11/03/2006

Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump
Philip Rosi, left, and Terry Bovee talk over lunch at Lil Bo's on West Front Street.

Lil Bo's celebrates anniversary of re-opening

By AL PARKER

Special to the Record-Eagle

TRAVERSE CITY — An extensive renovation has transformed a Traverse City landmark tavern.

"It needed some upgrading," said Larry "Sarge" Bruckner, a regular at the new and improved version of Lil Bo's, which now includes Capone's Café.

Bruckner was enjoying a cold beer on a quiet Tuesday afternoon with fellow Traverse City residents Larry Widgren and Terry Kelly. Gary Mazurek of Cedar rounded out the foursome. There was lots of laughing and good-hearted ribbing going on.

"I love it here," added Mazurek. "We've been coming since they reopened in November of last year and we love the food here. The atmosphere is great and people are comfortable. They always treat us right."

Lil Bo's began life in 1932 as a hot dog stand featuring outdoor seating and a drive-up window. Quickly, the Little Bohemia, shortened to Lil Bo's, became a meeting place for Traverse City's Bohemian community, which had settled on the west side and provided much of the muscle of the bustling Traverse City.

When America's Prohibition era ended in 1933, Lil Bo's became a tavern. While many of the ethnic workers drifted away from the community, Lil Bo's retained its original name and continued to be a place where blue-collar workers, farmers and other hard-working folks gathered for food, drink and camaraderie.

The tavern's reputationwas greatly enhanced when golfing legend Walter Hagen began visiting the place. Hagen, who settled outside Traverse City on Long Lake after he retired, spent many hours "holding court" or playing bumper pool at Lil Bo's.

Hagen called Lil Bo's his second home and wasn't shy about telling people how much he enjoyed it. On the day that Arnold Palmer won the British Open in 1961, Hagen congratulated him by making a transatlantic phone call from his seat at Lil Bo's.

Flash forward to the summer of 2005, when it underwent a complete facelift by its new owners, siblings Eddie and Nancy Freund, and manager Sal Capone.

Eddie and Nancy's parents, Eugene and Phyllis Freund, had owned Lil Bo's since 1969 — only the tavern's second owners since it was built. The siblings took over the business last year when their aging parents were no longer able to run it. The younger Freunds and Capone went to work renovating and rejuvenating Lil Bo's to restore the eatery to its glory days of old — a friendly family neighborhood place.

"We took out 35 years of tar and nicotine off the walls," says Capone. "The place had gradually gotten rougher and rougher. But now the troublemakers are all gone and we emphasize great food and great service for our customers."

The remodeling included a new roof, new siding, a beautiful oak floor, a new pine ceiling, new furniture, new paint and upgraded restrooms. The facelift provides seating for 87 diners. There's also a new area for outdoor dining in the summer.

New formica counters have replaced the old tavern's booths, which were refurbished and relocated to a cozy back dining room. The space that once housed Lil Bo's pool tables is now a quaint dining area decorated with colorful murals by Traverse City artist Barbara A. Wilson that capture the beauty of the region in all four seasons.

A major portion of the renovation focused on the eatery's full gas kitchen, which enabled Lil Bo's to make the transition from a little family tavern that served some food to a full-blown restaurant with an Italian edge.

Lil Bo's will celebrate its one-year re-opening anniversary on Nov. 22 with an open invitation to the community to stop by and taste test its selection of hors d'oeuvres and entrees at no cost.

New live music has helped upgrade the atmosphere, too. Monday is Jazz Night with Ron Getz, Tuesday is Cherry Gully Karaoke, Wednesday is Hip Hop, Swing or Bossa Nova, Friday is Open Mic and Saturday is Rock and Blues Night.

"We have local bands, local wines and try to use as many local items as possible," said Capone. "We're still taking baby steps, but we had an outstanding summer and feel like we're really headed in the right direction."