  Otter Member Username: Otter Post Number: 579 Registered: 12-2007 |
I was reading the MT's review of the Dakota Inn and it brought something to mind - what are all the old-school, old-Detroit institutions that are still soldiering along, often quietly under the cultural radar? I spent 10 years in Detroit, moving for CCS in 1998 and leaving last year for work and my girlfriend. I dearly love the city and miss it. It was my home for the most significant parts of my life yet, so it is the place that has the most resonance for me. But even with all the years I was there (relatively few, in the big picture) there are tons of places and institutions I never really became aware of, or didn't know for very long, or just never visited. The Dakota Inn is one - I'd never even heard of it. So, for the benefit of others here who might want to visit some of these places, or revisit them, what are some of the others? An obvious one to me is the Cadieux Cafe. The Italian restaurant across from Palmer Park (sorry, I'm temporarily spacing on its name) is another. The Italian place across and a block down from Dona Lola's in SW Det. would be another - that's a time warp if I've ever been in one. I suppose the Polish Yacht Club would qualify too, but I've never been there yet. The kinds of places I have in mind could, I suppose, be though of as remnants of the old Detroit, though of course this doesn't preclude them being a part of the new Detroit, or the future Detroit, either in the old way or in new ways, with popularity among new groups of people. I am only in town for, on average, one weekend every 4-6 weeks, but I'd like to try at least a few of these places as I can. I'm sure there is enough old knowledge here to produce a good list for the benefit of everyone. I suppose it doesn't have to be limited to restaurants, though it helps as a way to limit things to start. O. | ||
Islandman Member Username: Islandman Post Number: 1948 Registered: 08-2004 |
"The Italian restaurant across from Palmer Park" Dolce Vita? | ||
Otter Member Username: Otter Post Number: 580 Registered: 12-2007 |
Yep, that's it. I'm editing my post - thought of it a minute after I hit 'send'. O. | ||
Lugotown Member Username: Lugotown Post Number: 48 Registered: 02-2008 |
Is Vince's the Italian place across and a block down from Dona Lola's in SW Det? I haven't been but recall someone talking about it on another thread. | ||
Pkbroch Member Username: Pkbroch Post Number: 233 Registered: 02-2008 |
Traffic Jam and Snug on Canfield is still there, Cass Cafe too. Whitney is still going along. Union Street is still there. A lot of CCS kids went to Royal Oak and Ferndale. Mr. B's and Como's. | ||
Raptor56 Member Username: Raptor56 Post Number: 756 Registered: 05-2007 |
Roma Cafe in Eastern Market. Jacoby's (since 1904) in BrickTown. Checker Bar has been in business for 50 years across the street from the old wayne county bldg. Anchor Bar on Fort St has been in business for awhile. Opus One has been around for over 20 years. City Club hs some history to it, but might not be your style. Town Pump Tavern has a history. Nancy Whiskey ahs been in the Corktown area forever. | ||
12468_laing Member Username: 12468_laing Post Number: 389 Registered: 07-2008 |
is circa 1890's still there across from WSU? What was the Japanese place right down from it? | ||
Urbanpioneer Member Username: Urbanpioneer Post Number: 58 Registered: 10-2007 |
Old school is Mario's. | ||
Otter Member Username: Otter Post Number: 581 Registered: 12-2007 |
Lugotown, yes, Vince's is the place. I went there with a couple of friends visiting from out of town after we found that Dona Lola's was closed that night. Seemed right out of 1960. Raptor, City Club is still around? A couple of friends used to go there sometimes when they were in college. I've been there once, but it was in something like 1999 or 2000. O. | ||
Raptor56 Member Username: Raptor56 Post Number: 759 Registered: 05-2007 |
Otter: I haven't been there yet, need to find the right people to go with. They are still around. http://www.lelandcityclub.net/ | ||
Otter Member Username: Otter Post Number: 583 Registered: 12-2007 |
Lugotown, yes, Vince's is the place. I went there with a couple of friends visiting from out of town after we found that Dona Lola's was closed that night. Seemed right out of 1960. Raptor, City Club is still around? A couple of friends used to go there sometimes when they were in college. I've been there once, but it was in something like 1999 or 2000. O. | ||
Eastsideal Member Username: Eastsideal Post Number: 317 Registered: 10-2007 |
Sindbad's Nemo's Buddy's (the real one) Hygrade Deli Louisiana Creole Gumbo! Any number of places in Hamtramck A sure sign of getting old is seeing places whose opening you remember described as "old-school" | ||
12468_laing Member Username: 12468_laing Post Number: 390 Registered: 07-2008 |
how bout Lido on the Lake in St. Clair Shores? | ||
Otter Member Username: Otter Post Number: 584 Registered: 12-2007 |
Eastside, Tell me (us) a little bit about some of those, or at least where they are - not everybody knows them. OK, maybe everybody knows about Sindbad's, and a lot of people know roughly where the original Buddy's is (E. 6 Mile somewhere?), and I know nothing about Nemo's, Hygrade or LCG. O. | ||
Alfie1a Member Username: Alfie1a Post Number: 164 Registered: 10-2007 |
Marcus Burgers. | ||
Baselinepunk Member Username: Baselinepunk Post Number: 116 Registered: 03-2007 |
""The Italian restaurant across from Palmer Park" Dolce Vita?" Wasn't that the Paradiso? "is circa 1890's still there across from WSU?" Oh yeah. Been there once in the last 3 years. The last time I was there it was for dinner before class. I order a pop with dinner and the waitress demanded that I pay for immediately when she served it. Also, no free refills and had to pay upfront for it. Service was slow as a turtle and ruuuuuuuuuude! Down just south is "Left's". A million times better, great beer and great prices. (Message edited by Baselinepunk on February 13, 2009) | ||
Eastsideal Member Username: Eastsideal Post Number: 320 Registered: 10-2007 |
Buddy's - 6 Mile and Conant. Nemo's is on Michigan at 8th St., a block towards downtown from Tiger Stadium. Hygrade is also on Michigan, a block east of W. Grand Blvd. Open only for lunch Louisiana is a little hole in the wall on Gratiot just off of St. Aubin, across from the old Joe Muer's site (yeah, showing my age again). Really carry-out only. For good measure, Sindbad's is at the foot of Marquette Dr. south of Jefferson next to the Roostertail. | ||
Eastsideal Member Username: Eastsideal Post Number: 321 Registered: 10-2007 |
They have food at Circa's? I think in all the times I went there I never ate anything there. Also, when did free refills for pop become a common thing around here? I never remember such a thing until very recent years, and definitely not when I was a kid, but maybe it was something that developed in the suburbs. Certainly it was something I never saw during my years in NYC. Paradiso! Hadn't thought about that place in about 25 years. Parents of a friend of mine had their Cadillac "valet parked" there, never to return. It's long gone. Now the Stonehouse in that same area (Ralston, just south of State Fair) is definitely an "old-school" Detroit place, but not a restaurant. They claim to be the oldest continuously operating bar in Detroit. A claim I think Jacoby's and some other places might challenge, but the place is definitely old. | ||
Baselinepunk Member Username: Baselinepunk Post Number: 117 Registered: 03-2007 |
"Paradiso! Hadn't thought about that place in about 25 years. Parents of a friend of mine had their Cadillac "valet parked" there, never to return. It's long gone." Hey ... sorry about that, but times were rough back then. lol. I kid. I was way too young back then to do anything but walk down the street and watch those cars come in the parking lot. I had a friend that lived in the first house right behind the Paradiso. "Also, when did free refills for pop become a common thing around here? I never remember such a thing until very recent years, and definitely not when I was a kid, but maybe it was something that developed in the suburbs. Certainly it was something I never saw during my years in NYC." Freebies pops are a common thing now ... pretty much all around. That was the thing that caught me by surprise. Well ... that and waitress looking down at me like I was some deadbeat because I hadn't ponied up. You know, it's not so much the policy, just the way I was treated. I'm come to the thinking that Circa must suffer from a large amount of "dine and dash" so .... Be that as it may, they've lost my business. I like the history of that place; a bunch of really cool and unique people haunted that place. | ||
Hamtragedy Member Username: Hamtragedy Post Number: 378 Registered: 10-2007 |
Ooh! Second on the Marcus Burgers. McNichols just east of Mt. Elliot. | ||
Elevator_fan Member Username: Elevator_fan Post Number: 37 Registered: 04-2004 |
Caucus Club in the Penobscot Building. | ||
Birdie Member Username: Birdie Post Number: 97 Registered: 04-2007 |
people have already mentioned my faves: dakota inn is amazing and the original buddy's pizza. what about tom's tavern and green dot stables? | ||
Alfie1a Member Username: Alfie1a Post Number: 168 Registered: 10-2007 |
Marcus has a great menu and the prices are more than reasonable. Damn good as far as diner type places go. http://eatatmarcus.com/menu/pa ge1.htm | ||
Cloud_wall Member Username: Cloud_wall Post Number: 5 Registered: 02-2009 |
Blue Pointe on E Warren at Cadieux - not sure how old it is, but it seems to fit the category. | ||
Douglasm Member Username: Douglasm Post Number: 780 Registered: 10-2003 |
OK, I know this is about current resturants, but when did the Paradiso close? It used to be my parents resturant of choise after Vanelli's went downhill..... | ||
Grumpyoldlady Member Username: Grumpyoldlady Post Number: 349 Registered: 06-2005 |
Is Perini's on Whittier still in business? If so, it definitely fits the bill. | ||
Polaar Member Username: Polaar Post Number: 40 Registered: 10-2006 |
Great old thread on Detroit's RIP restaurants here: https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/messages/6790/83010.html (Message edited by polaar on February 14, 2009) | ||
Baselinepunk Member Username: Baselinepunk Post Number: 120 Registered: 03-2007 |
"OK, I know this is about current resturants, but when did the Paradiso close? It used to be my parents resturant of choise after Vanelli's went downhill....." Boy ... it was a long time ago. I remember something about a fire there when I was living there (late 70's - early 80's), then it re-opened under another name. I remember the food being really good under both names. It closed down ... sat empty, got bulldozed and the lot was developed into a coin laundry place. The laundry place close either last year or the year before. It's joined the ranks of shutters in town. | ||
Ronaldj Member Username: Ronaldj Post Number: 98 Registered: 01-2007 |
Cardinelli's off Gratiot near Eastern Market.Atmospheric family-owned Italian restaurant. Not too large of a place. Served dinner wine in ceramic coffee cups. Apparently a tip of the hat to operating the business through Prohibition. | ||
Grumpyoldlady Member Username: Grumpyoldlady Post Number: 351 Registered: 06-2005 |
There was a great tiny little Italian restaurant on the west side of Grand Circus Park back in the late 60's? Can't remember the name but I sure remember the wonderful food. Another goodie was "Cadena's" Mexican restaurant...maybe on Lafayette? Only wide enough for double booths on one side and single booths on the other side. |
