A Piece of Restaurant History Returns to Garrison, New York

I saw a post recently on Facebook from a restaurant in Garrison, New York and it made me laugh a bit. Have you ever ordered food or a drink at a restaurant because it came in a souvenir item?

I am going to go out on a limb here and say yes. I think we have all done it at one time or another. Maybe it was a collector's mug at your favorite brewery. Then there are those etched wine glasses you can find yourself talked into at a winery.

A Piece of Nostalgia Returns to a Hudson Valley Restaurant in Garrison, NY

I am actually the person who will seek out those types of items if I am on vacation. I will admit that I had to get Pat O'Brien's Hurricane which comes in the souvenir glass which I carefully wrapped in my suitcase to make sure it got home. That is just one of the many collector cups and mugs I have from my travels.

So what got me thinking about all the souvenir food and drink vessels I have stock in my cabinets was a post from The Bird & Bottle Inn located on Old Albany Post Road in Garrison, New York. This past week, they posted a photo of a pewter plate that The Noonan Family Shared with them. The Noonans were the owner-operators of The Bird & Bottle from 1972 to 1983 according to the post.

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The wild thing about the plate is that I swear my Mom had one just like it which means she must have had the same habit I did of collecting items from your favorite restaurants. After seeing it on Facebook, it made me want to go looking for the one my mom had - of course, by now it is probably long gone in a yard sale.

I am also curious as to just how many souvenirs there might be from the Bird & Bottle after all it has been around since 1761. Originally built as a Dutch Colonial-style home it has been around long enough that George Washington may have passed through when his troops stayed there as guests. At one time, it was even a Stagecoach Stop for people coming up from New York City.

So keep your eye out for old souvenir restaurantware you never know what you might find. Flea market and yard sales are perfect places to find these old advertising pieces.

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