We present these here, as we received them...
Thank you for giving me a name to be proud of
love david
how are you? This is Eric, I worked for you at the Newport Beach restaurant in the seventies. Have been living in seattle since 1981. My brother was down there recently and brought me back a charlies shirt, which lead to this e-mail. Been thinking about the good old days , are Fish and Bookie still around? How about Jack Brady, Doug Frizzell,Dave Kalinka,Toni Simington and her mom Mert, Ben Morales,Leo de la Torre. I recently went back to school and completed a two year course in cabinet making/ fine woodworking, I still remember tony the greek making the tables for the restaurant. Hope to hear from you and say hi to any of the old charlies gang for me. Eric
Hey Pete, I remember the original Charlie’s extremely well. My sister and her husband (Bill and Pam Creighton) introduced me to your fine establishment in 1968 when I was just a lass and it became a family hang-out for decades. I have collected menus from all over the world, but I still have the one from a night when I and 12 of my closest friends came in for dinner after a night of partying – they still talk about “Chili Charlie’s”.
I recently moved back to the OC and was sad to learn you had finally gone off on another excellent adventure. I wanted to let you know that as I near my 55 year of life your place, the food, the friendships and the memories are still some of my most favorite. Be well and oh yeah – thanks Pete for all the years of pure pleasure at your corner table!
Trisha
My name is Rhonda and my friend Ruth lived on Balboa Island with her mother & stepfather (I think). They opened Charlie's Chili and I used to stay at the house and help out at Charlies on the Island. I used to love being with all of them. I remember handing chili takeout to a very tall gentleman and it was Buddy Ebsen.
Just a note to tell you how much I liked your father – Peter – I knew him from the Quiet Woman when Mark D. played across the street. Very special guy. judy
Thanks for all the memories and new historical tidbits. I am a long time area resident who appreciates Charlie and all that he entails. He catered my mother’s third wedding (Which, actually, WAS a charm…that marriage still stands. Perhaps BECAUSE of the chili?). Again, many thanks and I’m very sorry to hear he’s gone onto other, more spiritual, endeavors.
Susan
Wow – I found your site online today. I remember those menus like it was yesterday.
I am traveling to Huntington Beach from my current home in Texas for a convention, and I was wondering if the old CC was still around. I thought I’d take my kids (now in their 20’s) to see my old hangout.
I started going to the restaurant at the end of the pier in 1974. In those days I was an undergrad at UC Irvine and had a large paper delivery route for the LA Times. Starting around midnight every day the times published (365 days a year!) I’d load up 700+ papers in my little pickup truck (bought new for $1,250) and head out. The route was 100% apartments, so I had to get out of the truck and carry all the papers around. I had all the student apartments on campus, all of Park Newport, and a lot more. Several celebrities of the day were on my route, (Raquel Welch, Bobby Riggs and Carol Burnett, to name a few), and I had a few memorable encounters. Needless to say, at the end of the night, I was pretty tired.
2-3 times a week, (at least), I’d finish up and head over to Charlie’s for breakfast. I must have had literally hundreds of CCO’s, (with a whole side of sourdough toast), over those 4 years or so. After breakfast I’d roll back up PCH and Jamboree to the campus and do my best to attend class.
Charlie’s Chili was at least partly responsible for getting me through those years. That was probably the toughest job I’ve ever had; 365 days a year, and I think I missed one day of work in 2 years. 37 years later(!) I look back very fondly on Charlie’s, and of course on Pete. Thanks Pete – you made a difference in lots of lives, including mine!
Scott from TX