As remembered by L. O’Connor, age 55 January 21, 2009.
Ronnie’s Restaurant
How enjoyable it was to visit this unique establishment near Colonial Plaza in the 60’s and 70’s. The design and decor was a throwback to the 50’s. There was a restaurant on the left, and a Jewish bakery on the right, connected by an inside passage. They served lunch and dinner, but my family went there for breakfast. On the table was a complimentary basket of assorted rolls, pastries – little cakes and pecan rolls, and a relish tray with olives and pickles. When my Aunt Amelia visited us from Ft. Lauderdale, she had to go there. She would buy an assortment of pastries and breads to take back with her, and would also buy some for my brothers and I. This, in part, made her our favorite aunt. (She also liked to go to Lake Eola at night to see the colored fountain, which was a popular attraction at this time). My mom liked to buy one or two loaves of rye bread to take home and eat with hard salami. The restaurant sadly closed in 1995.
LISTEN to other memories of Ronnie’s Restaurant
Interview with Fred Houk (30:23)
Interview with Charlie Hoeck and Mike Worrell (5:08)
Comments from the original Orlando Memory site
Fred Houk Matchbooks 11
Matchbook covers from the famous Ronnies Restaurant which was located at Colonial Plaza.
Ronnie's Menu Cover
From Ronnie's Restuarant at the time they closed around 1994.
Ronnie's Menu Cover
From Ronnie's Restuarant at the time they closed around 1994.
No description has been added yet
No description has been added yet
10-20-09 interview with long time citrus professional and Central Florida resident Fred Houk. Mr. Houk spent his years on the road documenting Florida historical markers that eventually won him honors in 1987 from the Florida Cabinet. Mr. Houk participated in getting the official spelling of Lake Jesup corrected to use only one "s" (after General Thomas Sidney Jesup). Retired now, Mr. Houk has amassed the largest matchbook collection in the state of Florida.
10-21-09 Mike Worrell and Charlie Hoeck Int Pt 10 (Ronnie's Restaurant)
Blog of Ronnie's Restaurant on the Orlando Sentinel.com website. Now archived, it can be seen on the Internet Archive.
https://web.archive.org/web/20070220144413/http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_food_blog/2007/01/remembering_ron.htmlRonnie's Restaurant menu cover. This is the bottom half the a Ronnies Restaurant Menu from about 1994 when the closed.
