Here's an early ad (below) for the pair of restaurants that ran in the 1973 Lorain Telephone Book. The identical ad ran in the Elyria phone book.
I never had the chance to eat at either Tiffany's location, which is too bad.
I think the place was ahead of its time. It looks like its steakhouse theme would really be a winner now, with manly meat fare and old school cocktails regaining popularity.
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I think this same building – with a 4900 West Erie Avenue address – was one of the homes of Ed Blahay Transportation Company, and later, Benny's Restaurant. I'm going to have to do some more research and confirm it, and then prepare a proper post in the future if that's the case.
I remember going to this restaurant in the late 70's as Tiffany's Steakhouse. As I recall the food wasn't bad, the bar was excellent and they had bands occasionally on the weekends at a time when I was still into such things. I believe for a time after it closed as Tiffany's it was re-opened under the ownership of Jim Kokinda as the Brass Rose. Mr. Kokinda used to run the Russo-Slav Club on 28th St. as well, if memory serves. As the Brass Rose the place had the reputation as a meat market and I'm not talking Polansky's. It didn't last long under that name and ownership and has been vacant a long,long time.
ReplyDeleteDon Wozniak
When I first arrived here the ladies that lunched used to go to Tiffany's every Wednesday before it sort of got seedy. There were linen table cloths and cutlery with little individual pots for tea and coffee and cream but then it became a "boozer" sigh
ReplyDeleteI remember both of them quite well. The Elyria restaurant I remember being built when I was young. I believe it was called the Porterhouse. Not sure when it became Tiffany's. Carl was the chef and co-owner. I can't remember his last name with my mental block, he was Hungarian and I believe one of the best chefs and cooks in Lorain County for many years. He kept the Elyria Tiffany's open after the Lorain restaurant closed and always had a great senior turnout on Fridays. When he closed down the Elyria restaurant he opened up an Italian restaurant in downtown Elyria at Broad Street and East River beside the old Post Office. I believe he ran a Hungarian restaurant in Vermilion also. I always loved the local restaurants but the chain restaurants where just to much to compete against.
ReplyDeleteHis last name was fisher my father knew him a long time
DeleteHis last name was Fiser he was my grandfather
DeleteHe was also Czech not Hungarian
DeleteThank you all for posting the reminisces!
ReplyDeleteI remember going to the Brass Rose on West Erie - I want to say it was also called Tavern on the Lake at some point. Although I may be mixing it up with the old Tavern on the Mall on Midway Blvd?
ReplyDeleteDan, Tiffany's and Bennny's were in the same building. Although my wife and I ate at Tiffany's a couple of times probably in the late 1970s, the place was more famous (infamous) as Benny Harts. Although I was never in Benny's, it was more of a nightclub and public nuisance than anything else, at least in the late 1960s. In fact I believe that Benny Hart was shot and killed there over a dispute relating to a bill. The entertainment there at the time was allegedly not rated PG, and there was trouble relating to its liquor license.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the help as always, Rick! I think Ed Blahay Trucking moved out in the early 60s and then the various nightclubs moved in such as Benny Hart's. No wonder I thought Tiffany's was a strip club when I was in high school!
ReplyDeleteKarel Fiser was the co-owner and chef of Tiffany's in Lorain and Elyria. Karel also founded the Old Prague Restaurant in Vermilion. Karel was born and raised in Prague, Czech Republic and came to the US following WW2.
ReplyDeleteYes my grandfather an him were friends ..both from czech
DeleteI worked at Tiffany's in the late 70's. I remember the owners were Carl and Phil. I was like 19 and on my own and they treated me like family. I have amazing memories from there. They took real pride in the food there.
ReplyDeleteit opened as The Brass Rose - by Rusty Silvesti & Joe Poltrone who had Caponi's on Oberlin Ave.
ReplyDelete