Yaws and Such

R.I.P. Yaws in Portland

A week or so ago I wrote about committing dietary adultery when I strayed way off course and ordered french fries with gravy. From that little admission of trespass the story has morphed into one concerned with a classic old restaurant in Portland, Oregon called Yaws. Yaws first opened in 1926 and closed in 1982. Subsequently it appears to have attained almost cult status, although I seriously doubt people drive by and leave flowers at the site of the former restaurant as they would at the grave of a rock star or a certain platinum blonde of the 50's. Even so, it seems my family members who grew up in Portland and went to Grant High School all remain loyal in their esteemed memory of this lost icon of food, especially the cruisin' drive-in variety of the 1950's and early 60's.

Among the recollections of Yaws is that of the "Tootsie Roll cop," an off-duty city policeman hired to keep the cruisers under control and who was always quick to hand out one of the many miniature Tootsie Rolls he kept in his pocket. Thick shakes, french fries with gravy, and the Yaw's Top Notch Burger were all bricks in the edifice of this once popular eatery. If you read the link above you'll discover the restaurant owners were equally diligent in providing for both their customers and their employees.

I ate there once, probably in the mid 70's. I went expecting to find a glorious time piece from the 50's and, instead, found an ailing senior on life support. I don't remember much beyond disappointment. I think by then people had moved on, abandoning the old guard of the cruisin' era and moving into the era of the "next thing" where the old was out simply by virtue of age and predictability. I seem to recall a whole slough of fad restaurants in the late 60's and 70's. Restaurants like Yaws were left to atrophy and expire.

This lesson and its subject remind me of many others I've known over the years. Many, like Yaws in Portland and Ships in Westwood, are gone and missed by many. A few remain today. Old restaurants, stalwart institutions, that offer a slice of life and provide a million memories that stretch for several generations every day they're open for business. Some of the old timers have fallen off the mark but others remain true to their original commitment to quality and value.

If you're lucky enough to live within reach of one of the great old restaurants then do yourself a favor: Drop in now and then. With few exceptions, they won't be around forever. And you'll miss them when they're gone.

R.I.P. Ships in Westwood