What a day at Old House Family Restaurant..Known for Good food Bad attitide. Eat it or Wear it. Tip or Die. Tipping is not a city in China. Cash or death by diswashing. I got a barbie apron in 3x sitonmybrainsmothertrucker(it's one word sorry). Eat and get out. Break a dish, it's a death wish.

Anyone that wants to use these quotes are more than welcome too. I don't hold the patent on them.

After 12 hours of work and no mistakes on anyone's food, saw a ton of kids today who hugged me like i was santa claus. Laughed until we cried about a little girl telling everyone her mother lost her gift list, and she had her sad face on today! We hooked her up with a mickey mouse pancake with the works and it made here happy, as her mom was paying she showed us the gift list. She was really taking the fall for the lost list. The rent got paid, and to top it off, it's christmas and everyone's in a good mood. generous too.

I get home and there are posts thanking me for my italy report, and i can't believe anyone liked it. and i'm reading it on a new screen my husband got me for christmas it's a sony something and it's real thin( a refuge could have lived in the back of the old moniter) and the coolest part is you almost think you can jump into the water on the screen saver.

My Restaurant is 20 minutes north of downtown detroit.

44474 Mound Road
Sterling heights, mi 48313
586 739 5332
If your ever in the area please drop by, better if you call ahead to make sure i'm there. You know, i have done my 17 year prison sentence there, and i have some freedom. Ain't no stopping me now, I can pack in 30 minutes if i need too. and dang proud of it.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza and to the lovely neighbors to the north Canada, Happy Boxing Day.
Theresa

Hey, for all of you who loved this trip report (and who didn't?) I found a site that has a couple of pictures of the restaurant and staff. Can't tell which one is Theresa, but I can tell it is the family from the smiles on all their faces.

http://metrodetroitrestaurants.com/oldhouse/index.html

:-)

I would say it is Theresa wielding the rolling pin.

Theresa, loved your report and your humor. Are you going to post photos from your trip?

Theresa, Thanks for a fun, interesting report. Merry Christmas to you and your whole family!

Did anyone notice the sign on the wall (the photo of Theresa with the rolling pin)? It reads "I have PMS and a handgun. Questions?" Love it!!!

Theresa,

I pulled up your menu. The prices seem very reasonable, at least for breakfast in the Seattle area. I'm curious why you are only open until 3:00 in the afternoon, and only serve breakfast? Don't you have a lunch or dinner crowd?
If you make more money, perhaps you can get back to Italy sooner and post us another delightful trip report.

:-)

Theresa,
Thanks ever so much for posting your delightful, adventure-filled trip report. With your descriptive prose, I was right along with you & your family from start to finish! I especially appreciated the way in which you were able to deal with unfortunate circumstances, put the bad behind you, and move on...
Your sensitivity with regards to the gentleman in the wheelchair boarding the place shows what a big heart you have. My daughter is wheelchair bound, so I'm especially appreciative of your comments. Thanks for entertaining the readers!

THERESA10,

The best compliment I can give you, is that if I met you in person, I just know we would be friends.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Hello Everyone; Hope Santa was good to you all.

The reason i'm only open till 3pm is when i first bought the restaurant 17 years ago, my daughter was 12 years old and i wanted to be home when she got home from school. it was perfect. i'm a morning person (not so much now) and we'd do breakfast and lunch out by 3. For the first time, i opened for fish fry on friday nites because of popular demand during lent. i don't know how i let someone (husband) talk me into it, some of those friday's i was there 6 am till 10 pm. great just what i never wanted to do, put in a 16 hour work day. I hated it. i was kicking myself for agreeing to do it. all the workers wanted too, but i didn't. the place was hoppin' on friday nites. but i made it very clear that after lent that was it, but we stayed open until end of june. here's where it get ugly, i let them start friday dinners back up early, nov 1st and i'm still kicking myself about it. we won't be open this friday nite though. thank god. we had a vote, open on new years day instead of friday nite.

Did someone call me...
Illiterate?

1. ignorant; uneducated;esp;., not knowing how to read or write 2. having or showing limited knowledge, experience, or culture,esp. in some particular field language.

I had to look that one up in the old dictionary, I knew what it meant. not able to read or write. but I don't like to use that word, I consider that not to be in my vocabulary. My Papaw couldn't read or write. He'd use an X as signature, and would have to have someone witness it. My Sita could not read or write english, but she could read and write arabic. I would not say either one of them were illiterate, they both did great with their lives and raised a family and ran a business. I don't appreciate you typing such an insult to me or anyone else on this forum. All I could think of was how sad and what misery you must be suffering. I feel sorry for you. I hope you get a life full of Peace Love and Harmony. Good luck. You may want to try a church, synagone, temple, it could bring you some happiness in your life.

Had dinner with the inlwaws today for christmas. What a spread we had. We all brought the pictures and video of italy, and reminised. I forgot to tell you all so many things that happened while in Rome. I laughed at the stories of some of the events, but at the time could have died from humilation. We all still Love eachother so much, and considering a cruise in 2 years with the whole family again. Great, it gives Me 2 years to recover and forget.

God Bless, and I pray God crosses our paths. Theresa

Theresa, this is one of the best trip reports I have ever read on this site. I love reading posts from people who write the way they speak. It makes reading feel like we could be sitting in the room with you listening to you share your wonderful experience with us. I got a tear in my eye when I read the part about your husband being so happy after his father told him what a nice time they were having. The only thing my grandmother ever wanted (that she was never able to have) was a trip to the Vatican. She was very old fashioned and wouldn't travel without my grandfather and he refused to travel overseas after his POW experience in WW2. I would have given anything to have been able to experience Rome with my grandma like you did with your family. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your trip. :)

Thank you Theresa! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. If we get to Detroit this summer (and we might) we will definitely stop by your restaurant.

Theresa....Many thanks.....reading your post was terrific fun!!!!!

We'll be in Detroit for the Super Bowl...husband is sportswriter...we'll be there for work....BUT we're planning a field-trip to Old House family Restaurant!!
We'll call first!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU & YOUR FAMILY!!!!!!

Hey, Theresa! Where is Henry Cow? I will be in Rome in March and after your description I want to try it.
I assume it is named after the British Rock Group.

(I still think this report is one of the top Fodors reports)

Found on a Google search: Henry Cow: Motor-cyclists' pub and seat of "Motoclub Ducati Roma", here you can taste our kitchen, listen to live music and play games. Via Salvatore Dl Giacomo 87 tel. 5404237; open from 8.30 p.m. to 2.00 a.m.. Closed on Sundays.

SeaUrchin:
I agree. It's the best one I ever read.

Catbert, that is interesting, after I wrote my question I found one on Via Flavia. How many Henry Cows are there for Pete's sake?

wliwl, I know what you mean, this one sticks with me, I guess I got caught up in Theresa's energy!

I think reading Theresa's trip report was the best New Year's Eve I've spent!
Sorry I missed it the first time it went around but am deeply grateful to the poster who brought it back to life.

Theresa ought to sell this to The New Yorker.

I read this entire trip report for the first time and had to finally take a break when I smelled my dumplings burning in the oven!
When I read the part about the newlyweds beaming together at the restaurant and your husband asking you if you still loved him that way too (you said, "I DO"), I burst into tears. I don't know why - it just touched me so. Thanks for an enjoyable read this New Year's Day 2007.

Happy New Year! I'm so glad you all are getting a kick out of the post I wrote. I reread it again and forgot about some of the thrills, chills and spills. I had butterflies reading it again. What an awesome trip and can't wait to do it all over again. Were trying to talk my FIL into going again, He said he'd think about it. To me that's I got my foot in the door. By my book anyway.

But now that I'm a mamaw, it's hard to leave on trips. I can't be away from my granddaughter very long now. I have to get her a passport and start her out early.

Thanks for all the compliments on this post. It was THAT GREAT! A trip of a lifetime.

Theresa in Detroit.

Theresa, just discovered your Trip Report and don't know how I missed it the first-time around, as I am going to spend a month in Italy in Feb/March and have been reading everything daily on this site. Let me just say this much to begin. I have just now read enough to know that I want to read it ALL, every last detail, and savor every minute of it when I can do so without interruptions to disturb my enjoyment. I mean this in only a complimentary way: You are truly an original character, an authentic personality, and a great writer (and I say this being an English teacher). You make all of us feel that we want to get to know you better, be your friends, and maybe even take a trip with you and your family. For the first time in my life (and I am from Chicago, nearby), I feel like I want to vist Detroit just so I can visit your restaurant and meet you personally.

Theresa, you are the real deal. Your trip report is filled with the authentic details (the good, the bad, and the ugly, especially the humorous) of travel with your family. As others on this line have complimented you already, I would like to add that this is the most genuine and heartfelt trip report I have read so far.

Thanks for giving this gift to your felllow travelers. jg