An Astoria Café 1940s menu from when my Italian grandparents, Annibale (Joe) and Francesca waited tables there during World War 2.
With many American GIs in Brisbane at the time items like ‘Yankee Lemonade’ and ‘American Beauty sundae’ made it to the menu along with the expected ‘Mixed Grill’ type of fare and perhaps surprisingly – ‘Double Decker Spaghetti Sandwiches’!
The Astoria Café was at the busy corner of Edward and Adelaide streets and an office building now sits at the spot – 243 Edward – though I dearly wish the Astoria was still there.
Zoë Boccabella 
that menu is amazing to see,thanks so much Zoe for putting it up Buon Natale to you and your family Elizabeth
Thank you! My pleasure. Buon Natale to you and your family too and buon anno per 2019!! Warm wishes, Zoe xx
Great memories! The Aussie diggers used to say the Americans only had 3 faults: The were overpaid, over-sexed and over here! One riotous story goes about a Saturday night screening of Disneys current screen hit BAMBI at the Wintergarden Theatre which was packed with Yanks and Aussie soldiers with their girlfriends. At the dramatic climax of the film when Bambi stands on a hilltop in the moonlight after his mother was shot and plaintively calls out Mother Mother Where is my mother?. You could have heard a pin drop until an Aussie from the back of the theatre called out Probably out with a bloody Yank of course! The place exploded in laughter!
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Hi Ian, thanks for sharing! Yes, I can just imagine, especially when the theatre would have been packed on a Saturday night too. Interestingly, when I was researching this era to write about it in, Joe’s, I came across quite a few such incidences in Brisbane picture theatres during that era. It seems theatres and cafés were both places where the Australian and American soldiers had no choice but to mix and not always amicably due to several factors at the time! Warm wishes, Zoe
Hi! Zoe
History is always alive.
As memories are golden moments.
And you are an amazing person, A Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Hi Augusto, seeing this menu certainly brought this little bit of my grandparents’ history as well as that of the Astoria Café that much closer. So good that one is still around. Thank you for your many kind comments throughout this year. Troppo gentile. Buon Natale to you and your family also. Auguri, Zoe x
Hi zoe, i believe my uncle was the head chef at the Astoria in the 1950s ..? His name was Guido (Peter) Pietrobelli. I wonder if you came across his name in your research. I have all his amazing old cookbooks which I cherish. Regards Jan Richardson
Hi Jan, thank you for sharing your own connection to the Astoria. How fabulous that your uncle was head chef! My research concentrated on the 1940s, when both my grandparents worked there, so as to write about in, Joe’s Fruit Shop and Milk Bar, and was a bit early for when your Uncle Guido worked there. When I received your message I did do some searches though and while so far I’m yet to see something with his name attached, I saw that in 1954, they refurbished the Astoria Cafe and I found an ad for it with a chef illustration as part of it. (Link below.)
That is really wonderful that you have your uncle’s cookbooks, what an absolute treasure! I would love to see some photographs of them but if you don’t have any, I understand. If you do though, please let me know with another comment here and I will email you privately. Warmest wishes, Zoe x
Astoria ad Brisbane Telegraph 1954