The sight of the rubble on 31st & Pacific at Virginia Beach’s oceanfront might as well be one of a funeral for locals and returning visitors alike. The Jewish Mother, a restaurant that was one of the last vestiges of the local kitsch that once punctuated every corner of the resort town, is coming down. Looking through the painted windows you can see through the empty cavity of what was once a beloved spot. This building is filled with memories for everyone who graced its doorsteps.
The Jewish Mother restaurant was founded in 1974 by three friends, recognizing the need for a New York-style deli at the Beach. The restaurant also doubled as a concert venue. Named after a reference to one of the original owner’s mother (who helped plan the menu), customers were treated to delicious though oddly named sandwiches (my personal favorite is Pita the Great), excellent desserts, lox and all sorts of other wonderful food. Both inside and out, the building was decorated with brightly colored graffiti and once you entered the tight entryway, you were immediately bombarded with wondrous scents and sounds.
The restaurant became a very popular location for both local artists as well as some more famous. Some of those that played the stage include: Dave Matthews, Michael Tolcher (which was one of my all-time favorite concerts), Hootie & The Blowfish, Bruce Hornsby, Keller Williams and N.E.R.D. The intimate setting created a laid back atmosphere to sit back, enjoy the music and have a great time. Everyone who ever played the restaurant would leave some sort of doodle on the walls.
Because of its popularity, the Jewish Mother opened a second restaurant in Norfolk, located on the foot of the Colley Avenue Bridge. However, it was closed in less than a year due to issues with the restaurant’s liquor license. The restaurant began franchising out, with two locations in the Richmond area and a third in Williamsburg at 2021 Richmond Road. However, disaster struck the Williamsburg location at about 4:00 AM on November 4, 1999 when the restaurant went up in flames. It took nearly two hours for the fire department to get the blaze under control. The roof collapsed into the chard building and 39 windows in the motel next door were blown out. The franchise owners decided not rebuild and in its place is now a Hertz Rent-A-Car.
Despite the shortcomings of some of the other locations, the original oceanfront location continued to thrive as customers, both old and new, continued to pack into the booths. Nestled between Waffles ‘˜n Things and a dry cleaner, The Jewish Mother continued to be a landmark as the high rise hotels, condos and tacky souvenir stores were built up around it. But like almost every other beloved piece of local kitsch, the City council declared eminent domain over the land in which The Jewish Mother sat, selling it off to developer Gold Key/PHR Hotels & Resorts to redevelop into condos and stores. The news sent shockwaves throughout Hampton Roads and people desperately tried to protest the city government. As owner Scotty Miller said, “[To] ram rod this project [the sale and redevelopment] — is a little premature.” However, he does admit that it was a good time to relocate due to the continuing deterioration of the building.
Unable to secure another location at the oceanfront, plans were made to erect a new building in the Hilltop section of Virginia Beach. In the mean time, The Jewish Mother purchased the popular Backstage Café, located at the rear entrance of the Norva Theater on Granby Street in Norfolk. Scotty Miller hired a new chef and tweeked the menu to treat patrons at the new Jewish Mother.
Shortly after brunch on October 15, 2010, the original Jewish Mother closed its doors and vacated the premises. “You can’t take the feel of this place to a new location. The history is here ‘” people grew up here,” Scotty Miller told The Virginian-Pilot. The new location at 600 Nevan Road will celebrate its grand opening on April 14, 2011. However, it won’t be the same as the previous restaurant. The original building became more than a restaurant and concert venue to many ‘” it became a home.
Like many local memories we’ve watched torn down including The Duck Inn, The Dome and Seaside Park, the original Jewish Mother will go down in pictures of local history books and remain on the minds and on the tongues of story tellers who once enjoyed the music, food, atmosphere and the people that would pack into that kitschy old building.
References
“Jewish Mother – Norfolk – History.” Jewishmother.com. http://www.jewishmother.com/history (accessed March 19, 2011).
Ollison, Rashod. “Say farewell to The Jewish Mother as you know it | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com.” PilotOnline.com. http://hamptonroads.com/2010/10/say-farewell-jewish-mother-you-know-it (accessed March 18, 2011).
Straszheim, Deborah . “Early Blaze Destroys The Jewish Mother – Daily Press.” Featured Articles From The Daily Press. http://articles.dailypress.com/1999-11-05/news/9911050348_1_firefighters-life-safety-heat-and-flames (accessed March 20, 2011).
“The Jewish Mother in Virginia Beach – Famous for Food and Music.” Virginia Beach, VA Vacation Guide. http://www.vbbound.com/virginiabeach/restaurants/the-jewish-mother (accessed March 18, 2011).
“Virginia Beach landmark, The Jewish Mother, to close down and relocate.” WTKR.com. http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-jewish-mother-close,0,4822224.story (accessed March 18, 2011).
