The velvet touch

Back in the '70s, my family used go to the Velvet Turtle on special occasions. It was weird for a steak and seafood place to be on the edge of Chinatown, but there it was. Kind of like Little Joe's or even Philippe's, perhaps. I don't remember all the details, but it was always dark inside, and my brother and I liked to order lobster. (He and I ate meat back then.)


Other steakhouses like Morton's and Taylor's have survived, but the Velvet Turtle did not. Perhaps no one wanted to deal with Chinatown traffic/bad drivers to get steak when they could go to the local Black Angus or, later on, Outback for upscale-but-ultimately-chain food? Maybe it was the '80s obsession with frozen yogurt and salad bars that killed it, as well as the Hungry Tiger, in addition to that ribs franchise with a great jingle called Love's. I'm sure some grad school business student has written a dissertation on the topic.


As for what should take this spot, another Chinese restaurant is the the last thing the area needs. Maybe somewhere for bands to play, since there are so many art galleries opening up in the area? Who knows, but I'm glad the sign is still there because the logo is fresh.