Zack’s – closed

Patch from an old t-shirt.

From Sausalito Historical Society:

Zack's By The Bay was a restaurant located at Bridgeway and Turney streets ca. 1970-72. It was started at Sam Zakessian ca. 1959.

Sausalito Art Festival '74, '77 - listed as donor for prizes

CAAB Agenda March 26, 1981; New Business: a/ Zack's -- 1750 Bridgeway, change of exterior material.

1979 ad in Marin Scope (1980.53.7)

A blogger mentions turtle racing in the 60s and great food. Indeed, Zack’s logo is a turtle. Also mentioned is the smallest stage one piano player has ever encountered in his career.

Apparently you could dock right up to the place, as groupies ascended on Wilt Chamberlain as he was coming off his boat.

“A great place for dancing,” someone remarked.

Ah, the last entry. Make it sweet.

Jessie Chocolate Chip

• ¾ oz. chocolate mint liqueur
• ¾ oz. white crème de cacao
• Hot black coffee
• Whipped cream

Pour liqueurs into large coffee mug. Fill with coffee. Top with whipped cream.

Yesterday’s – closed

According to the LA Times, Yesterday's has been gone since at least 1993, mentioned in a story about the exodus of crowds from the Westwood Village:

Though many hesitate to bring it up, the symbolic beginning of Westwood’s downturn can be traced back five years to the shooting death by gang members of bystander Karen Toshima. It was a crime that sullied the village’s image as a haven and gave would-be shoppers pause when they considered visiting Westwood.

The vandalism and looting that followed the premiere of the movie “New Jack City” in March, 1991, further confirmed the fears of many that Westwood was the weekend gathering spot for troublemakers and gangs. Despite the fact that from June, 1992, to June, 1993, the village reported fewer assaults, burglaries and auto break-ins than the business area of Beverly Hills, the perception has been hard to shake.

“Even a single incident is enough to send a message that, ‘maybe I had better think of somewhere else to go,’ ” said Sandy Brown, president of the Holmby Westwood Property Owners Assn. “It could be enough to keep people from coming for years.”

Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, who represents the area, agrees. “Reputation has done more damage than anything,” he said.

UCLA paper laments as late as 2016 the loss of this college town scene.

Slushy Margarita

• 1 ½ oz. tequila
• ¾ oz. triple sec
• 3 oz sweet and sour mix
• 1 lime wedge

Pour all but lime wedge in blender with crushed ice. Blend until thick. Pour in margarita glass with salted rim. Garnish with lime wedge.

The Vineyards – closed

DetroitYES forums say it’s gone now, and describes how the stone walls and arched ceilings amplified the sound. The restaurant's heyday was in the 60s, but quality declined by the 80s.

Aerial view on Google Maps of what was The Vineyards shows the location is now an office complex, no stone turrets or vineyards to see.

This drink was a standard offering at restaurants in my youth.

Lambrusco Sour

• 2 oz. Lambrusco wine
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• 1 tsp. superfine sugar
• 1 orange slice
• 1 maraschino cherry

Place all but the fruit in a blender. Blend slightly. Pour over ice in old fashioned glass. Garnish with fruit.

Windows on the World – closed

This one hurts my heart. From wiki:

Windows on the World was a complex of venues on the top floors (106th and 107th) of the North Tower (Building One) of the original World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan. It included a restaurant called Windows on the World... destroyed in the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Windows on the World was destroyed when the North Tower collapsed during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. That morning, the restaurant was hosting regular breakfast patrons and the Risk Waters Financial Technology Congress. World Trade Center lessor Larry Silverstein was regularly holding breakfast meetings in Windows on the World with tenants as part of his recent acquisition of the Twin Towers from the Port Authority and was scheduled to be in the restaurant on the morning of the attacks. However, his wife insisted he go to a dermatologist's appointment that morning, whereby he avoided death. Everyone present in the restaurant when American Airlines Flight 11 penetrated the North Tower perished that day, as all means of escape and evacuation (including the stairwells and elevators leading to below the impact zone) were instantly cut off. Victims trapped in Windows on the World died either from smoke inhalation from the fire, jumping or falling from the building to their deaths, or the eventual collapse of the North Tower 102 minutes later.

There were 72 restaurant staff present in the restaurant, including acting manager Christine Anne Olender, whose desperate calls to Port Authority police represented the restaurant's final communications... After about 9:40 AM, no further distress calls from the restaurant were made. 

In the time since then, there’s been a Windows of Hope Family Relief fund established for surviving families of the restaurant employees who perished, founded by the executive chef and owner/operator.

I’m really struck numb with this one. It is currently the summer of 2020. The country is currently being torn apart by politics, racism, and COVID-19. We haven’t learned a thing since the 9/11 tragedy. We as a society are nastier than ever.

If it pleases the reader, a toast then to the 72 staff members, and to gentler times.

White Lady

• 1 ½ oz. gin
• 1 oz. triple sec
• 1 ½ oz. lemon juice
• ½ tsp. superfine sugar
• 1 lime slice

Place all but the lime slice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain over ice cubes in an old-fashioned glass with a sugared rim. Garnish with a lime slice.

Washington Square Bar & Grill – evolved

A historical place, archived and preserved. From SFGate, 2011:

Let's raise a glass and drink a September toast to the Washington Square Bar & Grill, which was once so cool it was the hottest place in San Francisco. And now it's history, like ancient Rome.

The artifacts from the place - menus, photographs, drawings, newsletters, jerseys from the house softball team called Les Lapins Sauvages, newspaper columnist Stanton Delaplane's typewriter, martini glasses, memories - have all been shipped to the San Francisco Public Library History Center. The trademark wooden WSB&G sign that graced the outside of the restaurant for more than 30 years is headed to the library.

My friends and I did plenty of research at the Washington Square in the 1970s and '80s. We'd fight our way through the crowds, three deep at the bar. We wore coats and ties, we drank white wine spritzers, we smoked, we listened to music, we told amusing stories to pretty women. But mostly we looked around.

But it was also a place for San Franciscans, where people knew each other, people who liked San Francisco, liked to drink and talk - drawn by "the magnetism of a small place," Ed Moose might say.

Here's the history: The Washington Square Bar & Grill opened in 1973, replacing a bar run by Rose Evangelisti - they called her Rose Pistola because she always kept a pistol under the bar. The Washington Square Bar & Grill had a New York feel, with San Francisco touches, old pictures and such.

Moose and Deitsch sold the place in 1990, and Moose ended up at a new restaurant on the other side of Washington Square. The Washbag kept going for another 10 years, but Peter Osborne, a later owner, sold it and opened MoMo's, a new place South of Market, across from the ballpark. The Washbag turned into a blue-themed establishment called Cobalt, but when that didn't fly, it became the Washington Square Bar & Grill again. It folded a second time, then reopened in 2009.

The Washington Square Bar & Grill closed for good in August 2010, on the same day Ed Moose died.

The restaurant is now called Bottle Cap.

Wow, I feel like this is evolved times five or six.

Square Picon Punch

• 3 oz. chilled champagne
• 1 oz. Amer Picon
• ½ oz. brandy
• 1 lemon peel strip

Pour champagne and Amer Picon over ice in 6 oz. wineglass. Stir slowly. Float brandy on drink. Twist lemon peel and drop in glass.

The 21 Club – open!

21club.com

This place has been around forever and God willing, will last forevermore. From their site:

When the doors first opened on January 1, 1930, few could imagine that '21' would become one of the most famous speakeasies of the Prohibition Era. Over 80 years, we’ve charmed celebrities and captains of industry alike.

Our wrought-iron gate is an icon. It dates back to 1926, when founders Jack and Charlie moved their Club Fronton from 88 Washington Place to open the Puncheon Grotto at 42 West 49th Street. No sooner had the doors opened when they received notice that the Rockefeller Center was to be built on the site.

On January 1, 1930, they unhinged the gate from the doorway of No. 42 and installed it three blocks north at 21 West 52nd Street. '21' was officially opened.

Everyone who's anyone has to make an entrance at the iconic '21'. From the 35 multi-colored jockeys lining the steps to the five stories of restaurants, events spaces and bars within, a visit here is about more than dining—it's an adventure into the imagination. And, most of all, it's about sheer entertainment and sophisticated fun.

From toys to art to lawn jockeys to an extensive wine cellar, The 21 Club collects things and patrons with great success.

South Side

• 2 oz. gin or vodka, your choice
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp. superfine sugar
• 6-8 fresh mint leaves

Place everything in a cocktail shaker. Shake well to break up mint leaves. Pour into chilled cocktail glass.

T.S. Station – closed

More ice cream drinks. 

Few mentions on local eatery message boards. Ancient diner reviews. A touching obituary blog post about Stuart Shannon, who was a floor manager there, always ready to work hard, play hard, and get the prime rib going in the middle of the night.

I did find this tidbit about the owners:

The original Steak and Ale was a venture involving Shreveport businessmen John Turner and Gene Scott and the Dallas-based restaurant chain. After five years, the partnership with S&A Restaurant Group ended and Turner and Scott renamed the eatery T.S. Steak and Lobster Inn.

Also in 1973, the two opened the trend-setting restaurant T.S. Station at 750 Shreveport-Barksdale Highway. In 1978, Turner and Scott brought in a third partner, Roy Cage, and a few years later expanded T.S. Steak and Lobster Inn with a larger lounge and a second banquet and meeting room.

Original T.S. Station is now the El Jimador Supremo, a Mexican cuisine establishment co-owned by a pair of siblings.

Caramel Nut

• 1 oz. crème de cacao
• 1 oz. caramel liqueur
• 5 oz. vanilla ice cream
• Whipped cream
• Chopped nuts

Place all but cream and nuts in blender, blend until smooth. Pour into 10 oz. wineglass. Top with whipped cream and nuts.

Top of the Park - closed

And the matchbook remains.

The internet has been helpful in finding everything else but information on the restaurant. Well, in a city with 8.5 million people, it's easy to fathom that in the last 40 years, 8.5 million establishments have shuttered. 

I did find a matchbook, another one to add to the collection, proving that is once existed. 

Peruvian Cherry Blossom

• 1 1/2 oz. pisco brandy
• 1/2 oz. Cherry Heering
• 2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. superfine sugar

Place everything over ice in cocktail shaker. Shake well. Strain into whiskey sour glass. 

Todd's - closed

Sangria

What was Todd's looks like a salvage yard. Aerial view reveals where the building was, including parking and the circle drive where you could drop off your date, or even better, valet in order to make your reservation on time.  

Sigh. I wish there were more, so I will tell you about the first time I drank sangria. It was on a date with my then-boyfriend-now-husband, whose father decided to come along. I didn't mind, as they were running an errand in the city, and it was an opportunity to see him, as I had already graduated and he was still in school over an hour north. 

The place? The Beltline Bar, for Tex-Mex. You could get sangria by the glass, but it was better by the pitcher. 

At that point in our relationship, I was extremely well behaved and polite with his parents, on the cusp of over presenting myself as the prim and proper, suitable for marrying type. Until the man kept feeding me the fruit at the bottom of the pitcher. 

We whooped. We hollered. We ordered pitcher after pitcher. I was poured out of the car at my apartment complex, certain I tarnished my reputation forever. 

Ney sez he to my love: you may marry the vibrant lass. 

And that's the story of day drinking that became night drinking with my future father in law. God love ya, Phil. 

Sangria

• 3 oz. red burgundy
• 1/2 oz. dry sherry
• 1/2 oz. grenadine
• 1/2 oz. sweet and sour mix
• 1/2 oz. OJ
• 1 lemon wedge
• 1 lime wedge
• 1 orange slice
• 1 maraschino cherry

Pour all but the fruit in a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake well. Strain over ice cubes into 14 oz. glass. Twist lemon wedge and drop in glass. Garnish with the rest of the fruit. 

Thomas Lord's - closed

Snippets is all I have. From a SFGATE article:

"The singles scene lasted into the mid '80s. Meanwhile Perry's look -- plants, tile floor, mirrors, checkered tablecloths -- was being copied all over town, at Henry Africa's on Van Ness and Thomas Lord's on Union."

Thomas Lord's is frequently mentioned in stories of the bygone hetero and LGBTQ party scene of the 70s, as well as showing up on numerous Places That Are Gone lists, without a hint as to whether this was a pub, club, restaurant, or bar. 

What was Thomas Lord's over by Pier 31 is now the home office for Intel. Motorcycle parking prevalent. A second address is popping up on the internet, but that is now a parking garage. A third address reveals a tasty place called Belgo. 

Chi Chi

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1/2 oz. orange curacao
• 1 1/2 oz. sweet and sour mix
• 1 1/2 oz. pineapple juice
• 1/2 oz. coconut syrup
• 1/2 oz half and half
• pineapple chunk
• maraschino cherry

Pour everything but the fruit over ice in blender. Blend until semi-frozen. Pour into large glass, garnish with fruit. 

Trader Vic's - open!

His hair was perfect. 

tradervics.com

It's international fun, immortalized in song!

According to the website, Trader Vic's was founded in 1934, and made infamous by creating the Killer Mai Tai. 

From wiki: 

Trader Vic's is a restaurant and Tiki bar chain... Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr. founded a chain of Polynesian-themed restaurants that bore his nickname, "Trader Vic". He was one of two people who claimed to have invented the Mai Tai...

Beyond the Mai Tai, Bergeron's other more famous drinks included the Fog Cutter and the Scorpion Bowl. Both drinks were served in a specific and highly decorated mug or bowl... The Scorpion Bowl in particular and its many variations proliferated onto the cocktail menus of virtually all subsequent Tiki bars... During the Tiki culture fad of the 1950s and 1960s, as many as 25 Trader Vic's restaurants were in operation worldwide. 

No gardenia, will an orchid do?

Scorpion

• 2 oz. Puerto Rican rum
• 1 oz. brandy
• 2 oz. OJ
• 1 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. orgeat
• 1 gardenia

Pour all but gardenia over ice in blender. Blend until smooth. Pour over ice in 12 oz. champagne glass. Garnish with gardenia. 

Tiffany's - closed

For lack of anything else, here's the harbor in Marina Del Rey

Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. 

I got real estate agents named Tiffany, intuitive counselors, an employment agency, etc. but no restaurants, pubs, bars, or dives. 

What was Tiffany's is now Kifume Sushi Bar and Japanese Cuisine.

I don’t even have a good Tiffany story, as I don’t know anyone named Tiffany.

I did score a real Tiffany bangle bracelet set with the little lock, blue bag and box at the Salvation Army. Still have it. The store wasn’t sure it was real, but it checked out. I got an Hermès necktie for 99 cents too, although ties aren’t as valuable as scarves. But it’s Hermès.

Tia Napoli

• 1 1/3oz. tequila
• 1/2 oz. Galliano
• 5 oz. half and half

Pour all ingredients over ice in blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into cocktail glass. 

Teaser’s – closed

I think there has been a Teaser’s (or Teazerz) phase in every community. Typically with waitresses in skimpy clothing revealing some, but not all, of her assets. ESPN on the jumbo TV. Sand volleyball court and fire pit out back, and a tiny stage awash in Christmas string lights for some local to do acoustic covers of classic rock songs.

This Teaser’s opened in Santa Barbara in 1977. It was named among the favorite SB establishments that are no longer there in a reader’s poll by The Restaurant Guy at Santabarbara.com.

I found a post on Pinterest with a little bit of information, and the place looks like a shithole. What’s there now is Cantwell’s Market & Deli.

Remember the good times.

UFO

• 1 oz. coffee liqueur
• 1 oz. amaretto liqueur
• 6 oz. vanilla ice cream
• Half and half
• Cinnamon

Place all but cinnamon in a blender with crushed ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large wineglass. Dust with cinnamon.

Tavern on the Green – open!

tavernonthegreen.com

Here’s what I knew about Tavern on the Green as a kid – it was the famous place where coffee commercials were filmed, surprising guests who were expecting their expensive, high end roast and instead were given supermarket coffee.

Never been, so that pretty much sums it up for me as an adult as well.

Although temporarily closed because of COVID, they are normally open seven days a week for brunch, lunch, dinner, and bar seating.

History from their site:

Originally designed by Calvert Vaux, Tavern on the Green was built as a sheep fold in the 1880’s to house the 700 Southdown sheep that grazed in Central Park’s Sheep Meadow. Robert Moses transformed the building in to a restaurant in 1934, as part of his park renovation. Through the next few decades, Tavern underwent several changes in management, but the iconic view of the park, and the addition of a dance floor, outdoor seating, and lavish menu, kept prominent actors, musicians, and public figures coming back to the restaurant to dine, drink, and celebrate.

The menu looks delicious, and surprisingly not outrageously expensive, quite on par with the finer places locally. I’m a sucker for a dry aged steak. And is fancy deviled eggs an East Coast thing?

Settle in with the ladies who brunch, this is a classic.

Mimosa

• 5 oz. chilled champagne
• 3 oz. OJ
• 1 orange slice

Pour champagne and OJ into chilled glass, stir lightly. Garnish with orange slice

Silkey and Margaret’s – evolved!

Maybe I'm not the only one reviewing this book... 

Google the address and: Restaurant Space, For Lease.

Sigh.

Well, a name like Silkey and Margaret’s is too unusual to ignore, so I’m digging a little more. What I found was Silky O’Sullivan’s on Beale Street, with an Authentic piece of the Blarney Stone from the Blarney Castle in Ireland. It may be a shoestring relation (where’d you go Margaret!?) but the Boll Weevil is on the menu, and that’s a close cousin enough for me.

The online store features the usual t-shirts, ball caps, drink ware, including a bucket you can drink out of. Because of COVID, you can buy an all-access pass on live music nights, all proceeds to go to the musicians that have lost gigs at Silky’s because of this damn virus. Nice.

Bowl Weevil

• 3 oz. rum
• 1 ½ oz. tequila 
• 1 ½ oz. vodka
• 8 oz. OJ
• ½ oz. Galliano
• 3 oz. sweet and sour mix
• 3 oz. grenadine
• Orange slices
• Maraschino cherries

Pour all liquid ingredients in cocktail shaker, shake well. Fill a goldfish bowl with ice and pour. Garnish with the fruit.

Shippens – closed

The Shippen name is all over Philadelphia history, and I feel like I’m missing some key American history by not knowing enough about it. From wiki, a tidbit about Edward Shippen IV:

Edward Shippen (February 16, 1729 – April 15, 1806) was an American lawyer, judge, government official, and prominent figure in colonial and post-revolutionary Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Shippen was born in Philadelphia, the son of merchant Edward Shippen III. He learned law from Tench Francis, Pennsylvania's attorney general. He married his mentor's daughter Margaret Francis in 1753, with whom he had nine children. In 1748 he went to London to complete his law studies at the Middle Temple, and, after returning to Philadelphia, was admitted to the bar…

Shippen attempted to stay neutral in the American Revolution, hoping that the colonies and the mother country would be reconciled. He did not support the extension of royal authority and was therefore not a Loyalist, but he also opposed the radically democratic Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776, which sought to reduce the hold on government by powerful families like the Shippens… Shippen retired to private life and died soon thereafter, on April 15, 1806 in Philadelphia at age 77.

That would explain why a few blog posts about this area talks about the heavy lawyer action in the 70s and 80s. Further research into the area reveals this part of Philadelphia to be colonial America’s first urban center.

Kind of surprised he's not a bit player in Hamilton.

And there are definitely historical foodies in Philly. Long-winded blog posts share details about tea rooms, grand hotels, diners, restauranteurs, confectioners, and more in the storied Philadelphia past. There’s so much to know, the internet is quiet about the particulars of the Shippen’s Pub/Tavern/Restaurant.

What was possibly Shippens is now Southwark Restaurant. I say that because between 1979 and now, they distinguished 4th Street by South and North. South 4th at this address gives you Southwark. North merely gives you an empty intersection.

White Heart

• 1 oz. sambuca
• ¾ oz. white crème de cacao
• 3 oz half and half

Pour all into a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake well, strain into glass.

The Ship’s Wheel – closed

Where would this quest be without the matchbook collectors?

Hm. You’d think in the powerful era of all information all the time that there’d be a tidbit. The Ship’s Wheel looks like it might have been a themed restaurant in a touristy part of town. My only guess on this is the seemingly made-up address on Captain’s Walk Street that no longer exists.

The Ship’s Wheel only uncovers nautical speak, Coast Guard logs, lists of vessels, and for some reason, a 2020 Chevy Silverado for sale.

I will sunset this post with a drink honoring a state many thousands of miles away. If this was on the drink menu, I think there’s another clue to problems for TSW – a lack of direction.

Hawaiian Sunset

• 1 ½ oz. cranberry liqueur
• 1 oz. orange curacao
• 1 oz. rum
• 3 oz. prepared lemonade
• 1 orange slice
• 1 pineapple chunk

Pour all liquid ingredients over ice in cocktail shaker. Shake well. Pour in 12 oz. glass. Garnish with fruit.

Shenanigan’s – closed

The 70s location is a driveway to a parking lot that appears to serve as condo parking for the homes on the block. Looks relatively new.

Yelp, Trip Advisor, Grub Hub, Zomato, All Menus, all say the new location on Bell is no longer there either. Last reviews were 2015. Google maps giving me an automotive center. After that, it’s random Shenanigan’s, although none related, scattered throughout the United States.

Pineapple Francine

• 2 oz. rum
• 1 ½ oz. apricot brandy
• 1 oz. pineapple juice
• 1 oz. whipping cream
• 1 oz. crushed pineapple

Place everything in blender with crushed ice. Blend until smooth. Serve in brandy snifter.

Scandia – closed

We don't care about your landmarks!

From LA Mag, 2015:

Opened in 1957, Scandia was originally owned by Ken Hansen. Along with his wife, Tova, he turned the restaurant into a culinary landmark with elegant decor, impeccable service, and delectable Scandinavian and French cuisine. Ken’s sister-in-law, Teddy, served as hostess.

But Scandia wasn’t just high-end—it was happening. In its heyday, customers would beg, borrow, and steal for a reservation before 11 p.m. It’s where Frank Sinatra kept an office upstairs complete with a personal shower... The restaurant was even name-dropped in American Gigolo, and visited by five American presidents.

The entrance was dark and moody, and to the right was a Rat Pack-style wooden bar. Inside, Scandia chefs served Swedish meatballs on silver platters and mugs of beer embellished with the names of notable Scandia... Sports coats were required, but employees would supply one at the front desk to anyone who asked.

The restaurant served its last meal on May 4, 1989. Other restaurateurs launched other concepts in the space, but none stayed open long… The structure will soon be razed and replaced by an 11-story Marriott Hotel.

And indeed, it is the West Hollywood EDITION Marriott. Clicking on Dining to see if any location history came into play. No. Instead, there is a celebrity chef restaurant called Ardor, The Roof cocktail bar, The Sunset which is a club celebrating the 60s and 70s, and the benign Lobby Bar.

Danish Bloody Mary

• 2 oz. aquavit
• 8 oz. tomato juice
• Juice of one lime
• ½ tsp. accent
• ½ tsp. celery salt
• 1 celery stalk

Place all  in glass, stir with celery stalk. Add ice.

The Saloon – closed

Generic Santa Monica Boulevard image

You couldn’t get any more generic than calling a place The Saloon. As fitting, no trace of it exists in Beverly Hills. Little Santa Monica Boulevard doesn’t exist, I got dumped onto a parking lot. Undeterred I tried other variations on the address, and ended up in an intersection, a beach, and the park near the Beverly Hills Ballroom.

What do you think or do when you witness someone’s hopes and dreams just vanish? Once upon a time, this was someone’s favorite place. Someone’s entrance into being a mover/shaker in one of the most iconic places in the country.

The photo from the book is classic 1979: dark wood, stained glass, and a recipe with crème de menthe. And the ghost of 70s Santa Monica Boulevard, wherever you landed.

Kelly’s Ghost

• 1 ½ oz. vodka
• ½ oz. crème de menthe
• 1 lemon peel strip

Pour booze over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Stir well. Twist peel and drop in the drink.