West Coast meets East Coast

Andrew Edwards

A renovation project at a Balboa Peninsula sports grill could give

new meaning to the term “open bar.”

Rudy’s Pub and Grill is in the midst of a redesign that started

the day after the Super Bowl in January and is slated to be completed

in July. Plans for the bar’s new look are centered around designs for

a retractable roof that would be rolled back during pleasant weather,

so customers can eat and drink in the open air.

“Obviously, places with patios do well, because no one wants to be

in a dark cave,” Rudy’s partner Todd Carson said.

Rudy Kaminski bought the pub in 1999. He and Carson recently

completed the first phase of the project by installing 17 new

plasma-screen televisions and removing the ceiling in the main dining

room. In addition to the sliding roof, the remainder of the redesign

calls for more televisions and the demolition of the section of the

pub that houses Rudy’s pool tables.

“This is coming down -- we’re going to tear it down to the

ground,” Kaminski said as he stood near the pool tables.

“Unfortunately, we’re getting rid of the pool tables.”

By adding brick work, Carson said the pub should acquire an East

Coast, industrial feel. The budget for the project is about $800,000,

and Carson hopes the grill gains a new sense of cachet from the

renovations.

“We would kind of like to be the point place for Newport Beach,”

he said. “People like a little bit of nicer or newer things.”

Kaminski noted he wants to make sure Rudy’s regulars are not put

off by the changes, and that the pub maintains its current vibe under

the new look.

“At the same time, keep our beach atmosphere and our local

clientele,” Kaminski explained. “We don’t want to lose our

neighborhood bar feel.”

Changes are also planned for Rudy’s kitchen. A new, healthier menu

is slated to debut today.

“It’s not quite as greasy as bar food,” Carson said. “We still

have that though -- we still have our wings.”