320537 Thu Aug 24 23:45:14 -0700 2006 38 29 Not About Food 0 1831553 In a thread on the L.A. board there is mention of a supposedly "haunted" restaurant. It brings me back to a small restaurant where I worked in the early 90's. Early one Sunday morning I was alone in the dining room. The chef was in the kitchen and the owner was in his office. I was enjoying a pre-shift cup of coffee when I heard the distinct sound of a woman in high heel shoes walking across the hardwood floor. I looked up expecting to see an early guest but no one else was there. The sound did not immediately stop. It went on for five or six more steps and then faded away. Very weird. I later asked other employees if they had any experiences like that and several admitted that they did. I did some checking into the history of the place and found out that it was constructed in the early 1900's as a summer beach resort. There was no known history of violence. I figure that any building that old and in almost continuous use as a restaurant has had to pick up some impressions iver the yeard. My question are as follows: Have you ever worked at a supposedly haunted restaurant? Or dined at one? Did you know it at the time? Or did you choose the go there because you heardi t was haunted? How was your experience? And how was the food? (Hey, this is Chowhound, after all!!) Thu Aug 24 23:45:14 -0700 2006 15489 kimmer1850 1 1831606 The Willow Saloon and Steakhouse in Jamestown CA is suposed to be haunted... and there have been so many freak fires, sitings, etc that TV crews have spent time filming there. I think it was built (in the 1800's) over a mine shaft where a number of miners were trapped and died. I've never seen any oddities, but have talked to credible, sober adults who have experienced odd things there. It's a gorgeous old building, and food is terrific. It's one of our favorite restaurants in Tuolumne County. If you're ever in the area, ask to see their scrapbook related to the hauntings...it's pretty interesting! Fri Aug 25 00:07:37 -0700 2006 1831553 24930 kmr 2 2539030 We visit our relatives in Sonora all the time so we're going to have to stop there for food sometime. Thanks!! Thu May 03 13:49:37 -0700 2007 1831606 51435 lamster 1 1831616 I dined at a haunted restaurant fairly recently near my home, but had no idea going in. I visited the ladies' room in the basement, and as I reached the foot of the stairs to go back up, I heard the men's room door swing open and someone exit. I heard and felt medium-heavy footsteps as they followed closely behind, up the stairs. When I got to the top, I opened the door and turned to hold it open for the person behind me, but...I didn't see anyone there, of course. Pretty weird. I've been back a couple of times, but I haven't gone into the basement again, yet. Not scared or anything, I just hadn't had a need to--really! I haven't heard that anyone else has a ghost story about the place. Generally, the food there is not all that great. Our return visits have been mainly for the delicious margaritas. Fri Aug 25 00:13:37 -0700 2006 1831553 14366 gina 2 1832057 the margaritas didn't have anything to do with hearing footsteps, of course... Fri Aug 25 04:53:08 -0700 2006 1831616 11796 tuqueboy 3 1849327 Oh yes, I forgot to mention they were mezcal margaritas, with extra worm. ;) Fri Sep 01 21:23:21 -0700 2006 1832057 14366 gina 1 1832730 Landmark No. 78 in Ventura, CA is supposedly haunted - a friend "saw" feet swinging in the air in an upstairs bathroom - before she knew the story. Wooo-eeee-oooo From their website: Legend has it that the Carlo Hahn House is the home of Rosa, a young daughter of one of the many Italian families that immigrated to Ventura County in the late nineteenth century. Bound by customs of the day, Rosa was forced into a loveless marriage to a man much older than she was. Unhappy and lonely, Rosa found solace in the company of a young Italian man. When her infidelity led to pregnancy; Rosa, acting in desperation, unfortunately hung herself. Although it isn't known for certain where Rosa hung herself, it seems quite certain that she made the Carlo Hahn House her final resting place. She has been seen on numerous occasions staring longingly out of the round window on the second floor. But most often, Rosa is seen on the staircase, walking mournfully in a long, elegant dress. Many also claim to feel her presence in what are now the banquet room and woman's restroom. Whether you cross paths with Rosa or not, we hope you enjoy your experience at the Landmark No. 78. Please feel free to share your comments and suggestions with us, the next time you come by. Fri Aug 25 15:44:42 -0700 2006 1831553 13564 Snackish 1 1833029 I worked at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto which had one ghost for sure and possibly several more. In what was the Cafe Victoria / Victoria Room there were several sightings of a tall man with dark hair dressed in period clothing circa 1920's, including a tall hat. I have not personally seen him but spending many late nights in the dining room, often alone, it often felt distinctly like I wasn't alone. The Crystal Ballroom on the top floor is an amazing place as well. It was closed, I believe, in the late 60's or early 70's. It looks like the guests left, the band put down their instruments and the staff just closed the doors and it has remained the same ever since. I actually found a picture of it on the net. There are several there. http://invisiblethreads.com/potd/collections/2004_keh/group_keh.php?id=2004-keh-20041023_03 Fri Aug 25 17:32:49 -0700 2006 1831553 12840 Mila 2 1834256 Is it just me, or is that image reminiscent of the ballroom in Kubrick's The Shining? Sat Aug 26 01:22:44 -0700 2006 1833029 13192 chocolatetartguy 1 1833333 The Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas, supposedly has a number of ghosts, including in the dining room (although I don't think any of them are of LBJ or Lady Bird Johnson, who had their first date there). By the way, the Concrete Blonde song "Ghost Of A Texas Ladies' Man" refers to the singer's encounter with one of them during her stay, possibly even that of Col. Jesse Driskill, who built and named the hotel after himself in 1886; some guests say they have seen him smoking cigars and turning on lights in their rooms. Fri Aug 25 19:17:30 -0700 2006 1831553 12746 Nom De Plume 1 1834111 Cafe Sbisa in New Orleans is supposedly haunted (along with most of the city is seems). When we were there, a door kept opening an closing, seemingly of its own volition. Later, like the Scooby Doo gang, we went out on the balcony to see what was up but didn't see anyone. We were told about the whole haunted thing afterwards. Pity, as the food sucked and it would have been nice to have something interesting to talk about! TT Fri Aug 25 23:48:04 -0700 2006 1831553 19247 TexasToast 1 1834247 The Olde Angel Inn, Niagara On The Lake, Ontario. It's near Niagara Falls. The place dates back to the War of 1812 and is supposedly haunted by a ghost. Seems a rather timid soldier decided to hide in the basement. He was captured and killed and is said to haunt the place. I've never seen anything but the food is great. Nice place, great local beers and wines and British Pub Fare. Worth checking out if you're ever there. It's worth the drive from NF. http://www.angel-inn.com/ DT Sat Aug 26 01:18:41 -0700 2006 1831553 11291 Davwud 1 1834347 I worked in a large steak house chain during my freshman year in college as the closing manager. I knew it was going to be a long evening when I walked in and the unit manager haggardly informed me that he'd been working grill all shift and he'd been unable to pull inventory and run the numbers. Being young and dumb, I simply shrugged my best WB animation lollypop. I conned another employee, Jose, into getting paid OT. So... The two of us stayed late pulling cases, counting slabs, stacking cans, and weighing bulk items until well after midnight. At the end of our visual count, I took my hand-written sheaf of numbers to the office to quickly run them while Jose volunteered to autoperk another pot of Mexican Black. I was just finishing off the first page when Jose came screaming (literally) around the corner and slammed the office door behind him panting and yammering some unprintable strings of Spanish. The poor guy was wild-eyed and it freaked me pretty bad to where I was just able to dial 911. Within minutes, the local police had arrived and were banging on the glass of the front door. It was a physical challenge to pull Jose away from the floor in front of that office door but I managed. During that time, Jose had calmed down enough to _finally_ stutter and stammer that he'd seen someone walk out of The Cage (our storage garage in the back) and into the bathroom right near our server's station. I tattled like a 5-yo cranked on a speedball to the two officers who immediately shooed us out of the restaurant and into our parking lot where two more squad cars were pulling up-and-into slots. The two inside went through the whole place, each closet, stall, walk-in and finally The Cage. Jose was still shaking uncontrollably while the two outside officers pulled the full story out of him. It seems Jose got curious wondering who this stranger was and went to go ask. As Jose entered the darkened hallway, this guy walked right out of the restroom door (without opening said door) and looked right at Jose standing there. Jose did the only thing he could think of and ran into my office. Since my good looks and 5’8”, 144 lb. body were such deterrents to violence, he figured I’d save him. Officers Ruiz and Gonzalez stopped listening at “walked out of the door.” Officers Smith and Wesson radioed out the “all clear” signal and pretty soon Ruiz and Gonzalez were gone. Jose stuck around to jabber at me some more and Smith and Wesson helped us close up the restaurant as they did reports and I ran the rest of my numbers. The next day, the unit manager read my log entry and called me before I'd made it out the door and off to school. He simply said, "I don't close this place for a reason. Don't stay that late again." Sat Aug 26 03:01:13 -0700 2006 1831553 11175 The Ranger 1 1834842 Kimmer, In Steilacoom, Washington was a restaurant called E.R. Rogers. (Now closed.) The ghost sightings there are well known locally. They include seeing figures in the large mirror behind the back bar and place settings that were often re-arranged. I had a friend that worked there for a brief time. When he and the manager closed one night, they set the alarms (both floor pad and motion sensors) turned out the lights and walked to their cars. When they looked back, all the lights were on and they could see figures moving in the upstairs bar. (No alarms were triggered.) My friend quit that night. Sat Aug 26 15:47:49 -0700 2006 1831553 11158 Leper 1 1834869 I was haunted for about 72 hours by some breakfast I had at a Waffle House in Richardson, TX not too long ago. Sat Aug 26 16:04:10 -0700 2006 1831553 11110 MSPD 2 1848856 MSPD they don't call it the Awful Waffle for nothin'. ;-) Fri Sep 01 18:17:49 -0700 2006 1834869 12701 davinagr 1 1837882 There are several haunted hotels in San Antonio,like the Crockett,Gunter and Menger.The Alamo Dinner Theatre in the King William district near downtown is haunted.It was once a church and is haunted by a lady and a little boy. There maybe a couple of other ghosts. Mon Aug 28 16:01:55 -0700 2006 1831553 28392 HollyDolly 1 1838278 Holly, I looked up the Menger on the web. Wow! That place merits a visit by any serious Chowhound that likes to commune with ghosts while dining out. Mon Aug 28 17:59:08 -0700 2006 1831553 28212 Walters 2 1844851 Perhaps Jim needs to add a new board to the national boards. Thu Aug 31 02:49:44 -0700 2006 1838278 13030 free sample addict aka Tracy L 1 1842196 The Hotel in The Shining was The Stanley in Estes Park Colorado. I have never stayed there but my daughter was a bridesmaid in a wedding there and stayed there. She did not report any strange experiences, but there are supposedly many who have. Wed Aug 30 02:57:56 -0700 2006 1831553 27492 denverdoni 2 2520131 actually, the stanley hotel was just the inspiration for stephen king to write the shining. he got all freaked out being at the stanley that he had to write a book about it voila the shining was born. the hotel in the shining movie was the timberline lodge. http://www.timberlinelodge.com/ check it out, youll see. a lot of people think that its the stanley in the movie but its not. thank you have a nice day! Fri Apr 27 06:39:02 -0700 2007 1842196 94613 abursley 1 1843839 The Keg Mansion (steakhouse) in Toronto is supposedly haunted, but I've always thought this was a just a marketing gimmick, especially because every time I eat there, the waiters always tell the same ghost stories. Must be taught to them when they start working there. http://www.torontoghosts.org/kegmansion.htm Wed Aug 30 19:51:18 -0700 2006 1831553 29673 foodserviceprofessional 1 1844332 In Santa Cruz, Calif., there's the Brookdale lodge. I saw this place on TV the other night and I can't believe I've never checked it out. It's supposed to be haunted and it has a real stream running through the middle of the restaurant! http://www.brookdalelodge.com/ Wed Aug 30 22:54:01 -0700 2006 1831553 12460 Chowpatty 1 1844857 The offices above Biba in Sacramento are supposedly haunted which is appropriate because her husband used to dress up as Dracula for halloween. Thu Aug 31 02:52:04 -0700 2006 1831553 13030 free sample addict aka Tracy L 1 2520186 I worked at a fine dining restaurant in midcoast Maine with upstairs & downstairs dining areas. The building, directly across fro the harbor, is over 200 years old. One evening as I went upstairs to the kitchen, one of the servers was standing there - wide-eyed & pale as a sheet. I just saw a fog-like fog form go into the kitchen she said. Another time the chef saw a swirling amorphous form of a young girl - dancing & twirling in front of the large bay window. One night I was on my way downstairs from the kitchen & I heard a male voice call my name - it sounded as though it was right in my ear. There was only one male server working that night so I called down asking what he wanted. He said he hadn't called me. I turned around to the hostess who was right behind me. I heard it too, she said... Things would frequently fall off shelves without anyone near. Fri Apr 27 07:04:45 -0700 2007 1831553 43625 finewineserver 1 2522889 Back in the late 90's I worked in a nice little steak and wine place briefly (until someone realized that the kitchen girl at the staff wine tastings wasn't 18 yet - but that's another story). The Columbian House Inn, in Waterville, OH. The restaurant was in an old building - built in the 1800's, and had been variously an inn and home and a boarding house. The story went that when it was boarding house, the woman who kept it had had a boarder in one of the upstairs rooms (now a small private dining room for wine parties, rarely used) who had locked himself in his room and died of smallpox. This ruined the reputation of her boarding house, and she later hung herself. You could hear her walking in the house, and knocking on the doors sometimes. She'd walk up the staircase and then down the hallway upstairs - knock, knock, and then get to where the small dining room was and knockknockknockknock. Supposedly there was also another ghost, of a little boy who had died there when it was a private residence - but I never ran into him. The lady walking and knocking though was a pretty regular occurance - I heard her often in the mornings when I was doing prep. Once she put in an appearance (do you call a sound event an appearance??) during service and scared an old lady who was upstairs visiting the ladys room. Sat Apr 28 04:26:44 -0700 2007 1831553 66685 AnnaEA 2 2524800 In Somerset, NJ, O'Connor's Restaurant occupies a farmhouse that dates from the late 18th Century. Reportedly, the staff has seen a vision of a woman on the second floor, and on the stairs leading to the second floor, many times over the years. Sun Apr 29 08:05:21 -0700 2007 2522889 25376 Ted in Central NJ 1 2534089 Three places come to mind...have not worked there, but either stayed or ate there...The Menger hotel in San Antonio, The Hay-Adams hotel in DC, and Poogan's Porch restaurant in Charleston...All haunted establishments.... Wed May 02 08:16:09 -0700 2007 1831553 71851 jinet12 1 2534529 worked at a bar where the bouncer emptied the owner''s s&w into a guy who wasn't there after closing, when all the doors were locked. the owner just sat there, didn't even look: said "did you get him?" ***ha! that's gonna be in the movie!*** the bullet holes were still in the front door frame the last time i was there. you could hear a baby crying upstairs in a nightclub i worked sometimes. the upstairs was a vacant warehouse, no record of anyone ever living there. the mgr searched many times trying to find where the noise was coming from. when the owner remodeled and knocked thru a wall he found some old baby things and a tin baby's rattle. Wed May 02 10:17:05 -0700 2007 1831553 46030 soupkitten 1 2538944 Carluccio's Tivoli Gardens, located in the same Las Vegas strip mall as the Liberace Museum, is supposedly haunted by Liberace's ghost. He bought the restaurant several years before his death and kept it until he died. Believe it or not, the museum is well worth a visit, though I know nothing about the food at CTG. Thu May 03 13:30:15 -0700 2007 1831553 76251 bachslunch 2 2539047 I want to go to a haunted restaurant!! Are there any around the L.A. and/or Inland Empire areas? Does anyone know? Thu May 03 13:53:24 -0700 2007 2538944 78611 aurora50 1 2539151 John Stones Inn Ashland Ma I worked there for a few months.wether you belived the stories or not sooner or later every one who worked there heard someone walking up stairs or down the stairs or in the next room until you went to look for the person you heard there was no one. I belive it is called somthing close to that now it has been threw a few sales www.stonespublichouse.com/history Thu May 03 14:21:30 -0700 2007 1831553 64878 sterlingfoodie 2 2539684 I worked in a tea parlour in Clovis, CA that is haunted (or supposedly haunted depending on your point of view). The building is a 104 y/o Victorian two-story building, was three stories-the third burned down awhile ago. It was a home, hotel, and birthing/maternity ward during the years. Rumor has it that the ghosts of still born babies wander the second floor. Also, the ashes of one of the owners is buried underneath the building. I've stayed there late night and it is really creepy. The cooks and dishwashers said that the window blinds have moved up and down on there own, but I haven't seen anything. Thu May 03 17:08:32 -0700 2007 2539151 87968 cocktailqueen77 1 2544299 I used to waitress at The Old Bryan Inn in Saratoga Springs, NY and there were so many stories about it being haunted. One night while on the second floor a soup bowl flew off the shelf. It just moved and fell to the shelf below with no apparent cause. that was about the only thing I had happen to me there. most of the bartenders and waitstaff that had worked there for a long period of time had encounters with the ghost while closing up for the night. Freaked me out a bit, but it was fun to work in a place that had such a great story. food is excellent and was incredibly consistent. owners were pros and owned another restaurant about 15 minutes away called the old homestead. not sure if they stil do, but I believe the own another restaurant in saratoga now. great restaurant. great town! http://www.oldebryaninn.com/saratoga-county-ghosts.htm Sat May 05 11:01:35 -0700 2007 1831553 75580 MMCC 1 2545537 Although I didn't get there when I was down in the area, the Museum Club in Flagstaff Arizona (on the old Route 66) is another place reputed to be haunted. Some details here: http://www.legendsofamerica.com/AZ-MuseumClub.html Sun May 06 01:18:31 -0700 2007 1831553 24644 Vexorg 1 2552306 The famous haunted restaurant in the Twin Cities is Forepaugh's, near downtown St. Paul. Local newspapers sometimes have features with employees' stories of freaky goings-on. From http://theshadowlands.net/places/minnesota.htm "Forepaugh's Restaurant is located in an old Victorian mansion named after the mansions' original owner, Joseph Forepaugh. Mr. Forepaugh was into the dry good's business, so when his fortune was made, he bought this beautiful mansion. He also decided to hire himself some servants to accompany his new found wealth. Well, Mr. Forepaugh became rather fond of one of his servants in particular. Her name was Molly, and the two of them soon began to have a steamy love affair together. However, things got rather ugly after Mrs. Forepaugh caught the two together in the midst of their lovemaking. She insisted Mr. Forepaugh break off the affair, and so he did. This did not settle well with Molly, who was now pregnant with Mr. Forepaugh's child. She became so distraught over the situation that she went to the third floor, tied a noose around herself and a light fixture, then threw herself out of the window. Mr. Forepaugh was so devastated over her death that he went into a deep depression and eventually shot himself at the nearby railroad tracks. It is said that Mr. Forepaugh and Molly now haunt the mansion. People have claimed to see Molly near the area where she hanged herself. Mr. Forepaugh, on the other hand, has been seen by employees and customers in the dining room area. They say that a nice looking guy just walks through the dining room as if he owns the place." Tue May 08 12:57:24 -0700 2007 1831553 80696 EarlOfSandwich 1 2565878 Daniel Thiebaut (http://www.danielthiebaut.com/) in Kamuela, Hawaii (on the Big Island.) supposedly has a haunted lanai. I popped my head in but was not besieged by spirits. The restaurant is built in an old country store dating from around 1900 and is definitely a cool and vaguely spooky space, with lots of neat old junk to look at. The food however was pretty meh...an expensive attempt at haute cuisine/Asian fusion that didn't entirely come through. And lots of gloppy sauces on things that did not need them. Sun May 13 08:30:55 -0700 2007 1831553 56660 CheBeret 1 2565972 King's Tavern in Natchez, MS is haunted. It was built in the late 1700's, and the original owner had an affair with one of the serving girl's. The owner's wife found out about it and had the girl (Madeline) killed. This was always thought to be just a legend, but in the 1930's they were renovating the place and found not one, not two, but three bodies entombed in a chimney, along with a jeweled dagger thought to be the murder weapon... Nobody is sure whose bodies they are, but one appears to have been a girl about Madeline's age who was killed at about the time Madeline's death supposedly occured. And the ghosts of all three continue to make frequent appearances- you can read more here: http://www.horrorchannel.com/index.php?name=Sections&req=viewarticle&artid=66&page=1 Sun May 13 09:32:38 -0700 2007 1831553 96658 Clarkafella 1 5145696 In honor of Halloween, are there any new ones to add to the list ??? Sat Oct 31 15:51:43 -0700 2009 1831553 80193 Trufflebaby