Hellenic Roots Amid Olympic Passions

Like holding the 2004 installment of the Olympics at the event's national birthplace, it is exquisitely appropriate to spend much of the 16-day event at a Greek-themed sports bar.

I am talking of Manny's, which, along with George's Sports Bar, has the distinction of being one of the few places in the state that is both Greek and a sports bar.

And with the games for the first time having been televised for 24 hours a day, Manny's 48 televisions were put to good use. Not that Manny's stays open that long. Its hours are 11 a.m. until 2 a.m. every day.

There's more to this West Ashley establishment then just sports, as the management stresses the "grill" part of the bar-and-grill moniker. Last week, I came in quite thirsty and hungry during happy hour and wolfishly gulped down a Greek-style chicken soup (it's all about the lemon) and Greek potatoes (Dude, where's my carbs?) and discussed the saturation of American athletes on the televised broadcasts with my friend Will. So many American male track athletes, so few Swedish synchronized swimmers! I figuratively tickled him, he a lover of words, by pointing out that it's delightfully predictable for the bathroom in a Greek bar to be Spartan (the region-specific word has evolved to connote something "austere, unadorned, unornamented"). I like a manly bathroom, but I am sure a woman visiting a similar sight on the female side would be disappointed. I understand the ladies' restroom is quite lovely.

Another cool thing about the no-frills restrooms is that they feature ads on the walls. I reminded Will about that the time he was so impressed by the fact a downtown church placed an ad in a bar's bathroom that he attended that particular house of God's next service. One more thing about the bathroom: The urinal is impossibly high. One needs to be almost above average height to execute one's toilet properly.

My friend and I also marveled at the attendant -- and attentive - - joyfulness of the server, although we incorrectly surmised that she was of Mediterranean descent. We sat out in the high-topped portion of the dining area, maintaining entrenched eyefuls of Olympic television. We had thought about sitting at the bar, but it seemed chock-full of regulars. We were pleased that music from the satellite service filled the bar, and not sounds of the sporting events.

I returned again to take in the Monday night specials. I quite enjoyed eating a Greek pizza, mostly because the hand-tossed pies are half-price (the large is discounted to about $6) during the course of the Monday Night Football season. I complimented its maker, and then I complemented the pizza with a house bourbon ($4) and domestic beer (Miller Lite, $2.50).

After asking a few questions and surveying the bar, I ascertained that this was suitably Greek. Many photographs and posters of Greece dot the walls around the place, adding to the spirited ambience. My favorite thing is the little colored etchings of a comical Greek guy that dominate the visual landscape. This little caricature reminds me of many Greek relatives that I have known and lauded. Moreover, the Greekness is compounded by the many Greek wines on the menu, although I was disappointed that Manny's no longer has Ouzo, which the manager told me used to sustain a drink called Zeus Juice.

What else can I tell you about Manny's? Not only can you view any of the dozens of sets circumscribing the bar, but it just added cute, little flat TVs for individual booths.

It features all the NFL, college football, baseball and NTN (trivia) packages common to sports bars.

For patrons who favor the restaurant part of the proceedings, smoke-eaters have been installed to minimize the demon residuals extending from the bar folks.

Alas, Manny's is both a sports magnet and a neighborhood bar. It remains personable and vibrant despite the fact it is part of a little highway-side mall.

Indeed, it remains wholly Grecian amid a din of sports. It especially revels in its Hellenic roots amid Olympic passions.

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