The Curious Tale of a Paris Cafe Bartender's 'Sandy Beard'

South Street Seaport's landmark Paris Cafe reopened for business last night nearly a year after its closure following Sandy's drenching. Wonderfully, back behind the bar were to be found two of Paris' stalwart bartending team, Robert Grant (who started working at Paris in 2006) and Eamon Murphy (2009). "You missed it," Murphy shouted at an Eater operative. "I shaved my beard!" That was, in fact, an understatement.

The Boston Red Sox have made growing beards the hallmark of their 2013 postseason chase, but Murphy went them one better. Seems that Murphy last shaved two weeks before Hurricane Sandy, and then let his beard grow in the wake of the storm. "They told us the Paris would reopen in December, then January," Murphy said. "I decided I wouldn't cut off my beard or moustache until the Paris reopened." (To help pass the time, Murphy worked at Fidi's Open Door Gastropub, "learned to make jerky"—and got engaged.)

Last night, five minutes before opening, Murphy walked outside onto the sidewalk, "pulled up my beard, and started trimming." The Sandy Beard, more than 365 days in creation, fell away. A few hours later, there he was, closely shaven, topping off our pint of Guinness. It is good to have the Paris Cafe, and its lads, back.
· Sandy-Damaged Paris Cafe to Reopen Tomorrow [~E~]