a Corned Beef Sandwich.

Why have I been going to Wise Sons and Max's most often for my Corned Beef "fix" when I should have been going to Lefty's?

The future of Lefty O'Doul's is not certain. It is scheduled to close on February 3, 2017.

The restaurant dates back to 1958 when baseball player Francis "Lefty" O'Doul opened it in San Francisco as a place where family and friends could come to eat and meet sports stars.  Lefty was born in San Francisco and played in the Pacific Coast League as well as for several Major League teams.  In 1929, he had the highest batting average (.398) of any National League outfielders in the 20th century. 

The owners of the restaurant's building are in dispute with current owner Nick Bovis who's been running Lefty's since 1998. Bovis says that he has the rights to the Lefty O'Doul's name and all its 400 pieces of memorabilia and will reopen this fall in a nearby location.  The building owners say otherwise and that they are planning to remodel this site and reopen it as their version of Lefty O'Doul's.

The only "decorative" item remaining, is a Marilyn Monroe statue in one corner of the back dining room.

I guess all we Lefty's fans can do is to stay tuned. BUT, if you can get over there in the next two weeks for a sandwich or platter of hand-carved roast beef, ham, corned beef, pastrami, or turkey, you will not be disappointed.  Lefty O'Doul's is open every day of the week from 7 a.m. until 2 a.m.

McCovey's is Closing in Walnut Creek

In 2003, the Dudum family, in collaboration with baseball Hall of Fame first baseman, Willy McCovey, opened McCovey's Restaurant in downtown Walnut Creek.

The Dudum's are known for their celebrity-themed restaurants and McCovey's theme was baseball, particularly the San Francisco Giants. It was truly the ultimate sports bar...in shape of a baseball diamond and with baseball and other sports memorabilia decorating the walls, ceilings, and even the floor. Television screens, broadcasting sports are visible no matter where you are sitting.

Back then, Willy McCovey used to drop by fairly regularly. I got to meet him one day when he and I were there for lunch.  Usually, he "held court" in the private dining room off the main dining area.

Sadly, McCovey's is closing the day after Super Bowl, February 2.  Word has it that McCovey's is hoping to relocate to San Francisco, closer to AT&T Park, the San Francisco Giants' home baseball park. A Los Angeles hamburger chain is going to be filling the Walnut Creek space and the empty former gym space next door (if this is true, the restaurant will fill the length of a city block!!!).

Last night, Jim and I had our final meal at McCovey's.

We are both fans of their pulled pork.

Jim went all out with the Pulled Pork Dinner that comes with three side dishes.

I was a bit more conservative, ordering my "usual," the Pulled Pork Sandwich.

For collectors of Baseball memorabilia, McCovey's is selling all its signed baseballs and authentic bats for half price.

Farewell, McCovey's...Walnut Creek will miss you.