The Cafe and Game Room

I'm looking through a book of Alvarado (MN) Memories (published 2005).   I love the story of this little town who's population in 1910 was 128, and hasn't wavered over 375 since then.  

In the book, I located this photo of the Cafe, originally owned by Mike Nordine.  Inside was filled with antiques he'd collected, including skates and copper kettles.  Mike could tell stories about every piece.  Mike died in 1953, and somewhere in there my Grandmother, Myrtle, decided to take over the Cafe and called it either M&H Cafe, or H&M Cafe (Harold being my Grandfather).  They didn't make a go of it for very long, but they tried.  My mother can recall going there to help out after church on Sundays.  

When I showed Mom this photo she told me "That's a good picture of the cafe.  It was dark inside as I remember. All his glass counters were of walnut color as the other cafes were more brightly lit.  One of them was the pool hall where your dad would get him self these big ice cream cones. Or chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream and of course where he learned to play pool."

This of course led me to search out another photo, "The Game Room".  I'm quite certain this is the pool hall; the book mentioned that they sold sweets and treats there. 

Mike's Cafe originally, it was J. D.'s cafe when the building was razed to make room for a mini mall in 1984.  

J.D.'s relocated inside the strip mall.