SUNNYSIDE — There's a story behind the wolf displayed prominently over the bar of a new watering hole that's just taken over the Molly Blooms space.
Paul Longo, 31, and Sunnyside resident Paul McDaid, 29 — two veterans of the bar industry — opened Ida’s Nearabout on Queens Boulevard near 44th Street on Aug. 5.
The pair, who met while working at a bar in the Financial District, renovated the space after taking it over from the owner of Molly Blooms, who sold the business last year.
The new decor includes Ida, a large taxidermy wolf that’s displayed over the bar, a gift he inherited from a friend, Longo said.
The animal used to hang around his friend’s family ranch in Montana, so they decided to nickname her, he explained.
When Ida died — they assumed from natural causes — they had her preserved.
"It's a piece of art, in a weird way," he said. "It's certainly not meant to offend anyone."
Above all, good service will be the focus of their new venture, the owners said.
"That's our real focus — we are service people. That's one thing that will always, in my mind, set you apart," said Longo.
Ida’s Nearabout currently serves beer and cocktails and will begin to offer food in the coming weeks, with plans for a menu Longo described as "New American with a hint of voodoo."
That means it will have some southern touches but will mostly be "a mishmash of really good, elevated bar food," he said.
"We're going to do some interesting stuff," he added.
The space has a backyard garden that will open to customers later this week, and the owners say they want to offer live music at least once a week.
"Sunnyside is very much an active neighborhood…we just wanted to promote that and keep people here," McDaid said. "It's important to keep people here on Friday and Saturday nights rather than going to the city."
