Arianna's Grill at Park and N. Shepard (former site of the Ritz)
and a glimpse of Caliente's (former site of Felix's Restaurant).
Just for the record - the name of this neighborhood, the Devil's Triangle, comes from the reputation of the bars in the area that existed in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Two in particular were notorious for their rowdy clientele, The Ritz, 700 N. Shepard Ave., corner of Park and N. Shepard, and on the opposite corner, Felix's Restaurant, 2922 Park Ave. These two establishments and the ever changing bar and restaurants at 600 N. Sheppard (where Cafe Diem is now) made up a small geographical triangle that gave the neighborhood its name and reputation. The building that housed The Ritz, vacant for a decade, finally reopened as Arianna's Italian Grill and Pizzeria in 2008. Felix's Restaurant is now Caliente. More on all of these establishments in future posts.
Visit:
Arianna's Italian Grill and Pizzeria
Caliente
Cafe Diem
Arianna's Grill at Park and N. Shepard (former site of the Ritz)
2 comments:
When I worked at Cafe Diem, every once in a while a really rough looking character would roll in asking where the pay phone and pools tables were. They always had just gotten out of jail.
I BELIEVE MY FATHER, GEORGE E SHAHEEN AND MY UNCLE, PHILIP A SHAHEEN (AND THEIR DAD ESAF SHAHEEN) WERE THE ORIGINALLY OWNERS OF THE RITZ. AT THAT TIME IT WAS KNOWN, TOGETHER WITH ITS ACROSS THE STREET COMPETITOR, THE RAINBOW INN, AS THE FURTHERS RESTAURANTS WEST OF RICHMOND. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS IN THE WOODS. FURTHER WEST WAS THE COUNTRY CLUB OF VA AND THESE MEMBERS WERE THE PRIMARY CUSTOMERS (SOME IN GOWNS & TUCKS) AT THESE RESTAURANTS. BOTH RESTAURANTS HAD CURB SERVICES AND THE SERVERS SOMETIME FOUGHT FOR THE CUSTOMERS. BOTH FAMILIES LIVED TOGETHER BEHIND THE RITZ AT 3006 PARK AVE. IN TIME THE NEIGHBORHOOD GREW AND THE RITZ WAS KNOW AS A NEIGHBORHOOD GATHERING. THEY HAD DELIVERY SERVICE, CATERED TO JOHNSON WILLIS HOSPITAL NURSES, DRS, CIVIL WAR FAMILIES FR THE CONFEDERATE HOME ACROSS FR BENEDICTINE HIGH SCHOOL & NEIGHBORS THEY FURNISHED HOME MADE ICE CREAM, LUNCHES AND DINNERS. BOTH OF THESE MEN WERE WELL LIKED AND RESPECTED, AS WAS THE RITZ. MY DAD SOLD THE RITZ TO MY UNCLE AND SOMETIME AFTERWARDS MY UNCLE PURCHASED ALL OF THE STORES ON NW SHEPPARD ST. IN 1938 MY UNCLE'S FAMILY MOVED FR 3006 PARK AVE AND WE REMAINED. THEY CONTINUED TO OPERATE THE RITZ. I REMEMBER MY DAD BEING AN AIR RAID WARDEN DURING THE 2ND WORLD WAR AND POLICING THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO TURN OFF LIGHTS DURING WARNINGS. I BELIEVE IN THE MID1940'S OUR FAMILIES LEFT THE RITZ. NOT SURE WHEN AN UNCLE, GEORGE OLEY AND HIS WIFE ROSA, OPERATED THE RITZ MUCH AS OUR FAMILY'S DID. IN ABOUT 1957 MY DAD SOLD 3006 PARK AVE TO HIS BROTHER, UNCLE PHILIP, TO MAKE A PARKING LOT FOR STANLEY'S MARKET WHO WAS LEASING ONE OF MY UNCLE'S STORES ON SHEPPARD ST. OUR HOME AND THE WONDERFUL FIG ORCHARD WHICH MY DAD AND HIS DAD HAD PLANTED WAS DESTROYED. AFTER A NUMBER OF YEARS UNCLE GEORGE OLEY'S FAMILY LEFT THE RITZ AND I BELIEVE THIS WAS THE START OF THE PERIOD FOR THE TRIANGLE.
THIS IS A REQUEST, IF ANYONE HAS KNOWLEDGE OF A PICTURE OR PHOTOGRAPH OF THE EXTERIOR OF 3006 PARK AVE I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE CONTACTING ME @ 804 347 4948.
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