Archived Topics
Food Places In Willi
Posted By: Shemp
Date: Wednesday, 7 November 2001, at 12:55 a.m.
I would like to reminesce about all the nice or food places in town.
The one Chinese place I can only recall was in the Hooker Hotel in the 1950s or so...think it was called Wongs .We used to go in there and get a lunch for 50 cents and 95 cents a head for dinner ....egg foo yung, chop suey and green tea and rice.
Was in town awhile back and had a bite at the tsin tsin at eastbrook mall...buffet was pretty good for 5 bucks or so.
Anyone recall Ray's cafe in 50s at foot of Windham St and Main, across form Dairy Queen. Ray Ducharme ran it and it was the hang out on friday nites after WHS basketball games in 1955. We used to go in there and watch Ray cook on the grille...he died very young of a heart attack and the place closed by 1960.
Hallocks on Main St near where Tubridys was had great ice cream....made it themselcves. Dinner was good too - like veal cutlets and spaghetti for a buck. my pop and ma liked it alright, we used to eat there on thursday nites when the stores were open.
Lindy's was great too--bless Rose Haddad. She could turn out some good eats okay. Remember those pies and roast beef sandwiches like they were just yesterday.
well, now ya got places like victorian lady and main st post office cafe. but the ole places were the best, the very best -- had lots of soul.
Shemp Semper Fi '55
Posted By: William Brainard <wbrainard@juno.com>
Date: Wednesday, 7 November 2001, at 8:00 a.m.
In Response To: Food Places In Willi (Shemp)
I can still remember Bill's No. 7 after the ice storm "Felix" in 1973. Almost everyone was there for breakfast. Hillside Restaurant in Columbia was started by John and Stella Russak ca. 1963. It was Jilly's when I worked at the Columbia post office in the mid '80s and has been various car dealerships in-between. The old Pizza House at Tyler Square; Iron Horse Tap Room in the Nathan Hale Hotel, Cavey's Log Cabin in Lebanon and the Clark House. And of course, Shell Chateau which burned in 1979.
Posted By: William Brainard <wbrainard@juno.com>
Date: Wednesday, 7 November 2001, at 8:06 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Food Places In Willi (William Brainard)
Of course, the best place to get a "bite" was the Woolworth lunch counter on Main Street. Anyone remember Burger Chef? They had great char-broiled burgers before Mikki D's came to town. When Friendly's was new in Willimantic, one could get an awful awful shake and cheeseburger on a "setup" (grilled bread cheeseburger) for about $2; it was quite the thing when Friendly's got Wells french friers for french fries in the mid '60s. Friendly's chocolate almond chip ice cream back then was the best. I adored their swiss chocolate almond sundaes.
Posted By: Lenny <harvey2000@cfl.rr.com>
Date: Thursday, 8 November 2001, at 4:29 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Food Places In Willi (William Brainard)
Burger Chef, Yep it was the first "fast food" join in town. Located right next to "Dirty Johns Tavern" (Later on known as the Iron Horse) Does qanyone remeber the car dealership located next to there.. actually I think it was accross from the old firstnational store. The dealership sold those cars that also doubled as boats. I can't remember what they were called.
Lenny
Posted By: Slug <cpss29@aol.com>
Date: Thursday, 8 November 2001, at 8:52 p.m.
In Response To: Food Places In Willi (Shemp)
Having worked at Ray's Drive In, which became the Chamber of Commerce Building at the corner of Bridge and Main, I recall the best selling "foot long" hot dog that was deep fried in lard and served on a toasted bun with grilled peppers and onions at 35 cents. Lot of stuff used to go on in that parking lot after dark.
Posted By: Shemp
Date: Saturday, 10 November 2001, at 12:02 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Food Places In Willi (Slug)
Well I guess I would probably know you since I was in ray's a lot in those days alright. After basketball games at WHS -- we used to head down there and get burgers and shakes ( vanilla the best)...
some of my pals from those days... John Risley,and Tikee Rossiter who got killed in a car crash unfortunately in that time. There were also twin gals who were cheerleaders, .. another pal of ..they were funny but their names I forget. One used to kid coach Andy Palau a lot and she was a real card. roger pepin was another guy i knew back then too. and the anthony boys. we all raised lots of hell in ray's lot. one nite a cop came by and wrote us up for a bad muffler...the cop was ouelette and a big slob who was always bothering ray for a free hot dog he said.
shemp
Posted By: rd <artattic@crosslink.net>
Date: Saturday, 10 November 2001, at 9:47 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Food Places In Willi (rd)
I think the twin cheerleaders you referred to were the Resnisky girls--I think names were Sue Ann and Jo Ann. Also, I think they lived on Jackson street. I used to know Roger Pepin--what happend to him if you know.
Posted By: Jules Corn <pjcorn@capecod.net>
Date: Saturday, 10 November 2001, at 10:45 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Food Places In Willi (rd)
No one remembers the College Shop? A and I's?
Posted By: Scorpio <Scorpio@threadcity.com>
Date: Tuesday, 13 November 2001, at 12:06 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Food Places In Willi (Shemp)
The twins were Sue Anne and Jo Anne Rezninski.
Ouelette was OK, just hungry. A real jovial fellow.
Terry, Joel, Linnie Anthony. Terry and Joel were great baseball players. Linnie was a sweet little guy with congestive heart failure.
Posted By: Shemp
Date: Saturday, 17 November 2001, at 8:09 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Food Places In Willi (Scorpio)
RD and Scorpio:
Okay ...thnx, yes they were the Reznicki twins. I would say WHS '54 ot '55, right?? I recall center Risley the basketball player beating Manchester in a big game ....44 to 78. There were some great looking gals in that class.,,,
Some of the Willi PD I remember were Hub Haddad...Sy, the motocycle cop,...Red Vertefeuille and of couse, Detective Sayers whose size just plain scared the hell of you.
Ray's was a good place alright. We were just out of Korea then and America was invincible.....Ike was in and Elvis too.
Hurray for AMerica and Willi!!
Shemp of USMC, Semper Fi '55
Posted By: Robert Thompson <THOMPSON.ROBERT@TUCSON.VA.GOV>
Date: Tuesday, 27 November 2001, at 2:33 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Food Places In Willi (Shemp)
Speaking of ploiceman in Willie how about Pnky White and I believe,not quite sure of the spelling but there was a Lutton or something like that first name if memory serves me correct was -John???
Posted By: Scorpio <Scorpio@threadcity.com>
Date: Monday, 3 December 2001, at 2:18 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Food Places In Willi (Robert Thompson)
He is Jack Lutton. A real gentleman police officer. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant before he passed on in the mid-sixties. He was instrumental in breaking up the notorious "Diamond Gang" in the thirties.
Posted By: rd <lancva@crosslink.net>
Date: Thursday, 29 November 2001, at 3:56 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Food Places In Willi (Shemp)
I remember the Willi police back in late 40's to 60's. In the 40's they had the dark blue uniforms traditional hat and always the long night stick they use to twirl while walking the Main St beat. The early police cruisers, 49-50 Fords had a red light in the middle of the front grille. Later on they had a single red light on top of the cruiser. Sometime in the 70's or 80's they adopted the Smokey-type hat.
Posted By: Ernie Gesner <egesner@aol.com>
Date: Friday, 30 November 2001, at 1:39 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Food Places In Willi (rd)
I remember an older policeman that used to write parking tickets in the 40s and early 50s, I think his name was Ralph. He was so good at it that I heard that it was said that he even ticketed his wife's car.
Posted By: Ernie Gesner <egesner@aol.com>
Date: Friday, 30 November 2001, at 1:39 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Food Places In Willi (rd)
I remember an older policeman that used to write parking tickets in the 40s and early 50s, I think his name was Ralph. He was so good at it that I heard that it was said that he even ticketed his wife's car.
Posted By: Scorpio <Scorpio@threadcity.com>
Date: Monday, 3 December 2001, at 2:07 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Food Places In Willi (rd)
If you remember, some of those "cops" could really make a baton majorette jealous with the tricks and twirling abilities they had developed, including synchronization with another officer and "tapping the curbs with the ash." Sometimes there wasn't a whole lot more to do when the citizens had been tucked in bed for the evening, and the drunks were sobering up at the City Lunch, courtesy of Sonny V's hot black java. Once in a while the "Ash" would knock the noggin of the over-confident twirler. I think, to remind him who was the real star of the show. Those were kinder, more gentle times, even for the cops.
Posted By: a
Date: Tuesday, 13 November 2001, at 10:04 a.m.
In Response To: Food Places In Willi (Shemp)
REMEMBER SAM AND NELLIE HADDAD'S LUNCHEONETTE AT WALNUT AND MAIN?
Posted By: Va. <vadaro@cs.com>
Date: Tuesday, 4 December 2001, at 11:19 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Food Places In Willi (a)
Ralph Burchnall was so good with the tickets that one afternoon he ticketed my mother for jay-walking. She was livid and sputtered about it for days.