Postcard Panorama – Fazio’s on Fifth, Milwaukee

Posted on October 28, 2013 by The Jab

Fazio’s on Fifth – Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a photo by The Pie Shops Collection on Flickr.

Patio Room Luncheons and Dinners
…in air-conditioned luxury, are an adventure in good eating and your service will be superb.
Here at last is a delightful room in the heart of downtown Milwaukee where you can be proud to entertain or Be entertained.

POODLE ROOM COCKTAILS
Innovations like the wide double seats of the padded bar offer Milwaukeeans an exciting new place to meet.

634 N. FIFTH STREET
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
BR 1-8282

Marin Joe’s, Corte Madera, California

Posted on October 10, 2013 by The Jab

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 courtesy of Jason Lewis' marinnostalgia.org and Marin Joe's

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 Paul (L) Della Santina in Marin Joe's

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.

L - R: Paul, unknown, Adoplh, Romano. Photo by Marin Joe's & Jason Lewis' marinnostalgia.org.

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).

Old Faithful Inn Dining Room & Bear Pit Lounge, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Posted on September 23, 2013 by The Jab

Recently I posted about my two-week road trip from Chicago to Oakland in 2003, mostly on two-lane U.S. highways. Today we return to a stop on that road trip, the historic Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park. Staying in one of the historic lodges in a National Park is a special treat so I prefer spending a few nights in one over staying outside the park in a standard motel or hotel. Usually they are more expensive so it depends on my trip’s budget. But in general they are worth the additional cost. The Old Faithful Inn definitely was worth the money because of its historic charm and its location near Old Faithful Geyser. I couldn’t get a decent picture of the soaring lobby of log and branch balconies surrounding a massive stone fireplace so this vintage postcard will have to do.

Old Faithful In Lobby; Frank J Haynes, image by nps.gov

In 2003 we paid only $75/night for a small but charming double bed room in the original hotel building, saving money by forgoing the en suite bathroom and using the shared bathroom instead (which was clean and perfectly fine). The same room in the 2014 season will run $109. There was a multi-million dollar renovation of the hotel from 2004-2012, which probably explains the slight cost increase. For around $100/night you get an incredible & unique experience in a beautiful lodge, something you have to pay several times more money for at the Ahwahnee Inn in Yosemite. Many people have complained online about the thin walls and basic accommodations in the Inn but to me that is part of the going back in time feel. I don’t need or want a phone, TV, or fancy amenities in a lodge that was built in 1904. I would rather have this:

Old Faithful Inn original room, image by http://www.yellowstone-notebook.com

There are also rooms in the c. 1920s west and east wings that are modernized. Before booking our room I read many online complaints about the rustic old rooms: how they are uncomfortable, noisy, drafty, lack bathrooms, etc. I was glad that I ignored the negatives and focused on the positives: charming, filled with character, like going back in time. Many thanks to the National Park Service and the companies involved in the recent restoration: A&E Architects, H-C Design & Consulting, and Xanterra Parks and Resorts (the concessionaire that runs the hotel), for not modifying the original character of the hotel and the “old house” guest rooms in the renovations.

You have to book way in advance for the privilege of staying at the Old Faithful. The summer of 2014 is fully booked, but there is still availability during the less crowded shoulder months of May, September, and the first half of October The lodge is closed from mid-Oct until mid-May.

Old Faithful Inn Dining Room; Frank J Haynes, image by nps.gov

The dining room was constructed in the original phase in 1903-04 with exposed log scissors trusses and a huge stone fireplace.

At mealtime, guests in those early years ate together (appropriately dressed) in the rustic log-walled Old Faithful Inn dining room. A dinner bell atop the Inn alerted those venturing among the geysers and hot springs when it was time to return and make themselves presentable for dinner.

The dining hall was brightened with large windows, an open fireplace, and Reamer’s electric candle light fixtures. Guests sat on rustic chairs at tables set with brightly polished silverware and china of a blue willow pattern.

As guests ate, a group of musicians played for them on a small balcony extending from the lobby and overlooking the dining room. After dinner, these musicians climbed to areas such as the “crow’s nest” near the top of the high-pitched ceiling of the lobby. There they played as guests danced on the main floor far below. (Old Faithful Inn History)

The dining room is practically unchanged over 100 years later, even with the same hickory furniture built by the Old Hickory Furniture Company.

Old Faithful Inn Dining Room, photo by The Jab, 2003

Old Faithful Inn Dining Room, image by The Jab, 2003

In 1922 the dining room was expanded into a second dining room with more windows but a lower ceiling, and decorated with carved, painted wood panels of animals and birds native to the area (still present but no longer painted).

1922 dining room, image by http://www.yellowstone-notebook.com

In 1936, after the end of Prohibition, the Bear Pit cocktail lounge was built just off the lobby to quench the thirst of park visitors. The lounge featured wooden panels sandblasted with whimsical cartoons designed by staff cartoonists depicting bears engaging in human activities, such as one showing a bear spraying seltzer on some inebriated bears in a bar scene!

Bear Pit Lounge postcard, image by http://www.yellowstone-notebook.com

The Bear Pit lounge was converted into a coffee shop in 1962 and the cocktail lounge was relocated into an area next to the dining room. The comic wood panels were recreated in etched glass (visible in both the dining room and the cocktail lounge – see photos below). Some of the original wooden panels are now on display in the snack bar off the lobby. The furniture in the Bear Pit is all original from the 1930s.

Bear Pit Lounge, photo by The Jab, 2003

Chair in the Bear Pit Lounge, photo by The Jab, 2003

etched glass panels in dining room, image by ThorsHammer94539 on Flickr

Now about the food. Based on my experiences in many National Parks (where food service is run by private concessionaires) the food costs more than comparable food would outside the park and ranges from downright bad to very good. But it just goes with the territory. Considering the setting and atmosphere you get what you pay for (average prices at the Old Faithful Inn Dining Room in 2012 were: Breakfast, $11; Lunch, $13; Dinner, $26). Lower your expectations, or camp and cook your own food. Also ask questions and order items that may be fresh or local. If they offer trout ask if it’s fresh from the area. Stick with classic American dishes. Don’t order Italian food (or Asian, Mexican, etc.). It won’t be as good as at your favorite neighborhood restaurant. Instead get a burger or a steak. In some parks you can drive outside the park to get better food. But even if the food isn’t that great in the lodges, just enjoy the atmosphere in the incredible rustic old dining room. I like to bring at least one dressy outfit on a visit to a historic lodge because it’s fun to get dressed up for dinner to enhance the time travel experience (just try not to look around at the other diners in their shorts and Teva sandals).

Old Faithful Inn dining room from the second-story balcony, photo by The Jab, 2003

In 1987 the Old Faithful Inn was designated a National Historic Landmark. The statement reads:

“The first building in a National Park constructed in an architectural style harmonious with the grandeur of the surrounding landscape. Reflects Adirondack Rustic architectural idiom, but blown up to enormous proportions. Its seven-story high log lobby is unique in American architecture. Created with gnarled logs and rough sawn wood for the Northern Pacific Railroad, it has a sense of place as identifiable as the Park itself.”

Old Faithful Inn
Yellowstone National Park, WY
Dinner reservations: 307.344.7311
Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day from mid-May through mid-October

Original Joe’s, San Jose, California

Posted on September 12, 2013 by The Jab

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 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

Archie’s Waeside, Le Mars, Iowa

Posted on September 6, 2013 by The Jab

Ten years ago today I was on my second road trip across the western U.S. (the first was in 1999, from New Orleans to Oakland). My girlfriend and I attended the Exotica 2003 Tiki weekender in Chicago in August, then on August 26th we left Chicago on a 12-day, two-lane adventure across 8 states back home to Oakland, CA. I mention “two-lane” because we avoided the interstate freeways entirely. In my opinion the interstates serve one purpose: to get from point A to point B as fast as possible. But for touring the country they are lousy.

Le Continental’s Road Trip Tips

Before the interstate highway system was implemented during the height of the Cold War (in the 1950s) for civil defense reasons (the idea went back to FDR) there was a system of numbered U.S. highways. Federal highways started with the Lincoln Highway from New York to San Francisco in 1913. The U.S. highway numbering system was enabled in 1926. These U.S. highways are signed with a U.S. highway shield (see pic) and numbered evenly for west-east highways, starting with smaller numbers in the north (US10) and getting larger to the south (US90), and numbered oddly for north-south highways, starting low in the east (US1) and getting larger heading west (US101). You may be aware that interstate highways are numbered similarly (evenly for west-east highways and oddly for north-south) yet differently, with lower numbers in the south (I-10) going higher to the north (I-90) and lower numbers in the west (I-5) going to higher numbers in the east (I-95).

Despite many interstates replacing the U.S. highways (like I-40 along U.S. 66) much of the old U.S. highway system still exists as popular regional routes, mostly two-lane, but some four-lane (or wider) divided highways like the magnificent routes U.S. 395 and 101 in California. These highways are time travelers’ best friends! Especially when they exist at a good distance from interstates. On the interstates chain restaurants, motels, and stores pop up like weeds along cracks in pavement. The average travelers on the interstate are in a hurry and may be suffering from road fatigue, so they don’t want to have to search for reliable and safe lodging or think about where to eat because they aren’t familiar with the area. They desire chains, where the food is familiar (and usually processed, previously frozen, and bland), the motel room doors have key card locks, and the plastic cups are sealed in plastic. Where the chains thrive on the business of regular travelers and truckers older mom-and-pop owned motels usually cannot compete (unless they spend a lot of money on upgrades like key card locks and flat screen TVs). Sometimes older restaurants can compete if they are right on the interstate but in most cases interstates were planned and constructed at some distance from old highways and town centers, and it is usually difficult for the cafes along the old highway route to attract customers away from the interstate.

For these reasons I have a theory that the best preserved old highways in the U.S., that offer a feeling of going back in time, are the U.S. highways that have some history and that are a good distance from the interstates. Many great examples are in Jamie Jensen’s road trip bible Road Trip USA (my personal favorite road trip guide), such as U.S. 50, “The Loneliest Road In America”, still intact from Sacramento, CA into Utah and from Kansas City to Delaware, and U.S. 89, which traverses through several National Parks on its journey from Canada to Mexico. Along such routes you can experience vintage motels that are clean and safe, classic restaurants that thrive on local regular business as well as savvy road trippers, and occasionally see wonderful old roadside attractions. Along such routes I recommend you limit your daily travel to 200-300 miles, depending on attractions along the way, timing your overnights where there are interesting motels, restaurants, and bars.

If you want to plan some interesting road trips on U.S. highways I also recommend getting a vintage road atlas like the above one (not my photo on Flickr, but I have a copy of the same atlas). It is easier to follow the original U.S. routes on the pre-interstate atlases and then compare them with more modern atlases to decipher their existing route (as some were swallowed up by the interstates while others were rerouted or renumbered).

Hyart Theatre, U.S. 14, Lovell, WY – still in operation (since 1950)

To return to my 2003 road trip story, our route went as follows:

U.S. 20 west from Chicago to Valentine, Nebraska, with an overnight stop in Dubuque, Iowa, a detour to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to visit Brucemore (U.S. 20 has been a cross-country route since 1940 that starts in Boston and ends in Newport, Oregon), and another overnight in Sioux City, Iowa
U.S. 83 north from Valentine to Murdo, South Dakota
I-90 (U.S. 14) for a short while to visit Badlands National Park and the Black Hills of South Dakota (Mt. Rushmore), with two nights in Custer, SD
U.S. 16 west to U.S. 85 north to Wyoming 585 north to U.S. 14 west to overnight at Sheridan, Wyoming (with a stop at Devil’s Tower)
U.S. 14 west to Cody, WY, to overnight (with a picnic stop in the Bighorn Mts. and at Bighorn Canyon)
U.S. 20 west to Yellowstone National Park for a few nights at the Old Faithful Inn
U.S. 89 south from Yellowstone to Spanish Fork, Utah, with two nights near Grand Teton National Park
U.S. 6 west to U.S. 50 west (Delta, UT) to Oakland, California with an overnight in Ely, NV (usually I would take more time on U.S. 50 through Nevada but we were pressed for time and I eventually went back for a longer look).

In the small town of Le Mars, Iowa, just north of Sioux City, is Archie’s Waeside, a simple stone covered building with basic decor, but a steakhouse that serves some of the best steaks in the country. Opened in 1949 by Archie Jackson and still operated by the same family, the restaurant’s menu has several steaks (all prime dry-aged Iowa beef) to choose from and all dinners come with relish tray, bread, salad, and potato, served on vintage Syracuse china. Their wine list is renowned as the family often travel to California to buy wines.

We ordered the house special thick Benny Weiker filet mignon (named after a regular customer in the past).

Words can’t fully describe the perfection of their steaks, so I’ll let my picture speak for me.

If you are in the area you must try a “tavern sandwich” (aka loose meat sandwich), a regional specialty. It’s a seasoned ground beef sandwich, like a sloppy Joe without sauce. Tastee Inn & Out is a great place to get one (make sure you try the onion chips too).

Tastee Inn & Out, Sioux City, Iowa

Happy trails!

Archie’s Waeside
224 4th Avenue NE, Le Mars, IA 51031
712-546-7011
Open Tue-Thu 5pm – 9pm, Fri 5pm – 10pm, Sat 4:30pm – 10pm, closed Sundays, Mondays, and holidays

Le Continental

dining and drinking with The Jab

Tag Archives: restaurant

Postcard Panorama – Fazio’s on Fifth, Milwaukee

Marin Joe’s, Corte Madera, California

Old Faithful Inn Dining Room & Bear Pit Lounge, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Original Joe’s, San Jose, California

Archie’s Waeside, Le Mars, Iowa

Le Continental’s Road Trip Tips

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