The phone number doesn't work. For that matter, there's no longer a listing in the book. And when patrons showed up with fingers crossed on recent Saturday nights (the only night it's open), Betty Meyer's Bullwinkle Café (622 Lake Avenue) was shut tight, lights off, no note of explanation, just the once-friendly, now-secretive smile of that familiar cartoon character on the door.

There's been chatter over Bullwinkle's closed doors for months. A season or two has passed, and as the bar stayed dark, the rumors grew. It became time to find Betty Meyer.

Meyer has owned Bullwinkle's since the 1960s. When a copy of an old Rochester entertainment paper crossed a friend's path, he noted a Bullwinkle's mention from as far back as 1962.

Meyer has kept it alive with her love of song, attracting an eclectic and faithful crowd with her own brand of piano- and accordion-accompanied sing-a-longs. Now her partner's taken ill, and Meyer is unsure whether Bullwinkle's will open again.

"It's kind of up in the air right now," Meyer said in December. In a follow-up call, she conceded the bar will probably go up for sale, but is hesitant to give too much information or an official statement. Meyer's whim-driven attitude is telling of the spirit of Bullwinkle's. It doesn't run like any other bar. That's why it's always been so appealing.

Best known for its quirky charm, its selection of funny hats, and that sing-a-long format, Bullwinkle's has always been a destination for those looking for something off the beaten path on Saturday nights. Tim Goodwin, who used to write for City, might have put it best, saying it's as if David Lynch were dating your grandma and they decided to open a bar. The place is chock-full of odd instruments, a cast of characters, and story-generating potential.

Meyer may not have decided what she's going to do with the place, but when she knows, so will you. And while we await her next move, keep crossing your fingers. Maybe some Saturday night, as if of their own accord, the bar's lights will come back on and the piano will start up with its old standards, show tunes, and ragtime. After all these years, it really comes down to what Meyer feels like doing. Anyway, she's entitled.