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.