ESSKAY MEAT AND HUMOR

Esskay Meat holds quite a bit of significance for many Baltimore families. Their meat plant covered a sizable portion of the east Baltimore landscape. ESSKAY - The S stands for William Schluderberg who started the company in 1858 and the K stands for T.J. Kurdle who in 1919 merged with the Schluderberg part to make S K...or ESSKAY. In addition to providing quality products, the company made meat an amusing commodity. They sponsored “Sam and Friends,” a children’s show on WRC-TV in Washington, D.C.—that’s channel 4 for those who were lucky enough to get good tv reception in Baltimore. This was Jim Henson’s first TV show. It was five minutes long and loaded with his very early puppet characters. We watched regularly thanks to a good roof top antenna.

Esskay also used the illustration of the portly butcher on the Ocean City Clocks in the 1950’s and 60’s. Who did not meet their friends on the boardwalk under his watchful eye?

"Esskay Clock, Ocean City Boardwalk" oil on board (24" x 12")
©CharleneClarkStudio

Let’s not forget all the baseball hot dogs they have sold to the Oriole fans for many, many years. And I am looking here at their packaging in this layout. The color combinations are outrageous and work very well. I never knew they sold eggs or Hollywood lunch meat. But I did love their bacon and still do. We usually had our Esskay ham on Easter Sunday and the sausage links were served for breakfast regularly at our house. However I always preferred their bacon. There are also forgotten products like Skeat and Esko pictured here. And when is the last time you saw a can of lard in the regular grocery store? I have news for you. Lard makes cookies and pastries and all kinds of meat dishes delicious so don’t turn up your nose just dig in!

from the author's collection

Here's a recipe for German Potato Salad served with Franfurts that I found in their handbook dedicated to homemakers. It looks to me like the authentic version that my German grandmother made . After all Mr. Schluderberg and Mr. Kurdle were from the country that made German potato salad famous here in Baltimore. As we say en français - bon appetit!

EDMONDSON VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER

"Edmondson Village at Christmastime" oil on board

Edmondson Village Shopping Center in west Baltimore, MD was our destination when the ride downtown to Howard and Lexington was not necessary. It was a grand complex built in the architectural style of Williamsburg. In fact my grandfather’s company, Sorensen Construction Corporation, laid most of the bricks for the entire plaza which opened in 1947.

The shopping center at night.

It had a tone of fun and amusement but there was also an air of elegance to the stores and so we had to dress up to shop there. Not quite wearing our crinolines, but no shorts or pants were permitted. We always parked in the rear of Hochschild’s because it was shady in the summertime and rarely congested like the front lots were. The escalator ride to the second floor toy department was a joyful ascent. They had the Tiny Tears doll that I coveted in 1957 and I would often visit her and dream of being her nurse. The Tommy Tucker Five and Dime was another favorite spot for children. They had all kinds of toys and novelties that were affordable for just about everyone. I wonder how many paddle-ball sets they sold in one year? Near Tommy Tucker there was a snazzy French restaurant called Mischanton’s where my school classmates would meet for Saturday lunch when we were old enough to dine without our parents. It had the hustle - bustle atmosphere of a Parisian Brasserie.
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Mischanton's Restaurant in Edmondson Village

Mishanton's kitchen seen from the outside window

At the other end of the stretch, in front of Hess Shoe Store, were the mechanical horses one could ride for five cents. If you yanked back on the reins, the horse would go faster. Of course just about everyone remembers Hess Monkey Town. I have written about it here before and so will include a link to that.click on the painting of "Hess Monkey Town" to read more

And of course the gorgeous movie theatre was where we saw so many first run Disney films among others. There were many merchants displaying their wares and clothing. Some of them included Gammerman’s, Whalen’s, Food Fair, Reamer’s and many more that I need help remembering.

Edmondson Village at Christmas (source unknown)

Christmastime at Edmondson Village was almost indescribably special. Every year on Thanksgiving night they would throw the switch to power lights strung across the rooftops and over the trees that grew near the brick wall by the busy Edmondson Avenue. Santa, as I recall, was driving his reindeer on the roof of Hochschild’s. What a splendid sight for everyone to see. It brought gawkers from everywhere in the Baltimore metropolitan area. The shopping center changed with the times. There was unbridled blockbusting which undermined the area beginning in the 1950’s. W. Edward Orser has written an excellent account of the history of the area his book “Blockbusting in Baltimore: The Edmondson Village Story."

HOT SHOPPES

"Hot Shoppes" oil on canvas, ( 24" x 18") 2005

Ah! the Hot Shoppes at Edmondson Village next to the Hecht Company was a “treat” destination for many west Baltimore families with children. It was strictly a cafeteria in my memory. There was no drive-in window as many of the ads and postcards proclaim. But it was different! Many have expressed to me that they loved the self-serve style of the cafeteria and the cheerful, social clatter of the patrons. A good friend confided to me that the reason she never ate there with her parents was because the Hot Shoppes did not have a liquor license. Her father enjoyed his glass of bourbon before an evening meal too much to make the sacrifice. Another woman told me that the reason the Hot Shoppes did not have a liquor license was because it was owned by members of the Morman church and they did not believe in such pastimes. I do not know about this at all but I have heard from many people that the man who eventually opened the Hot Shoppes started with some A & W Root Beer stands around the Washington, D.C. area. This man’s last name was Marriott. Now we all have been guests of his for a night or two at some point. Some of us may have consumed cocktails or gambled in his hotels perhaps.

People still rave about the “Mighty Mo” hamburger served at the Hot Shoppes restaurants. Recently someone gave me the recipe for the much revered sauce. I cannot say if this is the authentic version but it sure looks good to me. Bon appetit!
•1/2 cup ketchup
•1/4 cup chili sauce
•1-1/2 teaspoons A-1 Sauce
•1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
•2 drops Tabasco Sauce
•1/2 cup chopped sweet pickle
•1-1/4 cups mayonnaise

Combine ketchup, chili sauce, A1,Worcestershire and Tabasco . Add pickle to sauce mixture. Combine the sauce-pickle mixture with mayonnaise until well-blended. Store in a tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Postcard of drive-in restaurant from author's collection.

Back of postcard describing a "beautiful dining room" et cetera.

The kitchen at the Hot Shoppes at Edmondson Village.

Everybody Goes to Gino's

"Everybody Goes to Gino's"
oil on canvas (16' x 20") 2008

Everybody did indeed go to Ginos which was partly owned by its namesake Gino Marchetti, the Baltimore Colts' football team captain. In the early days the drive-in restaurant offered 15 cent hamburgers. The front of the building featured a big window through which customers ordered their hamburgers, fries and soft drinks. For those who wanted to dine al fresco, ceramic tiled benches flanked either side of the small building. The first one that I saw was on Frederick Road in Catonsville. And recently another Catonsville man wondered in a post right here if I remembered it. Well I guess you can see from the 2008 painting above that I was thinking very hard with paint brush in hand. There was another building in this style in Towson where the Kentucky Fried Chicken is now.

Found this photo recently. It is the original Gino's on York Road in Towson.

Remember the original neon rocket? It cheerfully advertised the 15 cent hamburgers.

Later the restaurants were remodeled and you could eat inside and stare at the cars on the parking lot through the big glass windows. It was a great place for the teens to hang out and look cool, too. A popular favorite was the Gino Giant sandwich which was advertised as a “banquet on a bun.”

Not sure where this Gino's was located but it is a good photo of the newer style of architecture that invited diners to eat inside.

In an earlier post I wrote about the possibility of a Gino’s comeback. To read it here click on the bucket of chicken.

Meetcha At Ameche's

The jingle for Ameche’s goes something like this:

“Meetcha at Ameche’s
Treatcha at Ameche’s
A powerhouse and
a chocolate shake!”

Baltimore Colts football player (1955-60) Alan Ameche owned this popular chain of four (or five) drive-in restaurants. There were locations in Dundalk, Glen Burnie, Pikesville and Towson. However some people swear to me that there was an additional one in Timonium. I remember that the Ameche’s in Towson (Loch Raven Boulevard actually) was rumored to have the hottest muscle cars in the area. As a satisfied Champs patron I never had the desire to drive to Ameche’s and ride around in their parking lot. Many people remember the Powerhouse hamburger sandwich with its special “No. 35 gourmet sauce.”

The previous description was written in 2004 when I first did the Ameche’s painting. Well a lot of black and white images have surfaced since then including this one which pictures the Ameche’s in Timonium. (photo courtesy of the Baltimore County Public Library) It stood where the Nationwide Nissan car dealer is or was (not sure if it is still there) for years. I am surprised to see that the restaurant also sold Kentucky Fried chicken from the Colonel. But again as a west side gal we rarely left our quadrant to check out the competition in the north, south or east sides of Baltimore. It is just how it was in those days.

This little photo was taken at the Ameche's in Towson. Notice the goal post sign in the background?

Alpha Theatre, Susan Hayward and the Gas Chamber

Parents and children loved this art deco inspired movie house located at 725 Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD. It was truly a neighborhood theater which was within walking distance for many local residents. My best friend and I spent many Friday and Saturday nights there watching whatever fare was offered -- as long as it was approved by the Catholic Archdiocese. In those days the price for children’s admission was 25 cents. I remember a sign in the ticket booth window that said no babes in arms allowed. You can interpret that the way that you want. At the candy counter we loved to buy the Bonomo Turkish Taffy (vanilla flavor) which costs six cents...one cent more than anywhere else in town. After the movie started we would slam our Turkish Taffy on the arm rests of the old wooden seats to break it into bite-size pieces. Ah this was such an unpopular habit of ours with the grown-ups. They expressed their dismay by turning around in their seats and glaring. They probably preferred a quieter snack for us such as nonpareils. Now the previews they showed at the theatre often were not tailored to suit the audience. One day we went to see “South Pacific” and the “coming attractions” showed a very disturbing trailer for “I Want to Live” with Susan Hayward. I never, ever forgot the prison scene where, just after kissing her little baby boy good-bye, she went into the gas chamber--wearing high-heels. Even years later as an adult I had to spend many hours drawing and painting to come to terms with that image. I have included some of the drawings I did in the 1980’s while watching the movie on TV one morning. The Alpha closed in 1963 I think. It became a slot-car racing arcade for a while. It was a boys’ domain because according to code, “nice” girls never went inside this place. I did poke my head in one day. It was awful to see my beloved theatre so brightly lit and noisy. Today the building still stands without its artistic marquee.

Gaslight Lounge - Route 40 West

Howard Johnson’s Motels usually included the famous HoJos Restaurant on their premises. However this one, located at 5701 Baltimore National Pike in Catonsville, MD, additionally offered a bar called The Gaslight Lounge. Most nights during the early 70’s it featured live music and dancing. The house band named The Cherry Smash, whose cute, blonde drummer often made the girls swoon, covered rock and soul music from the late 60’s and early 70’s. The patrons consisted of a funny and entertaining mix. On one hand there were the out-of-town businessmen in suits who might relax with a whiskey sour or Tom Collins after a day of meetings or sales calls. Of course there were a number of adult singles looking for a pick-up. And then there were the underage drinkers who carried false ID and breezed past the bouncer with great ease. We felt so grown up at the Gaslight Lounge as we sipped our Southern Comfort cocktails and dared each other to dance with the “older” men.