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Lots of skeletons starting to come out about Hazell's time...this one is unreal...

and Morris Bryant was more than just an all you can eat Smorgasbord . it was an elite restaurant - one you took your prom date to or ate at for Mothers Day. Rather than just serving roast beef , gravy and mashed potatoes, it served slices of prime rib, lobster, shrimp and other fine foods.

and that's how I remember Purdue football. At one time Purdue football was an elite program. but it seemed like its owner just didn't want to try to build it back up to where it once was. I know purdue football can be elite. I've witnessed and experienced it. But to be elite, you have to want to be and that comes fro the top down!
It was a great place to eat and that is how I remember MB AND Purdue Football both Great. Football can be again!
 
The best place down there was Alphonso's(?) or Alfanos(?) pizza, not so much for the pizza but for the stuffed breadsticks. I remember they were in the coupon book you got when you purchased books at Follett's. The deal was 2 stuffed breadsticks with 2 toppings and with 2 drinks for $9.95. It was the "roommate special" although I always bought it for myself and had one each day. These things were the size of a football. It was so good until maybe fall of 1997 then they vanished. Would not answer the phone then it was disconnected. I later met a delivery person and he said it was like the Baltimore Colts- just left in the middle of the night. I believe it was in Lafayette- never went there only did delivery. Man were those things bright spots in an otherwise pizza desert.
 
I loved Alfano's. It was in the same building as J&L records. Alfano's in West Lafayette was actually a second location, ran by the son of the original owner, I believe. The original is still there in Knoxville Illinois. Stuffed breadsticks and all. You can look them up on facebook.
 
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I would ultimately agree with that. Burke was given a budget, and he didn't have any cost over run. But he also didn't try to increase his revenues to increase his budget. As I look at Purdue, I also look at the restaurants around it. The XXX and Dog and Suds have been there forever, but have put very little back into their business. They exist primarily based on past tradition. In the 70's and 80's you had Mountain Jacks, the Oaks, Cork and Cleaver, Morris Bryant, MCL cafeteria, Pizza King and Pizza Keg, Noble Romans, the Chocolate Shop, Sarge Biltz, Hour Time, and Bruno's. The older posters will remember those places. The younger posters will wonder what I'm talking about. Many of those places no longer exist. But Bruno's remains one of West Lafayette's best restaurants because it saw the need to move, and reinvest in itself.

And so it is with Purdue football. It's great to stay within a budget, and talk about traditions and the old days . It's great to relive the Breese years. But if that is all you do, you will end up being an old memory just like Morris Bryant (a 4 star restaurant) and the many other old Lafayette area restaurants. To be continually successful, you can't rest on the past accomplishments. You need to reinvest in your self and your future. that's what Bruno's did.

I'll mention a few more in the early 70's--Sorrentos, Jolly Bryant, Lums, and Pig n Whistle.

Edit: some more, Riehle's and Stineys

Edit: Just thought of another. I know it is just like an Arby's, but I have fond memories because of who I would go with. That place was Sir Beef out on Teal Rd.

Edit: I just keep recalling them. Another was the Heidelberg in Downtown Lafayette.

Edit: Did anyone mention Sarge Oaks yet? I'll be back.
 
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Sarge actually owned two places. he had Sarge Biltz on hwy 52, and he had Sarge Oaks downtown by the theater. one of the places I loved and could afford as a student was RAX on HWY 52 near the Dog and Suds.. I can't believe nobody has mentioned the frozen custard place by Columbia Park.

I sure wish my memory of Purdue football was as good as my memory of Purdue food.
 
The best place down there was Alphonso's(?) or Alfanos(?) pizza, not so much for the pizza but for the stuffed breadsticks. I remember they were in the coupon book you got when you purchased books at Follett's. The deal was 2 stuffed breadsticks with 2 toppings and with 2 drinks for $9.95. It was the "roommate special" although I always bought it for myself and had one each day. These things were the size of a football. It was so good until maybe fall of 1997 then they vanished. Would not answer the phone then it was disconnected. I later met a delivery person and he said it was like the Baltimore Colts- just left in the middle of the night. I believe it was in Lafayette- never went there only did delivery. Man were those things bright spots in an otherwise pizza desert.
I've got a story about Alfano's vanishing. I worked for Pete Alfano for a little while (great guy by the way), and he paid everyone at both Alfano's and Pepper Pete's in cash. Someone tipped him off in late 1997 that the Feds were onto him, and he just shut everything down and vanished, pretty much overnight. Even the managers didn't know where he went. Just gone. One guy said he went "back to the Old Country", but no idea if that was true.
 
This goes back a ways but I remember great steaks at The Flame -it was not a student destination but was popular with locals-52 & Union St-long gone but not forgotten
 
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Bruno had a brother named Orlando that had a place across Northwestern from the old Fieldhouse. Spent many a late night there during the second semester 70-71 as a freshman who had somehow landed a hot junior. Lasted for 3 years until she broke it off. Heard from her 3 years ago after her husband had died but told her it wasn't a good idea since I'm working on year 43 of marriage. She gracefully agreed. End of story.
 
Just off the Harrison Bridge was The Pub-every time I stopped in for some reason Bob DeMoss would be there too?
 
Remember the Barf and Gag? Corner of 3rd and University where Lawson is now.

Edit: The actual name was either the B & G or the Black & Gold.
 
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I loved Alfano's. It was in the same building as J&L records. Alfano's in West Lafayette was actually a second location, ran by the son of the original owner, I believe. The original is still there in Knoxville Illinois. Stuffed breadsticks and all. You can look them up on facebook.
ROAD TRIP!
 
I've got a story about Alfano's vanishing. I worked for Pete Alfano for a little while (great guy by the way), and he paid everyone at both Alfano's and Pepper Pete's in cash. Someone tipped him off in late 1997 that the Feds were onto him, and he just shut everything down and vanished, pretty much overnight. Even the managers didn't know where he went. Just gone. One guy said he went "back to the Old Country", but no idea if that was true.
Great story! They said it was a quick departure. I did check out the one in Knoxville, Illinois and they look at how I remember them from 20 years ago.
 
Personally, I don't think Burke's job description had winning as the top priority. I think his job was first and foremost to stay on budget. Win as much as you can within that budget, but stay within it. As revenues skyrocketed while Burke was in office and others poured money back into their programs, Purdue chose not to. I don't think Burke chose the budget he had to work within although he might have been better served to speak up and say that we needed to do more to stay competitive with our conference peers.

At least that was my view of the situation. Burke was just a "yes" man to the President and BOT which served him well because that's who he ultimately had to answer to. Until the football program became embarrassingly bad under Hazell, neither the President (any of them) or the BOT were motivated (due to fan and alumni discontent) to solve those issues.
We all need to play the tape back on the day that MB held the press conference the day he introduced Tiller as our Coach. He stated then that Purdue would never be a "Football Power" and by god he kept his promise!!!
 
I remember Morgan's words when he introduced Hazel! It made me want to fire Morgan on the spot! In one statement he said Hope was being replaced because he just wasn't producing the expected results and that Hazel was hired not to rebuild our team, but rather to build upon what Hope left and to elevate it to a higher level! And then Burke said Purdue should strive to be in the top 7 of our conference! What type of an AD has a goal of being 7th best ? We all know the reality of Mich and OSU, but to publically state at a news conference introducing your new coach and your goal is 7th place? That disgusted me! I lost all confidence and respect for Morgan that day. It's one thing to be realistic. It's another thing to set your goal as being mediocre!
 
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Saying you want to finish top 7 doesn't exclude the possibility of finishing higher than 7th. To me that means basically he wants to be bowl eligible each year. Similar to saying a goal of the basketball team is to make the NCAA tournament doesn't imply that you don't want to win your conference or lose the first game in the tournament.
 
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Saying you want to finish top 7 doesn't exclude the possibility of finishing higher than 7th. To me that means basically he wants to be bowl eligible each year. Similar to saying a goal of the basketball team is to make the NCAA tournament doesn't imply that you don't want to win your conference or lose the first game in the tournament.


it still did not set well with me. here you have the AD saying he fired Hope because he wanted something better than what Hope brought to the table, and then says his goal is 7th place. If you're the AD, your goal should always be first place. or at least that is what your publically stated goal should be.
 
I remember Morgan's words when he introduced Hazel! It made me want to fire Morgan on the spot! In one statement he said Hope was being replaced because he just wasn't producing the expected results and that Hazel was hired not to rebuild our team, but rather to build upon what Hope left and to elevate it to a higher level! And then Burke said Purdue should strive to be in the top 7 of our conference! What type of an AD has a goal of being 7th best ? We all know the reality of Mich and OSU, but to publically state at a news conference introducing your new coach and your goal is 7th place? That disgusted me! I lost all confidence and respect for Morgan that day. It's one thing to be realistic. It's another thing to set your goal as being mediocre!
You had respect for Morgan that long? WOW!
 
Veno's used to hand out stickers that said "Have you had a piece lately?", or something along those lines.

Alfano's also had a pizzeria in Monmouth, Illinois, where I grew up. My recollection is that it was run by two brothers who ended up not seeing eye, and they went their separate ways with one of the brothers remaining in Monmouth. That would have been sometime in the late 1960s. Who knows, maybe it was completely different, but Monmouth and Knoxville are only about 25 miles apart.
 
You had respect for Morgan that long? WOW!


there were several periods of time I didn't follow Purdue athletics at all. I have no idea when Morgan was hired, nor did I care. I just wanted to see him leave.
 
Veno's used to hand out stickers that said "Have you had a piece lately?", or something along those lines.

Alfano's also had a pizzeria in Monmouth, Illinois, where I grew up. My recollection is that it was run by two brothers who ended up not seeing eye, and they went their separate ways with one of the brothers remaining in Monmouth. That would have been sometime in the late 1960s. Who knows, maybe it was completely different, but Monmouth and Knoxville are only about 25 miles apart.


Sounds like the lore of the Pizza King brothers.
 
There was also a nice restaurant just north of the Smitees grocery store on Norhwestern up by the family inn. As for food quantity, there was always Duffs by the mall in Lafayette. And I loved the Ben and Jerrys ice cream place .
 
There were two very nice Aisian restaurants. One was in the village by the West Lafayette library. And the other was in Lafayette on hwy 25 (?) by Target and Caterpillar
 
What was the bar on the levee next to the McDonalds where all the under aged football players would go, and then get caught under aged drinking? There were the two in Lafayette on 6th street called the Chatterbox and something else when you got kicked out of one, you crossed the street and went into the other one?
 
What was the bar on the levee next to the McDonalds where all the under aged football players would go, and then get caught under aged drinking? There were the two in Lafayette on 6th street called the Chatterbox and something else when you got kicked out of one, you crossed the street and went into the other one?
The pool hall? Was it Nick's?
 
So what's the best places in the WL area now? We always go to Bruno's after a game so we don't know the best newcomers.
Looks like chains galore. Scotty's is a local chain but that has been pretty good. I read about the State Street project last fall which will completely change the Chauncey area if/when they do that.
 
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