Does anyone have memories of Christophers Restaurant or Dolores

[Steve]

Dolores was at 33 NE 23, approximately where Sonic is now.

[Generals64]

Dolores was at 33 NE 23, approximately where Sonic is now.

Man, You must be OLD....I do remember Jones/Newby where the On Cue express is right now....I remember Carp's in that direction....A few dice games....don't need to talk about those though......Delores...Tell me more....
Being an old Southsider, we would go down Lincoln to get to Springlake....No, it was just easier.......

[flintysooner]

I loved Delores's and had lunch there often back in the 60's and 70's. Usually went to Christopher's for a nice evening out - was very nice looking out on the little pond.

[Steve]

Nope, not that old. Doing research though for some photos I've obtained. Christopher's, however, I recall.
Now, tell me more about your memories of the two restaurants guys. What was their decor like? Menus? Favorite memories? Fun anecdotes?

[Generals64]

Nope, not that old. Doing research though for some photos I've obtained. Christopher's, however, I recall.
Now, tell me more about your memories of the two restaurants guys. What was their decor like? Menus? Favorite memories? Fun anecdotes?

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Carp's was your A-typical teen Ager hangout for the kids on that part of town... We (Southsiders) didn't frequent it very often as we were actually on our way to Springlake. I was easier to go down Lincoln that down Eastern to get to Springlake. Why, Duh...No interstate then....We would have to go down Eastern and a million Stop lights so, we could cruise Downtown...catch 23rd and then go up Lincoln....Lots of Northside girls....But, we had a mission in life every time we went...SPRINGLAKE and a whole bunch of out of town girls....Tell you a lot about Springlake just like Doug Loudenbeck can. Delores? Never heard of it....Be honest with you, never been to Christopher's in my life....Went to Eddy's Steak House...been to the Chantal Club, Jamil's...Funny Story.....18 years old and my girlfriend (wife to be..and still is 43 years..) and another couple wanted to go to a nice place...We went to Jamil's...We were seated..(felt like a fool) Country came out in me quick that night...The menus...NO PRICES Stated...What do you do? We only had so much and were too embarassed to ask...Smart move..."I'm not afraid" I'll go and ask the manager...be right back"...Went out to the outside pay phone...Called Jamil's asked the prices and walked back in and said ..."We can afford it".. took me many years to fess up to my wife. Great place to eat at though...

[Steve]

Great story on Jamil's!

[Steve]

If you have photos from Christopher's Restaurant, please contact me at steve@okchistory.com.

[Sherrie]

I use to eat at Chrisophers all the time. it was located on the outskirts of
Will Rogers Park. It had a beautiful lake you could be seated to overlook
with black swans. It was my favorite restuarant for years and a must
of birthday's, valentine's day, and anniversary. I sure miss it!

[Steve]

Sherrie, I'm writing about it for Welcome to OKCHistory.com. Great details on Christopher's. What else do you recall? Do you have any photos of visits to the restaurant? Again, what I'm trying to do is preserve and promote the city's history and this is one of the many approaches we're taking to do just that.

[Prunepicker]

Dolores was at 33 NE 23, approximately where Sonic is now.

Wasn't Dolores' restaurant was gone by the mid 50's. I've seen post cards of
the restaurant.

I remember Christopher's very well. In fact Prunette and I talked about it as
we drove by on I-44. Why did it close? That place was always busy.

[Steve]

I'll be delving into the demise of Christophers as part of the post.

[striipidy]

I remember riding past Christopher's when I was little on my way to getting a seasonal portrait from Olan Mills on 16th and Meridian. Christopher's had a huge sign in cursive letters that was visible from the highway and I was wanted to go. It looked so mysterious, tucked away amidst the trees.
My mom said it was an expensive, romantic place. When I bugged her about the lake and greenery, she said it was for adults to walk around and hold hands. I always imagined the young couple from the Breck or Agree commercials walking around the lake there.

[Doug Loudenback]

Here's a card of Dolores ... might have come from Vanished Splendor, I don't immediately recall:



It was a great place to eat. When I was in law school and later, the firm I worked for then fairly regularly went to Dolores for lunch. My wife tells me that she (then from Seminole) would come to Okc and plan to eat there. Sadly, my recollections about what it was like are all but gone.

As for Christopher's I don't have any photos but I do have a clipping from an Oklahoman article, below. Jerry Woods (one of the 2 brothers that operated it when it closed ... it was really their parents' restaurant) was a fraternity brother of mine at OSU, getting his degree in hotel & restaurant something or other. It was quite a nice place to eat ... at the time, I seem to recall the need not to be the sloppy dresser that I have since become.



Another restaurant you might consider is Fuzzy's on Classen Blvd. In its day, it was quite the place.

[flintysooner]

My personal memory manager is getting a little unreliable but I'll try to recall a few things about Dolores.

What I recall is that in the early to mid 1960's there was quite a bit of wheeling and dealing at Dolores's. The wheelers and dealers were mostly state government fellows and contractors I think. Things were a lot different then than now. Later on when the Governor's Club was built further north on Lincoln a lot of the wheeling and dealing moved over there.

I seem to recall that my personal favorite thing to eat at Dolores was Veal Parmigiana that I think came with spaghetti. There was also a dessert of some kind that was well known but I can't remember. Seems like it was something chocolaty. I think maybe there was a tree in the dining room but maybe I'm dreaming that. I wasn't very old then.

Later, after I was 21, I distinctly recall going to the little bar that I think was on the north side of the building and had a rear entrance maybe. I think by that time that the place was having a more difficult time and a lot of customers had moved on. But the little bar area was really cozy and the staff was very nice. I think the manager's name might have been Irene. That was in the private club days.

I wish I could remember more details but the place still stands out as a very distinctive and unique restaurant with excellent service and food.

[Prunepicker]

Here's a card of Dolores... Christopher's... Fuzzy's...

I don't remember Dolores. Just the memories of those who ate there. Didn't
it close in the 50's? Someone said they'd eaten there in the 70's but I don't
think so.

As for Christopher's, it was fantastic! I'd love to go to a restaurant and
have the wait staff treat us like we're important. Nowadays it's "hi guys". I
can't stand that. I can't stand hearing, "how does everything taste?"
either.

Fuzzy's was like going back into time. Why do the Lebanese know the
restaurant business so well? i.e. Jamil's, Eddy's, Freddie's (in Sapulpa) I
remember in the late 70's and early 80's that the Musicians Union would
have a concert to raise funds for a scholarship. While the fundraiser was
bogus, the music was great!

[flintysooner]

Didn't it close in the 50's? Someone said they'd eaten there in the 70's but I don't think so.

I am pretty sure I was there in the early 1970's. But that was when I drank.

[Prunepicker]

I am pretty sure I was there in the early 1970's. But that was when I drank.

Dad always took us to the best restaurants, i.e. Herman's, The Chandelle,
Billie's Tastee Freez...

I don't ever remember going to Dolores'. It may have lasted that long. I
really don't know. I only remember (and that's very vague) what the old
timers (not you) who talked about it. They talked as if it didn't exist after
the 50's.

I believe you. Why? 'Cause "You Are There!" Thank you Walter...

[Doug Loudenback]

Having now looked, I see that the Dolores postcard I posted earlier in this thread indeed did come from Vanished Splendor, vol II to to be exact. Here is the authors' text associated with that postcard:



Looking at the Oklahoman archives just now, I came up with the following:

January 30, 1974 - a 2nd Dolores on NW Expressway:
The address stated in the article was 3022 NW Expressway, where the Hampton Inn west of May Avenue is located today; however the ad after that shows the address to have been 3101 NW Expressway which would have been a block west and on the north side of the highway; a March 1971 want ad for Whistlers shows the address as 3101 NW Expressway:


June 8, 1974 - the last ad I located for Dolores:



January 22, 1975: The end


November 11, 1980 - snippet from an article about the restaurant's designer:


February 21, 1982: Possible re-opening, but I couldn't see that it actually happened:


I also noticed that food column readers often asked for recipes for various items once cooked there. One such request, for creamy onion soup, drew this reply from Barbara Parker (who had the option to lease the old Dolores property, above)

February 7, 1985: Soup Recipe

[flintysooner]

Great post Doug.

[Steve]

Doug, you're taking all the fun out of what I was about to post at okchistory!

[Doug Loudenback]

Heh heh. I though you asked for some help. No?

[Steve]

With memories, not research!
That's alright... I'm about to share some news with you that's going to make you groan....
Expect a call shortly

[MikeOKC]

I think there's still a connection with the family that owns Charcoal Oven and Delores. They sell their brownie sundaes at CO and still call them the "Original Delores's".