Money On The Hoof: Robvell Smith Bids Farewell To The Tony’s Bar
by Joe Bonadio
When I returned to San Francisco nearly 20 years ago, one of the only people I knew in the city was Tony’s bartender Robvell Smith. At the time, Robvell was still holding it down behind the bar at Rose Pistola (for you newcomers, that was the Italian place located where Flour & Water Pizzeria is now). I had been coming to the city from New York for work, so the two of us had struck up a friendship well before I landed in the neighborhood.
At that point Rose was right at the end of its historic run. And thanks to an upstart pizza maker by the name of Tony Gemignani, Robvell wouldn’t have to go far to find another home. Just over sixteen years ago, he made the jump to Tony’s very first restaurant, the then brand-new Tony’s Pizza Napoletana.
Since then Robvell has done more to define the Tony’s bar experience than any single person. Whether you put it down to his personality, his impeccable work ethic, or his unflagging commitment to old school hospitality, Robvell is a veritable North Beach institution–and a destination bartender for thousands of dedicated Tony’s patrons across the country, and the world.
Late last year, Robvell made the decision to move on to the next chapter; his last shift behind the Tony’s bar will be on Monday, February 9th. As he’ll be the first to tell you, he’s got no complaints, it’s just time. And as I can affirm, Robvell is exactly the kind of guy who would choose to go out when he’s on top. There’s no replacing someone like that, and to mark the occasion, Tony put together a very special trip for him. Just a few days after they returned, I spoke to Tony about his friend and longtime bartender.
Joe Bonadio: So Tony, let’s talk about Robvell.
Tony Gemignani: Well, I met Robvell before I opened Tony’s. He was my bartender at Rose Pistola, and when I started building Tony’s, he was the second person that I hired. Stephanie was actually my first; I believe it was on the same day. But it really didn’t have to do with the quality of the hire. It was just a coincidence. I just happened to interview Steph first, and Robvell second. But I always let him know, you’re the second one I hired. Stephanie likes that!
And they have been with me ever since. Years ago we all went on a trip, I surprised them. It was Robvell, Stephanie, JP, and Richard, who’s no longer with us. I put together this trip to Vegas, and it was one of the best times that I probably ever had with my employees.
So when Money told me was leaving—he actually gave me a year in advance notice–I said to myself: Oh, shit. He’s one of those guys that….he’s just such a big piece of this restaurant. It’s a little hard to imagine Tony’s without Robvell.
He and I have been very close over the years. I saw his son grow up, just like he saw Gino grow up. So I knew I had to do something special. And of course, you know that Robvell is a really big Raiders fan.
JB: Yeah, he’s forever wearing that Raiders hat.
TG: And he would always say: I want to see a game at the new Allegiant Raiders Stadium. So I kind of parlayed that into a trip to Vegas. I was doing the pizza festival there that weekend, and on Monday night it was Raiders vs. Cowboys. Now, it really doesn’t get any better than that when it comes to a game. Especially on Monday night, because everybody’s tuned in.
JB: Yeah, it’s Monday Night Football. Everybody watches.
TG: So I got them seats that were in the black hole. That’s right in the middle of it, with all the crazies. I got them arguably the best seats: JP, Stephanie and Robvell. I didn’t go to the game, because I had to get back to work and family and stuff. But I did take them out to the pizza festival, and then that night we went to Golden Steer, which none of them had been to. We went to three different bars, also places they had never have gone. They’re kind of local spots, semi-dive bars that are cool. Atomic Liquors, which is iconic in Vegas. We went to Golden Tiki, which is another well-known Vegas bar. After that we hit a rooftop bar inside the Circa, and we did a champagne toast up there. Then basically steak and lobster at Golden Steer.
JB: Wow, you really hooked it up.
TG: Then we went to a nightclub called Zouk in Resorts World, and took the best table on the dance floor. We popped Ace Champagne, which is a really fine champagne.
JB: What kind of champagne?
TG: Ace. Yeah, it’s one of the high-class champagnes you order if you’re a baller and you want to roll like big money. It’s what Draymond Green drinks when he shows up. We had four waitresses with g-strings on. It was pretty nuts. Robvell was just in La La Land. There were women all around us. He was blown away, just shaking his head. He was crying when they came out.
He said it was one of the best times he ever had in his life. JP and Stephanie too, they said the same thing.
JB: I talked to JP and Stephanie about it the other night. They said exactly what you’re saying, that it was totally insane.
TG: Yeah, he loved it. You know, I wanted to make it a night to remember. Sure I could have given him a bonus, or done something else like that, but I wanted to make it memorable not only for him, but also for Stephanie and JP–and for myself. And it really was great. It was the perfect night.
JB: You still got it, Tony.
TG: Yeah. It was just a really perfect night. And they kept it going until, I don’t know, maybe 4:00 or 5:00 AM.
JB: Ouch! That’s awesome.
TG: Yeah, those guys mean a lot to me. It’s all about your team, I always say that. It’s all about the people that are with you or behind you or in front of you.
JB: That’s something that we’ve spoken about so many times over the years. One of the keys to this place is that when you come in, these are always the people you see. You see JP, you see Stephanie, and you see Robvell. Those guys have been such a big part of the identity of this place from day one.
TG: That’s why it’s such a big deal. And they’re a big part of North Beach too. When I was starting out, I always said that I didn’t want to hire too old, or too young. I wanted to mix. I wanted to be diverse. I wanted to be old school. I wanted to be traditional. I wanted to be industry. Tony’s was very industry, and in the North Beach sense, not in a snobby or pretentious way. For anybody and everybody, any type of customer. You could feel welcome if you were in sweats or a suit, if you were on a date, in a meeting or sitting alone at the bar. And it wasn’t the kind of restaurant where you came here once a year for a celebration, it was never like that.
So the hiring was very important, and my key role players were Stephanie, JP, and Robvell. My success is their success, and their success is mine.
JB: That’s a very North Beach idea of hospitality.
TG: Yeah, very much so. Despite what some people say, Tony’s is not just tourism. Not at all, there are so many locals. And it’s not like the trend of the moment, either. It’s true hospitality, total inclusivity. And all our people tell me Robvell is the best bartender I’ve ever had. I’ve had people from the Bay Area, Hawaii, Mexico, from all over the world, tell me that he’s the best bartender they’ve been served by anywhere.
Robvell would never tell you that he’s the best bartender out there when it comes to mixology and things like that. But it’s not just about mixology. It’s about personality, it’s about service. Of course it’s about cocktails as well, and being able to serve and understand the food. Robvell has it all. You may have a guy that can make an amazing cocktail, but he has no personality, or vice versa. But Robvell has every attribute when it comes to a bartender.
JB: He understands the whole job.
TG: Yes, he understands the whole job. And so much more too. It’s like this business: some guys can make great pizza, but they run a shitty business.
JB: Yep. He’s got that military training working for him. What does Robvell always say? He takes care of his business.
TG: That’s right.
——
I also had the chance to speak with Stephanie and JP about Robvell, and they were no less emphatic in their praise. “He’s probably one of the sweetest and most genuine people I’ve ever met in my life,” JP told me. “The first day I met him, I was running the deli next door at La Spiaggia, and he would come in frequently on his breaks to order a sandwich. Such a humble, amazing human being. The kindness, and the way he interacted with me, not knowing who in the hell I was.
“You can see it with the way he raised his son: his manners are just impeccable,” JP continued. “He mirrors his father. And you don’t see many 24, 25 year old kids with manners like that.
“He’s the heart and soul of this restaurant.”
When I asked Stephanie about Robvell, she told me she needed to take a couple of days to think about her answer. “Working with Robvell has been such a gift,” she eventually told me. “He has the most positive energy and everyone who comes into contact with him feels it. When you sit with Robvell, you are in for an experience, not just a meal.
“The community has fallen in love with Robvell, just as all his colleagues have. I will miss having our quick chats on Wednesdays when we do our shift change. It always puts a smile on my face,” Steph went on. “But I’m so excited for him to have this new chapter—and also to see him on the other side of the bar, relaxing and hanging out with us.”
