The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
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to hang out, with plush leather couches, warm lighting and murals of the Italian countryside on the walls where there are not bricks. There's even a plasma TV next to Harry's closet for those who like a little modernity with their history. The space is so comfortable, the Websters, who moved into the apartment above the restaurant last year, use the space as their Sunday living room. The ghost was not the only Harry who in- spired the name. While doing research on Italian cocktails, the Websters learned about the famous Harry's Bar in Venice, a favorite drinking spot for the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Truman Capote where the Bellini cocktail was invented. (The Bellini, of course, is on the cocktail menu at Harry's Wine and Spirit Room.) The connection reflects the couple's inter- est in other cultures. They used to refer to the expansive garden at their old country house as Giverny, the lush commune outside of Paris best known as Claude Monet's garden and home. Friends named their wedding cocktail Giverny in honor of the Webster's property, and insisted the cocktail be on the drink menu at Harry's Wine and Spirit Room – it's an alcoholic cranberry, pomegranate with citrus concoction. Jerry practices his love of gardening at Alfres- co's, with flowers and herbs lining the side of the building and growing in a greenhouse out back. He recently threw sunflower seeds at the back of the building near Neahwa Park, and said he hopes they grow into a "nice surprise" for those walking in that area of the park this summer. But, he's not in the mindset of thinking of the future too much. "We went ahead and cast our fate to the wind ... Now, I don't make plans," he said. "I'm just enjoying the ride." Harry's Wine and Spirit Room is in Alfresco's Italian Bistro at 26 Main St. in Oneonta. It is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For information, call (607) 432-8466 Top: Patrons mingle at Harry's Wine and Spirit Room on Thursday, Feb. 2. Bottom: Jerry and Elisabeth Websters' son, Christopher, left, helps bartender Nate Miller pour drinks on Thursday, Feb. 2. Photos by Cassandra Miller Feb. 9, 2012 O-Town Scene 17