Restaurants: Longtime Neighborhood Gems

[gazhekwe]

Waaah! I miss the Mushroom Cellar [[in the basement of the Golden Mushroom). We could walk over there. They had FREE hors d'ouevres for happy hour every day. For the price of a couple of drinks, you could get a nice little dinner. You could also order some things off the menu from the restaurant upstairs.

The matchbook collection set me off on that tangent, sorry. I guess I find the CVS useful, but they could have stayed across the street and left the Mushroom.

[Maof]

How about Dominics Bel Casino, it was on Mack and Alter rd.?

Pam, I remember it well. Lived right there on Mack and Manistique.

[Maof]

That's Pgn, not Pam

[EMG]

Is Perini's still on Whittier? That was my family's favorite when I was growing up.

I ate at Perini's a few times in my youth too. I especially liked one of their desserts, the "Cherry Delight" which was a cherry cobbler mixed with coconut.

Perini's is, as Buy American said, long gone. In fact, I think it has been gone since at least the early '80s.

As for me, a couple of hamburger places that were my favorites were Geneva's [[still there) on Harper between Cadieux and Morang and Daly's [[long gone, replaced by a fast Greek restaurant and later by a Tubby's which is there to this day) - both of which I posted pictures of in another recent thread.

Another place I used to like was Gino's Surf on Jefferson south of Metro Beach. Also, the Lido which I believe was at the Harbor 9 marina and has been long gone and replaced by a different restaurant [[as was the case with the Brownie's at Jefferson Beach which has also been replaced). Not sure if Gino's Surf is still there, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's gone too.

I really used to like the Lido. I would always get a menu item called the "Boatswain's Mate" - beer batter shrimp with a side of onion rings. As was the case with the Geneva Hamburger Stand's sliders, that was another meal it was a good thing I got out of the habit of while I was still young and hadn't done too much damage to my arteries! These days, even my stomach would rebel if I ate that much grease in one sitting. Onion rings are going to have to remain relegated to serving as nothing but pleasant childhood memories for me now.

[EMG]

Oh yes, a few others [[sorry, I guess this thread was supposed to be about ones that are still around, but unfortunately so many more are gone than remaining!)

- Lum's, a chain restaurant, and there was one on 8 Mile near Rex, as well as another in the 7-Mack center. I used to like to get fried shrimp there.

- The Little Cafe on Gratiot near 6 mile.

- Joe Muer's on Gratiot. I remember my parents taking me down there for my 11th birthday.

- Firehouse Too [[yes, it was really spelled that way) on Warren near [[I believe) Cadieux. Went there with my parents for pizza often in the early '80s, usually to celebrate my academic successes at the end of each term while I was attending the University of Detroit in those days.

And speaking of my U of D days, perhaps the one and only restaurant that I remember as a favorite that was NOT on the east side: The Venice, a small Italian restaurant which I believe was on Puritan a few blocks west of Livernois, just west of the McNichols campus of U of D. When I was in the Beta Alpha Psi accounting fraternity, we often had accounting executives from the [[at the time) Big Eight firms as guest speakers and they would treat us to dinner there afterwards. Those were the days! I can still remember the lasagna and the bottomless breadstick baskets. [[Did I mention it's a good thing that I don't eat at places like that much anymore...?)

[Jman]

EMG, the location you describe for The Venice sure sounds like Larco's.

[EastsideAl]

Larco's was on Six Mile.

[EMG]

The Venice to which I was referring was most definitely NOT on Six Mile. I'm pretty sure it was on Puritan. I just checked the location on Google Earth and it looks like there is now a place there - not sure if it is the same building or within +/- one block of the Venice I used to know - called "Narris Laid Back Lounge." From the shape of the building as looked down on from overhead, I think that is very likely to be the site of the old Venice.

[Neilr]

The Venice definitely was on Puritan several blocks west of Livernois. The Venice was quite popular with U of D students. It was much more casual than Larco's which was considered [[almost) fine dining. Larco's drew more of an an older, city-wide crowd.

[Maof]

EMG - Gino's is still there. A retired Detroit policeman purchased it several years ago [[i think with his son) and has put tons of money into it. He has added onto the original building, has an outdoor area called the Luna Kai, which is a hugh party stop during the summer months, and has or is going to add boat docking. I hear the weekend brunch is pretty good too.

[EMG]

Great to hear! Thanks for the update!

[Jman]

Larco's was on Six Mile.

You're correct of course. I'm afraid I had a memory lapse.

[aprilgirl33]

Ahhh yes...when Detroit was the place to see and be seen. What a shame. What wonderful memories. Thanks for the posts....it's a great reminder of what we once were!!!!!

[Fury13]

You can't have too many sentimental nostalgia threads, I guess.

But I'd sure like to know which "longtime neighborhood gems" I can still patronize, NOW.

[gazhekwe]

The old Family Buggy from Evergreen and Six Mile is surviving at 29335 Orchard Lake Rd, Farmington Hills, MI 48334

[Tsomyak]

Here are some matchbook covers which might bring back some memories also.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/keglerw...57614582259294

Those were great Z! I was happy to see Eddie Pawls in there. That was my dad's favorite for years. I remember they used to serve shrimp cocktail on the buffet there. My dad took my two older brothers and I in for dinner one night. He was mortified to see all of us parading back to the table with plates HEAPED with shrimp. Eddie was a loyal customer of my dad, and he did not want him to think he was trying to put his restaurant out of business!

[BesserFresser]

Do any of you remember a largeish restaurant up near the Wood's Theatre? I recall it had a large tilted roof and sort of an "island" theme. Used to go there for malts, burgers, and fries...

[GPCharles]

Blazo's - just east of the theater. Now the location of AAA.

[msamslex]

Gracie See Pizza, and not far from the border DeLucas, Warren&Inkster

I was reading through some of the older threads when this caught my eye.

Gracie See Pizza closed, I can’t remember exactly when. I believe the owners retired & sold the property. The building has been torn down along with a closed party store that shared the parking lot. A new strip mall is in the process of being built in its place.

I got pizza from there once or twice years ago & I thought it was pretty good.

[stasu1213]

What's the name of the German restaurant that's is currently on John R near McNichols?

[IrishSpartan]

What's the name of the German restaurant that's is currently on John R near McNichols?

Dakota Inn Rathskeller

[Gistok]

Gone but not forgotten restaurants in Detroit.....

http://www.atdetroit.net/forum/messages/6790/83010.html

[Zacha341]

^^^ Cool archived thread. So many places I'd forgotten about. Thanks for posting.

[kathy2trips]

The Venice definitely was on Puritan several blocks west of Livernois. The Venice was quite popular with U of D students. It was much more casual than Larco's which was considered [[almost) fine dining. Larco's drew more of an an older, city-wide crowd.

"Police Blotter" item from Detroit Free Press 1947:

[kathy2trips]

Dakota Inn Rathskeller

Is this the same place [[from 1958)?