On a recent Tuesday afternoon, several volunteers were looking at a collection of aerial photos of western Mount Diablo Blvd., taken in the mid-1950s. Volunteer Sherril Barber pointed to a spot near the old Cape Cod House and said, “That’s the Huddle Inn, where they served a flaming pizza!”
Everyone got interested in that culinary curiosity and began searching the bound volumes of the Lafayette Sun for information. The search was rewarded with several Huddle Inn ads. On September 21 and 22, 1956, there was an announcement of a “Grand Opening for the Huddle Inn, one-half block east of Cape Cod House next to Craig Oil Station, home of the Flaming Pizza.” That advertisement went on to describe its offerings, with a little history lesson along with the menu offering:
“You will want to try these outstanding pizzas from our extensive menu.
Pizza Al Tonno Marie Antoinette – Named for Marie Antoinette, queen of France, wife of Louis XVI, ninth child of Marie Theresa and the Emperor Francis I of Austria. Led to the guillotine on October 16, 1793, it has often been said, when told the French people had no bread: “Let ‘em eat cake!’ and that this caused the French people to hate her. Definite evidence now shows that she was not hated by any others than the leaders of the French Revolution and that her comment actually pleased the French people. Properly translated, the statement seems clearly to have been: ‘They have no bread? Then let ‘em eat Pizza!’
Pizza Alla Caruso – Named for Enrico Caruso, the most famous Italian tenor of all time. Superstitious to the extreme and subject to violent bouts with stage-fright, Caruso is said to have had this type of pizza especially prepared for him to settle his nerves and his stomach just prior to going on stage at each of his performances. For this reason, it is often called ‘pizza Aida,’ ‘pizza Carmen,’ or ‘pizza Samson and Delilah.’ It is said that at his last performance of Puccini’s ‘La Boheme,’ he even brought a slice of one on stage with him and was seen offering a piece to the soprano just before she died. Contrary to the beliefs of some, Caruso himself died, not of acute indigestion, but of pleurisy, in Naples, on August 2, 1921.”
Note that neither colorfully named pizza discloses its ingredients, although Marie Antoinette’s version references “tonno”, which is the Italian for tuna. And neither is the origin or description of “Flaming Pizza” revealed. But according to our Pizza Correspondent Barber, the flames seemed to come from the center of the pizza –from a few drops of alcohol poured into a cup in the center of the pie and lit as it was served in the dining room. (You evidently had to ignite your take-home pie yourself.)
Prices were reasonable, to say the least. When the restaurant opened, complete dinners (your choice: Veal Scalopini Florentina, Salisbury steak, baked or broiled halibut or oven baked chicken) could be had for $1.85, including coffee and dessert. In 1958, they advertised that if you ordered a large pizza you could add a salad and beverage for twenty cents a person. For groups of 25 or more, the Huddle Inn would cater dinner in your home. “You provide the plates, place and beverage, and the restaurant will deliver pizza, spaghetti, salad, and dessert”…..all for $1 per person.
Further research didn’t turn up when the Huddle Inn went out of business, but we can only hope that the Inn and its fabulous flaming pizza went out in a blaze of glory.
It’s sad that none of Lafayette’s four fine pizza emporiums has carried on the tradition of the flaming pizza, introduced by the Huddle Inn more than half a century ago. It’s even sadder that we’ll never see prices like those again.
The Lafayette Historical Society has bound issues of the Lafayette Sun from 1937 to 1979 in its archives. They are available for research at any time. The LHS History Room is located in the Lafayette Library & Learning Center (enter on Golden Gate Way) and is open Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and by appointment.
– Ruth Bailey
An interesting side note to the Enrico Caruso item. At the time of the 1906 quake Enrico was staying at the Palace Hotel in SF and was so upset he stated that he would never visit San Francisco ever again and he never did. At that time my Grandfather, Gustav Nylander, was Painting and Decorating Contractor for the Palace Hotel. My Grandmother was also so upset that she would not let Grandfather Gustav (they lived in Alameda), return to his job in San Francisco so he hung his shingle in Alameda from then on… Dave
Great job Ruth!!!!!