Elmira has had its share of memorable restaurants and interesting owners.
Bernard Gulka, a restaurateur and musician, inherited the Polish Village Restaurant from his parents. At East Washington and Grand Central Avenue, it drew people from all over for pierogies, borscht, kotlets [cutlets], and fish fries.
Near the south end of the Madison Avenue Bridge, Lillian Frinkel ran Riverside Snack Bar at 66 Sly Street, serving full-course breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. She was especially known for her homemade pies.
At 115 Westside Ave., near the west entrance to Eldridge Park, the Melody Garden Restaurant was known for its clam chowder. Brothers Stanley, Joseph, Walter, and Steven Wichtowski served lunch and dinner daily and hosted local floor shows on most evenings. The restaurant also became known for its Hill Billy Nites, steamed clams, sauerkraut and wieners, “real Italian spaghetti,” and many bands.
When only soul food would do, Laura Allen’s Southern Kitchen at 304 East Clinton Street served greens, cornbread, pigs’ feet, black-eyed peas, ribs, steaks, chops, and Southern fried chicken.
Andy’s Venetian Restaurant at 903 John Street, owned by Andrew Colucci, served chili and spaghetti on Sunday nights. On New Year’s Eve 1934, the special was turkey sandwiches and noisemakers. It should not be confused with the Venetian Garden Restaurant at 419 North Main Street, known for chicken dinners and private tables for ladies.
In 1962, the Academy Lunch at 601 Lake Street, across from the former Elmira Free Academy (now Finn Academy), fed hungry students and teachers on a budget. Two eggs and toast cost 29¢, two donuts and coffee 12¢, and Italian spaghetti with salad, rolls, and coffee 39¢. Fresh chicken and biscuits were 75¢.
Italian food seemed exotic to Elmirans. Ciccotti’s Spaghetti House, at 800 Madison Avenue in 1958, was owned by Anthony Ciccotti and known for its “Baked Lasagna.”
The Spaghetti Palace proclaimed that “food is not a sideline” and advertised itself as “2 miles NW of the Eclipse on the Old Corning Road.” Its Feb. 2, 1947 ad in the Star-Gazette reads “Clams, Clams, Clams 40-cents per dozen. Oysters, raw or fried, lobsters, frog legs, and shrimp.”
On the same page is an ad for the Casablanca Inn claiming their fresh seafood was flown in “by plane every day,” direct from the coast of Maine and the Chesapeake Bay.
At 519 Erie Street, the Coffee Pot fed American LaFrance employees on all shifts. The cook, “Gus,” made his famous Chili con Carne from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Beer and wine were also served.
The JonPearl Restaurant, at 1074 South Main Street in the 1940s, was owned by Jon and Pearl Coppola. Remington-Rand workers came in droves for cafeteria and table service. It was open from 6 a.m. to midnight.
— Elmira city historian Diane Janowski writes a biweekly column.
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Let’s eat! These historic Elmira restaurants made their mark | Column
Reporting by Diane Janowski, Special to the Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
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