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

Original Joe’s, San Francisco, California

Posted on August 23, 2013 by The Jab

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

The Barn Door, San Antonio, Texas

Posted on August 14, 2013 by The Jab

There is one restaurant I visited on my trip to San Antonio last May that I have not posted about yet, and it’s a great Western-style steakhouse: The Barn Door.

Conveniently located near San Antonio International Airport, it was way out in the middle of nowhere when it first opened in 1953 (though details are scant online).

When you enter you see a wall of framed photos and memorabilia next to the host stand. The host takes you to your table past the display cases of steaks and desserts, such as the homemade pies and cakes (which are all available to take home).

As you follow your host you begin to realize that this restaurant is huge! There are several dining and banquet rooms, all with great western decor. I was seated in the dining room where the grill is located that had red-checked tablecloths and the most dense variety of decoration.

Another more refined dining room that was next to the room I was seated in:

The menu is large, consisting mainly of steaks, which are wet aged “for weeks” and grilled over a combination of mesquite and charcoal, seafood from the Gulf, and other charbroiled items that are enticing, such as rack of lamb, chicken (a specialty of the house), and local quail. Dinners are very reasonably priced considering that all dinners come with salad, potato, and delicious house made rolls, served hot.

The grill master in action:

I went with the medium filet (8 oz.) since I had to have an early dinner before my evening flight home, so I wasn’t very hungry yet. It was very tender and flavorful from the wet aging (sometimes filets have a lack of flavor due to less marbling but this one was not like that; perhaps the bacon it was wrapped in also helped).

8 oz. filet with toast and home fries. Shiner black lager to drink.

8 oz. filet with toast and cottage fries. Shiner black lager to drink.

As you can see my steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare. A bargain at $22.50 including sides!

The next time you fly to San Antonio (or on a layover) The Barn Door is a must on arrival at the airport or just before leaving. It’s only about 5-10 minutes from the airport terminal. The steaks are great for the price and you can’t beat the old Western decor!

The Barn Door
8400 N New Braunfels Ave, San Antonio, TX 78209
(210) 824-0116
Open for Lunch: Tue-Fri 11-2pm; Dinner: Tue-Th 5-10pm, Fri-Sat 5-10:30pm, Sunday: 11-8pm; closed Monday

Imperial House, San Diego, California

Posted on July 12, 2013 by The Jab

UPDATE: The Imperial House is no longer a Continental restaurant as it was in 2013 when I posted this. It has been a fine dining steakhouse for several years. Thankfully, the decor has not changed. For more info please visit Imperial Steakhouse.

San Diego’s last holdout for classic continental dining in a perfectly preserved dining room, the Imperial House opened in 1969 (it is still owned by the same family) in a mid-century apartment building overlooking Balboa Park in the Banker’s Hill neighborhood (my old neighborhood). It was great returning there recently to dine with friends from San Francisco who were in San Diego at the same time as me. My last visit to the Imperial House to dine was back in 2003, though I have visited the bar a few times since then.

On entering the restaurant from their private driveway (I wish more restaurants had one…it seems more classy than entering from a sidewalk), you are greeted by original maître d’ Felix Galindo, ‘the man who rolls his R’s’, who escorts you past the medieval armor in a glass case into the beautiful dining room of red booths and high-backed chairs, tables with starched white linen tablecloths, chandeliers, wood walls with framed paintings, and Olde English style windows overlooking Sixth Avenue and the park.

The menu is classic Continental, including French and American specialties such as mock turtle soup à l’anglaise au sherry, filet mignon Oscar, roast rack of lamb jardinière, chateaubriand bouquetiere for two, and steak Diane, which is prepared tableside. Also prepared tableside are flambé dishes like spinach salad flambé, bananas flambé, cherries jubilee, and café diablo for two. Steak and seafood entrées round out the menu. You might start with an appetizer such as escargot bourguignonne or oysters Rockefeller.

Escargots Bourguignonne

We had too much Mexican food for lunch (which is always great in San Diego, by the way) so we didn’t have room for main dishes, but instead opted for appetizers, salads, and dessert. We had both the spinach salad flambé and the Ceasar salad, prepared tableside.

Felix Rinaldi prepares Caesar salad dressing by hand.

For dessert we had bananas flambé (bananas Foster) with dark rum, brown sugar, butter, banana liqueur, cinnamon, and some 151 for pyrotechnics. Served over vanilla ice cream of course. Delicious!

The entire meal experience was lovely, with some pop vocal classics playing softly in the restaurant (Dino, Sinatra, etc.). However, I would ask for a table in the back if entertainment is in progress in the bar because in the front of the dining room it may be possible to hear noise from the bar. The service was perfect, with the waiters dressed in black jackets and bow ties (as seen in the photo). There are dinner specials nightly through the week, such as prime rib on Friday and Saturday, as well as a swell $60 3-course dinner for two including a bottle of wine.

There is a happy hour in the bar with free hot food on Tuesday through Saturday. On Thursdays through Saturdays there is a popular piano player (Rick Lyon) performing classic rock songs to a synthesized backing track, and they serve food in the bar late on Fridays and Saturdays (10pm-12am). They also have a popular dinner theater called Mystery Cafe, which is performed in a room behind the bar (not in the main dining room).

Imperial House
505 Kalmia Street, San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: (619) 234-3525
Open 4:00pm-10:00pm Tuesday thru Thursday, 4:00pm-1:30am Friday and Saturday
Dinner hours are limited so call first (I assume they are approx. 5pm-10pm Tue-Sat).

Le Continental

dining and drinking with The Jab

Tag Archives: steakhouse

Original Joe’s, San Jose, California

Archie’s Waeside, Le Mars, Iowa

Le Continental’s Road Trip Tips

Original Joe’s, San Francisco, California

The Barn Door, San Antonio, Texas

Imperial House, San Diego, California

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