Honoring J.L. Hudson's Department Store

Every household living in or near a large city during most of the twentieth century, had a favorite department store where they shopped.  For my family, that department store was J.L. Hudson's in downtown Detroit.

As a child I rode the bus into the City with my mother, and was her companion on all-day shopping excursions at the massive store. [I loved the elevator rides!] Their fabulous mechanically animated Christmas window displays are forever etched in my memory!  And I'm sure my girlfriend and I felt really grown up when we went downtown to shop at Hudson's by ourselves as high school seniors.  But the best memory of all was filling out my bridal registry at the grand flagship store. 

Over time, malls made shopping trips to  downtown Detroit a thing of the past, but in spite of life's changes, Hudson's memories continue to remain alive.

A few years ago I began corresponding with Angela, at Tea With Friends blog, about my Hudson's memories.  Soon I was collecting store memorabilia, and meeting with Hudson's author and historian, Mike Hauser.

When Angela published her book, Dainty Dining, a fabulous book highlighting several department stores and their tea rooms [including a chapter on Hudson's], I began researching Hudson's food service. As a tea lover, I wish I would have experienced the pleasure of dining at Hudson's  Mezzanine Tea Room!

I've read the Silver Grille book from Cleveland's Higbee's Department Store, and on a recent trip to Indianapolis, Indiana I purchased an L.S. Ayres Department Store Tea Room book. I concluded Hudson's needs a book about its Mezzanine Tea Room and Dining Restaurants.  I recently met with Mike Hauser to brainstorm the possibility over a Maurice Salad!

A project of this sort will require input from many, so this soft/preliminary announcement is being made on my blog since J.L. Hudson posts are some of my most visited posts.   

I would love hearing from former Hudson waitresses or kitchen employees who can provide recipes, photographs, and interesting experiences.  Dining memories from the Mezzanine Tea Room, or one of Hudson's Dining Rooms would also be appreciated. I recently read a quote that sums up this endeavor: "The past asks only to be remembered."  That's what I intend to do by putting memories in print as a lasting tribute to the 'Grand Dame of Woodward Avenue', as well as for the enjoyment of everyone who loved Hudson's!

Fifth Annual Ladies' Spring Tea - "Hudson's, the Grande Dame of Woodward Avenue"

The church Ladies' Spring Tea was held this past Saturday, May 12th at Sycamore Hills Golf Club. 

Banquet Facility Entrance [We were in room two - right of the fireplace]

The theme was J. L. Hudson's - The Grande Dame of Woodward Avenue

- Printed Program -

Tablescape:  I chose potted plants as centerpieces because the Riverview Restaurant on the 13th floor used potted plants for their decor in a photograph I acquired.  I gave them away at the end of the tea -- three of which went to former Hudson employees who were attending.

Bars aren't always used for serving alcohol and soda pop.  It was the perfect spot for my two tea urns. I served Harney and Sons Mango black tea. [Thanks Linda for the "taste test" at your house!]

Each table selected a hostess to take the silver teapot from their table to the urns to be filled.   Filling their teapots in the photo below.

 

It's always a little unnerving signing a contract for a specific number of people, but I made my quota of 50.   They all seemed to have a good time.

I took Hudson's recipes to the banquet facility and the chef prepared a meal that would have been available at one of the five restaurants located inside the flagship store.  We started off with Canadian Cheese soup.

Hudson's famous Maurice Salad

Dessert - Hot Fudge Ice Cream Puff

The program focused on three areas: [1] Hudson's two tea rooms [2] J.L. Hudson - the man, and [3] J.L. Hudson's magnificent store. At the conclusion of the program, attendees who wanted to share some of their favorite Hudson memories had the opportunity to do so.

Display case my hubby built for my J.L. Hudson memorabilia.

Between our annual Christmas Teas and Ladies' Spring Teas I have used several banquet facilities, but Sycamore Hills Golf Club has become my all-time favorite, and we will definitely go back there.   Their food was delicious and their staff  extremely accommodating.  Thank you, Sycamore Hills!

Dining at J.L. Hudson's

I've eaten in some of Hudson's suburban mall restaurants when they still existed, but regrettably never in any of the flagship store's dining rooms or tea rooms.

In Hudson's early years, their restaurant was located on the 7th floor and was known as The Café.  In 1928 the 13th floor became home to three formal dining rooms - The Georgian Dining Room, The Early American Dining Room [reserved for non-smokers], and the Pine Room [which later became the Beef Emporium - a popular business men's luncheon spot]. 

Below is a 1929 Georgian Room lunch menu.   Tea was .20 cents for a single serving and .30 cents for two.  Among the selections were English Breakfast, Darjeeling and Orange Pekoe blends.

The Georgian Room

 

Davis Hillmer Collection, Courtesy of Detroit Historical Museum

A 1953 Restaurant Menu  

In 1958 the Georgian and Early American Rooms were combined to create the Riverview Dining Room with the ability to seat 450 guests

The Mezzanine Tea Room and Basement Tea Room opened in 1928.   In 1947 the Basement Tea Room transitioned to cafeteria-style dining.

In 1962, the elegant Mezzanine Tea Room converted to a buffet named Picadilly Circus.  The days of leisure lunches at tables covered with fresh linen cloths set with silver and fragile china became history.  July 1946 menu below.

Attempts to find archived photos of the Mezzanine Tea Room were unsuccessful, although a photo exists of the Mezzanine Soda Fountain which also opened in 1928 and was adjacent to the Mezzanine Tea Room.  

I purchased my first dishes with a J.L. Hudson back stamp in the summer of 2011.  The dealer said they were used in the tea room, but it's unverified.

The four silver-like pieces in the top row  below are made by International Silver Co. and are "silver soldered" [a metal alloy used for joining metal surfaces].  They are heavy and durable and bare marks of much use.  All pieces are back stamped J.L. Hudson Co. and were used in their dining establishments.  The bowl was used for ice cream, the cream pitchers are 1 1/2 oz. and 3 oz.   The tea pot wandered off to Texas before I purchased it and brought it back to Michigan [via E-bay]!   All of the flatware has the name Hudson's engraved on the handles either in front or on the back.  The earlier pieces are silver plate and the later pieces are stainless steel. 

The dishes below have the identical back stamp pictured above.  They're Royal Bayreuth, made in Germany, US Zone.   To date I've found the dinner plate, salad plate, bread & butter plate, berry bowl and cup and saucer.  The search continues! ;-)  These are said to have been used in Hudson's dining facilities too.

Tomorrow's post will continue on Hudson's eateries.