As far as opening weekend gimmicks go, getting Bill Murray to be your guest bartender is right up there with “handing out free rent-controlled apartments with every taco.” Yet when Bill Murray is your dad, that’s the kind of swagger you can pull off. So we learned yesterday from an Eater report that Homer Murray, Bill’s 34-year-old son, is opening a new restaurant called 21 Greenpoint this weekend and his famous Ghostbustin’ ass pop will allegedly be pouring the drinks on Friday and Saturday nights. We are slightly skeptical of this, only because having a Bill Murray encounter in New York is a famously chimerical and unrepeatable experience, like catching a shooting star or finding an empty subway car that isn’t possessed with the ghosts of heinous odors. But Homer says it’s real.
“We want people to come and have fun,” Homer told Eater. “People can walk in; just be nice. What my dad lacks in experience, he makes up for in tequila.”
UPDATE 1pm: Due to overwhelming interest (obvs), the event is now invite-only. A rep told Eater: “For overall capacity reasons, this is not an open door event, there will be a guest list.” But ask yourself: Would Bill Murray let a guest list prevent him from attending a party like this?
21 Greenpoint, located at 21 Greenpoint Ave. (duh), takes over for the old River Styx spot. The beverage director is Sean McClure, who previously bartended at Le Bernardin, Dirty French, and Daniel, according to Eater. The menu includes contemporary American fare like Hudson Valley Foie Fried Rice ($38), Marinated Squid Carpaccio ($14) and Steak Tartar on Roasted Marrow Bone ($19).
TimeOut, citing no sources, claims, the elder Murray will bartend starting at 7pm on Friday and Saturday.
Bill Murray is perhaps New York City’s most mythical and sought-after party crasher, showing up at house parties, crashing karaoke rooms and joining the occasional kickball game, and of course he’s no stranger to hopping behind the bar. Too bad he missed that time the Ghostbusters HQ was relocated to Williamsburg.
Try your hand at making a reservation at the restaurant here; the place will likely be swamped, but I bet Murray loves this plan.