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Drunken Monkey Staten Island - Owner
About:
Call Sallyann Lombardi bananas if you must. But then so is everyone else swinging into the Drunken Monkey Bar & Grill on Forest Avenue. Lombardi is the co- owner of the jungle-inspired pub bathed in ...
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Fancy cocktails such as the Swinging Pear and the Monkey Tongue go for $12. And when the 5-foot-9 Big Ang is behind the bar, the money can't be better spent, swear her fans. And the signature beer…a tall beer with a shot of banana liquior. Drunken Monkey, Bar & Grill, 1205 Forest Ave., West Brighton; 718- 273-2267. With ceramic and plush monkeys hanging around the bar, antique lamps, and a floor akin to a wooden monkey barrel, this new joint is a visual feast. Reggae and opera (yep, both) singer Michelle entertains Wednesdays during happy hour, pop-rock cover band Joey C handles Thursdays nights and karaoke hostess Mary Mac makes a star out of anyone Friday nights. Saturday, DJ Dawn Michaels and guests spin. Happy hour, daily from 5 to 7 p.m., serves up all drinks for half price.
Bragging Rights:
It's a curious mix of posh and celebrated kitsch -- definitely a unique addition to the S.I. bar scene. "You wouldn't really think this was Staten Island. This is something you would maybe see in Atlantic City or Las Vegas. But the lounge is here, in Staten Island next door to a CVS and a few steps from a Blockbuster. Drunken Monkey, a replacement for the now-defunct sports dive, Ashley's, had been a dream for Lombardi and her cousin, co-owner and bartender Angela (Big Ang) Raiola, for many years. "It is a big gamble," admits Lombardi, whose family has several restaurants. The single mom to her son Nico, has always earned another paycheck as a school bus matron. "You got to take a shot in life. I feel like I got the secret. We have a lot of friends and a lot of family."