The Southside. By current definition, anything south of Highway 40. By our definition, anything south of Chippawa. For many of us life began at St. Anthony’s Hospital at Grand and Chippawa . As you entered the hospital, you were greeted by the smell of antiseptic, and the swishing of the Sister’s habits as they as they made their way down the dimly lit halls. Truly, a Southside landmark. The Southside has always been a special place, known for a rich German Heritage, and if we’re talking German heritage then it must include taverns. No matter where you lived, chances are you weren’t more than a block from a local pub. Each tavern had its own regular clientele, even though there may be four taverns at one corner. They served up nickel glasses of beer, and a variety of entertainment such as pool tables and shuffleboard. There were no big screen TV’s blaring away although a radio may be tuned to the Cards game. And no self respecting Southside tavern would be without some kind of eats. Do you remember the jars of pickled pigs feet and hard boiled eggs that were almost mandatory at every bar? Did anyone ever eat them? I heard that the eggs had a half life of 57 years, but they said they were better with age. I don’t think so! They reminded me of something from a biology lab. Which brings us to the ultimate Southside delicacy…. The BRAIN sandwich! Long before the mad cow scare, any Southside tavern that had a kitchen offered the ultimate delicacy, the brain sandwich!. Deep fried and served on a bun with Bermuda onion and dill pickle. A little slice of heaven. And speaking of food, another Southside tradition was Lard. If it couldn’t be fried in Lard then it wasn’t worth cooking. Probably every Southside home had a large bucket of Lard in the “ice box”, since the word “fridge” hadn’t been invented yet. We were so fortunate to share a special time in a special place. Memories.
Posted on: Wed, 14 May 2014 00:21:58 +0000
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