Tony and Luigi's holds many memories for me. Who could forget the wonderful plastic grapes that decorated the many rooms? The food was so good and there were several courses for each selection: the relish tray and cracker spread. (Was it cheese or liver? We never could decide.) The soups and salads were delicious and then came the main entree.
But the best memory of all was the night my husband proposed to me while we were dining at Tony and Luigi's in 1968. It was and will always remain a special place for us. We are so sorry that it is gone.
Joyce Vosteen, Lincoln
I have very fond memories of Tony & Luigi's but the one that sticks out the most is when I was around 10 years old, we went there to celebrate my birthday. I had just discovered a new favorite salad dressing and was hoping they had it to serve on my tossed salad. When it was my turn to order, the waitress asked what kind of dressing I would like, and I asked her if this restaurant had ITALIAN dressing!!!!!!!! My sister laughed at me, and to this day, when I think of Italian dressing, one of my favorite Italian restaurants comes to mind, and the years of teasing that came with it.
People are also reading…
Susan Creal, Lincoln
In response to your recent request for memories of favorite Lincoln restaurants of the 60's here are some thoughts of mine:
I remember Tony and Luigi's not only for the delicious food they served and for the friendly atmosphere and great service, but also because on one occasion, I happened to leave an heirloom ring in the bathroom and one of the restaurant's "courtesy girls" found it and turned it in. Her honesty was commendable. I'm not sure in this day and age that someone else wouldn't have simply kept the ring. It meant the world to me, as it was a gift from my mother. Needless to say, I left her a reward to thank her for returning the ring.
I don't know if the Boar's Head restaurant was open in the 60's — I came to Lincoln as a college student in the 70's — but it was certainly one of my favorites. The dark, intimate atmosphere and great food made it one of the premier "date places" during my college years. Their steaks were fantastic and I always felt like it was a special night out when I went there for a dinner date.
Lastly, Reuben's was a Lincoln landmark restaurant. Again, I'm not sure when it opened, but I loved their signature Reuben sandwiches and their wonderful shrimp vinaigrette salad dressing. Mmmmm. My mouth waters as we speak.
Cindy Petersen, Lincoln
The thing I remember most about Tony & Luigi's is the palate cleanser, a bite size scoop of lemon ice (like a sorbet). It was served between courses to rid the palate of lingering flavors and prepare it for the next taste sensation. It was a refreshing novelty with style and purpose. It must have been scooped with a melon baller because the portion size was one perfectly round bite that just melted on the tongue. Ahhhh I miss that place. I believe it was dining there in my younger days that sent me on my life's path in food and service.
Maggie Pleskac, Lincoln
I loved everything about Tony & Luigi’s. It was romantic and the food was wonderful. A blind lady played at the piano bar before and during dinner. The atmosphere was great. I was poor, but it made me feel richer beyond words. Most of all, I miss the company I was with !
Donna King, Beatrice
At the age of 16, I had my first dance with my dad at the American Legionnaire Club and will cherish this memory for years. (My dad died in 1965 at the age of 43.) When I was a teenager, our family had several special occasions there.
I remember the Elks Club at 11 p.m. (the 11th hour) would dim the lights and pause for a time of silence in memory of past Elks that had passed away.
Esquire Club served very good food. I loved their relish plate and dip, and it was a nice place to dress up and dine and have special dates to dine and dance.
Kurt and Pearl Kuhl’s restaurant served really good food, especially the chicken, and had very friendly owners.
Red Rooster at Rathbone village served really good chicken.
Ash Crafts served really good home-cooked meals, especially the chicken fried steak and white gravy.
Skyline Cafe and Foster’s Cafe out on Cornhusker Highway served good home-cooked meals.
I remember Dog & Suds and A&W Root Beer on 48th Street in the Van Dorn area. I have many memories working there during my high school days, working with classmates and having a good time. I can still remember one of the carhops wearing her rollerskates to deliver the drinks and food! They served really good cold root beer in heavy cold mugs!
Yum Yum Hut on 29th and O streets served really good loose meat sandwiches on a bun, I have neat early childhood memories going there with my family.
Reubens (by Gateway Mall) was a really nice restaurant and served very good meals and had a nice atmosphere.
Black Coach (where channel 8 is now) had a really nice atmosphere and good food. I remember they used to serve peanut soup.
Hobb Nobb, located downtown, had really nice furnishings and I remember eating there for lunch with my co-workers (This job was my first job out of business school.)
I ate at Gold’s Cafeteria (downtown) a lot with co workers. It was close to work and you could get through the food line fast. This was also my Colorado cousin’s favorite place to eat, so we would eat there when he and his family visited. I always remember seeing the lady that wore the hats all the time working at the cosmetic counter when we rode the elevator.
The original Runza Hut, located on the way to Pioneer Park, had the "best" runzas. We lived out that direction, so we visited there a lot. Sure miss the Runzas like they used to serve!
Alice's Restaurant located on 48th Street in College View served really good home-cooked meals and really good breads and pies. I met one of the waitresses who became my good friend and roommate.
King’s had great hamburgers, French fries, malts, onion rings and chili. I have many great memories in the early 60s, cruising all the King's, meeting friends and going there on dates after the movies or miniature golf. I wish the teens of today had this experience.
I’ll always remember police officer Pete Peterson keeping us safe and keeping all the cars moving and cruising! It was a great place to meet after the high school games. I will always remember all the great friends that I met there and seeing all the "cool" cars. I especially have fond memories of my friends old Plymouth called the "Mayflower" we used to cruise in. It was a great place to meet and get acquainted with kids from the other high schools. It was always a great place for signing our yearbooks.
Bluebird cafe located around 27th and Orchard served really good home cooked meals.
East Hills, located out on 70th Street, was a special place to go for dates. I remember going to my high school prom with my good friend and her date and wearing a white prom dress. I also have memories of attending a high school class reunion there.
The Hidden Valley clubhouse is a very special memory because my husband and I had our very first date back in October 1970, and this past june we were married 35 years !
Miller & Paine Tearoom at 13th and O streets and Gateway served really good cinnamon rolls, macaroni & cheese, salad with a cucumber dressing, chicken pot pies, great coffee and many other items. I have many good memories shopping at Gateway with my mom and my son when he was a baby and going there for lunch .
Hovland Swanson Tea Room served really good food and good breads. Several years later, we found out our neighbor had been the head of the kitchen and made and shared the "best" pies and rolls and kolaches.
Time Out was in the Bethany area and made the best chef’s salads with real bacon and Dorothy Lynch dressing.
Kresge's Fountain, downtown and Gateway, used to make the best ham salad sandwiches! I have many good memories of eating and shopping at Kresge's.
Lee Johnson's restaurant located across from the state pen served really good home-cooked meals.
K's Restaurant in Piedmont served really good breakfast, lunch and supper meals and had a neat atmosphere. In the winter, it was neat to sit by the fire and eat. Her horoscope sign was the lion, so the theme was lions. I have many memories of many special occasions celebrated there.
Lone Oak, located in west lincoln, served really good steaks and had good thousand island salad dressing.
I remember Johnny's located downtown, where I think Tico's is now.
The Southside Grille, located where Stauffer’s is now, served good meals and really good Philly steak sandwiches and steaks.
Tony's El Rancho, located out on West O Street, served good meals.
I have many memories of meeting classmates at Tillman’s and the Tee-Pee at the Cornhusker for lunch while attending the national institute downtown in 1963 and 64.
I remember going to the downtown Bishop’s with my family and meeting other friends after church for lunch. I remember getting a balloon with cardboard feet. I also remember eating at the one at Gateway for meals, snacks or coffee.
Sunny Brooke (by Klein's grocery store) had good meals and I can remember going there for family reunions.
Greenwich Cafe downtown served good fish.
Scott's Pancake House had good pancakes and breakfasts.
Rax around the 48th and Normal area had a really good salad bar and beef sandwiches.
Treat’s around 13th and High streets had good sandwiches. Chubbyville had good hamburgers and ice cream.
Other places that I miss and have memories of are: Lincoln Hotel, Ken Eddy's, Denny's, Colony Cafe, Don & Millies, Champs, Cliffs, Mr. Steak, Corral Steak House, Jax Shack, Whirl in a Tub, Big Boy, The Rose, Boar’s Head, Pizza King, Kellogg Center, Fosters, Lum’s, VFW, The Drumstick and Nickerson’s Farms.
There was also a good small restaurant at 17th and South streets that had the word train in it that served really good food. Also, a very good restaurant at Indian Village had a restaurant that served really good prime rib.
Thanks for taking me down memory lane and thinking about the "good ole days.” Lincoln has had so many good places to eat and so many memories to be told. I really miss so many of these places, but I have memories to cherish.
Sorry this is so long but couldn't leave anyone out!
Donna Baker, Lincoln
I am so glad you asked us to share our memories of old restaurants no longer here! I have a bunch!
Who didn't like Tony & Luigi's! We lived close by so we went there a lot. They had the best minestrone soup and the best Italian dressing! I hated veggies when I was a kid but I loved minestrone soup at Tony & Luigi's. And the pasta, especially the lasagna! And the relish trays on the table. Who provides relish trays these days? Nobody that I can think of. The decor was ugggllllyyyyy! But that was part of its charm. That ugly dining room WAS Tony & Luigi's. And Tony & Luigi's was affordable. That's where everyone went to dinner after the Prom when I was in high school. A guy could take his date there for dinner and it wouldn't cost a fortune. I feel sad every time I drive by Barnes & Noble. It should still be Tony & Luigi's. Although I like Barnes & Noble, I think they should have built it somewhere else.
Just up the street from Tony & Luigi's was Ken Eddy's. We went there a lot also. I can't tell you what I liked about it. I don't remember the food all that much, but I do remember the lighted signs out front. The sign that said Ken Eddy's was huge!!! And a smaller sign said Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. There were pictures of a chicken, a cow and a fish. When we went downtown we came home via O Street quite a bit and we always went by Ken Eddy's and I vividly remember those signs all lit up!
The Tee-Pee at the Cornhusker Hotel was the ugliest looking restaurant I have ever seen. (I remember very well the cracks and tears in the vinyl on the booths.) But oh, the food!!!! We went to a lot of movies when I was a kid and we almost always had dinner at the Tee-Pee beforehand. They made the best chili, chicken noodle soup and tomato soup I have ever tasted. I hated tomato soup, but the tomato soup at the Cornhusker was soooo good! The chili was thick and the chicken noodle had lots and lots of noodles! I remember spaghetti and black rye bread served in those au gratin dishes. The Tee-Pee is where I first tasted shrimp and scallops. And their wonderful melba toast. We always bought a box to take home! And the best part — if my brother and I were good — we got a French pastry for dessert. I remember the waitress bringing the tray to the table and we could pick the one we wanted. There was also a restaurant at The Cornhusker called the Pow Wow but it just didn't have the ambience of the TeePee. (why is it that the ugliest places stir up the best memories?)
I am 55 years old. I feel fortunate that I grew up in Lincoln in the 50's. There were so many good restaurants. It's really hard these days to find restaurants that are unique to Lincoln. I like to travel, and it's getting harder and harder to find "local" restaurants. I don't travel a 1,000 miles to eat at Ruby Tuesday’s or Applebee’s. Chain restaurants are fine when I'm on the road but when I get there I like cuisine unique to the area I'm in.
It's been a pleasure sharing these memories with you.
Susan McCoy, Lincoln
When I saw the ad in Friday's Ground Zero asking for memories of Tony & Luigi's, I decided to try to put into words what a truly enjoyable restaurant it was.
What I liked about it was that it had a "something special" atmosphere. You could tell the restaurant was professionally managed and the eating experience was one to remember. Before or after a wonderful Italian meal, diners could relax in the cozy lounge area and just enjoy the evening with a beverage, listen to music and have a ball dancing. A night at Tony's was indeed something special.
Roxanne Durbin, Lincoln
Skylight Bistro had an urban feel to it. It gave me the feeling that the night was yet young and I would be going to the theater. Going there seemed like we were on vacation or had stepped into a different time. The building had a soul of its own.
Paige Namuth, Lincoln
Tony & Luigi's was the kind of place to put stars in the eyes of a rural teenager in the late 1950s. It was the favored destination after prom to round out a memorable evening. I remember going there in my coral waltz-length formal for a fabulous dinner at a price my boyfriend could only afford for a very special occasion — each of our meals cost $2.50! Tony's dining experience was the stuff of dreams, especially the round pink scoop of cheese and garlic spread artistically surrounded by crisp veggies that appeared at your table even before ordering. What an introduction to fine dining it was!
Nina Rohlfs, Unadilla
Yes, I remember enjoying going to Tony & Luigi's for dinner many times and also Christmas parties. I also remember when attending a party and/or going to dinner, we always dressed for the occasion. Everyone did. You didn't go out to eat in your cut offs, shorts or even jeans back in the 60's and 70's. I think it is too bad we don't either take the time or really enjoy our time at a nice place by dressing for the occasion. Also, the other places we went was the Esquire Club, the Legionnaire Club and some individual steak houses of which I do not remember the names, but they were located along O Street.
We have been trying for years to remember the name of the family restaurant that was located about 55th and O streets, on the south side. On your birthday you received a free steak dinner and they passed around to the dinner guests free hot muffins. It was always packed with families. Does anybody know what the name of that restaurant was?
Marjorie Vontz, Lincoln
We miss Alice's Restaurant. They were a wonderful family restaurant with a pleasant atmosphere. Their food was flavorful good home cooking like grandma used to make - not bland and institutionalized.
Among the most memorable are the apple fritters they served immediately upon your being seated along with an apple butter condiment, all at no additional cost unlike today's appetizers. They were delicious, not too filling and certainly helped take the edge off while awaiting your meal! Great when you have children that just can't wait another minute to eat! Not only do we miss the fritters, we also miss the hot roast beef dinner.
We also miss Flaky Jake's. They weren't just another burger joint. They had their own uniqueness and great flavor. All condiments were buffet style and you could build your sandwich any way you wanted. The most memorable: 1) their flaky buns which had a rich sensational flavor that we crave yet today! It absolutely made the burger! 2) The hot cheese. It wasn't so much about the flavor - it was good, but because you could have as much as you possibly wanted. No skimping there! Great for cheese fries! Our children (now grown) our still asking, "What ever happened to Flaky Jake's?" We all still miss them! Fudrucker's (not sure of spelling) is similar but just isn't as good or is it our memories? Ha!
Anonymous
In 1965, there was a one-night concert at Pershing Auditorium called the Gene Pitney Caravan of Stars. Most every hot recording star of the time performed in that show. Bobby Goldsborough, The Hullabaloos, The Crystals, Gary Lewis and the Playboys and many more. After the performance, they all got on buses and went to Tony & Luigi’s to eat. This had been arranged earlier with Tony Alesio the owner. He was our neighbor and best friends of my parents. Tony told me about it so I could get in to meet the stars and get autographs. It was unbelievable for a 17-year-old. I remember vividly the manager of the tour walking around the restaurant and paying each act for their performance that night in cash.
Don and Diane Crouch, Lincoln
Back in the ’70s, “going out to eat” meant driving to Lincoln for a special night out at Tony & Luigi’s with our friends, Barb and Emil Vokoun of Hallam.
Our kids were grown but the Vokouns still had a little one, Danny, who enjoyed Tony & Luigi’s as much as us “old folks.” And for good reason. Following our delicious meal, (usually prime rib) we’d relax at our table an hour or more while Danny entertained himself in the lounge listening to the piano player, coming back occasionally to show us the candy and gum the nice folks at the cash register gave him.
One evening our conversation was cut short as we were startled to hear what sounded like … and was .. “You Deserve a Break Today” … coming from the lounge. The Tony & Luigi’s pianist was graciously granting Danny’s request to play his favorite tune — McDonald’s theme song!
Since Tony & Luigi’s closed, we haven’t had a “favorite” restaurant. So far, none have matched the warm family atmosphere, delicious steaks and prime rib and the appetizer platter with the best dip I’ve ever tasted.
Joan Wittstruck, Denton
Tony & Luigi’s was our place, my husband and myself. We went there a lot. They had great food especially steaks, also a paté that they served you before dinner which was excellent. The ambiance of the place was great. Their lounge had such pretty aqua marble tables with seashells in them, wonderful drinks and I especially liked their Banshee. The entertainment was always very good. We have not had a better place in Lincoln since. I miss it very much.
Also my husband and I used to go to East Hills Supper Club on 70th St. They had great food, drinks and entertainment. (That was where we got engaged.)
My husband also remembers the Black Coach where KLKN TV is now, great entertainment, food and dancing. Also another good place was Italian Village on O St. and Cotner Blvd.
Mrs. Joseph Santana, Lincoln
Tony & Luigi’s holds many memories for me — celebrating birthdays and special occasions with dear friends and family. One dinner there stands out above all others, however. My husband and I headed to Tony & Luigi’s to celebrate my promotion at work and the impending (overdue) birth of our first child. We actually timed labor contractions over lobster, at our table. This was done subtly and privately, we thought, but over the course of the evening we were discovered. Hours later we departed full of great food, best wishes and joyful anticipation. I remain a loyal employee at the same organization, our beautiful daughter is 22 and a recent college graduate and we miss Tony & Luigi’s!
Susan Powers-Alexander, Lincoln
As you may know, Van Duling and I have published three books regarding “old Lincoln” so this idea titillates me (Supper Clubs, Tony & Luigi’s, etc.).
Even though you have requested memories of “supper clubs” of the ’60s, the real fun started way before that.
The phone directories clear on up to the ’50s did not have a category for restaurants or supper clubs, steak houses, etc. It was all under the classification of “cafes.” There are indications of steakhouses in the ’30s and ’40s. The Lone Oak sprung up around 1937 and it was situated almost to Emerald on West O St. It was superb supper club/steak house with thick juicy steaks and wonderful rolls and home-made salad dressings.
Spencer Steak House at 14th and South, the Italian Village at Cotner and O and the “Steak House” at 31st and Cornhusker were also flourishing at that time. There were other names which are difficult to verify as to what they served (chicken, steak, rabbit, possum, etc.) such as Val’s Club, one mile west from 10th and Highway 2, Nix at 17th and Van Dorn, Little Bo, 2650 Adams, Hillcrest Inn, 5600 O St. and the Piedmont Inn at 5720 O St.
Relative to Tony & Luigi’s at 5140 O St., this was originally called Blue Willow Lodge and later the Spaghetti Bar before it became Tony & Luigi’s in about 1947.
Tony Alesio and Louis Demma were co-proprietors and the activity all took place in a frame residence that was later enlarged and remodeled thereby losing a great deal of it’s ambience. The original décor looked Italian, smelled Italian, tasted Italian and the garlic remained with you for days if you were a garlic “carrier” like some of my friends. There was no disguising where you had dinner the previous evening or even the previous to the previous evening.
In those early days (up until the mid-sixties) there was no liquor by the drink so everyone had to bring his or own stash and order “setups” for the munificent sum of twenty five cents each which ticked most people off because a bottle of soda was only a nickel at any drug store.
I firmly believe T&L’s would still be flourishing if it hadn’t been for the cholesterol scare which sent everyone scurrying from those wonderful steaks to the “Boutique Pastas” which were in vogue briefly.
Tony’s and Domino’s Italian Village dominated the supper club scene for many years and believe me they are sorely missed. (The Italian Village became the Legion Club and later Carpenter Auto Sales at Cotner and O.)
In my humble opinion which is based on many years of dedicated eating and drinking, the greatest entertainment, the late hour dancing and the finest food was during the era before liquor by the drink. Memories will have to suffice for now.
R.J. “Jerry” Mapes, Lincoln
