Midwest Book Review

From the Back of the House
Gary L. Rockey
Heritage Books
100 Railroad Ave, Suite 104, Westminster, Maryland 21157-4826
www.heritagebooks.com 1-800-876-6103
9780788449161 $30.50, www.amazon.com

From the Back of the House: Memories of a Steak House Clan is more than a memoir - it's the story of "Jim's Steak House" of Ohio's Cleveland Flats, well known as one of the most high-quality, top-class places to go for anniversaries, weddings, birthdays, graduations, celebratory dinners and more. Author Gary L. Rockey begins with the story of how Greek emigrant James Kerkles founded the restaurant in 1930, then goes on to tell how he was adopted into Jim's family at the age of ten. Taken in by veteran restaurateur Raymond Rockey, young G. L. Rockey saw the business of good food and good service in action. He offers an eclectic variety of tales from the restaurant's flourishing years, ranging in tone from joyful to poignant. From the Back of the House is also a glimpse into the culture and personalities of a bygone era, rounded out with scrapbook photographs, newspaper reviews, magazine articles, and menus from Jim's Steak House. An engaging and vivid remembrance of the highs and lows of daily life in "the hospitality business", highly recommended.

From the Back of the House: Memories of a Steak House Clan
by G. L. Rockey
Heritage Books

This is a very well written and easy to read book. It is very comical in some parts, honest in others with a lot of special memories woven throughout. The history of how the restaurant was established is an interesting part of this book. I especially enjoyed the pictures. The pictures took you back to the actual time and place. Many special events and memories were created there. If you had one, you need to read this. It is always interesting to know what really happens "In the Back of the House". Very often it is not sunshine and flowers. This book is a keeper.
5*****
By Book Worm
August 2009

From the Back of the House

From the Back of the House: Memories of a Steak House Clan
by Gary L. Rockey

Located in Ohio's celebrated Cleveland Flats, Jim's Steak House was the place to go for people from Cleveland to London and beyond. Thousands of patrons from boat captains to school teachers to movers and shakers celebrated anniversaries,weddings, birthdays, graduations, special memories, and more at Jim's.
While dining on their favorite choice cuts of beef and famous hash browns,they ogled the fabled Cuyahoga River, the Terminal Tower, and giant oar boats easing round Collision Point. Beginning with the restaurant's founding in 1930 by Greek emigrant, James Kerkles, the story recounts his marriage to much younger, and colorful, Hilda Hoffman. After Kerkles' untimely death, Hilda (later to be known as The Queen of the Flats) nurtured her two most cherished "babies": Jim's Steak House and her deceased sister's son, Raymond Rockey.
Adopted into the Jim's family at the age of ten by life long restaurateur, Raymond Rockey, G. L. Rockey grew up living in the apartment above Jim's and witnessed, from the back, top, and front, what some call the "hospitality business." This is a personal recollection-"cynical, biting, opinionated, humorous, poignant, revealing"-of Jim's and the clan that were part of a major city's restaurant scene for sixty-plus years.
"No small potatoes," noted Cleveland author Les Roberts' detective, Milan Jacovich, operates out of a fictional office next to Jim's. In real life, Roberts hung out in Jim's lounge and has written an introduction to this book.
Inserted throughout are scrapbook photographs,newspaper reviews, magazine articles, and Jim's menus that verify and chronicle a colorful chunk of local history and culture.

ORDER AT www.Heritage Books.com

Time&Chance www.glrockey.com

He seems to be worked up pretty good and I place a hand on his arm.

He smiles. "Sorry, I get so upset I could . . . but this greed, I hate it. "

I tell him I understand and say, "My book Time&Chance touches on the subject of greed, you know Thomas Wolfe wrote about it in You Can't Go Home Again."

He looked at me for more than a moment, then began: "I’ve read Wolfe, ‘I think the enemy is old as time and evil as hell . . .has been there with us from the beginning . . . stole our earth . . . destroyed our wealth . . . ravaged and land . . . took our people and enslaved them . . . polluted the fountains or our life, took unto himself . . . our own passion . . . our bread and left us with a crust, and, not content, for the nature of the enemy is insatiate--tried finally to take from us the crust. I think the enemy is single selfishness and compulsive greed. I think the enemy is blind, but has the brutal power of his blind grab.’"

I’m beyond impressed but won’t tell him that. "That says it all."

Then we talk. He says when you get to be over a certain age you start appreciating time more.

FROM THE BACK OF THE HOUSE:

Memories of a Steak House Clan

by

G. L. Rockey

(with introduction by Les Roberts)

Five star Review

And so here we are. What can you say, it's like you died and the most contentious race is over and you shake hands with St. Peter and he says you made the team, purgatory at least, and you realize you will not be going south, there it was, the truth, Oni would not be getting his bony little hands on your anything. The tumblers of time fell into place, all was peace, good.