It’s Roses time again

Last night Don and I celebrated our 52nd anniversary with our friends Jamie and Gary. We had dinner at the Runway cafe at the airport. It is a small restaurant but always busy and last night was no exception. The food is delicious and worth the wait. It is the only place that serves Loretta dressing on  their salad. This dressing is a local favorite from a long time ago when a restaurant called the Castle was nearby. When I was a teen the Castle was the best fancy place to go for dinner. It actually looked like a castle with stone walls. 

I found this review online. 

The entrance to The Castle was its best feature: the echo of one's footsteps brought to life the convincing looking round foyer with its stone floor and ancient decor, including a suit of armor that did not look like a copy. Although the foyer was dimly lit, the passages leading from the foyer were more shadowy, adding to the effect of venturing deep within something solid and very old. The dining rooms, perhaps eleven in all, featured authentic touches like leaded glass windows, hardwood custom paneling, and restrained decor (no Las Vegas styling!).

I cannot verify this, but according to some of the staff, in 1972 The Castle was listed in something like "the 50 best restaurants in the USA" (or in the world or some such). By 1983 that Golden Age had already become a memory as Olean limped through the 1980s. In 1983 we common folk were lapping up the Friday evening seafood buffet, charmed into our best behavior, if not our best clothes...

The salad dressing was so popular that they bottled it and sold it locally. 

LORETTO DRESSING
1 pt. mayonnaise 1/4 c. sugar 1 1/2 c. tomato juice 1/4 c. tomato soup 1 tsp. garlic powder 1/2 tsp. salt 2 c. Crisco oil 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese Mix together and refrigerator. Makes 1 1/2 quarts.

Afterwards our friends came to the house for dessert..cherry cheesecake..and we played cards. It was a great way to celebrate.