By Jay Whipple
Trend Magazine Online™
Like Grandma's Cookin'!
Trend Magazine Online™
Like Grandma's Cookin'!
I did not have to go far to check out this new eatery
because it is literally across the street (avenue) from where I lived during my
teenage years while attending Miami Beach Senior High School. I believe
the building that it is located in used to be where my Uncle Gerald once
co-owned a corner store way back in the late 1970's. I am not sure what
happened but it did not last very long. Corner stores (like restaurants)
require one to be on duty all the time, including weekends and holidays. They
also require a lot of trust with employees, especially those that handle cash.
You may notice that most mom and pops will have a relative at the cash register
or themselves to ensure that every sale ends up in the bank and not some employee's
pocket.I left for the Army in 1978 and seem to recall that this building remained vacant for quite some time. In addition, I assumed that it would one day be occupied by a Cuban entrepreneur as they have been slowly moving into the Gladeview community since the 1980's. I am happy to see that that was not the case as we have lost quite a bit of our Black-owned businesses since the advent of integration beginning in the 1950's/60's. It is for that reason that I am once again involved with the Black Pages Worldwide™ directory.
Just north and across the street from this plaza is my old
home away from home; the old community center (today
Boxing Center/Youth Club House) which was my haven for staying out of
the mean streets and thus trouble (most of the time). It was there that I
became a pro at billiards and ping pong and was able to beat any average person
at both. The center operated on a first up basis and you got to play as long as
you won. If you lose, it could be up to two hours or more before you got
another chance to play especially during the busy summer months when we were
out of school.I learned from not backing down and looked forward to getting my butt kicked by the older players; some of whom were grown men in their 30's and up who could have easily been professional hustlers. Thank God no betting was allowed because that kept the guns and serious fights away. We played mostly for bragging rights and being pointed out as the guy no one wanted to play. Trash talking was encouraged only if you could back it up with outstanding play. I miss those days, the competition, and the dudes that still have a place in my memories of growing up in Miami. Back then we did not refer to each other by the "N" word unless it was from a negative connotation.
