The Pink Pony Rides Again!

Posted on March 8, 2011

Eric Risberg and Brad Mangin are all smiles after their first dinner at the NEW Pink Pony on Friday night. (Photo by Andy Kuno)

 

If you have ever been to spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona as a fan or a member of the media you have probably heard of the Pink Pony. The legendary restaurant in the heart of Old Town has been a favorite hang out for ballplayers, scribes, and fans for over 50 years. Ted Williams used to eat there in the late 1950’s when the Red Sox trained at old Scottsdale Stadium. Legends such as Ty Cobb and Billy Martin are famous for closing down the bar. However, the old girl started going down hill in recent years and needed some new love. After being boarded up last spring training (a VERY sad sight) the Pony opened up again last month thanks to new owners who understand the great history of the place. They have worked very hard to bring it back to it’s past glory, and it shows.

As a kid I always remember Lon Simmons and other Giants radio announcers talking about the Pink Pony. The Pony was THE Cactus League hangout, and I vowed to visit the historical landmark one day so I could see for myself. I took my first trip to spring training 20 years ago in 1991 on assignment for The National Sports Daily. One of the first stops I made (besides having to drive to Yuma on my first day to shoot the Padres) was to hit the Pony. Back then the place was still packed and a must see for any visitor to spring training. Over the years I always went there at least once every March, but it became harder and harder to get anyone to go with me. The past few years my good buddy Eric Risberg seemed like the only person who would go with me. It was THAT bad.

After the Pony was closed down in 2009 everyone was wondering what would happen to the place. Last spring there were many rumors going around when the building was boarded up. One disturbing story had it being sold and turned into the wine bar. That would not be good. Luckily for myself, my friends and baseball fans everywhere a great group of new owners took over several months ago, and after extensive renovation they opened the Pony back up for the public last month on February 12, 2011.

I was not planning to arrive in Scottsdale this year till around February 24, so I needed to get an early scouting report from someone in town. Was the new Pony any good? I asked this question to my Twitter followers on February 20, and got a reply from San Francisco Chronicle national baseball writer John Shea. “Pink Pony: Remodeled, turned lights on, dusted. Kept old charm, moved around artwork. Great scene,” said Shea. This is the report I was hoping for!

I dropped into the Pony for an after dinner drink with some friends on my first night in town 10 days ago and was immediately impressed with what I saw. The dingy, old, and low false ceiling was removed. This opened up the entire dining room and gave the diners room to breathe. The entire bar area on the left side of the place was torn out and replaced by a much more open area with a new bar and new bar tables. This design allows for way more people to hang out comfortably in the bar, yet it still retains that Pony feel. Soon after walking in I was introduced by my friend and co-author Brian Murphy to the general manager of the Pony, Chris Cook. Cook gave me a quick tour of the new layout through the kitchen and back area, all the way around the building to the sparkling new rest rooms. These guys were not messing around.

I needed to have dinner at the new Pony, but I wanted it to be a special occasion. The perfect night was last Friday. This would be the first night that Pony regular Eric Risberg would be in town with his wife Elizabeth. Other Pony lovers like Michael and Kristin Zagaris were very anxious to try it out. Legendary Sports Illustrated staff photographer John Biever held a special place in his heart for the Pony and needed to join us. After all, Biever had visited the Pony for the first time back in 1974 when he was a young newspaper photographer covering the Brewers in Sun City. His beat writer dragged him to Old Town Scottsdale one night, and on his first visit to the Pony young Biever saw his boyhood hero Eddie Mathews fall off a bar stool. It just doesn’t get any better than that.

Including photographers Ron Vesely, Marcio Sanchez, Andy Kuno and Jean Fruth we had a dinner party of 10. The cool GM, the aforementioned Chris Cook took care of our reservation, and we were in for a night none of us will soon forget. The service was first class and the re-worked menu yielded fantastic food. Many folks at our table opted for the old school Pony Special (8-ounce top sirloin steak) and it was a huge hit. I went nuts for the roasted turkey dinner, and Risberg was very impressed with the wine list. By the time we finished we were the last people left in the dining room. What a great evening we all had.

My good friend and hard core Giants fan Eric Colby rolls into town tomorrow, and he can’t wait to try the new Pony. Colby and I exchanged emails last night about one of his favorite spring training haunts from the past. “Seems like it’s been way too long since it was possible to hang out there and not cringe. The Pony was the most significant destination on my schedule beyond the old ballpark when I first started coming down almost 25 years ago. My first night there had an almost surreal quality to it after so many years of reading and hearing about it. Many epic nights followed. Now it looks like we’ll have a few more.” Colby said.

I am ready to tell everyone I can that the Pony is back and better than ever. It is so great to have a can’t miss restaurant back in our spring training rotation. I can’t wait to dine at the Pony with Colby later this week. “I understand the new Pony is offering slabs of bacon as an appetizer (?). We must try this,” said Colby.