brucesw

I couldn't swear to it but I think we had each of the f & c chains here for a while - Arthur Treacher's, H. Salt, Esq., and Alfie's. There's still an Alfie's down in Texas City.

There was a f & c place on Shepherd, a block north of Richmond, on the east side of the street; I think it was an Arthur Treacher's but I'm not sure. I don't remember that lantern. Treacher's was supposed to be the best according to a friend of mine but he didn't go with me there, I went on my own to check it out. I don't remember the food at all.

I think I remember the Arthur Treacher's ads, too. They shouldn't have been running here if there were no outlets but sometimes ads on a national buy do get run in markets where they are irrelevant.

This would have been ca. 73-74.

The building was later Mama's Po' boys or something like that and is now gone.

I lived just a couple of blocks from the DR on Westheimer (at Graustark?) in the early 70s but went only once. In Austin I had eaten many times at the DR just off the Drag on 24th street but there were a lot more food options in Houston - lower Westheimer was Restaurant Row back then. Within a couple of blocks were Ari's Grenouille, Original Marini's Empanada House, Udder Delite, Los Troncos; further down were several including Hungry International and I think Michaelangelo's was around back then.

I went to a Wienerschnitzel on Braker Lane in Austin back in January, just to see what it was like after all these years. The basic wiener is a little bit better than the JCI but the toppings weren't. However, they now have an 'Angus Beef Dog' that I thought was pretty good - you could actually have the sense there was some meat included in the sausage.

The JCI Chili Cheese Coney is an iconic Houston dish and I have to have a fix every now and then but it's really a mediocre wiener - it's all about the toppings. And it's really hard to get excited about a hot dog, anyway.

We went there once and haven't been back - maybe I phrased the question wrong due to scotch intake. I checked Big Mamou's website and their muffaletta is $9.50, and I think that's too much so I'm not going there.

I think the best I've had in town is at Spec's deli downtown; also had good ones at Candelari's and District 7 Grill. I don't remember the prices though and I just get a half one - I can't eat a full sized one. District 7 is probably going to be the most expensive.

In the interest of full disclosure I'm not from LA and have never had one in NOLA so of course I have no idea what I'm talking about.

upas: noun. a tall Javanese tree (Antiaris toxicaria) of the mulberry family, whose whitish bark yields a poisonous, milky juice used as an arrow poison ...

Interesting - I used to live on Mulberry Street just a few blocks west, running south from Westheimer right at the curve.

I've forgotten about the Russian restuarant on Richmond and Yoakum! Unfortunately, I forgot the name along with it - though "Rasputian's" lingers in my mind.

Nikita's - I just found this on Google Books from Texas Monthly, 1978. I just linked to the beginning of the Houston restaurant review section - lot's of other great old places mentioned there.

Also, JR Gonzales has started doing restaurants in his Bayou City History blog in the Chron. The first ones were about Felix and Alfred's.

I have been looking for a place to have a Shawarma in Houston since I first had one in Dubai in January. I am glad this new place has them, but since you know where are other places I can get one? I doubt it, but are there any on the north or near west side of town?

Well I like the ones I've had at Shawarma King on Hillcroft but I've never had one in Dubai or Kuwait or anywhere in the Middle East so maybe I've got it wrong. I prefer to get a plate rather than a sandwich. The meat in the one I had at Phoenicia was dry as was the pita and it was pretty skimpy.

I've never had a gyro here with fries on the inside either. Ever tried One's a Meal Greek Village on Westheimer? I've never had a gyro there but I know people who claim it's better than Niko's. That and Niko's and Stellio's are all Greek owned, I think.

Here's a link to all the mentions that come up on a search for shawarma on b4; maybe there's one near you. There's also a place called Cafe Beirut on Hillcroft @ Richmond that may have them.

From the video, it looks like they might make gyros, do they? I hope their better than Niko Niko's.

Shawarma.

Originally Phoenicia was just a deli and it's still in operation across the street from the big warehouse store.

Phoenicia Deli

I buy lots of things at Phoenicia - meats, cheeses, breads, dips, fish, spices and imported foods - but I seldom eat in the deli in the store. I think there are better shawarma in town. As far as I know the menu at the two is the same and I imagine the menu will be the same downtown.

There was a great feature on ice cream on Postcards from Texas last week with extensive information from Story Sloane with mentions of Rettig's, D'Arcy (sp?), Camelia, Honey Boy, Hostess, Saxet, Lone Star Creamery and others. There was also quite a bit about Purity Ice Cream of Galveston, the first ice cream company in the state and still available at La King's Confectionery on the Strand. It was said to be more popular than Blue Bell at least on the island.

I had come across mentions of Purity in my research for my radio history but didn't realize it was still available. Here's a feature on Purity by isle historian Bill Cherry.

This is good news. The Carter Building is one of my favorites; I originally discovered HAIF while searching for information on it for my history. An early broadcasting enterprise, the Clifford W. Vick Radio Construction Co., had offices at 1801 and a license for station WSAV. The antenna on top, however, was not for a broadcast station. It was originally installed by a wireless telegraphy company as early as 1911 and later used by the Houston Radio Club (ham operators in today's terms).

Perhaps the new owners could also revive the rooftop garden and cabaret that supposedly was a popular downtown entertainment venue in the 1910s.

Could you elaborate on this further? I'd like to better understand what the historical reasons for opposition to fountain installations might have been...

No, sorry. Just a vague memory. I was hoping someone else might have some insight or knowledge.

I wondered if this had anything to do with the establishment of the Rose Garden in Hermann Park just about a block away. Didn't find an answer but did find this from Stephen Fox's History of Hermann Park - basically the sunken garden proved to be a traffic hazard. Plans as early as 1948 called for replacing it with a fountain and this was apparently completed in 1964.

A couple of paragraphs from pps. 11-12:

"Hare and Hare proposed, at the time the Fannin extension was being designed, that a museum center be built in Shadyside on the estate of former governor William P. Hobby and his wife. Oveta Culp Hobby. This would incorporate a new Museum of Natural History, axially aligned with the Sunken Garden and Hermann Drive. At the same time they proposed that a large fountain be constructed in the Sunken Garden. Because of its depressed, bowl-like configuration, the Sunken Garden had proved to be something of a traffic hazard, a problem that could be rectified by building above the curb line. None of these proposals was carried through, although the city did acquire an additional nine acres along Brays Bayou to compensate for the loss of the Hogg tract.

Between 1967 and 1969 a new Miller Outdoor Theater, designed by Eugene Werlin and Associates, was constructed on the site of the old Doric proscenium. A high, bermed lawn provided amphitheater-type seating in front of the new stage and orchestra. The columns of the old theater were salvaged and grouped around a circular pool to form the Mecom-Rockwell Colonnade in 1968. Four years earlier, the donors of this fountain, Mr. and Mrs. John W. Mecom, had constructed the Mecom Fountain in the Sunken Garden, sixteen years after Hare and Hare advanced their fountain design."

I seem to also remember some talk, perhaps only among my relatives, that there was a p'ing match going on over installing public fountains. This was roughly the same time period the R.E. Bob Smith fountain was erected I think.

Toddle House, Steak 'n Egg and Dobb's House were all, eventually at least, under the same ownership; Toddle House was the earliest and one of the first chain restaurants. There's a lot of love for them on Roadfood.com in an old, long running thread. Here's a brief history.

Dutch Kettle was essentially a knock-off and I think may have been based here. I never saw a Dutch Kettle anywhere but in the Houston area. Up until just a few years ago there was still a Dutch Kettle on 225 in Pasadena.

Dobb's House was a more upscale brand. Wasn't the original revolving restaurant at IAH a Dobb's House?

In the late 70s, early 80s, they tried to revive the TH brand with new, larger restaurants of which there were at least three in Houston but they only lasted a couple of years. The Tacos La Balita on Beechnut @ Wilcrest was originally one of them; D'African Village on S. Gessner was another; there was one on Main in Stafford that's already been demolished and replaced by either the JitB or Church's, I forget which. Part of the charm of Toddle House for me, besides pretty good food for a small diner, was sitting at the counter, interacting with the short order cook who was often the only crew. That was lost in the larger restaurants. I loved the MasterBurgers and waffles and chocolate fudge pies.

I didn't know until I read the Wiki article that Waffle House is essentially a continuation of Toddle House.

I remembered when the one on Shepherd was My-T-Byte (that's the spelling I remember). Sliders - way before they became trendy, celebrity chef offerings.

There was a Volvo dealership on Bellaire just west of Weslayan, across from the Bellaire Theater. I went there once to test drive the P1800. The main showroom became an Italian restaurant, Nick's Place, I think, for a long time but is something else now.

There was a Nash/Rambler/AMC dealership on Bellaire just west of Chimney Rock. Vance and Sons? All the buildings have been demolished I think.

Last fall the topic of old dealerships came up in the comments on a Leon Hale column in the Chronicle. Someone asked what dealer used the slogan 'I sell cars cheap because my wife is rich.' Nobody ever identified the dealer. Any ideas?

Someone else in those comments mentioned a Crosley dealership on Shepherd near the Alabama Theater in the 40s and 50s.

Here's an excerpt from Marguerite Johnston's Houston, The Unknown City, on Google Books on the early days of the automobile in Houston. Mosehart and Keller was a long time Studebaker dealership; a poster on another board said at one time they claimed to be the oldest automobile dealer in the world. Mercedes gained entry into the US market through the Studebaker dealer network according to Wiki so was M&K was probably the first Mercedes dealership here. Later M&K had a Ford dealership; I think it was on OST maybe? According to the AC Collins website a manager there, AC Collins, quit to purchase the Ford franchise in Pasadena and is still in business.

Claus sounds like he was after my time. I did a lot of work on mine myself - stuff I wouldn't even think of doing now. I took it to just one mechanic other than Joe. He kept it forever; finally I had to demand my car back. It ran very poorly and 2 days later I took it in to Joe to get it fixed right. Wasn't long after that I got rid of it. Never really did run right again. I had a lot of trouble with that car but a lot of fun too. Once had to leave it sitting beside the road in Rosharon late at night; can't remember the problem but this was ages before cell phones. Hitched a ride home and called Triple A to go down and haul it in to Southwest.

I traded it in for a Chevy Silverado! I like variety.

Small world,I bought an Alfa Spider Veloce at Southwest Motors, but in 1971. SW Motors was owned by Joe Locario, I believe they also sold Triumphs. Joe also raced an Alfa GTA. I saw him running at the SCCA races in Galveston a number of times. Joe is on the left in the picture.

Joe was 'my' mechanic over the years I owned the car but I would have identified him as the fellow on the right in the picture. It's been a long time, though. Looks like those two could've been brothers. I'm not sure I ever knew I was dealing with the owner of the dealership. My salesman was Jerry Bland/Blank? I remember the race car and that it was Joe's. It was often parked beside the dealership.

Triumph? I just don't remember but maybe it'll come to me. I'm thinking I may have seen a Citroen in the showroom at some time? I was familiar with Triumphs and wouldn't have taken a second look at one but would have walked over to look at a Citroen and can't recall ever having done that.

Sorry but I disagree on the Al Parker name. the Buick dealership on Hillcroft and Bellaire was Marcus Jones Buick/Opel.

Yes, you are correct, I got it wrong.

Another one outside the loop was Southwest Motors, on Chimney Rock at Gulfton, an Alfa Romeo dealer. I bought a 1972 Spider Veloce 2000 there. They carried one other import brand but I can't remember if it was Fiat or what, I was only interested in the Alfa.

It's now an Aamco Transmission shop, show windows bricked in.

Mosehart and Keller was mentioned above. That may have become Houston's first Mercedes dealership. My dad bought a Mercedes 190 in 1959 and I remember the name Mosehart and Keller.

Don't forget Jimmy Greene Chevrolet at the southeast corner of Shepherd and Westheimer. I heard the owner got a pile of money when he sold that property.

I remember the Buick Dealership on Kirby. At one time it was Al Parker Buick which had its origins as Earl North Buick which had been on Milam (see houswest's post of 12/28/07). Al Parker relocated on the Katy Freeway, I think, and his general manager Hub Fossier, opened his dealership on Kirby before that one moved out to US 290.

Al Parker was the Buick dealership on Hillcroft just south of Bellaire I believe; it got absorbed into David Taylor Cadillac on the SW Fwy but the old building is still there - an appliance store now?

Christie's certainly pre-dated Valian's, having started as a stand on the seawall in Galveston ca. 1917 or 18. They moved to Houston in the Med Ctr area ca. 1939. There used to be a history on the restaurant website but I don't know if it's still there. I understand there were several restaurants around bearing the name Christie's. There was one on Bellaire @ Rampart or Renwick for a long time that I understand was not owned by the same people who owned the one on Westheimer.

On the old houston.eats newsgroup about 6 or 7 years ago there was a long-running discussion about the history of Houston restaurants; a lot of that got copied here to HAIF in an earlier thread, maybe 3 or 4 years ago. I think the old timers were in agreement that Valian's was the first place to serve pizza in Houston and I've seen that elsewhere in print, probably in the Chron, but I can't vouch for that myself.

I first went to Valians in the late 50s when my older brother was showing me and a friend around the big city after he had moved here from our small town. He ordered a pizza with anchovies, which went mostly uneaten except for his portion. Years later when I moved to Houston, in the early 70s, there was a small Valian's on Shepherd, just north of Alabama, right about where Pappas Seafood is now. I went there for take-out a couple of times (not sure if there was a dining room) and I know I was not very impressed with the pizza then. In my memory it was sort of like one of those Impossible Pie creations using Bisquick that were so popular back then - very thick, biscuit like dough that soaked up the sauce and made for a very doughy pie, but that's just my memory of it after all these years and tons of other bad pizzas.

Hmm, I hadn't been by there in a while. Last time I passed by, it looked deserted. You mean they're still doing business?

It's been several months since I was down there but I think it was; they're closed Sunday, maybe Monday too. I think they were featured on FoodTV several years ago, the first I'd ever heard of them, one of those travel shows they do or did.

What was good? Gumbo?

This coming week's episode of Postcards from Texas on 55 will has a segment on Italian restauranteurs. 4pm Sunday and the following Friday at 1:30pm.

In their archives of stories they also have an article on the San Jacinto Inn with a video clip.

There was also a place called Hank's Seafood or Fish Market or something along those lines. They had locations on Griggs near MLK and one on S. Post Oak near Orem. T

The Hank's on S. Post Oak is still there.

There's already a book for that, called Houston Then & Now, available on Amazon NEW for $14.

LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Houston-Then-Now/dp/1592231373/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251848450&sr=8-1

Plus JR Gonzales has a continuing Then and Now feature in his Bayou City History blog in the Chron.

Bring it on kylejack; that kind of stuff is always interesting.

Without reading the whole thread, I don't believe anyone has mentioned Texas Steak Ranch. It was in a big log cabin looking building one block south of Richmond and Fountainview behind what is now Barrys Pizza. Which back then was Baby Janes Saloon. Texas Steak Ranch had what was back then the best Chicken Fried Steak in Houston and was one of my first introductions to Buttermilk Salad dressing before it became popular.

joe

Well thank you for that Joe. I may have mentioned it somewhere in this thread (I know I've posted about it somewhere) but I could not remember the name and others have suggested I was remembering Dirty's which I think had a place on Chimney Rock about the same time.

Yes, that was probably the best CFS I ever had

Thx. Yeah, B4-u-eat are generally pretty quick - recently updated their listing for Cafe Montrose, for example, I noticed. Maybe Java Java is in limbo like Cafe Montrose was for a while.

b4 can be quite tardy about new openings and closings. I've found several that were way out of date and even one where they had 2 restaurants that had used the same space still listed, both long gone. They don't have a staff to track openings and closings and not all restaurants have publicity people to get the word out so they depend on the public's help. I've added numerous restaurants - you don't have to be the owner to add one, just use the form on the site to submit the relevant information. They'll call the restaurant to verify the information.

The best way to notify them of a closing is to post a review like 'Unfortunately, Restaurant X is closed.' They'll check it out by calling the phone number.

I'm not from the Heights but I go up to El Bolillo on Airline across from Canino's sometimes. I was up there this morning. I always go for what's freshest out of the ovens; today it was the sausage-cheese-jalapeno kolaches, bigger than Shipley's and with a lot of jalapeno in there, and some oversized yellow cake cupcakes! Cake for breakfast - Yea! If the churros are hot, I'll definitely go for those. Later in the day, fresh bolillos and teleras (the ovens were in operation but the only ones in the bins were probably from yesterday) and if the tortilla lady is there, the fresh, hot hand-made corn tortillas. There's coffee, juice, milk, sodas but no place to eat on premises, although some do. I tend toward the pastries and cookies over the pan dulce.

If I was in the Heights I'd be there every week or so, grab some fresh hot bakery items and head for home.

Handy Andy, how was that different from Handy Dan? Was it a grocery store?

Yes, based in San Antonio and a somewhat more upscale store than HEB was back then. There was a store at Voss at San Felipe, where the Randall's Flagship is now.

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