Monday, November 12, 2018

Matchbook Monday

Readers are going to enjoy today's edition of Matchbook Monday as there are some real gems posted below.  Some real Jackson history is posted below.  Feel free to add your stories or any information about them in the comments section as you enjoy these blasts from the past. Readers can email copies of any old matchbooks to kingfish1935@gmail.com.  Enjoy.




Who can forget the pigs? The Kingfish was mighty unhappy when Red, Hot, & Blue shuttered the doors although one could see a decline under the last owner.   Sorry, local bbq guys, but the current crop of bbq restaurants in Jackson don't come close to what RH&B was in it's heyday. 





An old Jackson tradition still operates on Capitol Street.  Mr. Zouboukos ran the Elite until he was 96.  Woe to the driver who parked in his parking lot but wasn't a customer. Towing companies made many a penny off of those who ignored the "customers only" sign.  One also didn't plan on lingering or drinking coffee for a half-hour after eating lunch if there was a line of customers.  He had no problems telling such diners to pay up and leave so he could turn the table.  However, few restaurants have been the subject of cartoons as the Elite was.






Another Greek family operated a restaurant for a time on High Street.



1954

1948

1956
Last and damn sure not least is the one, the only, The Dock.  The Dock should really be the subject of another post.




28 comments:

Anonymous said...

A thread about the Dock might set an all-time record for comments....even before you get to the part about the visionaries who brought us the desolate shoreline we have now.

Anonymous said...

I always thought The Elite was overrated. When I first moved to Jackson in 1993, my office was in One Jackson Place, so The Elite was convenient. My first time there, the owner came and stood by our table because he thought we were taking too long. It was then I asked him to send a waitress over so we could order dessert. He was fuming. We ate our meal at our own pace, despite his glares, and I never went back...not ever.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Jimmy and Mr. Pete are both gone now, but the Elite is still the best place to eat in downtown Jackson. The rolls are still great!

Anonymous said...

Red, Hot & Blue was an incredible BBQ when it first opened, but it declined well before its last few years. They started buying lower quality meat a few years after it opened. Its last years were really bad, but those first few years were amazing!

The Dock indeed needs its own post. The sad thing is that guy bought Main Harbor to build that epic failure Harborwalk and that killed the Dock. If you were of barhopping age from the 1980s until the mid-2000s, you likely have fond memories of that place.

Anonymous said...

Oh man.....half pound T-bone for 70 cents......and you get fries!

Louis LeFleur said...

Interesting list! For once I vividly remember all but one that came and left before my time, the New Capitol Cafeteria. Given the address, that had to be on the NW corner of the intersections of High and West Streets, where the supreme court building sits today. MDAH says it was built in 1947 and the bankruptcy sale is 1956, so it didn't even last 10 years and was gone 6 years before we moved to Jackson. Wonder if the supreme court has been there since? I'm thinking not since the building before the current one was in an architectural style that probably came a little later. Any attorneys out there who know where the MSSC was in the late 1950s?

Red Hot and Blue was a happening place in its day. Seems like a friend of mine's father was the, or one of the, owners since she worked there nights and he later went on to another BBQ based business. The Elite? What can even be said. Sad that it has gone down in recent years along with the decline in downtown. Used to eat there at least once a week when I was downtown, but in recent years it got where they wouldn't necessarily have a given special for that day, they day it had ALWAYS been the special, for reasons like "the cook who makes that... isn't here today, etc." Otherwise, The Dock? Was never a regular there, but put in several appearances.

Anonymous said...

I never got the big fuss about the Elite. I know it's a "Jackson legend" or whatever, but it's cafeteria food to me. I had better burgers in the lunchroom in high school, and the blue plates are on par with what you can get at Picadilly. It's been there a long time and a lot of people love it, so maybe I'm just not ordering the right things.

But if the best thing you can say about a restaurant is that they have good rolls, then...

Louis LeFleur said...

P.S. Forgot to mention I found a good picture of the New Capitol Cafeteria on an old postcard here.

Kingfish said...

The Elite breakfast is still pretty good. Interesting how the owner complained in the newspaper about how the Capitol street construction really hurt his business a few years ago. However, the Mayflower seemed to stay pretty crowded even though it lacked something the Elite had- a parking lot. The rolls are still pretty good.

One time, a waitress got a new car so Mr. K had it towed as he didn't recognize it. He had to pay to get it back for her.

Anonymous said...

The veal with cream sauce was my go to item at the Elite.
Hard to beat the rolls with comeback dressing.

Kingfish said...

The Pigs had one of the cooler billboards.

Louis LeFleur said...

Does Mena Zouboukos Applewhite still hostess at The Elite some at lunchtime, helping her (I guess?) brother/cousin? She started doing that after her dad, Mr. Pete, died in 2007.

Anonymous said...

Seeing Chuck McRae in a leopard speedo on a pink Jet ski was priceless one Sunday at the dock

Anonymous said...

No, I don't think Mena does that anymore.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of Harborwalk, I would love it if Kingfish would post an update on that dumpster fire. There's a link under "The Kingfish's Favorite Posts" titled "Harborwalk Hoax?" that is over 10 years old.

How about an update on this jewel in the PRVWD's crown? When are we gonna see water taxis from Lost Rabbit to Hotel Valencia?

Anonymous said...

The Elite is literally canned vegetables and boring meat with little seasoning.

Anonymous said...

@1:14pm
Lewis......I noticed the text with the photo you linked said the New Cap. Café was:
"Directly adjacent to New State Capitol & State Office Building."

Anonymous said...

Any of you ever eat at the Mary Francis Tea Room.......located at the corner of North State and Amite for a number of years. Moved out to Hwy. 80 where it eventually closed.

That was our go to place after church on Sundays........food was great.

Anonymous said...

I used to love that the Elite would put white beans and ham hocks on the special lunch this time of year… you’ve inspired me- I’m going to head down there this week.

Anonymous said...

New Capitol was where the Gartin Justice Building is now. Which was across the street from the "new" capitol and caty-cornered from THE state office building at the time, the Woolfolk Building. (Guess you could call that 'adjacent' since Carter Jewelry is half a block to the east of the capitol but claimed to be to it's north for a long time in their numerous ads.)

Gartin Building was constructed on the site in 1972-73 following the construction of the Sillers Building (1970-72).

Louis LeFleur said...

Thanks for the timeline on the Gartin Justice Building, 11/12 @ 8:00 pm. Now I wonder if that property just sat vacant or was a parking lot or whatever for the 15 or so years in between the demise of the New Capitol Cafeteria and construction of the Gartin Building.

Anonymous said...

The Elite has definitely gone down in recent years. Rolls are about the only thing left going for. And, quite frankly, it's expensive. If you get their signature enchiladas and tea, you're looking at $16-$17 with tip for lunch. There's a reason the Mayflower is still packed at lunch (while there may be 5 tables in the Elite during peak time). Their plate lunch including tea is $9.75. I miss all of the old rib joints--Gridley's, Red Hot & Blue. Hickory Pit is still good, though. Ah, the Dock. You couldn't beat pulling up on a warm Sunday afternoon in your boat. And, of course, late night was always interesting. Still remember the impromptu Prince concert.

Anonymous said...

Lunch time Roast Beef blue plate at the original Cherokee Inn. Could even smoke a cigarette at the bar when I was done. 20 years ago...

Anonymous said...

Man I miss Red Hot and Blue. Anybody remember the billboard on Lakeland, right above where (what's left of) the Park is today?

They unveiled it in segments, every other week or so. When it was completed, it was one long phrase:

Edy

Wija

Fan

Gas

= EDYWIJAFANGAS "Eat it with your fingers"

The Yogi Yahooeys Were ROBBED!!! said...

I loved RHB, but I hated that EDYWIJAFANGAS, because I always read it as "Eddie with ya fan gas".

Should have been "EEDITWITCHAFINGAS", but I know I obsess over stupid old things that no one else cares about. I mean, I still get pissed off at how the Laff-A-Lympics always cheated to make the Scooby Doo team win.

Anonymous said...

There has to be a reason that the Elite has been around for so long, but I agree with several of the comments here that it's average food at best. It may have been the toast of the town in the Eisenhower years, but now it's no better than visiting a roadside diner.

There are three things that people just rave about that make me laugh: a restaurant's bread, their chips and salsa, or their sweet tea. I mean really, are there any three things that are easier to make and that are less indicative of the quality of the dining experience?

"Let me tell you about Billy Bob's Rib Shack...they have AMAZING rolls!"

"Have you eaten at McPhalluster's Deli? Their sweet tea is SO GOOD!"

"Let's go to Las Cagadas Cantina...they have OUTSTANDING chips and salsa!"

Jackson diners are so easy to please.

Kingfish said...

I usually get the rolls to go if I'm passing by.

Anonymous said...

How many remember the dock when it was Tubby's Tavern and 'Rat' was the manager/bartender? It wasn't much bigger than a portable building back then.



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Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

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In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

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This is definitely a Beaver production.


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If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

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