Steve’s Italia Ristaurante opened in a new retail area near Thruway Shopping Center around 1965. Steve J. Hodges owned the restaurant that was located at 112 Oakwood Drive. The postcard shown above features the interior of the restaurant.
It was the only restaurant listed in the 1966/67 Winston-Salem city directory with “Italia” or “Italian” in its name. Red-checked tablecloths and wax-covered wine bottles bedecked tables in the restaurant that advertised “finest Italian foods” and “American cuisine.” The baked spaghetti entree was a favorite of this writer.
Around 1980, the name changed to Blue Bay Restaurant, and later to G-Anna’s, and even later to The Drawing Room.
In 1990, the city directory again listed a new style of restaurant located at this address, and it was named Mi Pueblo Mexican Restaurant, owned by Jesus and Maria Ruiz. Mi Pueblo remained in this location until the strip shopping center was demolished about 2003 and Mi Pueblo opened in new quarters at 644 S. Stratford Road.
Today, this location has been transformed to the 110 Oakwood business complex and a nearby housing complex.
Postcard courtesy of Molly Grogan Rawls.
My husband and I use to eat at Steve’s Ristaurante once at week with our children when we lived in Winston Salem in the late seventies and early 80s-He would always have the Veal Scallopini and I would have Lasagna-Of course starters were minestrone soup-It was such a great place !!Kid friendly as well and just a wonderful family place with excellent food!!
Do I remember Steve’s? Absolutely! The kid friendliness of the late 60s/early 70s meant my parents took us there – me, my little brother, and my baby sister. I am sorry to say that the Italian cuisine was lost on us. Except for the crisp breadsticks, I stuck to the fried fish filet. Once in a while my mom would share a black olive, or my dad would give me a sip of Chianti. Nope. Fried fish and milk for this kid. But I remember it fondly, and would go back in a heartbeat if only I could. (You know what I mean.)
I loved this place. It’s the one place my parents would go out to eat occasionally. Fell in love with all kinds of olives here!
It was my grandfather’s restaurant. I wasn’t quite 6 when he sold it but I have some memories of it. Years later people would still tell us how much they missed it. I definitely miss all the food he’d make for us.
Absolutely remember that restaurant ! My first date Sept 15, 1967 and my girlfriend & I ordered a pizza with everything. We had no idea that included anchovies. We laughed ourselves silly and picked off the little nasty things. I wonder where she is ….