Old Restaurants

[kit]

The owner of the Town & Country was Gerhardt Musch. He also had a place called The Red Onion in the New Hartford Shopping Center.

[Clipper]

Do you remember when they first opened the restaurant on Maynard Drive in the former nursing home Kit? Chet Benn ran the nursing home. My great grandmother Ida Gaylord resided there for the last few years of her life. She was my mom and Jim's grandmother Kit and lived with them for years when they were on Fountain St in Clinton. I remember her coming to stay with us occasionally when I was very young. Did you know Jim when he lived in Clinton Kit?

[Clipper]

When Chet retired he relocated the residents and closed the nursing home Gerhardt and his wife bought it and opened the first restauarant, later moving to the ICL plaza.

[kit]

Clipper, yes I first met Jim through a friend while he was in Clinton getting bashed about with hockey, but I didn't know him well until he was attending Utica College. That's when we formed The Nitecaps. It may have been Jim's Senior year.

I was never at the Town & Country when it was on Maynard Drive, and only once when it was in the ICL Plaza. I did, however, go to the Red Onion in the NH Shopping Ctr. a couple of times when Gerhardt had it.

No, I never met Ida, but I did know Lew and Beatrice.

[Clipper]

O wasn't sure if you started the nightcaps while he was still living in Clinton. I remember you guys jamming in the basement den at their house on Waterbury in Whitesboro, and I remember going with Jim once when you were practicing at Dale Ryder's house in Chadwicks.I am surprised to hear that he ever attempted to play ice hockey. I skated a couple of times with him at the old arena before it burned and he really didn't skate all that well. Bless his heart, he wasn't the least bit athletic. His thing was music.

[kit]

Apparently you knew the original Nitecaps before Dale Ryder left to join Eric Thorngren's group. When he left there was no bass player. That's when Jim asked me. I never practiced at Jim's place on Waterbury although he was living there at the time. For a while until we got an agent and started playing on location, we were the house band at Massoud's... Jim (drums), Ken Aikin (guitar), Dick Stone (organ) and me (bass).

I wasn't into hockey and I didn't know anything about Jim's ice skating. I knew him through the Utica Citizens Corps Cadets. We were both members.

[Clipper]

My first wife and I listened to you guy play on a couple of occasions. We listened to you at a little bar on a side street in Little Falls once, and at Massouds once. You were all very talented and professional and had a great sound.

[brad]

I'm brand new here.  I lived in New Hartford and worked in Utica for a couple years in the early 80's.  I remember the fantastic prime rib at Big Al's, Nash's terrific veal dishes, and Grimaldi's garlic pizza brought to your table just as you sat down even before ordering, and the seafood place called Hook, Line and Sinker.  I have never experienced such good eating in such an area with such a relatively small population.

[clarencebunsen]

Welcome Brad.

[clarencebunsen]

We have a topic in the general section where you can introduce yourself if you like. I'm Keith and moved to this area in the mid 80's from Minnesota. I'm the resident expert in science, math and old guy jokes. If you recognize my handle, I'm also a fan of Garrison Keillor.

[Clipper]

Welcome to the forum Brad. I hope you will be a regular and will post and participate often.

You mention Big Al's. Big Al's was my favorite spot for prime rib dinner on my birthday every year until it closed. Where to you reside now? I retired to Bristol Tn. but I miss the CNY restaurant scene and all great dishes that we can't find here in the South.

[kit]

I remember the Unwind Inn on Floyd Ave. in Rome before it was the Unwind Inn. It was Pfeiffer's, owned by Shirley Pfeiffer. She had a monstrous bouncer named Alex that my brother was in Navy boot camp with. Alex was a nice guy but you sure didn't want to cause any trouble or he wouldn't have been so nice. There was a bar in front and a large room in the back that featured a live band and dancing on the weekends. The house band was The Dynamic Casuals and when they had bookings somewhere else, my band The Nitecaps, filled in for them (our drummer was Clipper's uncle, Jim Gaylord). I don't believe they served food but they sure moved a lot of alcohol and there was never any trouble in the back... just a lot of dancing and shmoozing. A nice time and place to remember.

[Clipper]

I don't remember ever going there when it was Pfeiffer's but I remember the Unwind Inn quite well. Went there a few times for lobster or their huge captain's eafood platter. The last time I was there was to attend a seminar to introduce our unit's managers to Deming's 14 points of Total Quality Management. The restaurant had a great menu. Sadly it met it's demise as a result of the divorce between Captain Steve Hayes and his wife.

Another great place for prime rib and awesome seafood was Beck's Grove outside of Rome. They only served it on Sundays. They also had a Friday seafood buffet that was to die for. We used to go there for the peel and eat shrimp. They would put out a huge stainless steel bowl with iced shrimp and a bucket of cocktail sauce. One could eat shrimp until they burst if the care to.

We once had an entire check comped by the manager when I found a nasty, bloody band aid in my marinated mushrooms from the salad bar. We had taken another couple there to treat them to dinner and had already eaten more than our share of the hot seafood selections when I decided to grab another little dish of mushrooms. When I showed the waitress the band aid, she summoned the manager, who apologized and comped the entire check which probably came to 60 bucks or more. Turns out that one of the cooks had sliced his finger and supposedly did not notice the band aid was missing until I found it in my mushrooms.

[Clipper]

Kit, did the Night Caps play at the Pine Lodge in Chadwicks? I seem to remember going there to listen to you guys once. You guys were great. Unfortunately I was not old enough to drink or I would have probably followed the band where ever they played prior to your taking the house band gig at Hotel McConville in Ogdensburg.

[Atticus Pizzaballa]

I remember Hook, Line and Sinker and Grimaldi's. Only in Grimaldi's once for a party for nephew and his fiance before wedding. I was never in Hook line and sinker. I am not a person who likes going out to eat at a eatery! I was when I lived in Missouri when things were cheaper.