2000-12-10 - 20:08 MST

December 10, 2000

And So To Eat

Reading Gene Amole's column in the Rocky Mountain News this morning stirred up a memory or two.

Across the street on the downtown side of the main Post Office was a small restarant by the name of "Lunds" some of the cuisine was Swedish. Oh, their pancakes were out of this world. Dad clued me in that there would be no problem in getting our favorite plate -- pancakes and gravy and he was right, the order was taken and shortly our pancakes with delicious gravy was served up. To a young person obtaining a favorite dish ordered by himself at a restaurant was a special treat and an ego builder. Last I saw of Lund's was boxed pancake mix on grocery store shelves, the restaurant was no longer operating.

The Ringside Lounge of Joe Awful Coffee, where the owner did his shadow boxing bit on the way to the table. I never did get much of his history other than he once was a boxer.

The Kenmark Bar and Grille in the old Kenmark Hotel (Kaiserhof before World War One) was another neat place, the bar had the noisy patrons, but the back room booths were in such a laid back place. It had the juke music, you selected your music, put your coins in the slot. The novel thing was that no one else could hear the music. Each booth could be playing different selections but there was no confict of sounds. One booth might have some people in deep conversation, undisturbed by noise. It was a room of good manners, consideration and courtesy.

When I was wooing Heather I attempted to take her in to eat at the Ken but when she got in the door and saw the bar, she almost knocked me down trying to get out. I managed to tell her that there was a nice quiet room in back and to just try it once. Side note, her oldest brother was a confirmed alcoholic and although he never hurt her or her little sister they feared him greatly as he would come in drunk, loud, and feisty. She had seen her Mom and Dad coping with the oldest son they loved so much but could not seem to help. Side note over . . . . .That first time we had a nice meal and pleasant talk and a bit of music, she was intrigued by the sound system which produced music at a hearable level only in the booth where the money was paid and the selection made. Thinking about it, I guess it was pretty high tech for World War Two days.

Down the street closer to the Union Station was Keable's, a busy eatery which for a decent price served good, wholesome tasty food. It was a zoo at lunch time, being amid all the downtown buildings which had multitudes of office workers, breakfast was busy too. I am not sure but I think they were open for dinner but closed fairly early.

Closer yet to the Union Station on Larimer Street (Which even in my young days had the pawn shops, the rescue mission where a man could hear a sermon and then eat a bite. Larimer Street was essentially one of the early main streets in the downtown area but had become skid row.) Between 16th Street and 17th Street on the Depot side of Larimer was the very ritzy Manhattan Restaurant, impeccable table linens and napkins, nice silverware and china. Waiters who would I think cut off a hand if it offended a customer. First time I was there with Mom and Dad was as a tyke, but was treated like an adult by our waiter. It was a dress up, shined shoes, combed hair, clean nails place and I never heard a kid get loud or argue with parents. It was really a treat for a kid to be taken there.

Further along Larimer Street toward Broadway was a restaurant aptly named The Sanitary Cafe, seedy looking and on entry one would almost turn and walk back out -- but the wooden floor and counters were clean, the grille in perfect order and busy, busy. The thick, heavy plates, saucers and cups were not nicked or cracked and were super clean. The food was good, the coffee hot and strong, fare similar to what many of us ate at home, portions were large and they had the lowest price for a full meal that I could find.

There were several Saliman's bar and grille establishments in the downtown area, where the alkys (like I later became) would stand around early in the morning, twitching and shaking waiting for them to open so they could get their first drink of the day. The management kept order quite well there, plus the cops would eat those roast beef sandwiches too and come in for coffee durng the day. At lunch time the most delicious roast beef sandwiches were served. Huge and hot and tender they were and seasoned to a tee. It was one of the few places that a paycheck could be cashed for a dime.

There were a couple of A&B ulcer gulches down town, mostly handling greasy burgers, hot chili, coffee and some what petrified pie or sweet rolls.

On Curtis Street between 15 th and 16 th Street on the uptown side of the street was the fabulous Baur's, the emporium serving delicacies of sweetness of all kinds. Way back, I think that Otto Baur was the inventor of the ice cream soda I know that he came up with some new sweet thing. You could sit at table in there or buy your goodies and walk out to go other places. It was essentially a rich man's place but treated anyone courteously who had good manners and the money to buy. This was another place like The Manhattan where being taken in by my parents with my shoes shined, hair combed, clean shirt and all I enjoyed scrumptious desserts. I know that Mom and Dad really couldn't afford for us to go there, but I think they enjoyed their fiscal foibles and liked watching this greedy little guy scarfing up any thing put in front if him.

There were two or three candy, ice cream and soda/malted milk establishments downtown, one was on 15 th Street. They were neat and clean and a very attractive place for us kids to sinfully stuff ourself while there and walk out with bags of candy. The ones I knew of were owned by people of Greek parentage, or were naturalized citizens any how.

Way south of the downtown district proper, near the D&RGW Burnham Shops was Zeitz' Buckhorn Inn at 10 th and Osage (Now called The Buckhorn Exchange). Everywhere you looked were stuffed animals of all kinds. The food was expensive and delicious. I think that the best steaks in town were served there.

Just south of downtown on West Colfax was the Pick-a-rib where good burgers and super malts were served. I think it was also one of the newfangled drive ins.

I don't recall a Rockybilt Hamburger place downtown, but they were ubiquitous in the outlying areas. Another good place was the Barrel (it was shaped like one) on North Speer, not too far from North High School. This was the original home of the first cheeseburger, one of them and a big root beer and I was in heaven.

On West Colfax just west of Cherry Creek was a place called, I think, Dinty Moore's (In the comics it was an establishment where Jiggs from Bringing Up Father would try to sneak off to, seeking beer and corned beef and cabbage) it also served tasty foods to working people, their root beer floats are fondly remembered by me.

A night or two ago I was talking about the wagon traffic when I was a kid, I forgot the Vegetable Man who took his horse and wagon down the alleys and sold fresh vegetables to the housewives, the men were, I think of italian extraction and were from the truck farms near Denver.

Then in the downtown area were the Tamale wagons which had delicious tamales and there was on East Colfax just up from Broadway a popcorn wagon, I think the shafts were still on it, but I never saw a horse around there. A bag of hot buttered popcorn in my hand I would go across Broadway and catch a Number 3 Tramway trolley and ride out to South Denver on Broadway and get off at Jewell Avenue and walk just a bit north to the store front where I would buy Fritos, real fritos - soft, greasy and super tasty. There was just a little crunch to them, although they didn't resemble in the slightest the ceramic Lay's product of today. Stopping at the corner drugstore on Jewel and Broadway and having a cherry coke with real cream in it. The druggist really knew how to mix up that wonderful drink.

And So To Eat . . . . . . .

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