Post #379604 by woofmutt on Sun, May 11, 2008 5:15 PM

"I spoke to an elderly Ballardite and the way it was, mannings cafeteria owners went totally against the norm and the building was all polynesian design and decor and nobody in Ballard liked it. So, when people asked about it, they were told it was a viking ship or an M for mannings cafeteria. It was built around 1958-1961." mymotiki

I always thought the Ballard Denny's looked somewhat Polynesian, but I could also see elements of traditional Skandahoovian design in it. A few years back I wrote Seattle pop culture historian Clark Humphrey***** and asked. He told me it had been a Manning's and had never been a Polynesian place.

Some consideration of traditional Nordic design gives one an idea for the inspiration of the Ballard Manning's.

Manning's/ex-Denny's

Manning's in 1983 (photo from Vintage Seattle )

An example of a traditional Viking longhouse.

A traditional style Norwegian tine, a food container, which has ornamentation similar to the longhouse.

And now for something really beautiful...

Manning's interior in its prime. *“Family style food prepared by all women cooks.” * (A postcard image from Vintage Seattle.) The interior looks very much like pictures of Norwegian/Swedish/etc restaurants from that era.

By the time The Manning's was a Denny's almost all the really swell aspects of it were gone. But there was a bar there, so you could have beer with your pie. Don't knock it til yuh've tried it.

*****Clark Humphrey is the author of Vanishing Seattle a swell book full of pictures of long gone Seattle places, objects, and people.