When you were a kid did your family have any type of weekly ritual......Like Pizza every Friday night or Sunday dinner at the relatives?
In our house Siggy would take us on Friday nights to Snuffy's Steak House in Scotch Plains
New Jersey......
More then just a steak joint this place had character or should I say "A Character"...... the best waiter ever....... his name was Frank......We always sat in Franks' section.....in a booth right across from the bar.....
As a little kid and I remember going there as long as I could remember......I loved to see the "House Monkey" at the bar.......They had a stuffed chimp dressed up in clothes and he was attached to what they call today a "zip line".......Infact the monkey's name was
ZIPPY......
They would.......all through dinner....slide Zippy from one side of the bar to the other and I thought this was the greatest thing in the world.....What did I know I was a kid.....But I guess this is why as an adult I have a love for the Hollywood chimps that they dress up and put roller skates on.....I love those damn monkeys......
They would.......all through dinner....slide Zippy from one side of the bar to the other and I thought this was the greatest thing in the world.....What did I know I was a kid.....But I guess this is why as an adult I have a love for the Hollywood chimps that they dress up and put roller skates on.....I love those damn monkeys......And Frank.....well, he was a hoot....I always remember him being like 70......from when I was little to when I became an adult Frank always stayed the same age.....OLD....
With a big white handlebar mustache......when he died he was probably put in the waiter hall of fame.....he was that good....Everyone wanted a table in Frank's area.....
When we got married and had daughter we too kept up the Friday night tradition.....When she was just a toddler we went one night with my in-laws....that would be The Big Boss.....who's a combination of Ernest Borgnine and Don Rickles..... and my mother-in-law who was the twin to Hyacinth on Keeping up Appearances.....I sat next to daughter my mother-in-law across from us......Frank ofcourse was our waiter....then I see things disappearing off the table.......rolls....bread.....sugar packets....Couldn't figure out where they were going until I looked down into daughter's lap.....
She was stock piling the table freebies like the people in Boca Raton do at the
"All you can Eat" early bird special places.....
Where did she learn this......I have to admit from my mother.....Yes, Millie had a habit of putting stuff in a napkin and quietly putting it in her purse.....
She picked up this habit in Florida and daughter was just following what she saw Grandma do.....
Needless to say my mother-in-law was humiliated......
And needless to say we never went out to dinner with them ever again...
Hey kids will be kids............
and I'd like to report that she never did that again.....
17 comments:
I am sure your daughter will enjoy reading this entry.
Are you heading north soon?
I'm so glad you posted today. It's slow around here, and I needed a good NJ story from you. I love your family - they are so full of personality. Mine were dull - all work and no play. Well they did play as they were drinkers, but not happy ones. Fortunately, I've broken that cycle. Have a great weekend. Sally
Are you sure you're not making this stuff up? How come I'm the only one without a funny family story to my name? At my house it was all about boredom and hard work...ugh. I'm now starting to wonder if my kids will think the same although daughter kept us all in stitches over her sincere desire to be a country music star at 4, even though we had never listened to that music in our house. And then there was her used battery stand in the front yard, in direct competition with the lemonade stand on the corner...I'd get in huge trouble for ever recounting it though!
As always, great story Sue!
Ellen
Funny story, Sue. That plate of food, especially the French fries, reminds me of the restaurant we always went to in my hometown of Camden, Arkansas. It was called The Duck Inn. They made homemade French fries with the skin on them. They also had a special salad dressing that they made, and we loved to dip our French fries into that salad dressing.
What a funny story, Sue! Monkeys on roller skates were indeed the thing back in the 50's, huh? I had a stuffed one whose name WAS Zippy! lol Was he on Ed Sullivan sometimes or something?? Have a great weekend...hugs...Debbie
My grandmother Augusta Singer had silver elegantly monogrammed WA .. I thought for a long time her maiden name was Waldorf Astoria ...
so where is this place in NJ? we will be going next month. my sister lives in Park Ridge...
Lovely story...btw
Sue, my 87 year old Mom who lives in Brooklyn, and who's never been to Florida, wraps things in her napkin and puts them in her purse...lol...it must be a "Growing up during the Depression" thing!
When my children were little we had Friday pizza and a video night! They thought it was so neat to eat off trays in the living room. Those were the days!
My Aunt Phil (Philaminia) always came to family weddings with those little wax paper bags. Remember them? She would fill her super GIGONDO purse (size of a small makeup train case) with all she could grab. God rest her soul but it sure was fun to watch her in action:) I bet she would have tried to take home a monkey if there was one:) Thanks for the memories.
Joyce
I have met most of Sue's family and she is not making anything up. They have kept me entertained for years.
Our Friday night tradition was popcorn and getting to stay up to watch "Late Movie Shocker" films on TV. My older brother was mesmerized by Frankenstein, the Mummy, Wolfman. It was fun to sneak up on him. One little "boo" and he would jump up, almost to the ceiling. Those were the days......
Love the story Sue. Maybe a bit of a wake up call for your MIL? I know there have been times I recognized some of my little quirks being copied by my kids and was horrified. Darn kids hold up a mirror to us don't they?
So you are a Joisey girl! I live in Southampton and I am surprised to see so many NJ lisc plates here. Wouldn't the Shore be closer?
Or maybe they just like the way we "tawk" here!
Now they give doggy bags so people don't wrap the food in the cloth napkins!!
Great story..
Mrs Bouq et! Too funny..As long as she isn't Daisy!or was it Rose?
So many flowers, Buttercup...
I have no comment. Other than to say we make sure to keep the sugar packets away from Miss B. We know that sticky fingers "run in the family"
Love family traditions like this. They make the best memories.
Lovely post, Sue. Thanks for sharing it.
When we were kids we didn't have things like video games to entertain us...that's why the chimp was a big hit. When my kids were little it was pizza and a Disney video every Friday night. Your family could be a sitcom. My family kind of boring. Mimi
Funny stories Sue!!! When we were kids on THursday nights we would go to McDonalds before we went grocery shopping - thought it was a treat back then, sometimes we would go a diner...that was a step up, I would always order a burger deluxe with a chocolate shake...now when I order that it goes right to the hips...
You do so have a gift for story telling and for making us smile!
My Grandma always wrapped up goodies in her napkin. *smile*
Your family is amazing...I feel as if I know them all.
Love,
Sue
Post a Comment