Restaurant family trees!

A restaurant "family tree".
I've been reading a great many threads here about restaurants in our area where the owners/manager/chefs started with a different business and name and/or partners and evolved into another business. Example: Bristol Bar & Grill (Doug Gossman, Tim Martin)>>>> Langtry's Road House (Doug, Tim , John Bensinger, Bim Deitrich) >>>>> Deitrichs (Bim only) >>>>Allo Spiedo (Bim)
You see what I mean.
I just think a look at the progression might be interesting. We could do different ones for owners, managers, chefs, bartenders. I have no idea how one would go about doing that or even if it would be of any interest to anyone other than myself.

Excellent idea. Can I do one for the Louisville area brewers?

Great concept!

I definitely want to see that Dave

A restaurant "family tree".
I've been reading a great many threads here about restaurants in our area where the owners/manager/chefs started with a different business and name and/or partners and evolved into another business. Example: Bristol Bar & Grill (Doug Gossman, Tim Martin)>>>> Langtry's Road House (Doug, Tim , John Bensinger, Bim Deitrich) >>>>> Deitrichs (Bim only) >>>>Allo Speeido (Bim)

Great idea... Grisanti's will be a big part of this tree!
Carla, do you remember JR's Place in Holiday Manor? I'm pretty sure that was John Bensinger's place.

[Robin Garr]

Carla, do you remember JR's Place in Holiday Manor? I'm pretty sure that was John Bensinger's place.

Whoa! After the Alpha theater but before Emperor of China? I wrote a Louisville Times review of that place so bad that it got me anonymous (ha!) hate mail.

Carla, do you remember JR's Place in Holiday Manor? I'm pretty sure that was John Bensinger's place.

Whoa! After the Alpha theater but before Emperor of China? I wrote a Louisville Times review of that place so bad that it got me anonymous (ha!) hate mail.

Back then, it took three days to get hate mail.

[Robin Garr]

Back then, it took three days to get hate mail.

Yeah, and you had to buy a stamp and fill out an envelope and stuff. People didn't write hate mail back then unless they really meant it.

[Robin Garr]

A restaurant "family tree".

GREAT idea, Carla! I hope you don't mind, I changed your headline to direct attention to what this topic is about ... thought it might draw in more folks.

>>>>> Deitrichs (Bim only) >>>>Allo Spiedo (Bim)

And don't forget, after Allo, Bim's last venture here, Primo. Damn, I hated to see it close.

Once this got up and going, it would be a great feature of the site. People could contribute and add branches (or trunks) when they see a gap. It could be like six degrees of separation for the local restaurant scene (although it might be more like 4 degrees...)

Neat!

Casa Grasanti's (sp?) --> Pestos(Esse)

Pestos --> Saffrons (Majid)
Pestos --> Manoosh's (Manoosh)

There were a few other chefs that went through Pestos before starting their own places.

Carla, do you remember JR's Place in Holiday Manor? I'm pretty sure that was John Bensinger's place.

Whoa! After the Alpha theater but before Emperor of China? I wrote a Louisville Times review of that place so bad that it got me anonymous (ha!) hate mail.

Back then, it took three days to get hate mail.

(Heavy sigh) yeah I remember it well. I worked there as a GM for about 4 months and then again as a cocktail waitress when it was taken over by Roscoe Flaherty. It was next door to the theater actually. The building was originally called the Chaparral Restaurant then John B. bought it and made it JR's Place. Then Roscoe Flaherty bought it and called it Roscoe's. The building was demolished to make way for the Holiday Manor Walk.

As far as the bad reviews go I'm not real surprised. It was like it had all of the problems of a regular restaurant but distilled down into restaurant kryptonite hell. (At least before Roscoe bought it.) It was always more of a drinking place than a restaurant. Almost as if the restaurant was there to keep the drinking patrons from blowing a 4.0. But I do miss the folks I worked with. Crazy bunch of wonderful loonies. (I am sorry about any hate mail you got Robin. )

Since many seem to be interested in a tree how would we go about doing it? We'd almost have to divide it up into decades (1980-1990, 1990-2000 etc. ) How would we build a framework to insert the names into? Is there a computer program fro something like that? Or perhaps we could just have pages with the years at the top, the restaurants listed below it and folks could sign their names below each restaurant with the specific year and job position they held. That way additional restaurants could be easily added.

Maybe?

Or if not restaurant, then chef/owner/manager you worked/trained under.

If my professional history is any indication some of the branches in this tree will be a bit tangled!

Or if not restaurant, then chef/owner/manager you worked/trained under.

If my professional history is any indication some of the branches in this tree will be a bit tangled!

These days, don't must genetic family trees get tangled?

When was it? 5, 10 years ago? The CJ did a piece on the Grisanti influence. That wasn't what Robin was talking about? I use to save newspaper articles many many years ago.

I can remember going to Kunz's in the early 70's with my dad. The chef came out - he really was sporting the outfit then. I was so impressed as young person. He was in WW2 with my dad. Lived near us in the Highlands/Bowman Field. I'm afraid it's going to be a challenge getting much information on anything before the 80's. Everyone is dying.

The beginning of Grisanti's and/or Bristol is a good place to start.

I still miss the Old House.