GaryF wrote:Jeffrey, I was going to mention the truck driver but couldn't remember all the details. I was told he drove the truck more as a sideline since he owned the restaurants and other ventures around town. Big grey beard as I recall.
I am sure The Normandy, or at least part of it, was downstairs as they would pass us sandwiches from the kitchen door which was on ground level. But I was so very very young what do I know?
Gary, We may be saying the same thing. As I remember it, Normandy actually was ground level since you entered it in the front off Main Street and it was on the same level as Main Street. Hearthstone was on an underground level, below Normandy, and was entered in the back off that alley between that building and what was then Kingfish. (Or was it entered from the side, off 7th street? I'm fuzzy on that). I don't know where the kitchens were for either of them Maybe they shared a kitchen?
Will, I lunched at The Old House semi-regularly, (and drank there after work more than semi-regularly). You entered on the street level and then went up a half flight or so of stairs to elegant, white table-clothed dining rooms or went down a half flight or so to a bar, with a few tables. It was a great restaurant. Owned/ran by Erma somebody. Maybe Dick? I think her family had been involved with it for many years. She was a true hostess, making sure everything and everybody was good. They served a great lunch special, two small beef tenderloin medallions with hollandaise sauce and a great bread, maybe sourdough (or French - not sure), and it was about all I ever ordered there. I think one or more of the Francis brothers maybe had an interest in it toward the end, or maybe was a bartender or something. I'm thinking it was Pat, but might have been Mike. Or I could easily be confused about the whole thing. Tons of ambience. And good food, too.
My memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.