Finally, months later, I've had a few hours to sit down and transcribe some of the stories I gathered when I was down in Miami for Passover this year. Yes, Passover! It's been a busy couple months. I'll post them one at a time, because they're rich with flavor, like the food at Dubrow's itself. I plan to post them as they were transcribed, that is, as they were told to me, because I think the personality telling the stories adds to the stories themselves.
This one comes from my great aunt Ruthie, Benjamin Dubrow's youngest daughter:
Ruthie: Well, one that was one of my favorites, had to do with - you know, the cafeteria set up, well, there was a counter worker, and uh, he was very short. Which I can appreciate, because I can never see the person on the other side when I’m shopping. But he had difficulty seeing who was there most of the time. But he knew what he wanted to say, and he said it. And uh, no matter who was there, if there was one person there, he would say “make a line!” So, you know, all the characters who worked there – some of the customers had made up names, and he was called ‘Nathan Make-a-Line.’ Because my father started (Dubrow's) when I was, you know, real young, that’s what I thought his name was: “Nathan Make-a-Line.”
6 comments:
Hee hee. Cute story-- glad to see you're updating this. I check it every once in a while and it is a treat when there is some little new story...
Eve,
It's great that you're sharing some of your family's wonderful stories with us. Maybe there's a "Max Take-A-Ticket" or a "Manny Make Me a Malted" in your aunt's recollections.
She didn't mention those two! Care to share the stories behind those names?
Actually, the "Manny Make Me a Malted" is just an old joke. A guy walks into a candy store and says, "Manny make me a malted" so Manny says, "Poof....you're a malted." As far as Max is concerned, I don't think there was an actual Max at Dubrow's, but I do recall a ticket machine that would dispense tickets as you entered. These tickets were taken to the people behind the counter who punched holes in the ticket to correspond with the prices of the items. Even though a bell would ring each time a customer took at ticket, I vaguely recall at times, somebody standing near the entrance either handing out tickets or telling people to take a ticket.
I think there was at least one Max who worked there - my mom has referenced an uncle Max who was a manager I think. I believe that would be Max Tobin, one of Benjamin Dubrow's son-in-laws, like my grandfather, Irving Kaplan.
Wow Eve gee I don't know. I do know my Grandfather also was a salad Chef..made the best cucumber salad in the world..worked at theWaldorf early on as a boy. He also was called "Nat" :) so so gracious of you to post this query :) Aileen
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