Frenchys Basic

Frenchy's, honored on this vintage t-shirt, was an East Side hotspot in Milwaukee from 1945 to 1975. Paul LaPointe, also known as “Frenchy,” ran the restaurant as the chef. LaPointe's son described the experience, “like you were in an imaginary world circa the Gay Nineties, with interesting and unexpected things all around you.” The walls were of red velvet and exotic hardwoods, waitresses dressed as French maids, there were semi-secluded seating areas called “opera boxes,” bronze and marble statues at every turn, prominent jazz acts, and a menu that included African wild game. Entreé items included zebra, lion, hippopotamus, raccoon, and pigeon.