For Old Dukies Only

[Lavabe]

When did the Pizza Transit Authority come into existence?
Cheers,
Lavabe

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Anyone remember the Golden West? It was between Durham and chapel hill off of 15-510. That was our middle of the night food stop. Sudden chants of "The West!" would cause a stampede to our cars. Only when we were sober, of course.

[Indoor66]

I'll take Bat's, Mayola's, the Ivy Room, the Oak Room, and the Dope Shop over the Magnolia Grill(e) any day!

I'm with you on that one. How about adding Lewis' Cafe (across the street from L & M plant) for breakfast or lunch? Mr. Lewis on the grill and the 2nd owner, Aubry Pickett, at the cash register. Great food and fun place. For reference, it is now a parking lot. Kind'a like Jimmy Buffett.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

As a Durham native and Duke grad, this thread is a wonderful trip down memory lane. Thanks, Blue Dress!

I frequented all of the dives mentioned. Bats was my favorite. My trips there we are always special. If you went for a late dinner, you would likely be treated to a spontaneous "concert" by the Batman himself. His songs were "colorful", shall we say. I continued my patronage as a Durham High student (off campus lunch) and then as a Duke undergrad. I loved to take the freshmen there. Those from the NE felt right at home with Bat's routine. Then, of course, we would race back to the dorm (bathrooms) for the infamous "Bat's blowout".

The Ivy Room the Blue Light have special places in my heart. I took my wife (Duke classmate) to the Ivy Room on our first date. I'm not sure she was as impressed as I hoped she'd be, but it wasn't a bad start by Durham dining standards, circa 1982. My parents met at the Blue Light. My dad was a Duke freshman, and my mother was a senior at Durham High.

I am now back in Durham and I must confess that I miss the hell out of the old guard restaurants and bars. I also miss the Oak room (my dad would take me there for lunch before Duke football games) and, of course, the Dope Shop...the ladies who worked at the Dope Shop treated me like a son, and they made the best hamburgers in Durham.

I'll take Bat's, Mayola's, the Ivy Room, the Oak Room, and the Dope Shop over the Magnolia Grill(e) any day!

It's easy to recall good memories! I lived in Durham from 1963 when I enrolled as a freshman until 2004 when I "moved back home" to Winston-Salem where I grew up. My dad taught at Durham High in the early 40s. I was a teacher and administrator (mostly principal) in Durham for 30 years. A Durham High yearbook was dedicated to him, in fact. He was a member of the class of 1933 at Duke. I grew up hearing stories, eye witness accounts, of the building of the West Campus, the stone cutters who were conversing in Italian as they worked on the Chapel, the dedication of the football stadium and the great snow fall that day against Pitt. I knew about Nurmi before I got there... he had been a graduate student when my dad was an undergrad. I knew when I signed up for "Suitcase" Simpson's class that he would remember my dad right down the the grade he earned! I'm glad you mentioned the Oak Room, another great place to eat and enjoy a certain level of civility.

Do you go to the men's b'ball games?

[Olympic Fan]

Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts performed at various venues in and around Durham. They also performed at college venues all along the east coast. Doug Clark lived in Chapel Hill. A few years ago when I was working in CH, I was in line behind him at the old K&W. I had noticed his car out in the parking lot.... easy to ID since his name was on the vanity plate. We struck up a conversation while going through the line.

The first time I saw Animal House and Otis Day and the Knights appeared at the frat party ("Shout!) I immediately thought of Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts. Later, when the boys see Otis at the Dexter Lake Club, I'm always reminded of our attempts to get up the nerve to go see the Hot Nuts at the Stallion Club on Cornwallis Road. I confess I never did it -- but Bob Verga was famous for spending his nights there, usually as the only white boy in the all-black club.

I can recall the band's theme song: "Nuts ... Hot Nuts ... You get 'em at the Pea-Nut Stand!"

Also their greatest hit: "If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never made a pretty woman your wife. So from my personal point of view, get an ugly girl to marry you."

I can sing it to this day!

[Stray Gator]

...I'm always reminded of our attempts to get up the nerve to go see the Hot Nuts at the Stallion Club on Cornwallis Road. I confess I never did it -- but Bob Verga was famous for spending his nights there, usually as the only white boy in the all-black club. ...

During my sophomore and junior years, my roommate (who later went on to Duke Med School) and I were living off-campus (in a small house off Guess Road, a few blocks behind Honey's) and we frequently ventured out to the "Stable" (as the Stallion Club was known to the regulars there) for sweet soul music and dancing. It was a very large club, and rarely did we see any other white people there; but after a few visits when we were eyed a little suspiciously, the regulars got to know us and we were treated great. You could BYOB and they would serve a "set-ups" platter to your table with mixers and ice. They sometimes had live bands, and one weekend when Joe Tex ("Skinny Legs and All") was playing, we took our dates there. Unfortunately, that was the only time we ever witnessed any trouble--not directly with us, but two guys at a nearby table got into a knife fight--so we split and never brought dates back again. Which was okay, because the NC Central girls were better dancers!

[Lavabe]

You're both liars!

Don't remember the Crit. We always went to the drive in theater (The Skyway?) to see skin flicks.

Ozzie: That would be the Starlite on E. Club. This post has been bugging me for two days.

Don't ask.
Cheers,
Lavabe

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Ozzie: That would be the Starlite on E. Club. This post has been bugging me for two days.

Yup! That's it. I couldn't remember the name either. Behind the Green Door and I could remember Guess I need to wash my brain out with Ivory Snow laundry soap.... LOL

[hq2]

I can recall the band's theme song: "Nuts ... Hot Nuts ... You get 'em at the Pea-Nut Stand!"

Also their greatest hit: "If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never made a pretty woman your wife. So from my personal point of view, get an ugly girl to marry you."

I can sing it to this day!

I remember some of their other songs as well; don't think I can put all the lyrics up here, however!

[tecumseh]

During my sophomore and junior years, my roommate (who later went on to Duke Med School) and I were living off-campus (in a small house off Guess Road, a few blocks behind Honey's) and we frequently ventured out to the "Stable" (as the Stallion Club was known to the regulars there) for sweet soul music and dancing. It was a very large club, and rarely did we see any other white people there; but after a few visits when we were eyed a little suspiciously, the regulars got to know us and we were treated great. You could BYOB and they would serve a "set-ups" platter to your table with mixers and ice. They sometimes had live bands, and one weekend when Joe Tex ("Skinny Legs and All") was playing, we took our dates there. Unfortunately, that was the only time we ever witnessed any trouble--not directly with us, but two guys at a nearby table got into a knife fight--so we split and never brought dates back again. Which was okay, because the NC Central girls were better dancers!

Of course that would be gun fight today and someone would be shot and heading over to Duke Medical....perhaps I am straying into public policy but really probably just a statement of fact

[allenmurray]

Ozzie: That would be the Starlite on E. Club. This post has been bugging me for two days.

Don't ask.
Cheers,
Lavabe

Was still operational until about 2 years ago.

[Jarhead]

Pizza Palace of Durham was on Chapel Hill Street, just down (west) from Amos 'n Andy's. About a block and a half east was The Palms - where Parris intersected Chapel Hill St. A little further east was the movie theater that was torn down and became Home Savings & Loan.

How about the Criterion Theater? Remember that? Showed the skin flicks.

In my day, go east from the Palms past the movie theater and Post Office, and right at the next corner was the Variety. They had a feature menu item they called the steak 95 which included a slab of some sort of beef that barely visited the surface of the grill. it came with all the rolls and all the fries you wanted, for $.95. Add another $.25, and you got an iced (?) tea. No charge for the ketchup. There was a restaurant in the basement of a department store on Main Street that had a shrimp cocktail for about $.45, and then further west past the Toddle House on Main was Rinaldi's. I still have a meal ticket from there with about a week and a half of meals left on it. Go another 300, or so, feet to the corner of Buchanan and Main there was an Esso gas station called Bailey's that served up beer and hamburgers. My freshman year that was where we got our beer and burgers, took them across the street, and ate them while sitting on the East Campus wall. It was a place where we could watch the girls as the walked back to campus. Nice way to meet them, too.

My freshman class included a large measure of veterans on the GI Bill. Cheap food was in demand considering that most of us only got $75 a month reduced to $68.60 taken out for insurance.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

In my day, go east from the Palms past the movie theater and Post Office, and right at the next corner was the Variety. They had a feature menu item they called the steak 95 which included a slab of some sort of beef that barely visited the surface of the grill. it came with all the rolls and all the fries you wanted, for $.95. Add another $.25, and you got an iced (?) tea. No charge for the ketchup. There was a restaurant in the basement of a department store on Main Street that had a shrimp cocktail for about $.45, and then further west past the Toddle House on Main was Rinaldi's. I still have a meal ticket from there with about a week and a half of meals left on it. Go another 300, or so, feet to the corner of Buchanan and Main there was an Esso gas station called Bailey's that served up beer and hamburgers. My freshman year that was where we got our beer and burgers, took them across the street, and ate them while sitting on the East Campus wall. It was a place where we could watch the girls as the walked back to campus. Nice way to meet them, too.

My freshman class included a large measure of veterans on the GI Bill. Cheap food was in demand considering that most of us only got $75 a month reduced to $68.60 taken out for insurance.

Was the Donut Dinette there when you were at Duke? It was very close to East Campus and had fabulous airy donuts.

[Indoor66]

Was the Donut Dinette there when you were at Duke? It was very close to East Campus and had fabulous airy donuts.

The DodiDi was just west of the Ivy Room - in the same block of buildings. The Bearded Lady ruled.

[Brian913]

Does anyone remember the pizza place off East where the owner was wheelchair-bound? It's the only za place where the cheese was so hot, it blistered the roof of my mouth on every first bite.

Pizza Palace.

Pizza Palace of Durham was on Chapel Hill Street, just down (west) from Amos 'n Andy's. About a block and a half east was The Palms - where Parris intersected Chapel Hill St. A little further east was the movie theater that was torn down and became Home Savings & Loan.

How about the Criterion Theater? Remember that? Showed the skin flicks.

The PP must have moved in the 70's as the PP I remember was on Hillsborough(I think), about a block or two off East Campus, where Vin Rouge is now(I think) and across or just down the street from what is now Elmo's Diner.

Never heard of the Criterion(and even if I had and admitted it, I know too many folks on DBR who would report me )

That was a different Pizza Palace.

That helps explain the discrepancy/confusion.

Only 5 years late in replying. The "Pizza Palace" was on Hillsborough (with the owner in a wheelchair." "George's Pizza Palace" was downtown.

[Brian913]

You guys are both right about the Crit ... when I first came to Duke, it was an art house that showed foreign films. I took my first date at Duke to see Alphaville at the Crit.

The changeover from art house to porn house was kind of gradual. The transition were a series of racy foreign films -- I Am Curious Yellow broke box office records there. It was soon after that that the theater switched to porn.
.

You're thinking of the Rialto. It was on East Main St., where the courthouse is now. It closed in 1969 or early 70.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Here's a web link with some comments about the Criterion and the perception of the sort of films it offered. The Crit is the one I heard most of the guys talk about. Scroll down for the comments and memories.
http://endangereddurham.blogspot.com...d-parrish.html

The Rialto (first called the Orpheum) was located next to a once fine hotel that later became known as a site for a dalliance or two.

[Indoor66]

Only 5 years late in replying. The "Pizza Palace" was on Hillsborough (with the owner in a wheelchair." "George's Pizza Palace" was downtown.

Georges was on Chapel Hill Street, east of 5 Points. It went downhill when they expanded the restaurant. The Pizza Palace of Durham was on Hillsboro Rd right at 9th Street. The owner, in later years, was Harry Rodenhizer. Harry was an accountant in Durham and served a couple of terms as Mayor of Durham in the 70's.

[Brian913]

Georges was on Chapel Hill Street, east of 5 Points. It went downhill when they expanded the restaurant. The Pizza Palace of Durham was on Hillsboro Rd right at 9th Street. The owner, in later years, was Harry Rodenhizer. Harry was an accountant in Durham and served a couple of terms as Mayor of Durham in the 70's.

Isn't that what I said?

Anyway, I probably shouldn't mention it, but does anyone remember the Paradise Lounge on Foster Street in the
early 70s?

[Devilnole]

Do you remember Tops? It was a hamburger joint on the corner near East. Maybe you got your shirts done at the Jack Rabbit. How about the Donut Dinette near East... very small place, but fabulous donuts.

It was the The Tophat, not Tops. Great burgers and fries and quarts of Schlitz. My frat still called it by its old name, The Owl.

Someone mentioned the Pizza Palace, which I always loved. It was there when I was there from 70 to 74 and it was still there when my three Dukie kids graduated (last one 5 years ago). It finally closed several years ago.

I loved A&A's hotdogs on a weekend morning to soak up prior night's beer. As I remember you sat at school-like desks.

I also spent a lot of time at Jim's Party Store.