 | Faye Graves, a native Wichitan, attended school at Friends and Wichita State, concluding at Midwestern Theological Seminary. He has been active in media for many years with Channel 12, KIRL, KFDI, KOOO AM & FM (Omaha), KFRM & KICT 95, as an owner, manager, producer, director and announcer. He has served as President of the Haysville Board of Education. He has also served on several national boards of the Southern Baptist Convention. Faye currently serves as Executive Pastor and Director of Administration and Education at Immanuel Baptist Church, 1415 S. Topeka, Wichita. You may contact Faye by e-mail fmgraves@amenibc.org, or by phone at (316) 262-1452. |
Nostalgia
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Remember...
Q: Do you have any memories of some of the old restaurants of Wichita?
A: Great question…and do I ever. I doubt there is any activity that can be enjoyed more often than dining out. My wife and I do it whenever we can. Recently, when we were eating at one of Wichita’s oldest restaurants, I thought about some of the many good restaurants in Wichita in the 50’s and 60’s that we enjoyed. Do you remember Elizabeth’s located at Bluff and Kellogg, located in a building that originally was an auto repair garage? Elizabeth’s was noted for their home cooked meals, Chicken and Noodles and many more, including one called Elizabeth’s Surprise. You never knew what you would get. Their apple pie just could not be beat. Then we remembered and talked about the famous Hickory House, featuring their steaks and their wonderful appetizer cart. It was located on East Central.
Perhaps Wichita’s oldest restaurant, and still in business, is Savutes. It started as Rosies on North Broadway in 1944. I used to bring some of the great recording artists and quartets to our great city. I loved to take them to Savutes. I remember one of the male singers told me that he had eaten at restaurants all over the world and he had the best steak he had ever eaten at this great restaurant.
Then there was Pete’s Place at the corner of West St. and Douglas. Pete would close down a couple of months each year and go and collect several kinds of vegetables and more important…peppers…that he used to make his own hot mustard and catsup. I remember working at Channel 12 TV. When we would finish for the day after the ten o’clock news, we would go to Pete’s Place. His food was unique, so much so that when he would reopen after closing for a couple of months, the place would be standing room only for weeks. The news guys that I came with liked his huge hamburgers with cheese and that great HOT SEASONING. Topping this off was the “show” that Pete and Rosie would put on as they spoke loudly to each other across the restaurant.
There were so many great steak houses here, and as I said some are gone. Mr. Steak was super. Scotch and Sirloin, still in business, is still one of the best ever, as are so many more.
Remember the Georgian Tea Room located on E. Central. There were also fantastic restaurants in all of the major hotels. Because I worked at Channel 12, I remember The Trail Room in the Lassen when KTVH had their first remote studios there. I actually remember having lunch in that room with RED SKELTON. Was that a hoot. Those were great times!
