Saturday, August 30, 2014

"ALICE'S RESTAURANT" arlo guthrie

'HAVE A GREAT LAST WEEKEND OF THE SUMMER"

Lets me take you back to the food  cuisine of a young people  growing up in the early 60's in the metropolis of Painesville. Remember this was a time before McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, Arbys and Wendy's.

Just where did these young people of that era eat?

First off let's start off with Painesville's generic McDonalds 'Devines' which later became Charlie's and then it became the Pizza Parlor. I still remember the peaked red-orange roof and white ceramic sides, no sit down inside but a 15 cent hamburger 19 cent fries as well a 25 cent shake they never called them milkshakes back then there was no milk in them.

Sometimes we would wander up to Islay's for a 'real' milk shake. Still remember the looks on the waitresses faces as this traveling bunch of comrade's strolled into the Newberry's or Kresge's lunch counter's as we collected our nickel's dines and quarter's to buy a platter, everything was a platter back then. We were also known as not the greatest tippers in town?

Once I had the opportunity to escort a young lady and her mother downtown. Her mother took us to eat lunch at Carlisle's!  Carlisles's downstair's has food? none of my Little League teammates believed me. Sorry, we never had the opportunity to create havoc with those waitresses.

Downtown next to the Lake Theater Angela's Pizza. What pizza?  I can go home and eat pizza. And when Mrs. Stanzi made pizza it was like a gift from the heavens.

Chicken in Painesville? There was a corner store at Prospect and N.State St. called Jefferies. One day they closed the store and soon reopened it as Jefferies Broaster Chicken. They sold a ton of chicken. The smell of chicken alone as you sat in Mass at St. Mary's across the street.. talk about a captive audience. I sometimes wondered if Father got a cut?

We even had our own  special soft serve ice cream 'Frizzell's Freeze' with three local locations Madison Ave. Liberty and Richmond St. now the rest of the story.. After high school I went to work for Lockie-Lee Dairy that made the special 6% ice cream mix. Once while loading my truck one day I was short 20 gallons of Frizzell's Freeze the plant manager came out with two Frizzell's Freeze labels and marked them. I asked him can you do that? Hell Angelo, it's all Frizzell's Freeze. Well I asked what do they get extra?  They get to pay extra was the answer.

Nightlife? Many nights in the summer we would have sleep outs. Where we ran through the neighborhood terrorizing no one but convinced the police were out to get us. Now what was the point of filling a bag with dog poop and setting it on fire and ringing the door bell? Far better than being the first one to go to sleep. After a little fun and games we headed to the Avenue and Jerry & Bert's for a nightcap of cherry coke, that's livin'! The waitresses were also so glad to see us arrive. Many of us were in Jr. High before we grasped the concept of a tip.  Even on the occasion my father took me to Kenny Kings that was if the colonel's chicken HAD to be on sale. He'd asked me if I liked coming here? Sure I always find some change on the table, my first lesson in tipping!

Now your 16 had a license and could wander out to Manner's for a Big Boy and no more waitress now you had carhops.

You know growing up here had a lot of pluses. I'm sure I forgotten some Studio Inn and Lutz's Inn were off -limits to us.

19 Comments:

At August 30, 2014 at 12:44 PM , Blogger Jim said...

I sometimes marvel at the number of Mom and Pop grocery stores we had in town yet now there are none.
Time stands still for no one.

My favorite night time memory is "camping" out at a buddy's house on Hine Ave (he is now deceased). His parents had a very long back yard so they had no idea that we walked over to the New York Central depot to watch trains come through. The one we wanted to see was the 20th Century Limited, the pride of the NYC.
While we were there, the was a crew doing some switching and yard work. The engineer asked if the 3 of us would like to go with his crew to pick up and set off some cars out in Perry. At that time I had heard of Perry but had no idea where it was. Anyway, sure we would love to go!! We go out there probably about 1 or 2 am. Nothing happened but we did see the Limited go through so our night was complete. They brought us back to Painesville, we wandered back to his house and crashed hard.
Imagine any of that today? Heck, the train crew would likely all be in jail because our little Johnny must have been bribed, he would never do this on his own!
Life in Painesville was a lot of fun. What happened?

 
At August 30, 2014 at 3:01 PM , Anonymous Don Howlett said...

What about the Carrage House Homemade. ICECREAM on route 84 just down from liberty st..

 
At August 31, 2014 at 8:48 AM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

Don was Carriage House there in the early 60's? I remember the 'Dinnerbell' even before it was George's.

12:44 Back in the day it seemed everybody had a relative or neighbor who worked for a railroad in the area. Nickel Plate, New York Central, Baltimore & Ohio, Fairport Painesville Eastern.
I had an uncle that worked for the B&O and I remember when I was 7 running a gigantic steam engine backwards from Painesville to a siding in West Farmington? Malley's or EM-1 they were called. soot, grease oil, steam dirt coal dust summer sweet it all came with the trip. We would wait for a northbound coal train headed for Fairport and push them all the way to Chardon. Then follow them in to Painesville. I made the trip many times later after steam was gone. The diesel's were nice (even had toilets) but the experience clearly wasn't the same. What happened? I guess we started taking thing serious?

 
At August 31, 2014 at 9:37 AM , Anonymous Don howlett said...

Yes Quirk family ran the Carriage house then when dad retired his two sons took it over. I remember going to get homemade ICECREAM in the very early sixties. Then sneaking out of town for some when I work forpainesville.
I also remember the dinner bell . I also remember Walters Dinner, the Red Rooster , The Bar , all in downtown Painesville ,.

 
At August 31, 2014 at 3:35 PM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

Red Rooster? Where was the location? Didn't it burn down in the late seventy's?

How many Mom & Pops can any of you remember?

 
At August 31, 2014 at 4:50 PM , Blogger Jim said...

I can't remember all the names of the stores but here are the one's I can remember.

D'abates
Pierce's Liberty Shop Rite
Corner of Elevator and Liberty
Shupp's
Corner of Elm and Erie St
Corner of Hine and N St Clair
Chestnut by the tracks

Like Term, I don't remember the Carriage House in the 60's but I have been wrong before.

Walters Diner is a name I haven't heard in a long time.
Went with the Cottage Kitchen and the Home Restaurant on State St

Term, good memory on the EM-1 Mallets in West Farmigton. The right of way through there is still visible. EM-1's were the largest steam engines on the B&O. I saw three of them together pulling a coal train through Swine Creek on the way to Fairport. Quite a sight.

 
At August 31, 2014 at 6:14 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

We had 3 just in the North End that I can remember. We use to gather at St. Mary's in the summer for dances. One family in town had a great double bike that we rode around town late at night. Sleep overs were common as well as many, many students went to summer school so we could pack in the credits. When summer school was out we hopped the bus to the beach if we didn't have to work. My present husband use to play "Capture the Flag" thru Recreation Park. The number of kids that gathered for the nightly game was big! And yes the police did their duty and chased them out of the park when it closed. When back in the neighborhoods we played "kick the can". Again, it was the whole gang in the neighborhood that gathered to play after dark! We walked everywhere or rode the bus or maybe would hitch a ride. My relatives worked for the railroads and it was a great job! And oh the stores we had! The best gifts were from the 5 and 10 cent stores! If you were lucky you could even get a job there! Almost everyone from Painesville went to Harvey. We had over 1200 kids and the Marching 100. And you better behave because Mr. Britt and Mr. Hobart knew your parents! Painesville was FUN to grow-up in I only wish the kids today could have the fun we had! The memories are many!

 
At August 31, 2014 at 6:44 PM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

4:50 Corner of Elm and Erie DiCarlos
DiCarlos College Corner Grant and Mentor Ave.
Gilmore's across from Harvey
Foodarama Square Deal on Chestnut by the tracks Red, Tom and Bobs.
Falcone's Chester, Storr and State.

Did those tracks go through a golf course? Or was my mind playing tricks?

Home Restaurant. Memories there's many more

 
At August 31, 2014 at 6:44 PM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

4:50 Corner of Elm and Erie DiCarlos
DiCarlos College Corner Grant and Mentor Ave.
Gilmore's across from Harvey
Foodarama Square Deal on Chestnut by the tracks Red, Tom and Bobs.
Falcone's Chester, Storr and State.

Did those tracks go through a golf course? Or was my mind playing tricks?

Home Restaurant. Memories there's many more

 
At August 31, 2014 at 9:25 PM , Blogger Jim said...

The golf course you are thinking of is Grandview on Rt 608 a couple of miles north of Middlefield. The corner of Durkee Rd and Rt 608 actually.
That is still quite a ways both of West Farmington though. The present day bike trail ends on the east side of the golf course but you can still see where the tracks went.

I forgot about Gilmores.
I thought there was a store at Grant and Mentor Ave but I wasn't sure enough to write it. Maybe I had the name confused with the other DiCarlos. Was the one at Grant St a 2 story building? I picture it being grey.

 
At September 1, 2014 at 9:08 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

In had my first cup of coffee at a little diner [I think] on St Clair Street across from French Dry Cleaners. I swear the name of that diner was "the Bus Will Be Inn".

 
At September 2, 2014 at 6:42 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Where in downtown was a restaurant called The Skillet that I remember from the 60's?

I also remember Kresege's and Newberry's next to each other. Kresege's had hot dogs on a carousal and Newberry's you picked a balloon to pop for the price of your sundae. Also Marshall Drug, Town Crier and of course Lake Theater.

 
At September 2, 2014 at 8:40 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Standard Drug.
Western Auto.
Whaleys Hardware.
Marshalls Drug.
Gibbs Electric
Greens Shoe Store.
Langraffs Sheet Metal
The Painesville Telegragh.
The Cleveland News.
The duck pin bowling ally
The dry cleaners where the former Holiday inn wqs built.
Fire and police on St. Clair???

 
At September 2, 2014 at 8:45 AM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

6:42 Skillet east on State St south of Main St.?
9:25 Yes it was a two story building.
6:42 I seem to remember at Kresege's had another food stand with a large Hire's Root Beer barrel and you could buy sub sandwiches there inside the store?
Also Chesters had a small store in the same building as Chester Restaurant. Long's corner of Richmond and Jackson.
Painesville Wine Shop Jackson at St.Clair.

Hey anybody want to do gas stations in Painesville?

As someone mentioned earlier time doesn't stand still, but it's always fun to remember when?
There was also a store where the American Legion is now.

Jim the Fairport Branch that ran from Warren to Fairport was affectionately called the 'snake' because it took twice as much mileage in track to go the distance. Grandview now it's all coming back.
The bridge by rt.84 and liberty that inspired the painting in the court house. the tracks going under rt 84 the siding with the Nickel Plate south of Walnut St. The bridges over Washington and Mentor Ave. Another little store at Jackson right next to the tracks.

 
At September 2, 2014 at 8:54 AM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

8:40 the duck pin bowling alley was in the 'Brass Rail' when it was downstairs across from Pfabes?
The Holiday Inn was originally the American House and it was Painesville's first step into urban renewal.
Then came Mr. Wigg's and the New Market Mall Parking garage,You can do all the streetscapes in Painesville you want ,business is dead downtown. Sorry there is no real downtown? Again what happened to Jen Reed?

 
At September 2, 2014 at 4:03 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

What about that really hippie joint downtown? Thought it would have been across from where Joughins is now. Can't remember the name but maybe it will come to me.

 
At September 5, 2014 at 6:20 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Bar was its name and was featured in NGO

 
At September 5, 2014 at 4:50 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

The agora, was there a place called jack sprat. Remember in the late 60, early 70s state street referred to as creep street. All the hippies walking around. Harmless really long for that era again.

 
At September 15, 2014 at 6:29 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Trip (head shop)
The sitting bull frog (store)
The Pi-shei traders (Indian apparel)
The record shop
The General store
Maudes (Bar)
The Place (the old lake theater)



 

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