Episode Notes

Harry's was a small local chain that was delightful. Roast Beef, Roast Turkey, mashed potatoes, and carrot cake. That might be a regular order for me, and one of the reasons I'm a big boy to this day...

SUMMARY KEYWORDS harry, order, family, #sanjose, roast beef, #cafeteria-style, #restaurant, #siliconvalley, love, place, turkey, part, mashed potatoes, #food, whole concept, compete, left, san leandro, tray, redwood city Come with me. We're going to Silicon Valley Roast beef sandwich, side of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and a piece of pie. That was a pretty typical order from Harry's Hofbrau on Saratoga at Stevens Creek Boulevard, which is sadly closing on January 9 2019, after 42 years. I loved Harry's, and I kind of think I was programmed to love Harry's because it was a family place. And before we go to the movies at the Centuries, we'd either go to Harry's or we'd go to Bob's Big Boy, and I would have the roast beef. And I would have the mashed potatoes. And I would have the stuffing. And I would have a piece of pie. And it is still to this day, one of my favorite places and one of the places that lives the most in my memory. Because I loved Harry's, it was a major part of what made me love food is that there was a predictable place where I always knew what I was going to have. And that's so utterly key in developing a love of a place like that. Now, there are a million family restaurants out there, there even we're back then, and eventually I have to do an episode about Ken's family restaurant. But one of the things that is most important isn't necessarily calling something a family or having a family restaurant identity. It is being a place that families go and on a Friday and Saturday night families were at Harry's everywhere. You walked in through the double doors. And on either side, there were a roasting I think ham or a turkey or beef roast, and you'd walk through, and it was a faux German beer hall. There were flags everywhere dark wood, and then you get in this line that went through a couple of switchbacks. And if you were a kid, you swung on the rails and your parents probably yelled at you. And then you got up to the front and you placed your order with someone you assumed was the chef and they put it on a tray and you moved it down and you ordered the next thing and the next thing was cafeteria style service. But it wasn't cafeteria style service like you see at Chipotle or at La Costanza back. It was cafeteria style service like you found at Clifton's in LA or my personal favorite. The Hot Shop back east it was this idea that you were only having to interact with someone while you were ordering your food. And then you took the tray, you went back to your table and they left you the hell alone that was so key to the entire thing was that you had space you were free to interact with your food, your friends, everything on your own. There was no intrusion. I know some people hate that concept. I love it. And once you've done that, once everything is in its place, you could just soak it in. The food was predictable and good. The roast beef was very tasty. The turkey was wonderful. Anytime I got the pork it was always dry. But you always knew and if you liked it, you always liked it. I've heard that in recent years. The food's gone downhill the last time it was there was still pretty good. Yes, we have more wonderful high end well regarded restaurant, but where are the Harry's? Where the Bob's Big Boys? Where the Kens family restaurant? Where are the places that are distinctly Silicon Valley and San Jose, they're gone. They can't compete. Any part of that is just retail space. Rental is just insane. But part of it is this idea that families are no longer significant to the experience of an area. Now everyone is trying to cater to this whole concept of, for lack of a better word tech crowd. The big money families in Silicon Valley are having a harder time finding places that are for them. Because every time an option like Harry's goes away, things like a Cheesecake Factory become an option and a real option. Not that there's anything wrong with Cheesecake Factory, but it's not. I don't want to say authentic but it has no San Jose feel it is not of here. It's one of the things that I do love about hard rock cafes for example, hard rock cafes do integrate a bit into their setting. That was one of the things I always loved about hard rock. But now that we've lost so many things that were established patterns for San Jose families, part of it, of course, is changing tastes, but some of it is just the fact they can't compete anymore. And I find that painful. Silicon Valley has another classic piece in it. There's still two Harry's left Redwood City and San Leandro. I think at their peak, there were five of them. But now there's just the two and like mo villas hickory pit, which was once much larger. It's another local chain that's just gone, almost. And if rumors are to be believed there'll be down to one relatively soon. It's a shame, but I think we'll all remember what our regular plate order was that I guess now that has to be enough.

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