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Group of Friends Open Their First Bar in Recovery Room Bar Space

By Shaye Weaver | October 8, 2015 11:22am
 Mile 17, a bar and full restaurant, has replaced the Recovery Room bar on First Avenue.
New Mile 17 Opens on First Avenue
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UPPER EAST SIDE — For friends Ollie Moody, Dennis McCoobery and Ed O'Brien, their dream of opening a bar became a reality in just three weeks.

They signed the lease to the former Recovery Room bar at 1446 First Ave. on Sept. 14, and managed to completely renovate the space in 18 days, Moody said.

They called their new sports bar Mile 17 after New York Marathon's mile marker that draws crowds to watch runners turn on to First Avenue from the Queensboro Bridge.

When they opened on Sunday, roughly 120 people showed up for brunch, Moody said.

"It was a real baptism of fire for us, but we got through it and for the most part people were very, very happy and complimentary of our service," said Moody, who manages the restaurant, on Wednesday. "I've been blessed with a terrific staff. They seemed to be unfazed by the newness of it on Sunday, which is more than I can say for myself."

They had to tear down the walls, replace the floor and install a new bar, Moody said. Now, the bar features an open space with exposed brick walls, and a fresh coat of blue paint. Moody also picked up antique ceiling tiles from a collector in Woodstock and framed them on the walls, he said.

The bar's menu includes a Black Jack Burger, made with pepper jack cheese and Cajun mayonnaise; New York Steak Frites; a beet, avocado and fried goat cheese salad; and grilled Atlantic salmon. All the food is made in-house, and gluten-free options are available, Moody added. 

"We did want to incorporate that it was a sports bar, but a sports bar designed for more than just a fat guy like me that likes sports," Moody said. "We still have burgers and wings, but you can drink beer or have the option of a glass of wine, a salad or any of the gluten-free options from the menu. We have gluten-free beers, too. We wanted a very welcoming menu and an inviting space."

The restaurant also has a kids menu that includes one free scoop of ice cream, he added.

The chef, Jorge Estrada, headed the kitchen at Patrick Conway's Irish pub for 19 years, Moody said.

Moody, who hails from Ireland and lives in Queens, has bar tended and managed bars in the city for nearly 15 years with his longest stint at Murray Hill's Margarita Murphys, which is now closed.

McCoobery and O'Brien, also of Irish descent, are Upper East Side residents and had frequented the Recovery Room. When time came to sell the bar, the trio jumped on it.

"We very much want to be part of the neighborhood," Moody said. "And in talking about the name of the place and the concept, it was brought up that on Marathon Sunday this is where to go to watch it on the Upper East Side. This is the Mile 17 marker and we wanted to be part of that."

Mile 17 is open daily from 10:30 to 4 a.m., serving food from 11 a.m. to midnight, except on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, when food is served until 1 a.m. Delivery to addresses within a 10 block radius is coming soon, Moody said.