Pizza Parlor Pipe Organ (clubbing, psychiatrist, deal)

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Well, I drove by the old Organ Grinder yesterday, it's now an asian buffet.
A friend of mine says it's above average for that kind of place.

You can still make out the original lines of the building.

Isn't there a Pietro's in Milwaukie by the bowling alley?

[EnricoV]

Yes, as to the Pietro's in Milwaukie.

[Rob Allen]

Pietro's never died:

It's a circular ride for Pietro's Pizza of Milwaukie: Mom and Pop to big chain, to local business again | OregonLive.com

Pietro's Pizza expanding to Beaverton with laser tag and mini golf | OregonLive.com

[carpenterant]

I just found this article written by the owner. I just skimmed it (it's a wall of text for 6 pages), but it's kind of interesting for the look at a slice of Portland life in the 70s. The owner also had a part in a disco in Beaverton called Earthquake Ethel's Roadhouse. Anyone remember it?

Dennis Hedberg pg1

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by carpenterant

I just found this article written by the owner. I just skimmed it (it's a wall of text for 6 pages), but it's kind of interesting for the look at a slice of Portland life in the 70s. The owner also had a part in a disco in Beaverton called Earthquake Ethel's Roadhouse. Anyone remember it?

Dennis Hedberg pg1

Yes, I remember it.

[Steve Pickering]

This Quote from page five says it all ........

"The Organ Grinder closed January 30, 1996. Dismantlement of the organ began the next day. At the end the organ contained 50 ranks, and 48 were playing. I never got to finish the last two. A day or two later, I happened to walk to the front of the restaurant just as the console was being loaded on a truck. I couldn’t bear to watch anymore—I returned to my office and cried. An auction later disposed of everything else I owned in the building. On February 29, 1996, with my friend and most loyal employee, Paul Quarino, we handed over our building keys to the landlord’s representative. We all shook hands, said nothing, and walked away. It was over.

From that day until recently, I didn’t want anything to do with a theatre organ. It just hurt too much. It seemed ironic that after spending so much of my life with theatre organs, nearly all that I was associated with were no longer extant. Other than photographs, recordings, and memories, there was almost no tangible evidence I accomplished anything — or so I thought." ... ... Excerpt from Web Page Dennis Hedberg pg5 , February 19th, 2014. Dennis Hedberg - My Life with Theatre Organs and Disco, Current Issue - ATOS March/April

[JohnLeslie02]

i remember the Organ Grinder as a kid in Portland. i used to go there and always had a blast. i took a trip recently for spring break with my family taking my wife and kids to take them to share my experience but my mom told me it was no longer there which was very sad and disappointing because i know my kids and wife would have loved it. we live in New Mexico and there is no Organ Grinder anywhere near by.

[58rhodes]

Originally Posted by JohnLeslie02

i remember the Organ Grinder as a kid in Portland. i used to go there and always had a blast. i took a trip recently for spring break with my family taking my wife and kids to take them to share my experience but my mom told me it was no longer there which was very sad and disappointing because i know my kids and wife would have loved it. we live in New Mexico and there is no Organ Grinder anywhere near by.

Lost days

[Nell Plotts]

Me too.

[take57]

Originally Posted by carpenterant

I just found this article written by the owner. I just skimmed it (it's a wall of text for 6 pages), but it's kind of interesting for the look at a slice of Portland life in the 70s. The owner also had a part in a disco in Beaverton called Earthquake Ethel's Roadhouse. Anyone remember it?

I spent way too much time in there. Hated disco, didn't much care for the clubbing scene but I had a mad crush on a girl that loved the place so off I'd go.

They had a deal that a couple of times each night they would do an "earthquake" with their very expensive sound system which was accomplished by turning up the volume on the subwoofers to jet engine levels. I mean way above 100db. God that place was awful.
Never got anywhere with the girl either...