The passing of popular Westport Plaza sports bar and restaurant Ozzie’s is not simply a matter of economics.
For those who grew up with the shortstop/sprite’s on-field back flips, going to Ozzie Smith’s restaurant was a rite connected to other simple rites that, together, constituted an era.
You went to Ozzie’s and the first thing you saw – gaped at, truly – was Ozzie’s collection of Rawlings Gold Glove trophies. Clustered in a single glass case, they could not fail to impress. Ozzie was chosen the best defensive shortstop in the game 13 times. As the kids say, it’s just sick.
The trophies, which of course looked liked baseball mitts dipped in gold, glittered in a holy tower and made the baseball nuts of St. Louis gape and genuflect. After a moment of thankful prayer, you were seated and sampled from Ozzie’s unpretentious bar and grill menu of wings, pizza, burgers, salads and beer.
Then you could check out Ozzie’s unmanned hotel-lobby-style gift shop, the waitresses in skimpy outfits, the electronic bar-trivia contests and the mini arcade of video games. The sports memorabilia that lined the walls was all about the Cards, Blues and Rams – hometown all the way, from the owner down. It was always a boisterous place with a busy happy hour.
When it was time to leave, you went to the Funny Bone or Westport Cine or watched the sidewalk juggler or – oh, yes – you went to Aunt Heidi’s Corner. Aunt Heidi’s Corner (also R.I.P.) was the St. Louis County equivalent of Heffalumps in the Central West End. They specialized in perverted greeting cards, dribble glasses, magic tricks, pop culture artifacts – all manner of junque for the immature of mind and body to ogle. You could find edible underwear, Gumby and Pokey dolls, rubber Madonna-style bracelets, Ronald Reagan masks – fun stuff.
The athlete-turned-restaurateur has become a cliché, but for Smith, with the casual vibe and awe-inspiring hardware at Ozzie’s, it worked for 21 years.
First the Cards’ premature exit from the playoffs, now this. “Mighty Casey has struck out,” indeed.
– Byron Kerman
Friday will be the last day of business for Ozzie’s Restaurant & Sports Bar. A public auction of its equipment, furnishings and memorabilia is set for 10 a.m. on Oct. 24 at the restaurant, 645 Westport Plaza. The auction is being conducted by BCL Auction; click here for more details.
This article appears in Oct 1-31, 2009.