The other evening we were invited to stop into the Parkside Meadow Bar and Restaurant to see the work that had been done. I last wrote about the business back in February, when owner Len Mattie first announced his intentions with the building (see here). While the eatery is not quite open yet, many of Len’s historic collections of Buffalo memorabilia now grace the walls and the shelves of the establishment, including bottles, growlers, menus, brewery trays, photos and Larkin-related items.
At this point I’m not going to spoil all of the surprises, but I did want to shed a light on one of Len’s fascinating collections that he has framed on the walls. Over the years Len has collected matchbooks from old bars, pubs, taverns and the like. The collection is literally the history of Buffalo’s lounges, grills and restaurants, including long gone cabarets, inns and bowling alleys.
This collection of matchbooks is a journey through Buffalo’s Golden Age. If anyone ever gets a chance to create prints from the matchbooks, I’m sure that they would be a big hit with Buffalo lovers of all ages.
To follow the progress of “The PM”, check out their Facebook page. Click on the images to enlarge.