Back in the day, as I was a student at St. John’s University on Staten Island, Bay Street in Stapleton had a happening late night scene. Bar crawling was active on Friday & Saturdays nights. Music split out onto the street from bars like The Choir Loft, The Red Spot, Dock of the Bay, and many others. However, as the years have gone by, Stapleton became a forgotten part of the Staten Island scene.
Today, Stapleton is making a comeback with new development, and one of the places that is leading the charge is Amendment 18. The people who run Amendment 18, led by Nick Vitagliano, have turned the old Dock of the Bay into a modern Speakeasy, keeping the original bar and freshening up that great old club.
Amendment 18 is located in the Historic Edgewater Hall. Edgewater Hall was built in 1876 as a Vaudeville, Theatre & Event space by Michael Nynan. During the late 1890’s Bechtel Brewery made its home there and during Prohibition, Amendment 18 was a Speakeasy frequented by the Vanderbilts & Barrymores.
Unbeknownst to Nick and friends, I snuck in last night to check out the place, and I have to say I was blown away. I found the menu to be simple but good. I would definitely recommend having the Dock & Bat Panini, the Bacon Mac & Cheese, and to finish off the meal, the Fried PB&J.
The staff was friendly and very helpful, and made some good recommendations on what to have from the bar. The drinks a plenty, with a very good selection of beers, wines, and spirits. I would recommend the Amendment 151 (trust me, it’s that dang good).
They have live jazz music on the weekends, which sets the tone for the evening, and takes you back to the 1920’s during the Prohibition Era.
All in all, Nick and his crew have done an amazing job, and this is definitely a go-to place if you happen to be in the area.