[ucatchtrout]

As many of you know Frank Nudo served his last Coney Island at Nicks about six months ago and closed the doors. He sold the business to a longtime customer who reopened the place a couple of weeks ago. I had dinner there last night for the first time since they have reopened. There have been a few changes, and the place certainly isn't the same without Frank and Herbie...but time marches on and it was time for those guys to enjoy retirement and pass the place on to someone else.

Frank Nudo, or Curly, as some of us called him back in the day created a unique and special part of Portland in his little neighborhood restaurant. His buddies, "The WIng Commander" (Kenny Kell) and Herbie and he ran this place for almost thirty years.

Even when the place was packed nobody ever got a bill. The never wrote anything down. They remembered everything. Even everybodys name. You went there more than twice they knew you. Thats just how it was. There were a couple of times I went there and had a double coney with mac and a lot of beer and sloshed out of there without realizing until I was halfway home I hadn't paid....and had to go back to pay.

Back in the 70's I think Frank used to hit the sauce a bit, and could get real sassy with people. He'd get loud and yell at people who were fussy about their food, and all the regulars would laugh, knowing that if you wanted onions or mustard thats what you ordered you didn't order light onions or easy on the onions. That kinda [Swearing is not permitted at ClubBlazers. You must edit this post prior to submitting.] sent Frank into his rant about the place not being burger king and if you didn't like it his way you could leave.

It was a dive. Yet it was full of charm. Sports memorabiia from the blazers glory years, the Portland Beavers, and Franks favorite team the Yankees covered the walls....as did framed newspaper articles about him, his restaurant, and pictures of local celebs who frequented the place.

It was also, in spite of the old tv, the very best place there ever was to go watch a game on tv and have a few beers. The running commentary thru any game, especially baseball which was Franks favorite, was worth the trip. Add a few locals chiming in now and then about this or that and it was a fun place to hang out.

Back in the day if you came in late and ordered a coney you had to drink more. And you had to drink more because I think ol Frank kept adding spices to the sauce throughout the day.

The food was pretty basic. Old fashoned hamburger sandwiches, coneys, double coneys, macaroni salad, chips, and ham and tuna sandwiches that I never saw anyone eat. I have never been fond of macaroni salad, but I liked his. Funny thing is that the single coneys were served in baskets, which I hated. When I ordered them on a plate Frank would get testy, so I started ordering them with macaroni salad which meant they automatically came on a plate with the salad. The salad was cool, and the coneys spicy and hot and they complimented each other perfectly. To this day its the only mac salad I like.

So the new place is a little different, but still the same. They've cleaned it up, put in a new floor, painted the place, fixed the bathrooms and installed some new tv's. A lot of the old stuff is still on the walls. There were a few things, like Franks oil painting of Bill Walton with the spotlight on it that are no longer there, but most of the old stuff is still up on the walls. They've cleaned up the back bar area and finally added some decent beer. Frank only served Heidleberg or Oly, and you didn't dare complain.

Its a bit different sitting there being served by cute little chickies instead of grumpy old men, but its still a fun place to go. They've added some menu items...chicken, several kinds of gourmet salads, half pound and one pound burgers, fries, some desserts and some other things that all looked pretty good.

My double coney was good, yet it seemed slightly different. I think thats just because somebody else made it. The mac salad dissapointed me just a little bit. It was good, but it wasn't the same. They use the same recipe, but therin lies the problem. Herbie and Frank never used recipes. They'd just throw stuff together until it looked right to them. Which, IMO, is the best way to cook, and the way I cook at home.

I miss Frank and his cadillac with the coney1 license plates that he used to park outside, but I am glad he is able to retire and his legacy is able to live on. If you're in the neighborhood, give the new place a try. Much of the old charm remains, and you can get a decent beer there now....which is something you couldn't say about the old place.