DOES A NAME MAKE A DAMN?

I’ve had mighty tasty meals in joints with names like…

Black Cat, Chicken Shak, Donut Diner, Forks, Eats, Grubbs, Mammy’s, Punk’s Place, Hook’s, Hoar House, Skeeters, Sloppy Joe’s, Terminal café , Bearded Clam, Knife & Fork, Three-Spot Grill, Chat n Chew, Whistling Pig.

   And not-so-tasty meals in tight-ass tablecloth joints with names like Le Bon Repas, Bon Appetit,
Le Belle Cuisine, Auberge du Soleil, Legends, Par Excellence, Paradise, Parthenon, Penthouse, Pinnacle, Primo’s, Top of the World and House of Good Food.        

   So what’s in a name? Does a nifty moniker guarantee success or insure flopdom?

• Would Cary Grant have made it big as Archibald Leach? Roy Rogers as Leonard Slye? Ice-T as Tracy Morrow, Francis Gumm as Judy Garland? Muddy Waters as McKinley Morgenfield? I don’t tink toe Buckwheat.
• I mean how much 7-Up was sold before they nixed the original name, Lithiated Lemon? Trader Vic’s was first called Hinky Dinks.
• Couldn’t give a piece of Pantagonian toothfish away til they renamed it Chilean Sea Bass.
• Rose’ wine was dead as Nehru suits before they called it blush.
• Order snow crab and you might get toad crab, just as good but not such a euphonious appellation.
• Lake trout ain’t trout and has never been near a lake, it’s silver hake from the ocean. Orange roughy useta be call slime head.
• How many hifulters could actually fork a mouthful of pig thymus glands into their mouth if some clever cook hadn’t re-named it sweetbreads?
• Order marsh rabbit in Baltimore and you’re gonna get muskrat.
• I ordered spotted dick in Europe just to hear myself say it and I always picked Drop-Your-Drawers-and-Run chili at a local cook-off.
• How many shirts would you wear with Ralph Lifshitz logo’d on the front?

Lifshitz is Ralphee Lauren’s real name.

Slowly Emptying Cagneys

We've started moving things out of Cagney's. Every item, every piece of woodwork has its own unique story.

Lamps, barber poles, animal heads all seem to be sayin..."Hey, where you takin us? This is our home." I keep apologizing to inanimate objects.

From Dino Thompson
It's been a couple months since we dimmed the stain glass lights at Cagney's.
We're trying to get past it, but certainly not over it.  First I want to thank all our friends who so generously shared their thoughts, memories and sadness about Cagney's closing. It's been a tough emotional ride because it was such a huge part of our creative lives and our joy of serving others.

And of course a galaxy of heartaches to leave behind such a wonderful group of men and women. What an honor and privilege to have worked with so many fine and decent young people, many of whom blossomed into extraordinary men and women along side us. It's been a joyous ride to be a part of their lives.

Come see us at Flamingo Grill...We're still dedicated to putting a tasty smile into your evening and experiencing the joy of being of service to others and seeing friends.

Every night, familiar faces, misty eyes. Friends we've served for almost 40 years.
Each day getting more difficult to hear their praise of Cagney's and all it's meant to them and to their families. Bring a tear to a glass eye.

Our blow-your-mind loyal staff is maintaining excellence and dedication like we'll be here for another 40yrs. Damn we're so honored to have worked with these people.

The DANCIN ROOM at Cagney's

Cagney’s DANCIN ROOM, a 125-seat dance club, was added 4-yrs after Cagney’s opened. For the next 20-some years, the classy joint rocked like it did last Friday. Customers would come for dinner and stay til 2am on Fridays and 12pm on Saturdays (liquor laws wouldn’t allow alcohol after midnight- (drinking on Sundays would send a Baptist straight to hell). Our first DJ was Vanna White’s brother Chip. For the next 15 years, our DJ was Chip Bellamy. 

On the rare occasion when I had to fill in, I always had my mental lineup of some fabulous boogie and shag 45s. Monster danceable favorites like…

One Mint Julep, Honky Tonk, One Scotch-One Bourbon, Flamingo, Fever, Green Eyes, Just a GigoloLet the Good Times Roll, Nip Sip, Mary Lou, Sixty Minute Man, Temptation, I Got Loaded, Kansas City, White Cliffs of Dover & Thank You John…In between I’d slip in a few romancers like At Last and Since I Met You Baby. Then I’d spin in a few fast shags like Flip Flop & Fly, Chicken Shack Boogie or Safronia B for the limber of leg showoffs. 

But it was never good enough.  Sure as a pig’s ass is pork, some patent-leather shoed dude, fake Rolex, bombed on Blatz in a Nehru suit, shirt unbuttoned down to his hairy navel, gold sailfish necklace, would stroll up and say, “Hey sport kin you play something me and the lady kin dance to?”

Note from Eddie Ray

Dino,

I only had the pleasure ( and it was a REAL pleasure!) of dining at the fabulous CAGNEY only a few times and I am so sorry that on my visits to Myrtle Beach I will never have that opportunity again!  I absolutely  loved the ambience, the friendly, courteous service and the fantastic food, all of which were the  very best that I had ever experienced in any restaurant!

Dino, I know that with you there now full time, I will  very soon  feel  the same way about THE FLAMINGO GRILL!  

Eddie Ray

Note from Stacey Bowers

Dino and Dino;
I want you both to know how much I enjoyed working for you both and the awesome staff and managers at Cagney's! Being part of your team helped frame who I am today. Thank for the opportunity, the lessons and the memories.
My husband and I will come by for a visit before your last day.
Thank you.
Stacey Andrews Bowers