Part three in Le Continental’s tour of the Bay Area’s restaurants named after Joe.

Previously on Le Continental we posted about Original Joe’s in San Francisco and San Jose. Today we travel to the north bay to one of my favorite restaurants in California, Marin Joe’s. I love the building, I love the space, I love the food, I love the people who work there, and I love the late hours. Need I say more? Well, before you jump in your car and head over there, read on, please.

The Jab at Marin Joe’s

image by Heather David on Flickr

In 1954 Marin Joe’s was opened by Adolph Della Santina, who was a partner in Original Joe’s II in the Marina District of San Francisco from 1939 to 1953 (it closed a long time ago). To design the restaurant Adolph hired noted bay area architect Mario Gaidano, who also designed many San Francisco landmarks, including the Fairmont Hotel tower (1961, still standing), the House of Prime Rib (1949, still open), the original Mel’s Drive-In (1947-1973, in the movie American Graffiti – it was demolished after the filming), and Fior d’Italia restaurant’s fifth location at Union and Stockton Streets (1953, damaged by fire in 2005, now Original Joe’s). For Marin Joe’s Mario built a modern single-story building with a long peaked roof, wood siding on the left front, large plate glass windows in the restaurant section in the middle, and stone facing in front of the bar with a sign reading “marin Joes” in a jaunty cursive style. Very modern, so just right for U.S. highway 101 in Marin County, which was a hot spot in the mid-20th century for modern architecture. In the 1950s the restaurant was right on four-lane highway 101, so it looked like a classic road house (later the highway was widened and now the restaurant is on a frontage road).

Marin Joe’s in the 1950s. Photo by Marin Joe’s & Jason Lewis’ marinnostalgia.org.

Adolph’s nephew, Romano Della Santina, from Lucca, Italy, was a waiter at the Original Joe’s II in the Marina of San Francisco. He went with Adolph in 1954 to Marin Joe’s, first working as a waiter, then as an owner the following year. Romano’s oldest son Paul became a partner in 1984. In 1997 Romano’s other son Ralph joined the restaurant.

Adolph (R) and Romano (L) Della Santina in Marin Joe’s. Photo by Marin Joe’s & Jason Lewis’ marinnostalgia.org.

Marin Joe’s is still owned by Paul and Ralph Della Santina. Romano Della Santina, who was bestowed with the highest honor of ‘Cavaliere’ by the Italian Government for his involvement in many Italian civic organizations, was an owner until his death in 2015. Many celebrities have dined at Marin Joe’s in the past, including John Wayne, Joe DiMaggio, and Clint Eastwood. The place is always humming, usually packed every night of the week. Some people have been regular customers since the 1950s and 1960s.

Romano and Adolph seated at bar. Photo by Marin Joe’s & Jason Lewis’ marinnostalgia.org.

matchbook image by Heather David on Flickr

On the interior Gaidano kept the dining room open, with a cathedral open beam ceiling that extends beyond the plate-glass windows along the front of the room, as in many modern homes, to soften the gradient between the inside and outside spaces. The layout is very similar to the old Original Joe’s in San Francisco and San Jose, with three rows of naugahyde banquettes of different sizes and a long counter in front of an exhibition kitchen (a signature of all the Joe’s restaurants). In the middle of the room are posts with clusters of cylindrical lamps (original and still in use). The room is almost completely original with the exception of the heat lamps over a waiter station in the center of the counter (added some time in the 1960s I presume), small contemporary hanging lamps over the front booths, and some vases which may have been added more recently (but in brown tones that fit in with the restaurant’s overall look). It’s almost a miracle that it has been so well-preserved! There are some wonderful old photographs on the walls so make sure to check those out when you visit.

Marin Joe’s in the 1950s. Photo courtesy of Jason Lewis’ marinnostalgia.org and Marin Joe’s.

Marin Joe’s in the 1970s. Photo courtesy of Jason Lewis’ marinnostalgia.org and Marin Joe’s.

Marin Joe’s today. Photo by The Jab, October, 2013.

The extensive menu is pretty typical of all the Joe’s restaurants: steaks & chops, Italian dishes, seafood, and of course the Joe’s specialties: a charbroiled cheeseburger on sourdough and the Joe’s Special of hamburger, spinach, and onion (optional mushrooms). But there are many dishes unique to this location, including a spinach w/vinaigrette and cheese dish that is prepared tableside, and specials each day during lunch Monday through Friday. The sourdough bread is fresh and good. In my post on Original Joe’s I forgot to mention that sourdough bread is a signature item at all the Joe’s restaurants.

Marin Joe’s special cheeseburger. Photo by The Jab.

Mesquite grill in action. Photo by The Jab.

Since I work nearby I often come to Marin Joe’s for lunch, usually sitting at the counter. In the winter I like to warm up in front of the mesquite broiler (the same one from the 1950s) and watch the grill chef hand carve steaks to order and prepare the special cheeseburger, which he patties by hand after vigorously mixing the freshly ground beef with diced onions (an identical scene as in the following photo from 1972).

Grill chef in action, 1972. Photo courtesy of Jason Lewis’ marinnostalgia.org and Marin Joe’s.

The menu is massive. It would probably take you a year to try everything on it if you went there every day! Previously I mentioned the daily specials. Here are a few of them.

Beef tongue Wednesday lunch special. Photo by The Jab.

Lamb stew Tuesday lunch special. Photo by The Jab.

Mesquite grilled catch of the day Friday lunch special (trout). Photo by The Jab.

Osso Buco with rice Wednesday lunch special. Photo by The Jab.

The cocktail lounge has nice original rock walls, a fireplace, an L-shaped bar, a piano, framed historic photos, and, unfortunately, a large TV. On most evenings there is a piano player and delicious complimentary cheese spread and crackers (with a jazz trio on Sundays). The bartenders are all veteran pros that know their craft.

Image by marinmagazine.com.

Thanks to Jason Lewis for generously allowing me to use his historic digital photos of Marin Joe’s that he obtained from the restaurant. I love seeing old photos of places like this, especially when you can see how little they have changed. Check out his website Marin Nostalgia for more historic photos of Marin.

Marin Joe’s
1585 Casa Buena Drive, Corte Madera, CA 94925
(415) 924-2081
Open Mon-Thu 11am-11:45pm, Fri 11am-12:45am, Sat 5pm-12:45am, Sun 4pm-11:30pm

It can be a little tricky to reach it after you drive by it on 101 and see smoke coming out of the chimney and the parking lot packed with cars. You need to exit 101 at Tamalpais Drive and take it north towards the town of Corte Madera, then turn left at the first light (Madera Blvd) and immediately turn left again on the first street (Casa Buena, the freeway frontage road that it’s on). You can leave your car at the valet stand or continue past the restaurant to a parking lot on the right on a hill above the restaurant (or park on the street just before the restaurant).

Related posts:

Val’s Restaurant, Daly City, California Joe’s of Westlake, Daly City, California Original Joe’s, San Jose, California Original Joe’s, San Francisco, California

Part two in Le Continental’s tour of the Bay Area’s restaurants named after Joe.

A couple of weeks ago we featured Original Joe’s relatively new location in San Francisco and learned a bit about the history of Joe’s restaurants.Today we’ll be visiting the second of the still-open Bay Area Joe’s to open, Original Joe’s in San Jose, which was opened in downtown in 1956 by Louis J. Rocca, one of the partners in the San Francisco Original Joe’s, along with his son, Louis J. Rocca Jr. (Babe), Arthur Tortore (Otto) and Anthony Caramagno (Nino). To this day the restaurant is still owned and operated by the Rocca family, namely Brad and Matt Rocca.

photo by The Jab, 2009

The first time I visited Original Joe’s San Jose in the late 1990s I was in awe of the frozen-in-time look of the place, not only on the outside, but on the inside too. Along with the San Francisco Original Joe’s in its original location, this was one of the best preserved mid-century restaurants in the entire Bay Area. Much of the decor was still the same as in the 1960s postcard below. Look closely at the background of the photo for a peek into the bar (view it at full size in the link) and you can get a bit of an idea of how spectacular that 1956 modern bar was (wall of Roman brick veneer with fireplace, vertical wood-paneled sections, freeform padded bar with low-back bar stools, backlit copper wall art, planter divider).

Original Joe’s, San Jose, 1960s – postcard image by Heather David on Flickr

The restaurant was still almost the same inside in 2006, when the following pictures were taken (the only additions seem to be carpeting, glass partitions on the middle room divider, and different plants).

Original Joe’s SJ Interior, 2006, image by Thomas Hawk on Flickr

Original Joe’s SJ counter and exhibition kitchen, 2006, image by Thomas Hawk on Flickr

In the summer of 2007 the restaurant closed for a few months for an extensive retrofit and remodel. Thankfully, they didn’t ruin the old atmosphere in the restaurant. On the other hand, the bar didn’t fare so well. Sadly, it was remodeled beyond recognition. I do have a few quibbles with the restaurant remodel, namely the granite counters, which to me don’t look right in a classic restaurant. But I’m glad it’s still open and has some original features still present, such as the textured ceiling with indirect lighting, Roman brick wall veneer, wood paneling with copper decorations, planters, and even the original vases that you saw in the previous postcard from the 1960s!

Original Joe’s SJ dining room today, image by Eating and Loving San Francisco blog

Original Joe’s SJ dining room today, image by Eating and Loving San Francisco blog

Original Joe’s SJ counter, image by Jason Perlow, Off The Broiler blog

As you probably gathered from the photo above the waiters still wear tuxedo dinner jackets and bow ties and many are veterans at the restaurant, with the proper level of professional, non-nonsense service. Sometimes people complain online about this kind of old-fashioned service because it may seem unfriendly, but the way I look at it they are almost always very busy and want to give you quick service so they dispense with the chit-chat and get down to business. That’s fine with me.

A definite plus is their night owl friendly hours: they are open until 1:00am every night!

image by Thomas Hawk on Flickr

The menu is similar to the other Joe’s restaurants, featuring Mesquite grilled steaks, chops, and seafood, Italian dishes, and of course the Joe’s Special and charbroiled cheeseburger served on a French roll. The portions are enormous so the prices are reasonable. If you get spaghetti and meatballs for example, and I recommend it, you get a huge oblong plate covered with spaghetti, sauce, and a gigantic meatball that’s as big as a softball! I also recommend the steaks, which are aged Angus beef. Dinner entrees come with choice of French fries, baked potato, spaghetti, ravioli, or vegetables (also large portions).

The Jab at Original Joe’s San Jose, 2009. Image by Carrie Swing on Flickr.

Original Joe’s, San Jose
301 S 1st St, San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 292-7030
Open daily, 11:00am-1:00am

Related posts:

Val’s Restaurant, Daly City, California Joe’s of Westlake, Daly City, California Marin Joe’s, Corte Madera, California Original Joe’s, San Francisco, California

Dear readers, by now I’m sure you’ve noticed Le Continental’s banner image and may be wondering if you can visit that restaurant. Well, the answer is no, and yes! Sadly, the original Original Joe’s was lost to a fire in 2007, but the new version of the restaurant is a wonderful reborn Original Joe’s, a great classic restaurant that is more a continuation of the original than a new restaurant. Previously I posted a little about the new Original Joe’s opening, but now I want to explore the iconic restaurant’s history in the Bay Area, show what the old one was like, and describe in more detail the new Original Joe’s, since I have now visited it several times.

Original Joe’s, Taylor St, San Francisco, 1937-2007

First, a bit of history. There are many restaurants called Joe’s in the Bay Area that share certain characteristics. Which one was the first? And are they all related? Our story starts with New Joe’s, which was a small 13-stool lunch counter that opened in 1934 on Broadway in North Beach (and closed in 1970). New Joe’s may have been named to distinguish it from a previous popular restaurant called Joe’s Lunch, but facts are scarce. In 1937 Ante “Tony” Rodin (a Croatian immigrant) and his partner, who were both employees at New Joe’s, left to open another small lunch counter (with 14-stools) downtown called Original Joe’s. Now, this is where the lineage to the current Original Joe’s begins, because Mr. Rodin’s daughter Marie Duggan now runs Original Joe’s (she joined the business in 1983) along with her son and daughter. Ante “Tony” Rodin passed away at 93 in 2006.

Ante “Tony” Rodin, 1913-2006, founder of Original Joe’s, image by San Francisco Chronicle

Before we continue with the history, you may wonder what was the origin of the name Joe’s as a restaurant name in the Bay Area? Was Original Joe’s (or New Joe’s) named after a specific person? In my opinion the answer is no. During the Great Depression (1930s) the phrase “Eat at Joe’s”, often seen in films and cartoons (see at 6:20) on a sign board (a sign board is carried by someone, being slung over their shoulders with straps), was a common expression. Joe’s was the “hypothetical everyman’s” small café or diner, often with a lunch counter, that was based on real restaurants named Joe’s (such as Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami Beach, opened in 1913 as a small lunch counter). So, although it may have been named after a real Joe, I believe New Joe’s and Original Joe’s were simply named after the fictional “average Joe”.

image by Chistopher Scott Conway on Flickr

In 1956 one of the original partners of Original Joe’s, Louis J. Rocca, opened an Original Joe’s in San Jose with his son and two more partners. The Original Joe’s in San Jose is still operated by the Rocca family. Over time some of the other partners in Original Joe’s started their own restaurants, including Marin Joe’s, San Rafael Joe’s, Westlake Joe’s, and Little Joe’s, which was the first one I visited when it was in North Beach – it has moved around since then and closed in 2012. There was also an Original Joe’s II at one time in the Marina neighborhood. As far as I know, none of the Joe’s are connected by ownership since Louis J. Rocca sold his share of Original Joe’s San Francisco in 1983.

menu from Original Joe’s II in the Marina

Although they are not related by ownership, all the Joe’s share similar characteristics, which collectively have been labeled the Joe’s Style. One common element is an exhibition kitchen, or a kitchen that is open to the dining room, usually with counter seating that harkens back to the first New Joe’s lunch counter. Another similarity is the menu in general, which consists of a combination of Italian and American dishes, with charbroiled steaks and chops also prominent. In addition, there are a few specific menu items that are common to all the Joe’s:

• Joe’s Special (a combination of ground beef, eggs, spinach, and onions cooked in a skillet)
• a large hamburger formed by hand, charbroiled, and served on a sourdough roll
• Italian side dishes available with your main dish, usually ravioli or spaghetti

In the 1950’s Original Joe’s was extensively remodeled, and it retained the 1950s appearance until it closed in 2007. As you can see in the previous photo from before the fire not much has changed since the postcard photo at the top of this post was taken in the 1950s. On entering the doors you would see the long exhibition kitchen and counter – a far cry from the original 14-seat counter!

The main dining room was all red vinyl banquettes, separated from the counter area by a room divider.

To the left past the decorative wine barrels you entered the amazing bar with its enameled copper mermaid reliefs.

After the fire in 2007 there was a long wait as the city wondered if the restaurant would ever reopen, or if it would move. Finally in 2011, after much deliberation among the Duggan family over whether to reopen or relocate, it was announced that they planned to move Original Joe’s in a historic restaurant space in North Beach that had previously housed both Joe DiMaggio’s and, even more significantly, Fior D’Italia, a restaurant that started in 1886 and was located in the new Original Joe’s space for over 50 years (and sadly closed in 2012). The new Original Joe’s, to my surprise and excitement, incorporated many elements from the old Original Joe’s, including the bar stools, counter seats, wood paneling, door handles, signage, and the enameled copper mermaid wall hangings.

image by EaterSF

Since it opened I have drank and dined many times at the new Original Joe’s and am happy to say that it is true to the history and character of the old restaurant, from the atmosphere to the service to the food. It seems to me that the food is even better! All my favorites are on the menu (which even looks vintage) – the lamb chops, New York strip, Joe’s Special, hamburger sandwich – and I’ve discovered many new favorites – sauteed sweet breads, hamburger steak smothered in grilled onions and mushrooms, the pasta dishes, and the house made spumoni, the best I’ve ever had!

the perfect medium rare New York strip with just the right amount of crust, ravioli on the side

I love how the new restaurant is split level, which gives it a swanky 1950s feel. I love the wall of framed historic photos and memorabilia. I also love it that every table in the restaurant is a tufted vinyl banquette, just like in the old one. I love the brick fireplace in the lounge. Even the bar is like in the old location, with a tufted vinyl front and the original bar stools – but with better cocktails! They have a great $6 house martini (Gordon’s gin) and house Manhattan (Old Crow).

Original Joe’s house Manhattan

Original Joe’s
601 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 775-4877
Open Mon-Fri 11:00am-10:00pm, Sat-Sun 9:00am-10:00pm

Related posts:

San Francisco’s Historic Grills Joe’s of Westlake, Daly City, California Marin Joe’s, Corte Madera, California Original Joe’s, San Jose, California