Viva Italian food on the Nevada Square

One of my very first articles from back in the late 90s, was titled, "G.I. Cafe." I had spent quite a bit of research time in the library, locating all the Nevada eateries, from our community's history. One of the legends from that period was Vieth's Cafe. Giovanni's has recently opened its doors in the same location.

In that original story, I detailed the history of so many wonderful dining venues, that I had visited, in my younger years. It was surprising how many restaurants there were, and how many were located close to the Square.

In that column, I related how my grandmother would often take me with her shopping around the Square. She had never learned to drive, so we walked from her home at 628 S. Cedar St.

She always referred to our six-block trek, as "going uptown." Nevada's Square had a vibrant business district in those days, and even if she had been able to drive, finding a parking place was always problematic back then.

There have been many attempts to revitalize the downtown business district over the past few decades, but they have met with only modest successes. I don't have any good ideas to offer on that score, but it really is a wonderful locale, that could use an infusion of activity.

I have not had an opportunity to visit the new Italian restaurant as yet, but I have heard good reviews, from several friends who have eaten there. I wish these latest restaurateurs much success.

Veith's Cafe was a famous and well-known business. It held the prestigious AAA rating. That meant that it was listed in the AAA travel book as a great place to stop for a meal, if you were passing through our town on either 71 or 54 highways.

Will Vieth was the owner of the cafe. I don't remember him, but his daughter Kathy, was a close friend of my sister's. Family owned restaurants and cafes, were the norm in that period of history.

I have many memories from the cafe. The waitresses were always dressed in immaculate dresses. They also wore a special type of waitress cap. Their neatly pressed attire always seemed to make the restaurant feel upscale.

There was a balcony that could be reached via a staircase. I don't know why that seemed so impressive, but it did give the place a "big city" feel. In the main area, there were booths along the windows, and a long bar complete with stools. I haven't been in since the most recent remodel, so I don't know if they have kept these or not.

On the north side of the restaurant, Vieth's had a large meeting room area. Many clubs held their gatherings in this venue. When I was in high school, this was where we always went, when they hosted our athletic banquets.

For years, there was a local group of men, who met for morning coffee at Vieth's. I was too young to attend, but I know that it was the "in place," for local knowledge. Men like (just to name a few) -- Joe Bradham, Fred Sanders, and Jim Rinehart, were regulars. If you wanted to know Nevada, Vieth's Cafe was the place to start your research.

Giovanni's joins the Iguana Azul Mexican Restaurant on our Square's southeastern area. The Iguana is located in what was once Scott's Dime Store. That should bring back some memories from the past. There was a time when shopping on our Square, was a full fare experience.

When I was a kid, our family always visited the Square on Saturday's. It was an amazing place. You could complete just about anything you needed too on Saturdays. The banks and doctor's offices were all open. Most of the businessmen in those days took off one day during the week and Sunday's. They would never have considered being closed on Saturdays.

All kinds of stores were open for business. Hardware, repair, jewelry, clothing, paint, pharmacies, and many other types of businesses flourished close to the Square.

One thing I miss more than anything is the lack of a good men's clothing store today. Back then there were several places where you could buy men's and boy's clothing. Several offered men's suits complete with alterations.

The traffic for business was once so great on our Square, that the city used this as a revenue source. On the Square and on the side streets for a block off the Square, you had to pay to park.

Parking meters were mounted along each parking slot. Every two hours, a foot patrolman from the police department, would walk the route, dispensing parking violations to those vehicles that had allowed their meter to expire.

The inside of the Square parking was free, but a two-hour limit resulted in a parking ticket, if you failed to move your car in the allotted time. The same patrolman would mark tires with a stick that held chalk on the end. If you had not moved, you received a ticket.

I wish the new restaurant good luck. We need all the businesses our town and Square can offer. I doubt if we will ever see the return of an era like that of Veith's AAA Cafe or the G.I. Cafe. That belongs to a different period of our history.

What we can do as a community is to patronize our local restaurants and other businesses. Every dollar that is spent locally has a return factor for our local economy. We also keep our local sales tax in our coffers.

I plan to visit the new restaurant soon, and I hope you will too. It sure doesn't hurt my feelings, that Italian fare is one of my favorites.