Breakfast with Herb & Mike

Restaurants are rarely just about the food.  They become landmarks in our lives — places where friendships form, celebrations unfold, and memories are made.  At this month’s Breakfast with Herb & Mike, favorite restaurants from Plattsburgh’s past come back to life. Some are long gone, but the laughter, characters and moments they created still feel close enough to pull up a chair.

Mike: You and I have spent a lot of time in restaurants over the years. Tell me about some of your favorites.

Herb: I’ll start with the Roman Gardens that was located in Plattsburgh Plaza. It was a laid-back place that served good Italian food—the best pizza—and had been a popular gathering place for people of my generation since the 1970s. In January 1986 the Garden’s owner bought a new deep frier that caught fire the first time it was used. Diners ran to evacuate as the flames spread and the restaurant was a total loss. Gone but not forgotten. What about you?

Mike: When I was in my twenties, I spent way too much time in restaurants and bars—mostly downtown. One of my favorites was the Steakman, at the corner of Margaret and Clinton Streets (now Pizza Bono). It was open 24 hours a day, so no matter what time the bars closed, my friends and I could find a great meal there. A full prime rib dinner served anytime, day or night.

Herb: We can’t talk about restaurants in Plattsburgh without recalling Carbur’s on Margaret Street (now the Old Soul). It introduced Plattsburgh to a whole new world in the 1970’s. Like Ben and Jerry’s, that changed the world of ice cream, Carburs changed the world of sandwiches. No more ham and cheese on rye. People still remember its huge menu that featured more than 70 Grandwiches with names like the “Commodore Macdonough,” the “PAFB Blue Ribbon,” the “Fort Blunderburger,” and the “Fungus Humongous.”

Mike: Everybody loved Carbur’s. There were lines out the door most days. My first job after I got into recovery was as a host there. My job was to greet and seat customers and take drink orders. That may sound easy, and it was when the guest were in small groups, but one night a party of eight came in. When I asked about their drinks, they fired their requests off in totally random order—not around the table like I had been trained to expect. Of course, I got the orders all wrong and got chewed out by the waitress and the manager. It didn’t take me long to decide a career in restaurant service was not for me. But even though I didn’t want to work there, I was really disappointed when it closed in the early 2000s.

Herb: The D&H restaurant, located in the train station on lower Bridge Street, was a popular place from the 1970s through the 1980s. Great food, great atmosphere and a terrific view of the lake made it the place to go. When a train arrived, all conversation stopped. It was like watching a freeze frame. When the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, the restauant’s second-floor location didn’t meet its requirements and sadly the D&H closed the next year.

Mike: A frequent downtown choice of mine was the Wing Wagon on Bridge Street. It was only open for a few years, but it had the most amazing chicken wings I’ve ever had. My usual order was three dozen XXX hot wings with extra hot sauce. I’m not sure how my stomach survived that kind of punishment, but those wings were awesome.

Herb: One special favorite of mine was the L&M restaurant, between Margaret and Miller Streets where the Washland Carwash is located today. It was the place where Mary and I had our first argument. We’d been seeing each other for a few months, and she met me there for lunch one day. When the waitress brought the check, she took it before I could. I said, “Men don’t let women pay.” She said, “Women don’t need to be taken care of.” And we were off and running. Now, more than 40 years later, we still laugh about that first argument, and we talk about, and celebrate, how much men’s and women’s roles have changed.

Mike: You and Mary arguing in public! That’s a great story. One I’ve never heard before.

Now, before we wrap up this morning, let’s give a shout out to the restaurants that have been in operation in the Plattsburgh area for decades.

The Monopole (1898) , The best thick crust pizza.

Clare and Carl’s (1942) , Introduced Michigans to the North Country.

Arnie’s and Mickey’s (The 1950s) , The Gold Standard for Italian food.

Butcher Block (1975) , Plattsburgh’s first Steak House.

Anthony’s (1980) , Amazing food, a cut above.