If You Venture Back To The Old Neighborhood This Weekend...

With our Reunion now just days away you may get the urge to venture back to the old neighborhood on Elliston Place where Father Ryan was located back when we were in school in the 1960s.

Of course, the school itself is gone. And for some reason, a good bit of the property that comprised the Ryan campus remains unused by its new owners (a partnership of doctors I heard, unless it's been sold).

There is a very nice Hampton Inn located about where the old football practice field was. Please go inside, as the hotel has a Father Ryan memorabilia display in the lobby that I know you might find interesting.

Most of the rest of the neighborhood has turned over, the Burger King on West End is gone (replaced by a strip commercial center) as well as the Krystal and the Rich Schwartz ladies' store (replaced by more commercial developments). The Kiger Gulf service station is gone too (Mr. Kiger was murdered by robbers in September, 1978). The gas station was replaced a very nice Logan's Restaurant.

Some of the brownstone-like apartments are still standing on Elliston Place right across from old Father Ryan, as the market for off-campus housing for Vanderbilt students remains very strong. But the most familiar sight you'll find in the old neighborhood is the sign and restaurant below.

Yes, Rotiers is still here and doing better than ever, with now a national and even world-wide reputation for serving the best burgers, grilled cheeseburgers and cheeseburgers on French Bread in Nashville, or anywhere else.

Of course, those of us who went to Ryan already knew that. Stepping into the restaurant is like stepping back into time. I swear there are signs on the wall and other memorabilia items that we were there when we were in school. Heck, I think some of the stuff was there when I was a little kid visiting the restaurant with my Dad.

I feel like I literally grew up in Rotier's. If I had a nickel for everytime I was there having a coke and a piece of pie while my father had one more beer with his long-time friend, the owner, John Rotier, I would be a millionaire.

The family still owns and operates the restaurant. Mr. Rotier has long ago gone to his reward and Mrs. Evelyn Rotier is more or less retired from the business, but the children are carrying on. John, Jr. unfortunately died from cancer a few years back, but Charlie (a former Ryan student) and sister Margaret Ann Crouse (and several other relatives) are continuing the tradition of Rotiers. Here's both Charley and Margaret explaining the history of their very special Nashville business in a YouTube video....

So if you've got the time this Reunion weekend or in the near future (if you live around Nashville) I highly suggest you take a trip back in time in our old school's neighborhood and enjoy the wonders of one of Rotier's famous hamburgers or cheeseburgers

I personally prefer the grilled cheeseburger, but you can't go wrong with the cheeseburger on French Bread or even the regular hamburger or cheeseburger. Now calorie-wise, you can go wrong eating there a lot, but as one-time Reunion passion, it will be quite a treat!)