Unbeknownst to most Wildwood Crest locals and visitors, the Bay View waterfront restaurant and bar is home to a champion bartender. Art is proud to be celebrating his first anniversary as a Bay View employee this month. But he is no newcomer to the bartending business. Originally from Connecticut, Art has been serving up cold cocktails and brews for 36 years now. He relocated to Wildwood in 1975 and has lived here ever since. Art’s professional cocktail recommendation? The Bay View’s Raspberry Margarita. Chambord, tequila, triple sec, lime juice, sour mix, and simple syrup are shaken vigorously to create this fruity, sweet twist on the classic margarita. However, Art’s keeps it simple with his personal drink of choice – beer. Any kind of beer, he assures me. What does Art love most about working behind the bar at the scenic Bay View? “Talking to Bill,” Art jokes about his love for his Bay View boss.
“Art’s a legend in his own mind,” one Bay View patron assured me. But when I asked for personal fact that most Bay View visitors may not know about him, Art shocked me, proving that he may in fact be a legend in others’ minds. Art humbly informed me that he has been a four time Connecticut state rifle shooting champion. Even more impressively, Art held an unbreakable national shooting record for an entire 31 years. At 1 p.m. on September 14, 1972, in Westfield, Massachusetts, Art set the national record for shooting a perfect score with 8 X’s. This record was not broken until 2003.
Stop by and say hello to the legendary sharpshooting Art, grab a Raspberry Margarita or Art’s beer of choice, and enjoy the Bay View’s unmatched twilight views.
By Megan Kummer