"Nunya Bidnits" > wrote in
message ...

> Gilbert-Robinson and it's subsequent iterations have strayed far
> from what
> made them famous and successful.
>
> Do you happen to remember the origin of the Gilbert side of that
> company?
> Joe Gilbert's at the old downtown airport, one of the best
> restaurants
> ever... Gilbert was a consummate restarauteur and front man...
> greeted and
> seated almost every customer himself. I was a kid in it's heyday
> but my Dad
> would take the family there frequently. Eventually it was scaled
> back into a
> more quick diner type of eatery as air travel began to change
> from a
> positive, genteel, and somewhat luxurious experience into just
> another form
> of mass transportation.

I'm sure we ate there, since Dad would usually go to the airport
on trips to KC just to see the planes. There was something about a
Connie that fascinated all of us. I recall the name as well, but
didn't make the association. Do you recall the time a baggage
cart was clipped by a spinning prop? The prop came off and flew
clear across the road, embedding itself in the hotel across from
the airport. That was about the time we were departing KC.

GR was best known to me as the folk operating the 3-4 restaurants
on the top of Commerce Tower. I don't even recall the names of
the places, but there was a formal steakhouse-type place and a
couple more. On the day after I accepted a job offer that would
take me from KC, a couple friends from a life company in KC took
me there to lunch (Top of the Tower?). We had steaks and I asked
for A1 sauce. I shook the bottle well before pouring some on the
side of my plate. There was a lot of murmering behind me and I
turned to see that I'd sprayed 2-3 tables with A1 sauce: the lid
was off.

Years and years later, I ran across one of those friends during a
trip to Higginsville and he recalled the event to my wife, kids
and a relative dining with us. <grin>

BTW, on the Flay throwdown in Raleigh, I wonder how the fellow got
away with having a downtown restaurant that cooked over wood
coals. I wonder if he has to use a catalytic converter, water
spray or some other technology to keep from "polluting" the air in
the downtown with the smoke.

--
Nonny

Our nation should be more like Illinois
and limit all politicians to just TWO terms:
One in office and the second in prison.