It Hurt To Hear That Wolf’s 1-11 Is Closing

When management announced that Wolf's 1-11 will be closing its spacious doors for good at the end of the year, a piece of my heart hurt. We all have a handful of favorite local places that we frequent regularly and have fond memories of. Perhaps it's a bar or restaurant; maybe it's both.  Restaurants in the area close all the time; it's just a way a life.  Just last week in Albany, the iconic, old-school Italian spot, Lombardo's Restaurant announced that after nearly 100 years, they were saying "addio". 

Now, I'm hearing that Wolf's 1-11 in Colonie is closing its doors to make way for 'smaller restaurants or perhaps a banquet facility' according to the Times Union.

When Wolf's 1-11 opened nearly 10 years ago, it was a very attractive spot for radio station Happy Hours, fundraisers, and a place to hang out and watch sports with friends. I did all of those things multiple times.  It was spacious, the service was always good, the food was solid, and the vibe was fun and lively.

On Saturday nights, if there was a big UFC event on, that's where my friends and I would reserve a table in front of one of their enormous TV's and watch the fights. The crowd inside Wolf's were enormous, the place was buzzing, and the action was like none other. My buddy Joe, who passed away 3 years ago this month, was always at my side.  We loved going there.

For about 4-5 years after it opened, Wolf's 1-11 was THE place to watch UFC on Saturday night.  Joe and I watched some unbelievable fights at Wolf's; from the emergence of Jon Jones to the shocking upsets of Chris Weidman over Anderson Silva, that was our place.

When I think about the good times Joe and I had hanging out, many of those nights were centered around poker, parties, holidays, sports, familiy, and fight night.  A few days before a big UFC event, Joe would always call or text something like 'Yooooo, we doing Wolf's Saturday night?'  When I got that text from him, I knew it was time to rally the crew and reserve the table and I would get right on it!

Nobody got more excited for fight night than Joe, and no restaurant in the area did UFC fight night better than Wolf's.

Thanks for memories Wolf's, you'll be missed. Reserve a spot in the back near the black couches in front of the biggest TV for me and my boys.