This is definitely a throwback, not only to another year in another century, but really to another era.
This goes back to my senior year at Whitman College in 1968-69. If you’re not familiar with Whitman, it’s a smallish liberal arts college in Walla Walla, Washington. The area is now known for its many vineyards and fine wine, but that whole industry grew up after my time there. In our era, it was surrounded by wheat fields.
Pizza Pete was one of the go-to spots for late night snacks on nights that I didn’t participate in closing down The Green, a small bar a few walkable blocks from campus that was a home-away-from-home for those at the college who were 21 or could fake being 21 (I recall being there in both categories, at one time or another). But that’s another story.
Pizza Pete’s had one great feature. They delivered, which added to the allure. I remember that after studying into the evening, Meda and I would call and each order a submarine sandwich (“four meats, pizza sauce, cheese”) and a tossed green salad with blue cheese dressing. Delivered. Total cost for the two of us, including a 50 cent delivery charge, was $2.50, according to the menu. I recall always enjoying the moment when the car from Pizza Pete would pull up.
And check the pizza prices. A medium 12″ pizza with pepperoni, anchovies, and green pepper (our favorite at the time) would have cost less than $2 ($1.85 to be precise).
I really have trouble believing the prices, but I guess they were typical of that era. The menu survived an earlier purge and was safely tucked into a box of the previously sorted survivors.
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Wasn’t the legal drinking age back then 18? And by the time it was raised to 21, I was 21, so it worked out perfectly!
In Washington State, the age was 21. I think Hawaii the legal drinking age was 20 at that time.
I think it was 1970 when the voting age became 18. I’m not sure if that was the legal drinking age or if that followed soon thereafter. The thinking was that, if 18 was old enough to get killed in Vietnam, the young men subject to the draft should be able to vote for or against the lawmakers sending them off to combat. They should also be allowed to drink alcohol if they came to the U. S. on R&R (usually Hawai’i) or if hospitalized (often at Tripler) and released to finish their recovery as outpatients…
MY time just a few years later the Pizza was a bit more but Yes I remember his place. My dad was actually pretty good friends with him Pete that is and when we were there they’d sit and talk while we ate.No one can get that pizza like that was. The crust the pepperoni. the sauce it was the best around.
Spaghetti was also good. and Yes I remember them as the Pudgie Pete.
The owner who originally opened Pizza Pete on 9th St and later moved to Isaac’s St across from the Green Lantern Tavern was Jerry Manuel. Pizza was seen as a fad in the early ‘60’s but Jerry made it work well with great ingredients and service. He later ditched the franchise and renamed the restaurant Pepe’s Pizza.
Yeah don’t remember it being on 9th Street just remember it on Issac’s as you said just across the Green lantern. Don’t know if that was his name of not. I remember his Name as Pete but yeah you could be right. And yeah I remember it being called that too. And then something else but yeah one or the best Pizza I remember anyhow. They’re Pudgy Pete sandwich and Spaghetti was very good. I remember the fire pit in the center of the room and we usually sat there, or near there. Then if Dad had a quarter I would play the games they had. OR before games they had the Juke box, but yeah watch them make the Pizzas was fun too. OK yeah looked it up and yeah from the memorial site of they Guys name that’s him so sorry yeah. He may have made fun of me being a kid and just said his name was Pete or something but yeah the mustache I remember so yeah.
Still he knew my dad and they’d sit and talk while we ate.
Abby’s Pizza where the Steak place is near BI-Mart wasn’t too bad neither I think that’s where it was or maybe on 9th but it was Shakey’s for a while then though so memory where Abbies was may not be clear. But yeah out of them all Pizza Pete’s was the best.