Many, many years ago, I frequented a local restaurant on a nearly nightly basis over the course of a couple of months. No, it didn't have anything to do with the food. In fact, I don't think I ever ate a meal there during that time period. Instead, it had everything to do with a girl. We were good friends and she was a bartender there. Of course, I was hoping it would develop into more than friendship and for a brief moment, it appeared that it might. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The restaurant, called Mister C's, has been a legendary place in Omaha for as long as I can remember. It's known for being dark inside, and for having Christmas lights hanging all year long, and for a strange mix of red, orange, and yellow carpet that covers the floors and walls. Yes, I said walls. And when the carpet finally ends on the walls, you'll find mirrors in its place. Every table has a red and white checkered tablecloth. (To see a picture, click here. Click on the picture and it'll expand.) And the place is absolutely huge. They say 900 people could fit inside and another 500 could dine outside during its heyday.
And the place has more stories than you could ever imagine. Those Christmas lights that are on all year long--that tradition started in 1971 when a waitress asked the owner to leave the lights up until her husband returned home from the Navy. He honored her request, but even after than man returned home, the lights stayed up. I guess it was Mister C's way of showing how much he cared. Gives me goose bumps just thinking about it.
Mister C., whose real name is Sabastiano "Yano" Caniglia, and his wife Mary, are known for providing balloon animals for every kid in the place, and for having a "toy room" for kids to visit during Christmas. It's just one of those places that you hope never goes away, but you suspect it will at any time because nobody has time for places like this anymore. Instead, we want fast food, or chain restaurants (both of which I too enjoy). The idea of settling down with good friends and fine wine for the evening at a restaurant is foreign to us now.
And as such, Mister C's restaurant has been struggling for some time. The one of a kind place to eat that opened in 1953 is about to became a thing of the past. Mister and Mrs. C recently announced that they were closing the place. This coming Sunday at 9:00 PM, it will close for good. Today is the final day they will take reservations. Mr. C. is 83 now and he's tired. And I understand that. But oh, how I hate to see the place go.
I've actually eaten in the place a couple of times. The food was good. But the atmosphere was second to none. Hopefully, the story about the restaurant distracted you from the story about the girl in the beginning of this post. But even if it didn't, there's not much else to tell. I chased a girl who, in the end, chose somebody else. It stung for a while, but I got over it. But the memories I'll have of the place I chased her in will live on.
If you have a few minutes one day, browse through the restaurant's website. I love the photos and the history you can find there. I hope that they'll leave it up for people to visit for many generations to come.
