So...
What do you get when an Italian guy
buys a building in 1934 in the town of Locke...
a rural China town just outside of Sacramento...
and serves basic American steak and fries and a bit of Italian pasta...
...well...
Al the WOP's of course!!!
You may remember that a year or two ago I visited Locke with my cousin Larry...
well...
we visited again,
and it was raining again, (it rained the last time I visited Locke)
but this time TheChief and TheCuz's wife
joined us!!!
Locke is an interesting place of historical interest...
It actually began in 1912...
when 3 Chinese merchants constructed three buildings...
and a Chinatown was born.
Locke is actually the only existent town in the US
built and inhabited almost exclusively by Chinese until recently.
It is designated a federal historic landmark.
In it's heyday during the 1920's through the 40's...it was quite a bustling town.
Al's Place was just one of four restaurants back then...
Al is long gone now...
but his restaurant is still bustling!!!
(and drawing a crowd from bikers to folks who work at the Capital!)
When visiting Sacramento, CA, take a quick trip to Locke
and have a steak at Al's...
but leave your tie home and do take a couple of bucks to spare...
there's a unique ceiling decor at Al's Place!!!
Come on Chieftess, everything is politically incorrect these days :) As far as I know it depends on how you use it but I understand WOG to stand for Worldly Oriental Gentleman' but I probably still wouldn't use it :)
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of Locke, but I'd like to see it. The buildings do look very old fashioned.
ReplyDeleteLocke is simply a street of ramshackle buildings, south of Sacramento, along the American River. It's deemed historical because it was built by and for Chinese...there was a lot of Chinese labor in the fields and building the railroads in the late 1800's and early 1900's here in California. The community has died out because as the younger generations grew up, they also moved on. It has become an artist community of sorts, a few trinket shops, Al's Place, Justy's (another restaurant), and mostly vacant, dilapidated buildings. In many ways it's similar to Bodie in regards to the decay of the buildings. It's an interesting spot, with quite a more complex history than I have relayed.
DeleteI love it but I've never been accused of being PC.
ReplyDelete:) :) :)
DeleteDefinitely not PC these days, but everyone needs to lighten up and this is a great sign. We have a (cheese) steak shop in Philly called 'Chinks' that recently changed it's name.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.inquisitr.com/890257/chinks-steaks-opts-for-less-offensive-name-sales-plummet/
Love it. I'd have thought only Mel Brooks could get away with something like that! :)
ReplyDeleteHe probably did!!!
DeleteHow fun!
ReplyDeleteIt's a kick!!! On the tables in the "dining room" there's a jar of Jif Peanut Butter and Jam!!!
DeleteReally interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely not your ordinary restaurant in a Chinatown!!!
DeleteKathryn:
ReplyDeleteI only found out about Locke last year and it is someplace I have to visit. Perhaps next September when we come back from TN and KY.
bob
A weekend photographer or Riding the Wet Coast
I know you'd enjoy it Bob!!! And your bike is welcome there!!!
DeleteI remember this place, or at least I think I do. When we went, everything was closed. Is that possible? I'm sure it wasn't tourist season but I don't know why a whole town would be closed.
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty much all closed this time too!!! And not very many businesses at all. It's a rather sad, somewhat deserted place...
ReplyDeleteIf it didn't bother him, it didn't bother me either!
ReplyDeleteI've heard of this area before, but have not been there yet...