A Return to Clete's Place

By Robert Palazzo

On July 26th, about two weeks ago, my friend Scott and I visited Cooperstown to check out Clete Boyer's restaurant, just south of the village.

As we approached Clete's place, I excitedly told Scott about all the things I had seen in there my prior visit. Of course, he just dismissed it as the ravings of a hopeless Yankee fan! (I've written about his Hamburger Hall of Fame several times and suggest you check out the articles in the TDA archives). We pulled into the parking lot and entered the place. It was just as I had remembered; yet there was something different about it this time. First off, there were customers seated at tables. Secondly, it appeared brighter inside, not as "mysterious" as I had remembered it. But this was still the same place; the "lady with the sunglasses" was at the door to great us!

We were seated and as I began to look around, I noticed that there no longer were homemade Italian cookies piled high on a shelf in a back corner of the restaurant for sale, as there had been in my previous visit. I also noticed that there were small white labels on each of the many photos hung on the walls and that on the labels were PRICES! These items were for sale! Oh, I can just see it now ­ "BUY A PHOTO; GET A FREE BURGER!" No, these photos belonged on these walls and I hope they stay there.

We checked out the menu but I already knew what I wanted ­ I selected the Jeter burger. As for Scott, well let's just say he is a Met fan. He ordered a hot turkey sandwich! It's a Hamburger Hall of Fame!! One item on the menu had changed ­ the Clete Burger, which used to be a plain burger (as I was told during my last visit by the waitress "And he's lucky he has that!") was now the "Clete Boyer Bacon Burger." I asked the waitress about the change and if Clete were pleased. Her reply, "Oh, he couldn't care less," got me to thinking. Had my comment to them during my last visit prompted this menu change? I guess some things will never be known!

As we were leaving, Scott was commenting on what a neat place this was and too bad it was several miles outside of the village ­"Location is everything," he said. And he figured better signage in front would help draw customers. I suggested a life size wooden cut out figure of Clete by the roadside, perhaps in a crouched third base type pose, with his Yankee pinstripes and number 6 prominently displayed. Well, as we were pulling out of the parking lot, I glanced to my side and I'll be damned if there wasn't a wooden cut out of Clete in pinstripes hanging on a post at the entrance. Neither Scott nor I had seen that when we entered. Although cute, it didn't capture what I imagined ­ it was smaller than life size and didn't look like Clete at all; besides, it was in a batting pose. No, it didn't do justice to the most famous restaurant owner in Cooperstown.