Memories of The Mountain

The best-known landmark building in the area is undoubtedly the former Lost Weekend saloon, located at #10 Pine Plat Road, home since 1983 to Randall Graham’s Bonny Doon Winery tasting room. Affectionately dubbed the ‘civic center’ and ‘cultural center’ by its loyal patrons, the Lost Weekend reigned for more than 60 years as the only commercial establishment in the community, having been ‘grandfathered-in’ when the general plan was adopted in the 1950s.

The original Bonny Doon Cash Store was opened in the early 1920s by Louis “Luigi” and Mary Iacopetti. They purchased the 70 acres between Smith Grade and Martin Road in 1908 but did not actually move to Bonny Doon until 1920 when they established a dairy on the property. Their first home was the two-story white farmhouse on what later became the Simpkin’s turkey ranch. Luigi and Mary had three children, Gus, Clementine, and Mary Louise.

In 1950 Mary Louise and her husband Enrico Ricci purchased the store from her father. Mary’s brother, Gus, is credited with naming the business after the 1945 Billy Wilder movie The Lost Weekend, starring Ray Milland. Besides operating the small store and tavern, Mary Ricci provided take-out homemade raviolis and sauce to the locals and sold what was left to a deli in Santa Cruz.

Ralph and Lee Cox, Soquel natives who moved to Bonny Doon in the 1970s, purchased the two acres of land with just the tavern on it from Mary Ricci in 1973. With the addition of a pool table, the little beer and wine concession soon became a gathering place for a good number of local residents. It was also a popular stopping place for weekend travelers exploring the byways of the Central Coast. Later, George Saam joined Ralph in the business and built a barn behind the tavern to house his local construction and equipment businesses.

A number of leaseholders took turns operating the saloon during the Cox/Saam days. Around 1977, two fellows by the names of Herbie and Gary ran the bar for a few months.

That Gary was the local Gary Dahl, inventor of the “pet rock” craze.

Shortly thereafter, Bonny Dooner Dallas “Duke” Belville quit his day job to become the tavern keeper. His brother, Dennis even reopened the tiny store, stocking it with basics such as milk, eggs, bread, pet food and cold medications.

George Saam stated that it was rare for someone to stop there just to shop. Bonny Dooners were used to going to town to get what they needed. George speculates that’s why the store carried so few items and probably why another store that once opened on the corner of Empire Grade did not last terribly long.

In 1978, Frank Stacy, an itinerant schoolteacher with a striking resemblance to Mark Twain, took over and added hamburgers and pizza to the bill of fare. He converted the store space into a licensed card room to compete with the Whaler Bar & Poker Parlor down in Davenport. Frank was quite the philosopher and being a bonafied schoolteacher he brought a certain level of intellectual sophistication to the otherwise box-wine and beer-laden soliloquies.

George Saam and Ralph Cox leased the restaurant to Bruce and Shirley Brown, longtime Westdale Drive residents; they were the last tavern operators. They upped the ante on the food and served homemade dishes on Friday and Saturday nights, all the while pouring Shirley’s favorite NV wine, Carlo Rossi. The Lost Weekend seems to have left pleasant memories with those who frequented the place to enjoy a bite to eat, a drink and a game or two of pool.

The Lost Weekend sign came down in 1983 and a major remodel was undertaken in 1989 to make way for a new generation of vinophiles. Gone are the box and jug wines and in their place are world-renowned varietals created by Bonny Doon’s eclectic Rhone Ranger, Randall Graham. The tavern is now a quaint tasting room and the barn that Saam built houses a distillery for Graham’s brandies and liqueurs. Long live the Bonny Doon spirits!