Through the Great Depression, World War II, the Baby Boom, the Beatles, Vietnam, Watergate, disco, and Reagan, Drake's sold chocolate cordials, orange marmalade sandwiches, pecan rolls, and limeade (fresh-squeezed, with the rind in the glass) to three generations of University of Michigan students....I know I did. I'm no longer married to my old Michigan classmate, but we loved the limeade, and now I'm with l.meade.
When the Michigan Alumnus solicited memories of Drake's from readers, a surprising number said they had dated their future spouses there.
July 14, 2012
"Depression-era green was the enduring color scheme."
Remembering Drake's Sandwich Shops.
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8 comments:
Depression-era green goes with everything.
Industrial beige became cheaper in the 70s with the opening of mines in China.
but we loved the limeade, and now I'm with l.meade.
Meade retained the tittle of the limeade.
All I remember of Horn & Hardart was the blue.
Ann Althouse said...
we loved the limeade, and now I'm with l.meade.
Portent is everywhere.
A place like Drake's could only exist in nicer more civilized Ann Arbor. Now the State St. & N. University neighborhood is all U of M buildings or hipster friendly coffee/tea places.
Lime juice sours if left unconsumed for more than a few hours.
And it's sour to start.
I was the last customer of Drake's on the day they closed. The owners daughter gave me an invitation to when they sold off many of the things in the place. I showed up 10 minutes late so both the 'limeade' sign and the huge pile of 20's and 30's jazz 78s were sold already! I did score some signs though...one held in a picture by the owners daughter on the day of her Sweet Sixteen party! Poodle skirt, black and pink details, saddle shoes... I felt like she was selling me her childhood!
Plus, I scored a folded paper 'frycook' hat with their name on it...
My wife and I loved Drake's. Sandwiches like you'd make at home. If you wanted a sandwich it was like you pulled the meat out of your own fridge and put the pieces together yourself. The portions were perfect as were the prices which seemed unchanged over all that time. Desert was a few pieces of candy. Perfect date!
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