Wait.....it's coming back to me now. The fog is lifting. Yes, I remember now. I used to work for the people who owned Fat Ernie's in Allen Center. Ernie Criezis (sp) owned it with his wife Toni. They had the Bowery downtown and La Bastile, the nightclub. They also had Harlow's (remember, it stayed open after hours and had long lines for the deli style sandwiches?) and The Great Caurso, which was near Gessner and Westheimer. Also, Good Eats Cafe which was on Woodway. Ernie also had The Great Greek with his brother, Spiro. I destroyed many brain cells in those places. How 'bout the clubs that are no longer with us? Bogangles on Market Square. The Bismark. Texas Steak House with Boyce and Kramer. More brain cells gone...........what were we talking about?
Hey man, this is Chris Criezis, no kidding. They had built up quite an empire allright. My favorite was the Bastille, had plenty of chances to get in trouble there when I was a kid, I remember working the sandwich counter when I was like 14/ 15, and had all the beer, wine, and liquor I could ever want right in the walkin cooler (when my parents werent looking), and I would make enough money selling sandwiches directly to customers and pocketing the proceeds. Funniest thing was, they thought they were getting 'free' labor with me working the sandwich counter, what they didnt know didnt hurt them. And the chicks...ahh yes, man it was great to be a kid around then, I dont know what kid gets to live that kind of nightlife.
That was the life, at least for that time period. Ernie (my dad) passed away in 1996 and Toni Renee, supposedly is a recluse living off an island in France but I doubt she is still alive. They really breathed life into Houston and built up quite an empire while it lasted. I believe the Great Caruso is still standing, last owner was Spero, dont know if he still owns it or if its even still there.
Historic Houston Restaurants
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Hey man, this is Chris Criezis, no kidding. They had built up quite an empire allright. My favorite was the Bastille, had plenty of chances to get in trouble there when I was a kid, I remember working the sandwich counter when I was like 14/ 15, and had all the beer, wine, and liquor I could ever want right in the walkin cooler (when my parents werent looking), and I would make enough money selling sandwiches directly to customers and pocketing the proceeds. Funniest thing was, they thought they were getting 'free' labor with me working the sandwich counter, what they didnt know didnt hurt them. And the chicks...ahh yes, man it was great to be a kid around then, I dont know what kid gets to live that kind of nightlife.
That was the life, at least for that time period. Ernie (my dad) passed away in 1996 and Toni Renee, supposedly is a recluse living off an island in France but I doubt she is still alive. They really breathed life into Houston and built up quite an empire while it lasted. I believe the Great Caruso is still standing, last owner was Spero, dont know if he still owns it or if its even still there.