London Chop house

**GRALR** · November-18-09, 08:51 PM

I was looking in one of my cookbooks and am going to make cabbage meat rolls in sweet sour sauce from the LCH. What happened to it? are the remnants of it still there? It was in basement of the Madison ?

**EastsideAl** · November-18-09, 11:43 PM

The London Chop House finally closed in 1991. The victim of the general decline of downtown and Detroit business, and changing tastes in dining. But it was never really the same after its original owner, Les Gruber, sold the business and then died in the early '80s.

It was in the basement of the Murphy Building on Congress. I assume that since the building is still there that the space is still there. But I think the fixtures are long gone. I know my father has a couple of small items that were once in the restaurant.

Here is a little blog feature about the LCH, with a picture of the front door:
http://victualling.wordpress.com/200...on-chop-house/

Here is a previous DY thread about it:
http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/...tml?1034732222

**1KielsonDrive** · November-19-09, 01:05 AM

Les Gruber. I had the pleasure of dining there on a few occasions. To tell the truth, I wasn't all that impressed with it at the time. Too stuffy and upscale, for my tastes, as much as I frequented what were considered fine dining establishments in those days : Joe Muers, Schweizer's, Mario's, Little Harry's, etc. I've worked with a few of the former 'Chop' employees over the ensuing years. The Chop was truly a legend though.

**gnome** · November-19-09, 06:49 AM

EastsideAl, thanx for the link to the old thread ... from 2002. I loved reading TheRock describe his dining experiences at the DAC, the Detroit Club, London Chop House and the Caucus Club. That guy really knows Detroit.

IIRC, the London Chop House invented the drink Cold Duck and I believe the Bull Shot.

**rb336** · November-19-09, 08:20 AM

I thought cold duck was invented at the earlier ponch

**punky1** · November-19-09, 09:26 AM

well now you have to share the recipe for the cabbage rolls!

**Eastburn** · November-19-09, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by rb336

I thought cold duck was invented at the earlier ponch

Cold duck was the creation of the Pontchartrain Wine Cellar.

**EastsideAl** · November-19-09, 09:44 AM

Cold duck was, I believe, invented at the Potchartrain Wine Cellars, which was on Larned across from where the Pontchartrain Hotel was built. The Bull Shot I don't know, but was the Hummer invented at the Chop? I'm pretty certain it has a Detroit origin, and I know they served plenty of them.

**Jman** · November-19-09, 10:02 AM

The Bullshot was invented at the Caucus Club.

**the rock** · November-19-09, 10:03 AM

Somewhere I still have my old combination London Chop House/Caucas Club credit card. I doubt the Caucas Club would accept it now. The Christmas Holiday Season was a special time at both establishments, A brandy Alexander or Hummer featured at the Chop and a glass of Schloss Vollrads at the Caucas. Ollie took your coat at the Chop, Mary met you at the door of the Caucas, and each gave you a Holiday hug. Charlie at the Caucas was the best waiter I have met any where, any time. Booth #1 at the LCH was always reserved a for a celebrity or dignatary visiting the City. [[ We even got to sit there one slow Saturday for lunch!)_
Fond memories of each restaurant. Les Gruber treated his patrons well.

**pkbroch** · November-19-09, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by GRALR

I was looking in one of my cookbooks and am going to make cabbage meat rolls in sweet sour sauce from the LCH. What happened to it? are the remnants of it still there? It was in basement of the Madison ?

What is the name of the cookbook, I love cabbage rolls. Never had then from the LCH, but the one's at Darby's and Boesky"s were wonderful.

**softailrider** · November-19-09, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by pkbroch

What is the name of the cookbook, I love cabbage rolls. Never had then from the LCH, but the one's at Darby's and Boesky"s were wonderful.

Holy cow......you remember Darby's ?

**stromberg2** · November-19-09, 07:03 PM

Post that recipe, GRALR! Please.....

Stromberg2

**gnome** · November-19-09, 10:29 PM

Thanx for correcting me on the origins of Cold Duck... wikipedia reveals an interesting tidbit about the reason for the name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Duck

Origin
The wine was invented by Harold Borgman, the owner of Pontchartrain Wine Cellars in Detroit, in 1937. The recipe was based on a traditional German custom of mixing all the dregs of unfinished wine bottles with champagne. The wine he produced was given the name Kaltes Ende [["cold end" in German), until it was humorously altered to the similar sounding term Kalte Ente meaning "cold duck" . The exact recipe now varies, but the original combined one part of Californian red wine with two parts of New York sparkling wine.

**Whaler** · November-19-09, 11:57 PM

I remember Having a coat check Medalion LCH nr 1 on My Key chain 1980 ish .. I use to drop off flowers for the Tables and Entrance Way down the steps..My Mom and Dad took us athere quite few times in the 60's...Les was our Neighbor and as Rock said Very High Regard..My Dad also liked Mario's..Gary Stewart was His Waiter..I was 15 or 16 Man that was the Royal Treatment...Long for those Days...

**1KielsonDrive** · November-20-09, 01:17 PM

Waitsatff in starched uniforms. Fresh linen on each table and side-stand. Linen napkins on forearms. Order pads. Ceramic water pitchers on each table. Formal bussers. Lazy Susans stuffed with house specialties. Cocktails in fancy glassware. Bartenders upright at attention. Three extra-dry, martini [[literally) lunches with prime rib and a ciger. Special red phones at big shot's tables. All afternoon lunch, business conferences in back rooms. Foods prepared completely on premise. Private booths. Reservations. Greeted by name. It was a different era.

**the rock** · November-20-09, 04:31 PM

Whaler---So YOU were the one who delivered those beautiful flowers that were arranged daily at the foot of the stairs next to Ollie's hat /coat checkroom And above the floral arrangement Les Gruber hung several of his yearly [[framed) Holiday Magazine Best Restaurant awards which he prized and was proud to show his clientele.

Kielson--I don't mean to shatter the high class image you have posted regarding my favorite restaurant of all time, but don't forget those copies of the Free Press, News, NYT and Wall Street Journal that were posted daily above the urinals in the men's room. Do your thing and catch up with the news in the process. Only at the LCH.

**1KielsonDrive** · November-20-09, 05:42 PM

Originally Posted by the rock

Kielson--I don't mean to shatter the high class image you have posted regarding my favorite restaurant of all time, but don't forget those copies of the Free Press, News, NYT and Wall Street Journal that were posted daily above the urinals in the men's room. Do your thing and catch up with the news in the process. Only at the LCH.

Actually Rock, I don't remember the newspapers. My post was a kind of generalized recollection of a whole host of classy, old, Detroit restaurants. As I said, I wasn't a regular. It was too high class for my blood. I mean nothing negative. LCH was, without a doubt, the cream of the crop in Detroit, and possibly the nation. It's always nice to hear your recollections, and the first hand ones in particular.

**GRALR** · November-23-09, 12:02 AM

We have been on the road so we will post the recipe as soon as we can. The cook book is Better Homes and Gardens Fanous foods from Famous places. It features specialty of the house recipes from Americas leading restaurants. Really a great cook book filled with all the forbidden foods of the past. I cooked a German Pork dish that had a super rich cream sauce. I used their recipe as a guideline. It used cream, butter, lemon, savory, onion. salt, flour, ++++++ it was really good!

**Grundyke** · November-23-09, 01:01 AM

I love cabbage rolls. Please post it when conveniant!

**stromberg2** · November-23-09, 01:56 PM

Thanks, Gralr...looking forward to it.

Stromberg2

**punky1** · November-24-09, 10:50 AM

Well after hearing about the German pork with cream sauce I decided to try and find the book. Of course it is out of print so I checked the Michigan eLibrary but no copies. Ended up finding used copies on www.alibris.com . Just waiting now for it to be delivered. Thanks Gralr for sharing the name of the book. Said I was not going to buy anymore cookbooks, but just could not resist this one.

**Ray1936** · November-24-09, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by 1KielsonDrive

Waitsatff in starched uniforms. Fresh linen on each table and side-stand. Linen napkins on forearms. Order pads. Ceramic water pitchers on each table. Formal bussers. Lazy Susans stuffed with house specialties. Cocktails in fancy glassware. Bartenders upright at attention. Three extra-dry, martini [[literally) lunches with prime rib and a ciger. Special red phones at big shot's tables. All afternoon lunch, business conferences in back rooms. Foods prepared completely on premise. Private booths. Reservations. Greeted by name. It was a different era.

It was a different era, all right. My chief beef with today's restaurants [[both upscale and mid-range) is the host/hostess greets you, asks 'how many', and then looks around the room in total confusion, as if to say "Where the **** am I going to put these people?"......never mind that only a dozen tables are in use. I've had 'em stand there for a full minute trying to make up his/her mind. Morons.