Greetings from Berlin!

Our trip was not without challenges (we did not care;we are on vacation!). We sat at our DFW Airport gate for three hours due to storms and mechanical problems (best to get those worked out prior to take-off). That ensured that we missed our flight in London (though we did have spectacular fish and chips in a pub at the airport). Arrived at the hotel in Berlin after 22:00. Drinks and a great visit in the (full) lobby bar. German cup soccer game kept everything active. Up early (06:00) for a swim, jacuzzi and just had the "perfect" cup of coffee, by myself, in the lobby.

More soon -
Curtis

Classic Comfort. Classic Lunch

The Classic Cafe is pleased to announce two new friends to our popular lunch menu: the Classic All-Natural Cheesburger and Classic Chicken Potpie.

These delicious additions are offered on our a la carte lunch menu and are $10 each.

We guarantee that you'll love them!

A short history of The Classic Café at Roanoke

What is now The Classic Café consists of four historic buildings. The main dining room was an army barracks, the bar area was Mr. A. R. Wheeler’s garage, and the kitchen was the Roanoke Creamery, an 1890’s fixture that was moved from it earlier location next to Babe’s Chicken Dinner House in the late 1950s. The two-story building was added in 1989.

The army barracks were disassembled and loaded on a flatbed truck and moved from an army base near Abilene. It was reassembled and moved to its current location in Roanoke by the Clark family. Later, Mr. Wheeler purchased the property and improved the garage in the mid-1960s. There was a dog run between the house and garage. During this time, the buildings were separated and used as residential property.

Jim and Barbara Saegert of Trophy Club purchased the property in the early 1980s and opened a mixed-use property that included a dress shop called Baraboo’s, a travel agency and a tearoom owned by Annabel Daniels. Jim and Barbara Saegert needed to expand the women’s apparel store, so they built the two-story structure next door to house the expanded Baraboo’s and general office rentals.

A myriad of business have used those offices over the years including: Meals on Wheels, Roanoke Hair Salon, and a Scuba shop. Currently, The Classic Café uses the two-story structure for catering and private dining.

Brian and Brian’s restaurant opened in late 1989. It was operated by Brian Dashner and Brian Irwin. It was operated for four years as a prime rib and hamburger restaurant. At this time, the buildings were tied together to make the current form of one building and the porches were added.

The two main reasons that Brian and Brian’s went out of business were that IBM made major cutbacks in the Solana business complex and the Texas highway 377 bridge was washed out. Jim and Barbara Saegert were faced with an empty restaurant site.

I was a commercial real estate appraiser in 1993. One of my colleagues was involved in a valuation of the Circle T Ranch, which had gone into foreclosure from Bunker Hunt after his famous silver play. This friend told me about the property.

Curt and I had been looking all over Texas for the perfect place to open up a family business.

Curt was first to look at the property with his wife Joan. They peered into to windows on a Sunday afternoon and saw a redneck, western-themed restaurant that had pizza ovens, a smoker in the office and an ice cream dipping cabinet in the dining room. Also littering the floor were breakfast menus, stating “now open for breakfast.” It appears that Brian and Brian had tried everything they could to stay in business (and, of course, they had). Curt called me and told me to keep looking: this place was not for us. I went out to look at the property and had the same feeling; however, I was able to see some external market conditions that were changing.

Trophy Club was coming out of bankruptcy, Solana was recovering nicely, the 377 bridge was repaired, the Circle T had been purchased by Ross Perot, Jr.

Still, American Airlines sat as the only tenant at Alliance airport and Roanoke had a population of – so I was told – a population of 600 people.

I believe that may have been an exaggeration.

I had a gut feeling that this area was about to undergo a change.

So, in April 1993, my brother and I began re-modeling the buildings to open the restaurant in late April. Opening day was May 5, 1993. To get started, we borrowed $50,000 from our great Aunt Helen Price of Grapevine. My Aunt Carolyn Riegelman agreed to hang her artwork in our restaurant. We incorporated our Gushing Wells name and assumed a non-performing bank loan from Northwest Bank for $25,000. We were in business.

Our Mom and Dad believed in us and helped us feed everyone in northeast Tarrant County for free for a year. During that year I had a crash course in Restaurant 101.

On July 24 1996 we purchased one lot of three on the east side of the restaurant from the First Baptist church of Roanoke.

We purchased the restaurant property from Jim and Barbara Saegert on September 23, 1998.

We completed assembling the properties and tied them all together in and re-zoned the proprieties June 9, 1999.

In 2008, we re-modeled the restaurant room by room and added patio furniture and a cooking center for cooking classes and parties.

In 2009 we started the garden.

In 2010, the streetscape will be completed.

When it rains in Paris, so what!

We awoke to the rain, the first of the entire trip. The day before had been beautiful, we decided a day indoors was in order. We took the Metro from the Hotel to the Louvre, and 100,000 other folks had the same idea. It was packed, no worries Karen and I did a Blitzkrieg tour. Winged Victory, the Mona Lisa, Special exhibit of a reproduction of Versailles, Michelangelo, Rodin. It was still raining buckets so we rode the subway to Isle de St. Louis and found a Brasserie specializing in meats, Omelette's and Quiche. Dad had French onion soup. Soup was not a option on most lunch menus. It was rich and deep with the flavour or sherry. After a small pot of wine it was off to Notre Dame Cathedral. Karen and I went inside and were amazed by the architecture and sense of toil and hard work. Proportion can't be explained, the scale of these structures was fabulous. The stained glass was beautiful. I took a million pictures and lost my umbrella, some french person is enjoying my umbrella, not sure it was the wine at lunch or the amazing stunning views of the Grand Dame.

We met up with Mom and Dad and went to visit the Deportation Memorial. The memorial is in view of the Cathedral along the Seine. It is free and no pictures are allowed in this reverent place. Very well done with cells and space, steel bars, rock and darkness. It was a moving experience, you could feel the pain of jews, poles, eastern European folks herded onto boats and taken to concentration camps. Still after experiencing this, a couple of tourist were snapping pictures like crazy, oh well it takes all kinds. Back to the hotel where Mom and Dad took a nap. Karen and I went around the corner to a Cafe and had a glass of wine and watched the people, it was oil, water must and the smell of fresh bread. I met a friend, waiter who we enjoyed every day we were in Paris.

We met downstairs for an aperitif. For Dinner we walked to Sayan, a seafood restaurant. At first I thought we had met the first arrogant rude waiter. Then I realized he was very outgoing and this was going to be fun! We matched each other well and we began to delve in to oysters. then shell fish, then freshwater fish then saltwater fish. It was all fresh, succulent and prepared perfectly. I ordered way too much and the server moderated my order, so that it was just right. He could have padded the tab but did the right thing. I left all three umbrellas here. Probably the wine

Paris at Last

We arrived to the city of Paris by train. We waited at the cab stand for a little while because it was a Sunday. We hailed two cabs and off we go to the Hotel Le Gregorie, I rode with Mom and Karen rode with Dad. Our taxi driver got lost or was trying to make a few extra euros until Mom straightened him out. His English was pretty good. We were introduced to Francois, the manager who welcomed us and told a few stories about Mom and Dad's previous visits. It was completely friendly and wonderful. This night we had reservations at the Jules Verne Restaurant at the Eiffel Tower to celebrate, once again out 25the Wedding Anniversary. I have had a history of a fear from heights after Karen took me up in a hot air balloon a few years ago. The Eiffel Tower elevator ride up the leg sideways was one to remember, I had my Cowboy hat and it helped to close my eyes. We were greeted cheerfully and seated by a window overlooking the lights of Paris.

The service was excellent and after we enjoyed an aperitif we ordered the tasting menu. Dad ordered wine, a White Burgundy with a variety of seafood. Then Foil Gr as and truffles with poached Turbot was enjoyed with a wonderful 2000 Bordeaux. We tasted veal and potatoes and had numerous other mini courses. We completed the meal with and Alsatian Gewurtzaminer. Then the chocolate tasting began, yum, yum. The lights sparkle of the Tower on the hour, it is beautiful to see from inside at the dinner table. We talked about the Classic Cafe and our enjoyment of food and wine. We also talked of the special people in our lives. We talked of those who are waiting. Life on earth is a series of special occasions and important events and I have been lucky to spend these with my wife and my Mom and Dad. The entire trip was special, but this was over the top! The ride down the elevator was much easier than going up, I watched the lights!

On the Way to Paris by Train

We drove from Domme to Limoges today and turned in our rental car. We ate at Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower. Six-course meal tasting menu. Two fish courses, two desserts, veal and a wonderful Medoc, Riesling and Gewurztaminer. We skipped after-dinner drinks The tower is amazing - it sparkles at night on the hour. The city has krunk as Francis would say. The French have enjoyed my cowboy hat; they all ask if I am from Texas and I say yep, from heaven. Train travel is wonderful comfortable and on time. I am ready for Paris in the morning: I hope they are ready for me. I had four hours with my folks on train today in a car facing each other, visiting, listening to Dad (our tour guide) explaining what was next on the train. It does not get better tan this, folks. We saw fifty or so groups of hunters from the train out with dogs on a Sunday afternoon. Rabbit, pheasant or pigeon. Don't know but they were out in force enjoying a wonderful day as we were. I am lucky for many reasons. Thanks, everyone.