Goodbye Casa Bonita
10/01/2005
At 5:00, I raced from work to Casa Bonita, a local restaurant steeped in decades of childhood memories (it's also a South Park episode). My wife and I were going on a date down memory lane!
The food was never very good at Casa Bonita, and the price was a little steep, but the exciting atmosphere (caverns, waterfalls, mock-up old Mexican buildings, performers and a travelling mariachi) has been a unique and exciting Tulsa treasure for decades. Though the excitement had been more streamlined and slimmed up over the years, Casa Bonita still retained its charm and ability to enchant children and adults alike.
And after 31 years, they closed the doors for good.
I visited Casa Bonita for the first time in the mid-70s, back when it was a new attraction. I cherish the memories of running around the restaurant with my older sister, cashing in our Monkey Bucks for prizes in the Treasure Room, watching the puppet show in the Theater, playing games and riding the carousel in the game room. I also have a strong memory for the mysterious 'Fortune Teller' booth (which, sadly, was not dispensing any fortunes last night).
We waited in line for OVER THREE HOURS to get a seat.
At its peak, the line extended halfway around the building. It was an unbelievable sight that made my eyes water, and I managed to snap a few photos that I will try to post later. To see so many people paying homage to the memories of their youth, to see them dragging their children out who never will again experience Casa Bonita, was a pleasant - and terribly sad - experience for me. And unbeknownst to me at the time, this overwhelming throng of people would help to make my last Casa Bonita meal a bittersweet and slightly nauseating moment.
Most of the familiar things were there. The man in the crazy old pink gorilla suit spent the entire day hugging children and giving the adults something to reminisce about. The Treasure Room was still there, though it had been vandalized (which was sad to see and made me quite angry). The theater was open, and Capstone the Magician was putting on his final performance there (When I was a child, there was a puppet show in the Theater). The fountain, the caves and the beautiful decor were all clean and lit and perfect. And the wait staff were all completely stressed out and insane from the overwhelming crowd! The mariachis were not to be seen, however. This I missed a great deal.
We enjoyed our meal and spent a little time soaking up the atmosphere one last time. On our way out, I purchased some old postcards from the gift shop. My wife and I left feeling very sad, because 1) we were saying a final farewell to a childhood memory that we both share, and 2) the vandalism and theft was infuriating and sad.
I find it a terrible shame that my final memory of Casa Bonita is watching customers stealing the "Flags" from the tabletops (the flags are how one would get the wait-person's attention). By the time we left, there was not a single flag in the building. Things were broken, stolen, decor was bent and twisted. The joy of seeing so many people turn out to pay homage was replaced with disgust and shame at the human race for being so petty and troublesome and greedy. These people don't deserve a place as unique and enjoyable as Casa Bonita.
Of course, to top it all off I discovered the real reason the restaurant was closed. Allegedly, the owner of the property confronted the owner of the store with a lease renewal, but the store owner would need to make some repairs first. The store owner didn't want to make the repairs, and he also asked for a month-to-month lease. Nobody in their right mind would lease this amount of property on a monthly basis, but they went to court over it and the owner of Casa Bonita lost. Then they simply had no choice but to close the restaurant.
Basically, pettiness on the part of the restaurant owner has resulted in the loss of yet another local flavor. 21st/Sheridan will never again have the fancy lights and the business that it once had. When Crystal's Pizza closed more than a decade ago (a similar attraction practically right next door), it was sad but didn't quite have the same effect.
But there is hope yet. Perhaps someone else will step in and use the architecture for another restaurant? Perhaps the food will be better next time round? There are all sorts of rumors, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
Final observation: Nearly half my posts lately have been lamentations for dying or long-dead attractions. What is my obsession with paying homage to my past in this way? Is it because I'm feeling my mortality?
(For more info, read the excellent Wikipedia article on Casa Bonita)
My wife and I followed up the evening by going to the movie. We went to see Serenity, the cinematic spin-off of Joss Whedon's much-loved yet quickly cancelled series Firefly. The movie was absolutely fantastic, and bittersweet in its own way (but I will not spoil it here). Serenity exceeded my expectations by a million light years, and the crowded theater clapped halfway through the closing credits.
Joss Whedon just kicked Star Wars, Star Trek, and the entire LOTR trilogy in the arse, then jumped in for a little more bloodletting. He has gone made with creativity. I hope we get more.
All in all, an evening I will never forget. Intense and bittersweet and full of joy and pain and sorrow. Goodbye Casa Bonita.
posted by novachild @ Saturday, October 01, 2005,
1 Comments:
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At 8:57 PM,
Tim M. said...
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Not to worry, if you are ever in Denver, Casa Bonita still stands mighty and proud. I am sorry to hear about your towns loss. I have been to the Casa in Tulsa twice in my life...the one here in Denver is undoubtedly much bigger. I worked my way thru college at Casa Bonita in Denver. Oh, the stories to tell!! Tim M.
