Looking Back: Remembering Zebulon’s, Reade Moore Books and others

A 15-year-old paper reveals much that is gone (though not yet forgotten) in Petaluma|

There is more to a restaurant, or a bar, or a coffeehouse, than just food, alcohol and caffeine. To a community like Petaluma, there is an equally significant appeal to such “third space” environments, that being a relatively recent term referring to those socially oriented destinations that fall outside of home and work, determined to be our “first” and “second” spaces. When we step into The Buckhorn Tavern for a drink, or the Acre on the Boulevard for a cup of coffee, or Lala’s Creamery for a dish of handmade rocky road, we are often seeking something in addition to the snacks and drinks, or we’d have just stayed home. Such places are about the people and conversations, the vibe of the architecture and décor, and in some cases, the establishment’s connection to history and the community.

That’s why it hurts a little (and sometimes a lot), to flip through the pages of an old newspaper, and glimpse ads or articles about places that no longer exist, having closed their doors do to retirement, rising rents or simply a change of direction for the one-time owners. Take, for example, the Argus-Courier issue from Feb. 18, 2004. That’s just 15 years ago, but on page B6 and B7, there is an article about Petaluma’s “newest” café, Bella Luma on Putnam Plaza (where Petaluma Pie Company is now), another story about a fundraiser being held at Zebulon’s Lounge (currently occupied by Acre Coffee on Fourth Street) and a full-page wine-and-dine section advertising a dozen restaurants, only five of which are still in existence in some form.

Those five?

Pete’s Henny Penny (then offering a two-person New York steak dinner for $21.95), The Canton Restaurant (in the Gateway Shopping Center), The Jellyfish Grille (now known as Tolay, at the Sheraton Hotel at the Marina), Finbar Devine’s (which changed owners years ago and is now Maguire’s Irish Pub) and Sonny’s Grill at the Petaluma Golf Center (currently shut for renovations, but scheduled to reopen, siny and new, at the beginning of March).

That leaves seven notable establishments that are officially gone, but not quite forgotten. The Spanish and Portuguese eatery Zangria (once on Redwood Way, now the home of Anna’s Seafood shop), Mister McGoo’s, Papa’s Taverna, The Eastside Deli, Togo’s sandwich shop, Semolina Italian Restaurant and The Girl & The Fig (once ensconced within the big old house on the Turning Basin).

Some of those, especially Papa’s Taverna and Mister McGoo’s, were longtime institutions, the loss of which is still felt, one way or another. Over the years, countless parties, weddings, meetings and group gatherings were held at Papa’s, the legendary Greek restaurant on the River, on Lakeville Highway. The place shut its doors in January of 2013, after more than 20 years in operation. And Mister McGoo’s, which shut down just under four years ago, had been a local landmark for over 50 years. The building it once occupied, across from Brodie’s Automotive on N. Petaluma Blvd., has recently been refurbished, keeping the original structure but little else, and will potentially be housing another establishment of some kind in the future.

All of those places, though now only memories, remain a part of Petaluma still. They join a long list of businesses of all kinds that once played a part in the cultural history of our town. We could all make a list of places we once visited often, whether to grab a bite (Aram’s, Steamer Gold, Copperfield’s Café), or a book (Reade Moore Books, Paperbacks Unlimited), or knitting supplies (Knitterly) or whatever.

Though some of those iconic businesses are missed, the truth of the world is, for every shop or bar or restaurant that locks its doors, another will eventually open its own, with a new name or theme or product or clientele. For every Le Bistro that ends its long and storied run, a Chili Joe’s begins.

Or maybe it’s a Strike Zone card shop.

Or a Silly Strings guitar store.

In other words, there is always something new.

The life of a town is its people, to be sure, and also the various ventures those people conceive of and bring to life, and patronize or don’t patronize. The eventual closing and opening (and closing and opening) of such operations is part of the pulse of a town, and the people flowing in and out keep it all beating. And the memories we take away, thankfully, don’t easily fade, even long after the signs are removed and the sounds of voices have faded away.

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