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brucesw

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Posts posted by brucesw

  1. I don't remember a roommate either but I haven't read any of the books on this.

    There was a man who claimed to be Corll's lover and had visited the house in Pasadena and may have stayed overnight but never lived there. As I recall he claimed he had been warned by Corll to stay out of one bedroom.

    This guy was discovered by one of the newsmen at KAUM, two of whom were gay though not out at the time. He was up at the station for an interview but I never saw him or met him and don't recall his name. I believe the romantic couple had met in a T-room at a Weingarten's in the Heights only recently.

    I haven't read the books so don't know if he was ever mentioned but I had my doubts about the claims; I thought it was possible he was just a publicity seeker.

    Does anybody know if he was ever mentioned in the books on this subject? There was never much about him, but then there was never anywhere near as much focus on Brooks as there was on Henley.

  2. When i moved to Houston back in '68, I seem to remember a Christie's somewhere along South Main around the Holcumbe (sp?) area?

    Christie's history

    Somewhere on one of the threads about defunct restaurants or Main Street here on HAIF there is an exact address and an aerial view but I believe the Med Center location referred to in 1939 was right at Main and Holcombe.

    There was also a Christies on Bellaire at Rampart but I understand that was not actually the same people.

  3. Some notes from my research:

    October 17, 1946, Houston Press, p. 5 noted the October 21 issue of Life would feature Houston. I remember I wanted to see if I could find a copy of the mag to see what it said but I never got around to it. I wonder how many of these pics made it into the mag and what the text said.

    October 3, 1946 - Houston Press, p. 1 - the Saturday Evening Post in a feature article predicted Houston would be the 4th largest city in the nation by 1950! We were 21st in 1940. I wondered if that was a typo in the Press?

    Chronicle - Continental Bus Station @ 300 Travis, formerly City Hall - a fire on 4/20/46. I think the company was Bowen Trailways which became a part of the Continental Trailways system..

  4. Yes, looks like Main Street, looking north from approximately where the Audrey Jones Beck building is now located (the "new" MFAH building.)

    The "Street with traffic" picture appears to be Allen Parkway, coming into downtown.

    Memorial Drive. I remember reading something on the history of Otto's on Memorial when I was there - when they opened in 1950, Memorial was still a dirt road. That looks like too primitive a roadway to be West Gray at that time (and there would have been development along the street, not trees) and surely the street in front of the Sear's store on Buffalo Drive was more improved than that 17 years after it originally opened. The dip in the background would be about where the Police Memorial is off to the left, I think.

    BTW, great pics, tmariar, thanks for the post.

  5. Here's some more from my 40 + years in Houston:

    Monterrey House, started in the 50's and specialized in food to go. Tended to be in the new suburbs. This was many Houstonian's first experience with Tex Mex.

    Ghallagers Irish Steakhouse, I think in the 80's. Incredible cream of potato soup and a bar that was bigger than the restaurant. Imagine that.

    Dobbs House 24 hour diners. All over town in the 50's & 60's. I remember them especially well because it was my first job as a teenager (dishwasher making 90 cents/hr min wage). Surprisingly high quality food, including their "Steakburger Plates". One of the salad dressing choices was remoulade.

    Andros Foreign Foods Deli, Fondren at Westpark. Great poor boy on a real crusty roll. The best seller was called the "skinny". You entered one door, got the sandwich out of the cooler, picked up chips and a drink, paid the cashier and out the other door, often without stopping. I could eat these every day and not get tired of them. Lots of crumbs in the car.

    Enough for now.

    We loved Monterrey House. Yep, our first experience of Tex Mex.

    Gallagher's rings a bell - competitor to Steak 'n Ale? Where on earth was it - I can't place it.

    Dobb's House/Toddle House - all over town - all over the country from about the 30s. Loved the steakburger and hash browns.

    Andros is still there. I think the last time I drove down that street a banner proclaimed the original owner is back? Used to be an import foods store as well as deli, competing with Antone's which had only one location. I had my first sample of mortadella there and bought imported pasta, cheeses, biscotti, and olive oil in 2 gallon tins. Now it's just a deli, competing with the likes of Antone's and Niko Niko's. Skinny boy, Fatboy, gyro - all tend to have more meat than the competition. Also some good soups.

    Welcome to HAIF.

  6. I haven't read all the posts, but here are some I'm wondering about. I haven't lived in Houston in 35 years and when I visit, I usually eat at my Dad's house, so I'm not up on the restaurant scene.

    Christie's on S. Main, Med Center - we ate there every Friday night on the way over to my Grandparents' house. This would have been in the late 50s and early 60s. I would eat their incredible trout sandwich and chase it down with chocolate milk. Invariably, I would get sick and be in agony the rest of the evening. But it was SO good. I think this place burned down in the 70s. Not sure.

    Christie's on Westheimer - just as good as the S. Main location but cheaper. This is where my 5 year old nephew walked over to another family's table and helped himself to their jello. We still laugh about it, 25 years later.

    Youngbloods Fried Chicken on S. Main - very good chicken, nice restaurant. It probably closed in the 60s.

    Valian's Italian - across the street from the Shamrock Hotel. Probably closed in the 60s. I've never experienced better Italian food.

    Felix on Kirby - we were eating there when I was 5 years old. The hostess was Mrs. Harper, which happens to be my name. I ended up seeing her at the DFW airport sometime in the 80s. She remembered our family!

    Bill Bennet's downtown: It was popular as a late night coffee shop. My high school buddies and I would go there after partying.

    Phil's Diner (on Richmond?): great plate lunches in the early 70s.

    The Christie's on Westheimer is still there, still serving trout sandwiches. All the others you mentioned are gone (and all discussed in this thread) except Phil's which is now 59 Diner and has several locations around town.

  7. As for the cafeteria in question, Apollopride, I remember it spelled as Jetton's.

    Yes, it was Jetton's. I was familiar with the name because I lived in Ft. Worth briefly before moving here in 1970 and the name was big up there.

    From Robb Walsh's Legends of Texas Barbecue: 'Walter Jetton of Fort Worth was the last of the open pit barbecuers and probably the most influential pit boss in Texas barbecue history. In the 1950s, Jetton held the record for barbecue catering, having fed twelve thousand people at one event. He also enjoyed considerable prestige as LBJs favorite caterer. In 1963, Pocket Books published his LBJ Barbecue Cookbook.'

    His foray onto the Houston restaurant scene didn't last long, I think. I went there just once, remember the long lines. I think the building was on the NW corner of Richmond and Buffalo Speedway but I'm not sure if it's still there or what it houses now.

  8. Yes they did, as well as most of the JoJo's.

    There was also the Champ's at 59 & Gessner, and 59 & Murphy. I spent many a 3:00am at that Murphy location.

    I had forgotten all about Jim's. Was there a connection between Jim's, Champ's and JoJo's?

    There was also a Jim's/Champ's on Hillcroft @ Westward?, where there's a Conoco station and strip center now. I was in that one several times with friends, otherwise would never have been there. Went to the one on Murphy @ 59 once for breakfast when it was JoJo's, once for dinner when it was Champ's.

    The only one of those buildings still standing is the one on N. Braeswood @ Chimney Rock which was Pastine's, an Italian place, for a while and is now El Ranchero.

  9. Luna Park has always fascinated me - partly because I live in the Heights, but also because it seems so hard to find information and photos. (One small obstacle in researching the topic is that "Luna Park" seems to have been a very popular name for amusement parks for a while.) The Houstorian write-up covers what I'd seen elsewhere and what I was able to find in old Texas (but not Houston) newspapers available on an online subscription service. But I don't think I found any images I hadn't already seen.

    I wondered why you had been researching in the Galveston paper for stories about Luna Park.

    I have done a lot of reading of Houston papers, all three of them, in the 1920s, and I saw only one mention of Luna Park - that's why I had to start this topic. That was in reference to an early Houston radio station, WSAV, licensed to the park in 1925 - according to the brief story in the Post-Dispatch "1406 Houston Avenue in Luna Park.' Of course, I was looking for stories about radio, not amusement parks, and it would have had to be a big headline or whatever to catch my attention. By contrast, I couldn't miss the frequent ads for Sylvan Beach Park and Bayshore Park but I never saw ads for Luna Park.

    I've done some research in the Galveston Daily News, too, at the Library in Galveston. They have a rather complete index and it's amazing what you can find about Houston in that paper that would require hours of just skimming through old microfilms to find in the Houston papers.

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  10. how about Phil's off s.shepherd? i remember the mason jar out on katy frwy...

    i remember the fillin'station on richmond with all its memorabilia... does anyone know if don jose mexican restaurant is still on antoine and pinemont? mr. clark and his first wife were some of the nicest people...i was their first customer when they opened...

    anyone remember "the goldmine"? They had the best prime rib.

    can anyone tell me the name of the steakhouse that used to be at the intersection of

    t.c. jester and ella? it had been in the building that "the smorgesboard" restaurant used to be in... anyone remember roznovsky's store off of birdsall and washington? that was the best place for cheesburgers and longnecks...

    all this talk is making me hungry :blink:

    Phil's has been 59 Diner for years now and there are several locations.

    Was the steakhouse Texas Tumbleweed? When the chain went belly up that location continued to operate as Pecos Grill until just a year or so ago.

    I always heard of Roznovsky's at that location but never got to go - too far from work.

  11. That would be Kahn's Deli on Rice Blvd. Unfortunately, Mike Kahn sold it a couple of months ago and my understanding is that he's no longer affiliated with the business at all. Supposedly the new owner did a complete new buildout of the interior as well, but I haven't been by there to confirm that.

    I miss Alfred's. Best potato soup I've ever tasted.

    My understanding is that Mike took on a partner and the website indicates he's still involved.

    When I drove by the place several weeks ago the sign indicated the revamped place will be open evenings.

    Everybody who ever ate at Alfred's misses the place. It was my go-to place for years after I moved to Houston in 1970.

  12. yamin's and it's offspring, stefano's, had the best po' boys in town (better than antone's because their's were hot and antone's po' boys were cold). i wish i could find someplace that sold hot po' boys like they used to make. my favorite was the meatball po' boy. i still remember walking in there and it smelled so good and italian. almost as good as the aroma of valian's. nothing smells better than italian cooking.

    Back in the 70s I worked on San Felipe just outside the Loop and there was a Yamins/Stephanos (can't remember which) just inside the Loop on Westheimer. I can't count the number of times we'd go there when we were working late, sometimes sending one of the crew to pick things up, sometimes taking a break en masse. I can't remember ever trying a po'boy so I can't compare but Mandola's Deli on Leeland @ Cullen will heat their po'boys and of course they do a meatball version. They're part of the Mandola family restaurant empire.

  13. There's a review already on b4. I drove by there today but will give them some time to get it together. Sounds interesting.

    Also noticed Alfreda's is now known as Fred's and the sign mentions District 7 Grill - there was room in the parking lot at noon - very unusual. Close to Reggae Hut I saw Culinary Kreations, maybe a sit-down place, and further south on the other side of the street a Culinary Kreations deli, both new to me.

    Have you eaten at Reggae Hut or Alfreda's? I've wondered about both but had never had a recommendation from anyone. I agree about Spanish Village; I heard great things about that place and thought the food was pretty bad.

    There was supposed to be a new development nearby... a medical building with retail/restaurants on the ground level... does this ring a bell with anyone? Maybe on that huge (vacant) site on McGregor, just east of (and adjacent to) 288? I wish I could remember details. Maybe the whole thing is stalled.

    Any chance of Mosaic having retail or restaurants?

    Sorry, didn't see this before. Never been to Reggae Hut but have a friend that likes it; I have a Caribbean place close to me on Bissonnet that I like so no need to drive over there. Alfreda's just once before the ownership change I'm sure. Soul food is not a favorite of mine because vegs are so overcoked. Also got another one close to me so I don't go that far for soul food when I want it.

    Re: Scurlock above - I was there today. No Miller's that I saw but Murphy's Deli on the second floor and ads in the elevators for Alonti and Italia Coffee de Oro or something like that.

    I wonder if there's gong to be/already is any kind of eatery in the former Plaza Hotel? Would be a good place for one.

    Also noticed Ernie's across from Bell Park - is that a restaurant or club? Used to be both but I can't remember the name.

    I wound up at Coozan's on Kirby, just doors from Dimassi's, across from Reliant. Hole-in-the-wall cajun/wing place with very small menu. Boudin balls were good, baskets I saw being served looked good.

  14. The swing bridge on the Old River at Freeport

    v5anhf.jpg

    I happened to see a story about this on 13 last night and couldn't believe it when the reporter said the bridge is still used. Hard to believe it still rotates much less would support a train and I thought all the tracks south of the river had been taken up. So I looked it up in The Facts.

    The land bridge at the west end of Freeport was built before I was born but we still used this occasionally and it always scared me. It was narrow and cars and trains shared it and there always seemed to be a switch engine sitting at the north end of the bridge and I swear the engineers would always toot their horn when a car got on the bridge, even if they weren't going anywhere. I'm sure there were crossing arms to prevent cars from entering the bridge if there was a train but I wasn't old enough to understand that.

  15. Compared to my depraved part of town that area is awash with good eateries. What do you mean by 'area' though, walking distance?

    There's lower Montrose, lower Richmond. A new place called Bowl is opening up on Richmond, 400 block or so, this week I think. Looks interesting.

    The Village would be in the area afaic - tons of good eateries. My favs are Istanbul, Kahn's, Ruggles.

    Main St. @ OST - Captain Benny's Oyster Bar

    Kirby across from Reliant - Dimassi's Mediterranean Buffet.

    On Almeda besides Spanish Village (which I haven't ever cared for) - Reggae Hut, owned by the same guy who owns Breakfast Klub I think, and Alfreda's Soul Food Cafeteria, owned by the people who own District 7 Grill downtown, the retro diner.

    Many of the institutions in TMC have eateries; there is also. I haven't eaten at any of these just made a note of it in case I ever have to spend lots of time in TMC again (as a visitor).

    The Miller's Cafe that used to be on Main across is on level 2 of Scurlock; some people think they do great burgers.

    • Like 1
  16. This would have been the Courtyard, right in the center. It closed down back sometime in the mid 80's, Champs was on the corner where the gas station is now.

    By this time W. Belfort did go all the way through, however back in the 70"s it was "broken" at about the location where beltway 8 is now. You would have to kinda jog around where Rufffino Rd. is, then W. Belfort would pick back up on the other side. We lived in the Meadows back then and made this trip a lot.

    I was no stranger to the Texas Tumbleweed either! That one, or the one on Richmond.

    I didn't even realize that building had been there that far back. Also realized by the time I moved out to that part of town (west of Gessner), my company had changed hands and we no longer had the perk of eating at Steakhouse Associates on the company dollar so I wouldn't have been looking for a Courtyard. Another feature of the place on I-10 was the hot 'steamed' bread - can't remember if it was a salad bar but you could help yourself to a variety of breads that were kept in steam heated enclosures so were always hot and moist - included a dark rye or pumpernickel, a white bread and maybe one other? Also a big slab of butter to carve. Helped to soak up the martinis we drank like water.

    I don't remember the jog on W. Bellfort you mention either - that must've been gone by then.

  17. It was about a block north of West Belfort, on the west side of the street. There was a Jim's which later became a Champ's on the corner of W. Belfort and Fondren too.

    I don't remember that at all and I can't think of anything along there that would have been a building it was in, but I don't think W. Bellfort went all the way through to 59 back then and I seldom got over there on Fondren. I do remember the Champs, later an Antone's at the next cross street (now a Subway?).

    Later in the decade and into the early 80s there was a Texas Tumbleweed further north on Fondren, at the southern end of that big strip center at Fondren and S. Braeswood - that would be close to a mile north of W. Bellfort.

  18. Would this have been the same as the Courtyard on Fondren? If so, then I do agree! ;)

    I think there was more than one location of the Courtyard but I don't remember where - on Fondren at ???

    Steak House Associates was the name of the company and they owned the 2 Stables restaurants, Bordman's, a seafood place on Westheimer where Chuy's is now, and Bud Bigelow's, another steakhouse on Westheimer in the Galleria area.

  19. The Pleasant Peasant on N. Post Oak on the curve - great breakfasts, lunches, a very gracious owner and friendly staff, famous for its Peasant Pecan Pie.

    The Courtyard on the Katy Fwy, now a Salt Grass Steakhouse - prime rib, king crab legs, margaritas, .... drool

    The Stables on S. Main - same company as the Courtyard

    The Sunday Lunch/Brunch Buffet at the Warwick, as famous for its ice sculpture and panoramic view of Rice, Hermann Park and S. Main as for the food.

  20. In mid-January 1948 Houston hotelman W. Albert Lee, who at that time either owned or leased the Milby Hotel, installed a 62' animated Trans Lux sign on the Texas Avenue face of the hotel. It was a smaller version of the famous sign in Times Square, NYC, and displayed messages in letters 4' tall.

    The sign was in support of Lee's first broadcast venture, KLEE-AM, 610, which launched at the end of the month and had studios on the 2nd floor of the hotel.

    The full page ads for the launch of the radio station included pictures of the studios and transmitter facility and the control room for the Trans Lux which had 2 full time employees to type the messages displayed, but no picture of the sign itself.

    Do any HAIFers know of any pictures of the hotel with the sign? or any memories of the sign? I do not know how long the installation was maintained. (It was turned off at 10pm each night, which I'm sure the guests at the Rice appreciated).

    Lee owned the radio station until his death in late 1951; in 1952 his estate sold it to Dallas' Gordon McLendon who changed the call letters to KLBS and then in 1957 to KILT.

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