We had almost finished digesting the fact that Cary Africk will not be seeking reelection to the Montclair Council, when we ran into a prime beneficiary of the news at Pals Cabin last night — 2nd Warder Bob Russo, member of the Jackson-Murnick-McMahon-Russo slate.

Russo has picked up packages to run either for 2nd Ward or at-large, so Africk’s defection means that he could run in that slot without fear of going head-to-head with an incumbent.

As chaos apparently swirls in the Swenson-Susswein-Turner slate — where Susswein is now rumored to be at the top of the ticket — the “four R’s” (Robert Jackson, Robert Russo, Rich Murnick and Rich McMahon) are also shopping around for three extra running mates.

Russo, who shockingly eats chocolate ice cream on his apple pie, reminisced about an earlier running mate, former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, who was briefly on the ticket with Russo in 2004. Yes, those were the days.

Meanwhile, Chris Swenson, a former aide of Sen. Bill Bradley, who was seen as a mayoral candidate as recently as last week, admitted yesterday that the Swenson-Susswein-Turner ticket is “still in flux.” Asked whether he was still at the top of the ticket he said, “I hope not,” joking that his receding hairline wouldn’t play well in either the 1st or 2nd ward.

In other political news, there’s a Republican primary in Florida today and Stephen Colbert has apparently dropped out of the Presidential race as he wrested control of his Super PAC back from Jon Stewart in a cutely-choreographed chase scene last night. The Colbert Super PAC also released its recent tax filing this morning.

30 replies on “Bob Russo Spotted at Pals Cabin”

  1. Very news worthy. Jerry Fried was at Brick Lane a few nights ago if anyone’s keeping a scorecard. Was at Toast a few times last month.

    This reminds me of a story someone told me many years ago after relocating from NYC to Syracuse at the behest of his new wife who grew up there. He said he knew he made the biggest mistake of his life when he was standing in the driveway in his robe and picked up the local newspaper to see the headline FOOTBALL COACH’S DAUGHTER TO MARRY.

  2. “He said he knew he made the biggest mistake of his life when he was standing in the driveway in his robe and picked up the local newspaper to see the headline FOOTBALL COACH’S DAUGHTER TO MARRY.”

    Many years ago in Boston, Billy West, a very funny man who was part of Charles Laquidera’s morning FM show called “The Big Mattress,” described the Boston Globe as being so parochial that the headline on Armageddon would read:

    “QUINCY MAN DIES IN NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST”

  9. I took my wife to Pal’s Cabin perhaps 15 years ago, and we haven’t been there since. The burgers were dried out and the service was slow.
    We don’t know if they are closing soon, Nellie, MM or Sandy, but there is no doubt they will be closing long before Rick Santorum or Sarah Palin accept the fact that the polar ice caps are melting.

  11. I’m with Spiro on this one. Well, the burger and Pal’s Cabin part, anyway.

    Terrible food and terrible service was my experience.

  14. …although their history page does not mention that they discovered the great LIBERACE…and that Liberace’s grand piano is there with a bronze plaque in the Tap Room.

  15. Funny you mention Liberace, frankgg, the wife and I were watching “Good Night and Good Luck” last night, it has some Liberace footage. But the movie is a great testament to the power of the media using their power to weed out demagogues, long before Newtie demonized their work.

  16. 🙂

    at least once a week….I (TOTALLY) enjoy a bowl of mushroom soup and a grilled south orange sloppy joe…(rye bread, roasted turkey, swiss cheese and coleslaw…in the Tap Room…

  17. Spiro, did I get this correct?
    some 15 years ago you went to Pals, & did not like the burger, so you have never returned ? How many years have Pals been there? Do you think that they have endurred by serving dried out hambergers ?
    C’mon….your smarter than that!

    THE best burgers are noe long gone, sadly. It was “Don’s Drive In” on S.O. Ave. in Livingston. Ya… way better than any other for 30 years.

  18. Actually, Sandy, we’re slowly moving away from red meat anyway, and, as herbeverschmel could tell you, we’re eating more organic yams these days. Keeps my grey ponytail looking shiny and healthy – and no more ketchup stains on my wife’s burqa ! But an occasional burger still appeals to me, usually at Quayle family barbeques.

  19. With me, Pal’s Cabin conjures up happy memories of my childhood, when my parents would take us there for special occasions. Of course, there were my personal favorites: the cream of mushroom soup, the huge salads with the awesome croutons, the big plate dinners in the classy, oak-paneled dining room. And the waiters and waitresses were “old school” and didn’t disappear into thin air when you needed something.

    Also, there’s no other place that has the look and feel of Pal’s. It’s one of a kind. I hope it’s there for many, many more years.

  21. I find it amazing that after my mention of “Don’s Drive In” on South Orange Avenue in Livingston, thst not a sole made a comment ! Don’s was there for many decades, was ALWAYS packed with diners and was always THE PLACE to go after….. well, anything! Don Roth – the owner, retired a multi-millionaire from that establishment. F.F. Onion Rings were thin, crisp and huge and the frence fries were actually cooked and snapped if one tried to bend it. Ice cream sodas, “Blizzards” and old fashioned Hires Root Beer flowed from the tap, along with Royal Crown Cola. That place has NEVER been equalled by any other similiar. Nobody here recalls it ? ?
    On Saturday eves in the summer the line to get in was the length of 4 cars and people waited ! Anyone recall “BONDS” in Short Hills and Elizabeth ??
    The Awful, Awful ? Anyone ??

  22. Sandy: I remember Don’s. Mostly, I would go there for their ice cream, which was awesome. Also, they came up with one of the neatest marketing tools ever: They set up photo sessions where customers could come in and have their photo taken eating their favorite foods. Later, the huge portraits were hung up throughout the restaurant! Very clever.

    Do you know why it closed? I could never figure that out…it always seemed very popular.

  23. I remember Don’s very well. I imagine that anyone who grew up in towns that had easy access to South Orange Avenue has vivid memories of the place. Great hamburgers. They had fabulous milk shakes too. In high school I often had a Pizzaburger and a coffee milk shake. Yum! Don Roth sold the restaurant sometime during the 1980’s, but the new owners – who renamed the place – couldn’t make a go of it. Don, and Don’s, returned. The business once again thrived. Don closed it down in the 1990’s. Don Roth died about two years ago.

    As an adult, I often went there for lunch with my father. We’d be greeted by Don himself, and we would always run into a few family friends. My dad loved Don’s “Lime Rickey”, a limeade. When my dad was hospitalized in his final days before he succumbed to cancer, I brought him a lime rickey from Don’s. By this time, there were few foods that he enjoyed anymore, but, as he sipped the lime rickey through a straw, the lime rickey put a wonderful smile on his face.

    There is a Facebook page called “I Miss Don’s”. Recently, a new “Don’s” opened in Morristown. The owner, a veteran restaurateur, was friendly with Don Roth, who apparently participated in the planning of the new venture. The recipes for the menu reportedly come from the old Don’s. I wish him luck, but, to me…and I imagine to many others….Don’s will always occupy the southeast corner at the intersection of South Orange Avenue and Great Hills/White Oak Ridge Road.

    Here’s a link to an article about the new Don’s: https://morristowngreen.com/tag/dons-burgers/

  24. In response to the first two posts on this thread, I remember my first night in Rochester, NY in the ’70’s. We were watching the local news on TV, when the channel signed off and played The Star Spangled Banner. It was 10:00 PM. We were dumbfounded.

  26. Oh, now I am very sad! I did not know that Don Roth passed away. What a sweet man he was. He made you feel as though you were a special guest in HIS house. I might try the Morristown place mwntioned, if only to see it.
    I recall vividly sitting in my Pontiac GTO Convertible, top down, in the “Drivw-In” section of the parking lot and watching the girls roller skate to our cars, with trays in hand. Hot Summer Nights, it was so so good ! Those really were “THE DAYS, MY FRIEND” …. Yes, the Licky’s were good, but I sorta kinda stayed with the RC Cola and Hires Root Beer…
    Sorry for your loss Bobmellman. My folks were always at Don’s with their friends.
    Anyone here recall BONDS in Union Center ?? The Grunnings in Short Hills ?
    The old Daze were great !! 🙂

  27. A very good story about Don’s, complete with photographs of Don, the early Don’s Drive-In, and the signature placemats is at this link: https://livingston.patch.com/articles/remembering-the-man-behind-dons-diner

    And, Sandy, I remember the Short Hills Grunings, near the driving range and miniature golf course. My favorite Grunings though, was the one at the top of South Orange Avenue, where a luxurious luxury apartment building now stands. Coffee-Chip ice cream, anyone?

  28. My son worked as a waiter at Don’s for the last 2 years it was opened. He actually loved working there and made very good tip money. Don treated his workers with respect. My son still works in a management position in the restaurant business and surely learned a lot from Don in the short time he worked there.

  29. I have fond childhood memories of open-faced turkey sandwiches at Pal’s. We went there last year for the first time in decades and it felt the same. If it’s closing, that’s probably why.

  30. Don was a rare person. He treated his employees with respect, and kindness and showed them how to be the best that they could be. He was, as they say, “one in a million” and because of that – he made millions.

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