The Gourmet Strip

The Gourmet strip began in Park Hills past the big bend on Dixie Highway near the old pump station. It started with the Hahn Motel and it's neighborhood bar which dates back to the 1880's. It burned in 1971 and was torn down to make way for the Ft. Mitchell Garage. Little did we know at the time, but a big piece of Park Hills and N. Ky. history had just burned down. Few had come to even watch. The dilapidated and condemned old building was the beginning of a long stretch of famous and elegant fine dining establishments. They flourished in the early and mid 1900's until I-75 was opened in 1963. That was the beginning of the end, as they slowly started disappearing one by one.
Marshall's Tavern, a family restaurant that offered good food and live music, was located where Complete Appliance now sits.

The White Horse Tavern was up the street at the corner of S. Arlington and Dixie. Owner Ben Castleman was known for owning the horse farm where Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew was bred. The restaurant started small and expanded as it became one of the Cincinnati areas most popular restaurants. It burned down on Jan. 26, 1972, with only it's majestic white stallion left standing.

Across the street was Sanzere's, which moved there from Elsmere in 1949. It became the Golden Goose in 1956 and was known for it's Italian cuisine. Szechuan Gardens now occupies the building and has been serving since the early 1980's.

Nick Behle lived next door, where Dr. King's Office now sits. In Behle's basement was the Old Lamp Lighter, a club that operated for years without a license. He didn't open until late because most of his customers were the waiters, bartenders, cooks and musicians of other clubs. They'd relax with a few drinks before heading home at dawn.

Up the street was Hoffman's Motel, which sat on the other side of the little shopping center where Schuler's Pharmacy and Fassler Florists were. It had an A frame building with cabins out back. It catered to out of town guests.

Next came Chappie's tavern, which was situated on the other side of Popp's Florist. It was a neighborhood place that would later become Tom and Jerry's and Blazer's.

The Kremer Farm was on the south side of that. It was once rumored a casino was planned for the site, but Park Hills opposed it and nothing ever came of it. Eventually it was developed into Covington Catholic High School.

Across the street is Notre Dame Academy. It previously was located near 5th and Madison in Covington, until it's principal, Sister Mary Agnetis, wrote to a number of wealthy people asking for donations for a new school. Conrad Hilton, of Hilton Hotels , and no ties to the area or school, donated $500,00. This paved the way for the school to be built in 1959 and the road going up to the school is named Hilton Drive after him.

Next to Covington Catholic was the Blue Star Restaurant. Built in 1936, it seated about 65 and had gas pumps out front. It was remodeled in 1950 and renamed Town and Country to reflect it's more sophisticated atmosphere. Seating was increased to 550. It is now known as the Gardens of Park Hills.

As Dixie Highway left Park Hills it entered Lookout Heights, where the Lookout House was located. It started out as Rush's Tavern in the 1880's. That was torn down in 1886 by Alois Hampel, who built a 3 story brick building with a tower on the north side. People could climb the tower to get a look from the highest point in N. Ky., thus the name Lookout House.

The Hampel family sold to Bill Hill in 1912, and he ran the restaurant as it was until he sold it to Jimmy Brink in 1933. Brink, who had ties with the Cleveland syndicate, also owned Lookout Stud Farm in Crestview Hills. Gambling wasn't legal but flourished in the "Big Club" and "Little Club" casinos of the Lookout House. They also had some of the best dining in Greater Cincinnati and would serve as many as a thousand dinners on special days. Out back of the restaurant, where the Dixie Drive Inn would later sit, they raised hogs and fed them the garbage. The hogs would then be butchered to make sausage sandwiches that were a favorite with the late crowd.

The club was raided by the Ky. State Police in March of 1951. They seized $20,000 of gambling equipment and arrested 18. Brink died in a plane crash 5 months later and the restaurant continued for awhile before closing for a number of years. The Schillings then bought and remodeled it. The Lookout Housed also met a fiery end, just as the Hahn Motel and White Horse had, on Aug. 14, 1973.

Jack's Tavern was next door and was known for it's beer and jack salmon. It eventually became Lookout Carryout and was torn down to make way for the Lookout Corporate tower and Citizen's National Bank (Guardian Savings Bank now).

Skyline Chili is located where Burger Chef used to sit. It was a popular hangout for high school kids in the 70's. Before that was Oelsner's Colonial Inn. It had a beer Garden on the side and was a favorite of Reds players in the 1930' and 40's.

Next to that was Oelsner's Tavern, later known as Hillcrest Tavern. This is where the BP is now. Previously there was an Exxon and before that Texaco.

Further down the road is Concord Custom Cleaners. This was Pasquale's Pizza for many years. Unlike today, this was one of the very few choices for pizza locally. Originally this was the home of Kanebrake Restaurant, which featured good chicken dinners.

After that came Schilling's Drive-In, which featured home-style meals. It was situated where Shimmer's [Atlas Home Fitness] now is located. It's been known as many names, one of which was Candlewood Restaurant. The adjacent motel was known as the Lamplighter Inn and then President's Motor Inn. It gained fame when a certain Cincinnati mayor paid a prostitute by check one night.

Out further on Dixie Highway was the Hearthstone Restaurant, located where Indigo's [Fort Mitchell Public House] is now. The building looks relatively the same as it did back then.

Approximately where northbound 75 runs through Ft. Mitchell was the Howard Johnson Restaurant. When Expressway Plaza was built it moved down the road and became Robertson's Restaurant. It was eventually torn down to make way for Southgate Federal and is now PNC Bank. Before that the site was home to Brophy's Florist. At the far end of the greenhouse was a 1 room office with an outhouse in the back. This was home to the Kenton County Police until 1955, when the built the little office in Ft. Wright next to Ft. Mitchell Garage. (It was torn down for the Walgreens Parking Lot). They stayed there for about 20 years before moving out to Nicholson.

On out the highway further in Ft. Mitchell was the New Deal Cafe, which became the Saddle Club; the Four-Star Theatre, which became Columbia Federal and is now Advantage Bank; Stevie's Beer Garden, where Remke's now stands; and the Dixie Tea Room, the prohibition name of the Greyhound Grill.

As Dixie Hwy. wandered out into Lakeside Park was a turn-of-the century stagecoach stop known as Five Mile House and Dixie Inn. Carl Retschulte would buy it and name it Retschulte's Inn. It was know as a "Neutral House" for underworld figures to meet and relax. It operated only 1 day a year between 1962 and 1971 so it could keep it's liquor license. Retschulte's is now Barleycorn's.

I really do not know who wrote this I received it by FB. It is very interesting and as far as I know pretty accurate.