Downtown Detroit Restaurants & Bars- 1970

[piczka]

Two bars I frequented were the Lafayette Bar in Greektown and the Las Vegas in Mexican town. Great music and action in both.

[piczka]

Wasn't there a bar south of the GM building called the Normandy?

[Vitalis]

Try, for the moment, to imagine a world where Detroit's WWII adult worker population getting off their shifts, and still too keyed up to go to sleep, might make it down to the Telenews to catch-up on the latest war news. I believe that during those years the theater was open 24/7, and perhaps the management got exclusive first screening rights to one or more of the newsreels from: Pathe, Movietone, March of Time, Hearst's News of the Day, Universal Newsreel, and Paramount News. These newsreels certainly weren't the news up-to-the-minute, but for an audience crowded into a 465 seat auditorium, it was as new as the news was going to get. Rapt attention and silent prayers were the order of the day. What I wouldn't have given to eyeball that glass globe atop the vertical marquee, pay the admission, and then hope [[or fear) that I would learn about my big brother [[or sister's) probable situation in Europe or the Pacific. For a country starving for war news, the Telenews theater chain served that need, until television cut-in and snatched the news business away from theaters and newspapers.

[lester wild]

Has anybody said Marios or Lellis?

Never went to Lellis, but I heard it was first class. Marios [[on 2nd) I've been to, as well as the old Cardinalis on Gratiot, The Roma Cafe [[near the market) and Aldos [[fabulous food) on 7 mile and Kelly .

[lester wild]

Never went to Lellis, but I heard it was first class. Marios [[on 2nd) I've been to, as well as the old Cardinalis on Gratiot, The Roma Cafe [[near the market) and Aldos [[fabulous food) on 7 mile and Kelly .

btw.. Has anyone mentioned the Ponchatrain Wine Cellars [[near the parking structure) or La Fontaine's [[in the Ren Cen) Legendary stuff!!

[Honky Tonk]

btw.. Has anyone mentioned the Ponchatrain Wine Cellars, Legendary stuff!!

Spent many after hours, uh, unwinding, listening to Ernie Swan playing the piano.

[Smirnoff]

Came across some people guzzlin' "green beer" at The Old Shillelagh around '76.

[pjbear05]

Carl's was also renowned for its cheescake, but I can't vouch for it. After a Carl's steak, sides and beverages, the only dessert I wanted was a nap.

Bwahaha, I remember Tim Allen mentioning Carl's in one of his routines with a line to the effect of "boy, that place spawned a lot of heart attacks."

[DetBill]

Yes you are correct, that was the Normandie, great burgers, great cocktails, and a waitress named Julie that we had so much fun with , that was a great place to go.

Wasn't there a bar south of the GM building called the Normandy?

[ptero]

Oh I miss the Normandy. Went there a fair bit in the '70's. Great food, nice bar. The walls were plastered with autographed head shots of actors that had toured through with shows at the Fisher Theatre. It was in the first block south of Grand Blvd on the west side of Second. It's now that New Center Park.

[Henry Whalley]

Jims Garage, Checkers, & the Clam Shop a little further out.

Danny Raskin: Motown Memories | The Detroit Jewish News [[thejewishnews.com)

[401don]

The Book Cadillac lobby bar was great for people watching. Apparently visiting players drank at the Lindell because the mgr and coaches drank at the hotel.

[Trumpeteer]

The Book Cadillac lobby bar was great for people watching. Apparently visiting players drank at the Lindell because the mgr and coaches drank at the hotel.

It was called the Motor Bar and visiting ballplayers definitely drank there as my Dad and Mom told me how they used to go there and sit back with a beer to see what players came in.

[Former_Detroiter]

Victor Lim's, La Laterna, Flaming Embers, Greenfield Cafeteria, Hudson's [[13th floor & Mezzanine).

[IrishSpartan]

It was called the Motor Bar and visiting ballplayers definitely drank there as my Dad and Mom told me how they used to go there and sit back with a beer to see what players came in.

Well, it was very likely the players were in the Motor Bar on the down low since with most teams back then that was an automatic fine. Lindell A.C. became so popular largely because of that team rule. Managers/Coaches had that rule because generally it was not a good idea to be drinking in the same bar. However, one of the episodes demonstrating why players and managers shouldn't drink in the same bar ironically happened at Lindell A.C. rather than a hotel bar.

[IrishSpartan]

The Lindell Hotel Bar was not on Fouth, but rather located at Cass & Bagley [[1519 Cass). The bar moved to Michigan & Cass in April 1963, with Alex Karras as the third partner. Jimmy & Johnny were not exactly disappointed when the city condemned the hotel. The Michigan & Cass location was better and with less headaches. Certain media types patronized the Lindell, but nothing to the extent of the Anchor. Otherwise, the jocks would have stayed away from the Lindell. Please elaborate on what you mean by raids regarding gambling activities. I know they had a couple of issues with Michigan LCC regarding gambling devices on the premises, and in the 1962-63 the FBI were asking questions concerning Alex Karras and the fact certain underworld types were known to frequent the place. However, never heard anything about raids. As Ray pointed out before, Jimmy & Johnny had a cousin with DPD. At one point Edwin J. Anderson tried to make the Lindell off limits for Detroit Lions players, and that policy failed miserably. The funny thing is Jim Campbell of all people never gave a damn about Detroit Tigers players [[especially Norm Cash) being regulars at the Lindell.

The old Lindell Bar was on the first floor of the old Lindell Hotel at the corner of Cass & Bagley. The old Lindell Bar not to be confused with the Lindell A.C. probably had a worse reputation than the Anchor Bar even before the Butsicaris Brothers and their father bought the place in 1949. It still had a very shady reputation due to the hotel especially until they moved to Michigan and Cass in 1963. Although some of the bar's customers very much contributed to the overall reputation. It probably didn't hurt the Butsicaris brothers in some respects that their cousin was a Detroit Police officer.

[Trumpeteer]

Well, it was very likely the players were in the Motor Bar on the down low since with most teams back then that was an automatic fine. Lindell A.C. became so popular largely because of that team rule. Managers/Coaches had that rule because generally it was not a good idea to be drinking in the same bar. However, one of the episodes demonstrating why players and managers shouldn't drink in the same bar ironically happened at Lindell A.C. rather than a hotel bar.

The out of town players STAYED at the Book.

[401don]

The out of town players STAYED at the Book.

Yes, that's what we're talking about. It was a general rule with all clubs that managers/coaches drank at the hotel bar and players went to one down the street. Doesn't mean there wasn't the occasional exception.
I actually got to eat breakfast with some of the Orioles at Book Cadillac around 1975. They had a Sunday buffet breakfast with big round tables and Elrod Hendricks asked my buddy and I to join them. We were 18 years old at the time. Today we couldn't even check in at that age and you would never be eating with the players.

[softailrider]

I don't think anybody mentioned Pinky's. To this day the best pan -fried Perch I've ever had, bartenders knew how to pour over there too - every drink was a double, or maybe a double plus.

[Former_Detroiter]

I don't think anybody mentioned Pinky's. To this day the best pan -fried Perch I've ever had, bartenders knew how to pour over there too - every drink was a double, or maybe a double plus.

Pinky's Boulevard Club wasn't downtown. It was located on E. Grand Blvd. & Jefferson.

[Henry Whalley]

I don't think anybody mentioned Pinky's. To this day the best pan -fried Perch I've ever had, bartenders knew how to pour over there too - every drink was a double, or maybe a double plus.

Back in the days when perch were edible...

[IrishSpartan]

The out of town players STAYED at the Book.

If the team was staying there the bar at the Sheraton Cadillac was off limits by rule of most teams.

Same thing for the hockey teams that stayed at the Leland or the Yankees during the years when they stayed at the Statler Hilton. The Yankees in particular did not want the manager and players drinking at the same bar. It was considered bad form.

[Trumpeteer]

If the team was staying there the bar at the Sheraton Cadillac was off limits by rule of most teams.

Same thing for the hockey teams that stayed at the Leland or the Yankees during the years when they stayed at the Statler Hilton. The Yankees in particular did not want the manager and players drinking at the same bar. It was considered bad form.

From HistoricDetroit.com

"A place of history

In 1939, the hotel would become immortalized in baseball lore. It was on May 2 of that year that New York Yankee first baseman Lou Gehrig collapsed on the Book-Cadillac's grand staircase. Gehrig told his manager while sitting in one of the hotel's bars that he was taking himself out of the starting lineup against the Detroit Tigers, breaking his string of 2,130 consecutive games played. He would later be diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease."

BTW it was called the Book Cadillac until bought by Sheraton in 1951.

[401don]

From HistoricDetroit.com

"A place of history

In 1939, the hotel would become immortalized in baseball lore. It was on May 2 of that year that New York Yankee first baseman Lou Gehrig collapsed on the Book-Cadillac's grand staircase. Gehrig told his manager while sitting in one of the hotel's bars that he was taking himself out of the starting lineup against the Detroit Tigers, breaking his string of 2,130 consecutive games played. He would later be diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease."

BTW it was called the Book Cadillac until bought by Sheraton in 1951.

I believe there was an exception for any player who played a minimum 2,000 games in a row.

[IrishSpartan]

From HistoricDetroit.com

"A place of history

In 1939, the hotel would become immortalized in baseball lore. It was on May 2 of that year that New York Yankee first baseman Lou Gehrig collapsed on the Book-Cadillac's grand staircase. Gehrig told his manager while sitting in one of the hotel's bars that he was taking himself out of the starting lineup against the Detroit Tigers, breaking his string of 2,130 consecutive games played. He would later be diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease."

BTW it was called the Book Cadillac until bought by Sheraton in 1951.

Interesting story since Lou Gehrig was a teetotaler. I guess Mickey Mantle, Casey Stengal, etc. were all lying about the deal with hotel bars and it being off limits for the players. I suppose the Lindell Bar/Lindell A.C. being so popular with visiting players was also a myth.