Dear Nokohaha,
The coleslaw at The Flame Cafe in South Minneapolis is excellent there is no better I’ve ever eaten. I have tried, but cannot duplicate the recipe. I hope they will share it.”
Mrs. Gerhardt Ivyside
Crystal
Dear Gertrude,
Abe Perkins, owner of the Flame Cafe, passes along the following recipe:
COLESLAW
2 large heads cabbage, shredded, but not too fine
I carrot, shredded
2 cups sugar
1 tbsp. salt
Pinch granulated garlic
12 tsp. white pepper
2 cups salad dressing
cup sour cream, (optional)
Toss all together.
Serves 12-16, or more de-
pending upon the size of
the heads of cabbage.
Enjoy!
Built to last on the corner of East 16th and Nicollet Avenue South this little of Art Deco building with round windows played host to one of our fair city’s best night clubs for decades. The famous Flame Bar and Café was owned and operated by Abe and Ray Perkins. The place had two big stages. The venue held the beating heart of the Country and Western in downtown Minneapolis for decades. The bar was run by a former professional wrestler named Ardis Wells.
One of the flames stages was literally on top of the bar. The Flame may be remembered for all the great Country and Western performers over the years, but the place could change colors like a chemelian. Early on the Flame brought in song and dance shows from Broadway and big name Jazz acts like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. In the early 1970’s the Flame switched gears again and started bringing in Rock and Blues acts. Before the bar closed in 1978, the R&B bands that created the Minneapolis Sound took turns on the Flame’s storied stage.
