Earl Remembers Dad's Favorites

Today would be my dad's birthday. He passed away many years ago almost before Gore invented the internet...certainly before blogging and food blogs, so today I want to pay tribute to my dad by remembering a few of the places I know and love because of his love of food. He loved restaurants and a variety of foods. I never saw him cook until after my mom left and he had 4 kids to feed and a business to run.
—Dad would take the whole family out on one of the kids birthday to whichever restaurant the birthday boy or girl wanted. I always chose the Hawaiian. It no longer exists, but they were one of the first 'theme' restaurants. They had real tropical storms and jungle noises-yes jungle. This was before rain forests were invented. My favorite was their Hawaiian Fried Chicken a deeply caramelized chicken legs with a soy-sugar crust that to this day is unsurpassed, and a recipe that I cannot duplicate or find..I've tried.

—My dad's favorite, however, was Andy's Smorgasbord an all-you-can-eat restaurant, what I remember about that restaurant was the prime rib, horseradish, Roquefort dressing and a plaque that said; "Take All You Can Eat, but Eat all you take". This was a buffet before sneeze screens. but they had rich wood interiors with linen covered tables and tall chef's hats.

—The Cotton Bottom was not a place I ever went but every weekend, my dad would drive by because across the way was Smith's Restaurant, where my mom waitressed part-time. The served classic American fare with tufted booths and a diner-style counter. I think that we ate free and my mom was the only person I remember seeing but there must have been a cook. Forgive my memory, but It was 60+ years ago. The building is now a high-end Italian Restaurant, but before that, it was a Scottish restaurant called 'The Heather", where my dad hosted my wedding breakfast.

—Seafood was rather different than it is today. Very little fresh was available, but I the best we had back then was "Bratten's Seafood Grotto". Famous for the Clam Chowder, they started as a seafood market and the quality was high. It was in downtown Salt Lake, so we didn't get there often, but their chowder was available in large containers for take-out.so we got it without the long drive, on rare occasions.

—Dad loved his coffee and lunch breaks. His business was adjacent to the downtown Holiday Inn where he would go every morning. I found out later that many of his friends and golfing buddies would meet there with him. It was a social event as much at a coffee break. For lunch, he would return, even if he had just a bowl of soup. I asked why and he said he just needed to get away. I was somewhat repulsed by the chlorine smell from their indoor pool, but to him, that was part of the charm. After losing his business, and moving to work further south in the city, he moved his coffee gatherings to the Amber restaurant. Associated Info—as a kid, I,  on days when he left in a hurry from the house would finish his coffee in the bottom of his cup. He used cream and sugar and the dregs of his cup were delicious.

—We rarely had desserts with our meals, but my dad loved ice cream. There was always a carton of ice cream in the freezer, but when he wanted premium ice cream, Snelgrove's was the place to go. They made their own ice cream and the shakes and malts were near perfection. My friends and I visited Snelgrove's on its final day of business. 

—Fast food was not something my dad fell back on regularly, but the 2 nearby were Dee's and Arctic Circle. Dee's is all but gone and the drive-throug's are gone, but Arctic Circle Survives and I like to think that is because of their invention of Fry-Sauce. If you don't know what that is, I am truly sorry. It is mostly found in the inter-mountain area and in it's most basic form it is ketchup and mayonnaise. They also have a great foot long, grilled on the flattop. They also claim to be the home of the brown topper chocolate dipped, soft serve ice cream cone. Yum!

—Alpine Country Club was was my dad's favorite recreation. He and at least a foursome, twice a week, would play golf and have a burger or hot dog, but on special holidays like Easter or Mothers' Day, he would invite his mom and take the family for a nice brunch. It had to cost a pretty penny for him to foot the bill for all of us, but he loved it. He had given up golf when he was stricken with Rheumatoid Arthritis at a young age, but when I turned 12 or 13, I asked him to show me how, and he regenerated his love for the sport and it helped him immensely. He was golfing when he had an aneurysm that ultimately ended his life, but he got an extra 25+ years doing what he loved, even though he played through the pain.

—I found out from my dad's scratch test from the military, that he was allergic to most of the foods he loved. Nuts, Dairy...you name it. But he didn't care. If he loved it, he ate it. If mom fixed it he ate it. We had a nice roast every Sunday, even when he had to cook it for the family. He ate out of love, but cooked out of necessity. I love to cook, but love to eat like he did. Thanks Dad, Happy Birthday!

—Addendum: My baby sis reminded me that the Hotel Utah was another favorite, and the Roof Restaurant there was one of the first fine dining establishments I took a date to. I orded the frog legs, and my date was a bit creeped out, but I though they were good...a bit unusual, but good!