My only request for my birthday was for a Bill Knapp's Chocolate Celebration Cake. I can't remember how many years it had been since I had one.
In case you never heard of it, Bill Knapp's was a family-style restaurant that used to be pretty popular in these parts. The food was really good and the prices were reasonable. It was especially popular with the older crowd. We used to call it "Wigs and Walkers" or "The Wrinkle Room" because of that reason. My mom loved it and we would meet her and my dad there for dinner often.
One of the best things was if you dined there on your birthday or an anniversary they would give you this chocolate cake.
I took this from Wikipedia:
Bill Knapp's was well known for its birthday and anniversary discounts. Diners visiting Bill Knapp's on their birthdays were entitled to a percentage off of their bill based on their age. Thus, a guest 62 years old would receive a 62% discount. Those celebrating a wedding anniversary were treated to a whole chocolate cake to take home, and in some restaurants, managers gave birthday patrons a cake to take home in addition to their discount. While the cake was being presented, Bing Crosby's recording of "Happy Birthday" and "The Anniversary Song" would be played over the restaurant's sound system for birthdays and anniversaries, respectively. It was widely said that anyone over 100 would actually be paid by the restaurant (such as a 101% discount on a 101st birthday), and a man who ate at the West Lansing location for his 101st birthday received a free meal, and a check for 1% of his bill--7 cents.[
It's just a small 8 or 9 inch cake but it was enough for everyone at the table.
Eventually as business started to slow down for them they stopped bringing a whole cake and would just bring a piece for the person celebrating the birthday. Then the restaurants closed for good in 2002.
Luckily, their very popular cake was made available to buy in grocery stores so that was my choice for my birthday cake.
Oh my gosh, it tasted just as good as I remembered! Even better because it had been so long! By far one of the best chocolate cakes I've ever had, including the Bumpy Cake! I easily could have sat there with a fork and ate the whole thing! Between Rich and I we ate about half the cake and I brought the rest to Shauna to share with Brad and the boys.
It was cute, Shauna sent me a video with them singing happy birthday to me with a piece of cake and a candle in each piece they could blow out after they finished singing!
I miss that restaurant. Every time I drive by the building it used to be in I feel a little sad because we went there with my parents so many times.
Until the next time stay safe and well my friends.
Belated Happy Birthday! I am so glad you were able to have and share your favorite cake!💖
ReplyDeleteNostalgia is a bittersweet thing but thank God for memories. I enjoyed Bill Knapp's the few times I ate there in the late '80s, sans wig, walker, or wrinkle. xoxo
ReplyDeleteThose are special memories. I’m so glad you were able to find your cake in a store. I wonder who is making them?
ReplyDeleteThis place sounds awesome!! So sad that is closed; do you know why? Well, at least they still sell the cakes.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Jeanette. Your birthday cake looks absolutely delicious! Yes, isn't it sad when we drive by all the places we remember and they're closed?! It's just not fair. A big closure in Indiana was Amish Acres in Nappanee, Indiana. Oh my, that place and the memories! I think someone bought part of it but not the whole thing. The Amish man who owned it wanted to retire and none of his children wanted to take it over, can you imagine? I've read that not only is "life" changing for regular Americans but it's changing in the Amish community too. Lots of children-now-adults are walking away from Amish life and religion. That's got to break their hearts... it sure does mine. Cheers to memories and birthdays! ~Andrea xoxo
ReplyDeleteOh I want a piece. It looks sooooo good.
ReplyDeleteThere was a Bill Knapps near us too. I miss it as well. I didn't know you could still get the cake. It looks so good and I'm glad you got one.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday. I love the nicknames for that restaurant. The package label looks familiar to me. I wonder if they sell those around here. It sure does look good but then anything chocolate is a winner in my book
ReplyDeleteMmm...that cake looks delicious. Happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! I hope your day was filled with happiness and laughter, smiles. So many memories come flooding back at times; maybe a smell or a word etc.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteLovely memories. Very nice, that the cake is still made though.
Happy Birthday! I'm not a massive fan of chocolate cake but that looks good!
ReplyDeleteYou say "It was cute, Shauna sent me a video with them singing happy birthday to me with a piece of cake and a candle in each piece they could blow out after they finished singing! "
ReplyDeleteI can just picture this...makes me giggle!
I loved reading about this cake and restaurant; what an incentive to spend a birthday or anniversary there---a whole cake and a discount!
ReplyDeleteI love that you can still get it in the grocery store and I laughed picturing the two of you chowing on half a cake on your birthday!!
I hope you had a great day.
I forgot about Bill Knapps! Dinners with grandma and papa were the best. I'll never forget grandma giving me words to spell and I kept misspelling the word "year". Everytime I misspelled it she would tell me it was ok because that was a hard word to spell but once I spelled it correctly I never misspelled it again. That was at mama mia's on a Friday evening I'm sure. The frustrations of trying to spread frozen butter on soft italian bread. Remember just a bowl of mints at the register open to everyone to dig their hand into and eat? Papa practically emptied it after dinner while paying the bill. He also always grabbed a toothpick from the little rolling toothpick machine. On occasion we would get a 5 year old candy bar from the glass case below the register. Good times. Love you, love your blogs and I'll see you soon.
ReplyDeleteChris
That cake looks so yummy good! I'm glad you had a good birthday, and that delicious cake!
ReplyDeleteWe used to have a 'family style' restaurant that we'd go to very often on Sunday afternoons. All we had to tell them 'we want the fried chicken'. They'd bring it and all the fixin's to our table. Wish we still had that one like you wish you still had yours. :)
xoxo