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saber11
Check Six
Premium Member
join:2000-06-09
Clayton, OH

saber11

Premium Member

Hey Dayton-Did you ever eat at Rike's?

Brings back memories of my childhood.

copied from www.activedayton.com\ddn

DAYTON | Jim Latham and his wife, Patty, spent nights the summer of 1999 salvaging whatever they could before the old Rike’s department store building at Second and Main was demolished. Lucky for them, Charles Dixon, the last food-service manager at that site, had salvaged Rike’s recipes, which had been pitched into the trash years before.

When the store closed in 1993, “they threw everything in the trash that said ‘Rike’s’,” Latham said.

Now the recipes and the memorabilia have been rejoined in a new 42-seat restaurant at the rear of Wilkie’s, the downtown bookstore at 101 S. Ludlow St.

The restaurant opened for lunch this week with such specialties as Rike’s quiche — with 20 varieties to be rotated — to Rike’s barbecue beef and fruit salad with Rike’s celery seed dressing.

Latham credits Dixon with reducing the recipe ingredients to manageable amounts for a small restaurant. Even in the waning days of the store, which had become Lazarus by the time it closed, the kitchen was still preparing 5,000 meals a day, many to be shipped to other store sites.

Most of Rike’s recipes date to 1973 and earlier.

“I thought it would be cool to package Ohio’s oldest bookstore with a piece of Dayton’s oldest department store,” said Latham, adding that the food-service and bookstore combination is one that has worked in other cities around the country.

The dining room is filled with salvaged memorabilia. The big brass Rike’s sign, cast in 1911 and taken down during a 1953 remodeling, was salvaged by an employee who offered it to Latham to use as long as he is in business. Rike’s’ first-floor bronze and mahogany elevator doors, emblazoned with an R, are along the north wall; and Latham and his staff salvaged those. The art glass lining the dining room is from Charlie’s, Rike’s mezzanine restaurant. Other accents include the green art deco drinking fountain and lights, bronze sideboards and the last menus from the Sub Shop and Charlie’s.

“Even our garbage cans are from Rike’s,” Latham said. And the marble from the store entryways has been turned into the counter.

Latham said he plans to add other Rike’s specialties to the menu, particularly the famous chicken pot pie, which was served in a milk glass chicken casserole. He’s looking for a source for those dishes.

The menu also reflects an emphasis on other local food purveyors with a long history, with meats from East Dayton Meat & Sausage and, soon to be added, Mehaffie’s Pies. Wilkie’s is also using locally-made Mike-Sells potato chips and ice cream from Young’s Jersey Dairy ice cream in Clark County.

The store will add breakfast service next week, from 7 to 10:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with ice cream scooped until 4 p.m.

CylonRed
MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County

CylonRed

MVM

We never went downtown if we could help it so we never ate at Rike's. Closest we got was Stouffer's Top of the Plaza Restaurant on Mother's Day on year.

Capstone
Kiss My Shiny, Metal Ass
Premium Member
join:2001-08-12
Springfield, OH

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As a kid, my mom would shop at Rike's all the time. I used to migrate to the 4th (I think) floor which was lots of toys... But we only ate there a couple of times, hamburgers and ice cream. Ususally we'd stop at Flint's or Burger Chef on the way home. Ahh, those were the days!

saber11
Check Six
Premium Member
join:2000-06-09
Clayton, OH

saber11

Premium Member

We use to eat at Charlie's, or get ice cream at the ice cream parlor at Rike's. Ah those were the day's.

TransitMan
MVM
join:2000-09-05
Dayton, OH

TransitMan

MVM

Used to go to Rike's after a visit to the doctor's office.
Was always a treat, cause Grandma paid for our lunch.

Years later, I was employed briefly there, prior to military service. I remember the fine food that was served.

Visited Wilke's today (Saturday) and marveled at the memrobilia that they had there from the old store. Brought back a lot of good memories.

What is out here today will never be able to match what Rike's offered.

repaskyp
Beep Beep
join:2001-11-03
Dayton, OH

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no, never been to rikes, saw the demolition that was cool looking.. from my perspective, at least. I guess lots of childhood (some of you) memories were in that building... oh well sounds like it was a cool place.. sort of

halo5
join:2000-07-20
Dayton, OH

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I remember going to the downtown Rikes with my parents a couple times a month. Always had a great time. The best was the almond bark they had at the "Candy Shoppe".

I think my parents still have pictures of me on Santa's lap at their annual "Breakfast with Santa".

rds24a
Teach Your Children
Premium Member
join:2000-12-13
Newton Upper Falls, MA

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Always used to shop at Rikes/Shilitoh's/Lazarus downtown
because there were never any lines in the 80s. Probably
part of the problem, eh?

If the darned Beerman family wouldn't have bought out
the family meet packing business I'd OWN this town!!


IamZed
Premium Member
join:2001-01-10
Dayton, OH

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I used to eat there all the time. My favorite memories of that store are the Christmas displays in the window. I think of Rikes every time I see the movie A Christmas Story. We even looked like those kids as well.

rds24a
Teach Your Children
Premium Member
join:2000-12-13
Newton Upper Falls, MA

rds24a

Premium Member

The elder Smedley (of Smedley's Chevrolet in Vandalia)
bought several of the Rike's displays and used to seasonally show
them on his farm on Montgomery-Miami County Line Road in
the early 90's (along with a LOT of additional XMas lights).
Don't think he still has the annual show, but those
displays still exist somewhere in town.

IamZed
Premium Member
join:2001-01-10
Dayton, OH

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said by saber11:
We use to eat at Charlie's, or get ice cream at the ice cream parlor at Rike's. Ah those were the day's.

You mean Charley’s in the Arcade? Gwad I loved that place and the oyster bar downstairs. It all belongs to Danis now as well as half the rest of the city.

Hall
MVM
join:2000-04-28
Germantown, OH

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Didn't they display "some" of the Christmas stuff in the Kettering Tower for the past couple of years ? I think today or yesterday there was an article about these display going to the Schuster (sp ?) Center when it's complete...

By the way, ain't Rikes that old building they blew up a few years ago ?? Sorry, I've only lived here a few, well, more than a few, years...

rds24a
Teach Your Children
Premium Member
join:2000-12-13
Newton Upper Falls, MA

rds24a

Premium Member

Yup. It went kaboom. As far as I know the only structure
ever imploded in Dayton.

Mark910
Premium Member
join:2002-04-21
Dayton, OH

Mark910

Premium Member


[/QUOTE]I used to go to the candy store , they had the best chocolat covered pretzles, light and dark chocolate. Guess that is why I have a gut today.

IamZed
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join:2001-01-10
Dayton, OH

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Wow, I was there when they imploded that monolith. It was so much fun. I don’t think the site would please any American today. We ran down the streets being chassed by the cloud of smoke and debris. Not funny anymore.

Hall
MVM
join:2000-04-28
Germantown, OH

Hall

MVM

Why were you that close ?? Only the people involved the implosion were anywhere near... They had the streets blocked off for quite a few blocks. You weren't even allowed in the buildings nearby.

IamZed
Premium Member
join:2001-01-10
Dayton, OH

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The crap blew thru the barricades as crap doesn’t recognize such things. It was fast moving as it approached the barricades and slowed as it reached them. If you stood at the barricades and didn’t move you would be covered in crap. We had to move kinda fast on the downwind side. It was an image that was fascinating at the moment but horrifying today.
Go to my Pizza party (see other post)