 
1701
Member
Username: 1701
Post Number: 1
Registered: 05-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2007 - 4:27 pm: |    |
Does anyone remember the name of the up-scale restaurant that was located in a beautiful old mansion somewhere in the sliver of land located between Larned and Jefferson bounded by Chene and McDougall? It was near the old Parke Davis complex (now the Stroh's River Place). I seem to recall that an old Motown artist, either Diana Ross or Aretha Franklin purchased it about 25 years ago but the project didn't pan out and the structure was raised. Can anybody remember the name? |
Crew
Member
Username: Crew
Post Number: 1240
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2007 - 4:43 pm: | |
Chene House, the restaurant was Little Harry's
Anita Baker's husband had it town down to make way for the IHOP.
(Message edited by Crew on May 02, 2007) |
Ray1936
Member
Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 1397
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2007 - 4:45 pm: | |
That response took 16 minutes. Getting a little slow on this forum, gang.  |
Jams
Member
Username: Jams
Post Number: 4916
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2007 - 4:48 pm: | |
Anita Baker and her husband had Little Harry's razed starting at 1am on a Sunday after having the injunction lifted late on a Friday afternoon.
Enjoy your pancakes at IHOP. |
The_rock
Member
Username: The_rock
Post Number: 1736
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2007 - 4:49 pm: | |
While you are still picking your memory, name the restaurant that used to be just to the West of Little Harry's many moons ago. I think it was on the corner and there may be a bank there now. Good restaurant, good food. Not as fancy as Little Harry's, but pretty close. |
Crew
Member
Username: Crew
Post Number: 1241
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2007 - 4:51 pm: | |
I'm not that old |
Fury13
Member
Username: Fury13
Post Number: 1596
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2007 - 5:36 pm: | |
I've said this before, and I'll say it again: I will never, ever buy an Anita Baker record or attend an Anita Baker show because of what she and her husband did. Lifetime boycott. |
Patrick
Member
Username: Patrick
Post Number: 4337
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2007 - 5:42 pm: | |
anyone have a picture of it? |
Jimg
Member
Username: Jimg
Post Number: 833
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2007 - 5:59 pm: | |
Fury13, I feel the same way and heartily applaud your efforts...but I somehow can't see you going to an Anita Baker concert, or owning her recordings, under any circumstances... |
1701
Member
Username: 1701
Post Number: 2
Registered: 05-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2007 - 7:13 pm: | |
Wow!!! You guys are good. That's it. Little Harry's and Anita Baker. Thank you all, this was driving my wife and I nuts because we couldn't remember! |
Gargoyle
Member
Username: Gargoyle
Post Number: 74
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2007 - 8:44 pm: | |
Ditto, Fury13. May her fortunes end up just like the Chene house. |
Harsensis
Member
Username: Harsensis
Post Number: 274
Registered: 07-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2007 - 9:33 pm: | |
I have a postcard of it when it was a house. I will see if I put it in my album. |
Bulletmagnet
Member
Username: Bulletmagnet
Post Number: 391
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2007 - 9:45 pm: | |
There is now a 'Baker Lane' in Grosse Pointe Farms, named for Anita.It is off Lake Shore Drive south of Moross. |
The_rock
Member
Username: The_rock
Post Number: 1738
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 03, 2007 - 11:26 am: | |
As I recall, there was actually a Court Order issued out of WCCC supposedly blocking the demolition of the place pending furthur court proceedings. It had been nailed to the front door or gate of the restaurant, but down she went anyway. So much for the Court Order.
By the way, the restaurant west of Little Harry's was Red Kemps. It went down well before Little Harry's met the wrecker's ball. |
Eric_w
Member
Username: Eric_w
Post Number: 157
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, May 05, 2007 - 5:39 am: | |
I never wanted to see or Baker before that happened-SHE SUCKS!!!! |
Urbanize
Member
Username: Urbanize
Post Number: 1099
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, May 05, 2007 - 5:48 pm: | |
Well, so much for supporting famous Detroiters. AB doesn't even own the place anymore, so give her a break and hack at the person running it now. Wasn't Harry's closed anyway? |
Gargoyle
Member
Username: Gargoyle
Post Number: 78
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, May 06, 2007 - 2:38 pm: | |
The hacking of Ms. Baker is not about the current condition of the IHOP restaurant. It is about her lies and deceit regarding the Chene house.
Ms. Baker promised to rehab the building, turning it into a recording studio, I think. Please correct me if I'm wrong. It's been a while.
Instead, she had it razed in violation of a court order, and when confronted about it, defended her actions because Little Harry's had denied African-Americans service. As if the very building itself was somehow racist and must be destroyed.
Some people feel that justice would have been better served had she lived up to her promises and created a vibrant black-owned business in a beautiful, historic building. Instead, we have the IHOP. What a wonderful statement it makes. |
Jams
Member
Username: Jams
Post Number: 4940
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, May 06, 2007 - 3:16 pm: | |
Actually she did not violate the injunction, it was lifted around 3 or 4pm on a Friday afternoon, too late to be reinstated.
Demolition commenced around 1am Sunday morning on the Larned side (back of the building) and too much damage was done to the building before court opened on Monday to be able to restore the injunction.
I still vividly remember the shock I felt as I was driving down Larned that morning about 8am. |
Jams
Member
Username: Jams
Post Number: 4941
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, May 06, 2007 - 3:30 pm: | |
The really irritating thing to me was most of the rest of that block toward McDougal was and remained vacant until just a few years ago.
Count me in as a lifelong boycotter |
Gargoyle
Member
Username: Gargoyle
Post Number: 80
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, May 06, 2007 - 9:11 pm: | |
Thanks for the correction, Jams. |
Urbanize
Member
Username: Urbanize
Post Number: 1127
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, May 06, 2007 - 9:36 pm: | |
"Some people feel that justice would have been better served had she lived up to her promises and created a vibrant black-owned business in a beautiful, historic building. Instead, we have the IHOP. What a wonderful statement it makes."
I would of prefered the black-owned business myself, but the city's first and only IHOP isn't really all that bad either. |