Remembering The Foo

Last week the grandkids' dad took them to Montreal for a few days. It is his former home and also mine from a long time before he entered the world. The highlight for dad and the kids in those few days was probably the Linkin Park concert (whatever that is) that they attended on Wednesday evening. The highlight for me, from their messages, was a trip down memory lane when I saw the name and location of their accommodations: Hôtel Ruby Foo's. 

That was a familiar name to me, for I passed it almost every Sunday on the way to and from church on a city bus —  #17 to be exact. It was actually a streetcar and not a bus for the first year or two over the six year period from about 1955 to 1955 before Montreal made the mistake of jettisoning streetcars. It was a pretty long journey just to attend church, especially since in involved a transfer.

Ruby Foo's was just a restaurant back then, so I was surprised to see that it had become a major hotel.

Ruby Foo's was a popular restaurant in Montreal during the 1950s, known for its lively atmosphere and a menu that blended Chinese, American, and French cuisine. It was a stylish spot frequented by politicians, celebrities, and the city's elite. The restaurant was particularly famous for its egg rolls, chicken almond guy ding, and club sandwiches.

This is more or less what I would have seen from the bus although my eyes saw in colour back then even though the cameras didn't.  ;)

A typical Montreal bus if that era with Ruby Foo's in the background.

For six years, I would wonder about Ruby Foo's when we passed by. What was it like in there? It smacked of a kind of prosperity not enjoyed by my poor, little family, and now my grandkids were staying at a semi posh hotel in the same location and bearing the same name. I really have no connection other than those sightings and the kids staying there, but the name and place still evoked memories.

Lavish furs and cars on a New Year's Eve

I also recalled passing another classy restaurant, not far from Foo's. Piazza Tomasso was Italian, and we never came close to darkening their door either. Besides, as the Google AI note reveals, it was a nightclub and, therefore, probably a den of sin, and we were most definitely not sinners. :)

Piazza Tommaso in Montreal during the 1950s was a popular restaurant and nightclub, particularly known for its upscale ambiance and celebrity clientele. It was a notable entertainment spot in the city during that era.

As one thought led me to another, I started to think about the church that I mentioned earlier in this post. Some might wonder why a family would spend up to and hour and a half on city transit to attend church on a Sunday. So I feel the need to reflect on that and then write about it.

Until then . . . ttfn (ta ta for now)