CLEARLAKE >> It is a dynamic world, and nothing stays the same not even the comfort food dished up with regularity of the town hall clock; sadly, Howard and Maria Cheng are pulling the shutter on Howard’s Grotto with last call on Christmas.
When Howard was asked why turn down the burners after a successful 45 years preparing some of the best American cuisine classics in downtown Clearlake, he simply said, “I’m just too old.”
Howard’s Grotto has been located at 14732 Lakeshore Drive since January 2000 and for 21 years prior, just a few blocks north, also Lakeshore Drive. Some of the fare plated here included: prime rib, New York Strip, fillet mignon, red snapper, fillet of sole, salmon, scallops, prawns, chicken parmesan, Cajun shrimp and linguini, among other familiar dishes. Explained Howard, “I just want to enjoy the life, in retirement. Retirement is a dream. I’ll fish for trout, and maybe some angling on Clear Lake.”
But the restaurant will not close down after the Chengs depart. They have already found a buyer who will continue the restaurant after the holiday. And what is especially good, the new owners will retain all current staff.
He and Maria will travel as well. “We’ll take the car from spot to spot, seeing the USA but were going east,” said Maria. “My daughter, Tina lives in Brooklyn. She does interior design and she paints, mostly in oils and watercolors. Howard contacted Tina on his cell and she recalled growing up in the restaurants, starting off in her teens as a busser.
“My parents got to know the customers really well, and some of the customers’ kids I went to school with,” Tina said. “The Grotto was a neighborhood institution. And
whole families would spend Friday after Friday there. And back then you’d see three generations of families would grow up at the restaurant. The last time I was in Clearlake, I spent a Friday evening with one of those families.”
Tina characterized those times as a close-knit community, which was a continuum with multi-generations of families, many of whom she got to know like extended family. “The heart of the story, this community we got to know so well, my parents gave a lot of love to those customers.” she said. My parents felt grateful for the customers’ loyalty. And the customers returned the camaraderie.”
Howard and Maria worked very hard, recalled Maria. “They tried to generate positivity and bring a high quality of food so as to engage them with a memorable dinning experience,” she added. “There were a lot of birthdays, anniversaries and graduations at the Grotto. And we had a banquet room and other space for family bookings that could accommodate special occasion gatherings. That made you feel close to them too.”
Tina also recalled a surprise 50th birthday party for Howard. “We had a lot of family visiting from Taiwan,” she said. “That was one where a lot of the customers remembered because we filled up the banquet room and the bar area.” Despite the breadth of the varied menu, what Tina like best to eat was her father’s hamburgers. “That is truly my favorite dish. He makes my favorite burger from anywhere. I miss both my mom’s and dad’s cooking. It was my dad that built up the menu here.”
It was a loyal customer that alerted the Record-Bee to the impending Grotto closure,. Jay Gehrke is a Clearlake resident who runs an insurance brokerage that handles employee benefits. Gehrke has been dining at the Grotto for 25 years and appreciates the good food and great service. He often orders the same, barbeque beef with soup and salad and a dish of ice cream for desert, “Howard is a great personality,” he said. “He’s very gregarious and outgoing.
And the Grotto’s staff repaid the devotion, quite a few working there for a decade or more. The chef de cuisine has now been employed for 27 years. As for the closure at the conclusion of Christmas, “It was important to my parents that they could provide a festive meal for the loyal customers who spend their Christmas holiday at the Grotto year after year!” she said. Then added, “And what a celebratory way to end their career,” she said.
The Grotto has a lot of return customers recalled Tina. “They come year after year for Christmas,” she said. “And that is why they chose that day.”
