Gone, but not forgotten by many, is the once famous Skipper's Dock seafood restaurant that was located on Front Street, overlooking Long Island Sound, in the picturesque fishing village of Noank in the Town of Groton.

The beginnings of the restaurant can be traced back to late 1929 and early 1930 after Sidney C. Wood, a successful real estate salesman in New York, who, like many, lost much of his fortune during the stock market crash of 1929, used the last of his savings as a down payment for a loan to establish "Skipper's Wharf," a fishing business in Noank. Shortly after opening the business, Wood began serving sandwiches and coffee to fishermen and tourists.

The business of selling the sandwiches and beverages to the fishermen and tourists became such a success that Wood constructed a building to house the first Skipper's Dock Restaurant. This building, which now serves as the Ram Island Yacht Club, had seating for approximately 50 people.

Wood, who possessed a great deal of business savvy, resolved to have the restaurant cater to the rich and famous. Although furnished with plain wooden tables and chairs, the fishing nets and ship's wheels decorating the wall, as wells as the sweeping views overlooking Long Island Sound, provided a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere.

One of the biggest contributors to the success of the business was Wood's decision to hire Howard "Doc" Smith as chief chef. Smith, who was raised on a Georgian plantation and had been cooking since he was 12 years old, brought with him the knowledge and experience preparing unique and tasty southern cuisine.

Although the restaurant's menu featured fresh seafood, mostly provided by Wood's own fishing boat fleet, the most sought-after entry was Skipper's Dock's own charcoal broiled lobster dinner and Chef Smith's flavorsome lobster Newberg sauce and clam bisque.

Another important and intimate element contributing to the success of Skipper's Dock was Wood's family members, including his wife Edna, son Brainerd and daughter Sydney.

While conducting the research for this article, I had the distinct pleasure of contacting and speaking with Mr. Wood's daughter, Sydney Wood Hall. The knowledge and personal experiences she relayed about her father and Skipper's Dock are worthy of publication and it was pleasing to note that they will be included in the memoirs she is composing.

Ms. Hall indicated she starting working at the restaurant as a "hat-check girl" when she was 7 years old. When she was about 13 she became a "busgirl" and, by the time she was 15, she was the hostess for the restaurant.

According to Ms. Hall, after the building was severely damaged by the 1938 hurricane, her father built a larger three-story complex. Besides having a new restaurant, which had 225 windows and could seat over 300 customers, the new complex also included spaces where various banquets, parties and receptions could be held.

Crowds of wealthy patrons would often have to wait for seats and, at times, it was necessary to have three sittings a night.

Mr. Hall, who acted as his own "employment director" and, according to Ms. Hall, did not like to hire experienced personnel, preferring to "teach them everything he wanted them to know." An example of Hall's preferences in perspective employees is evident in the words used in a 1941 employment advertisement for the restaurant that read: "HOSTESS — Educated, attractive, with outstanding personality wanted for high type shore restaurant. Also, smart, good-looking girl, 21-30 years old, required for dining room service, experience unnecessary." Wording for this ad would probably be quickly rebuked in today's society but pretty much said it all back then.

Wood was very strict when it came to attire. Waitress staff of the restaurant were required to wear a white sailor-suit uniform. Waitresses were fired for wearing jewelry other than their wedding ring and makeup other than lipsticks, and wearing half-slips was forbidden. He was just as strict with his customers, insisting that his male diners wear jackets.

Ms. Hall relayed one story in which Connecticut Governor Raymond E. Baldwin came without a jacket and had to eat in the chauffeur's room.

The restaurant boasted of having served many of the "rich and famous," including the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers and celebrities such as John Wayne, Claudette Colbert, Hogie Carmichael, William Bendix, Lana Turner, Joseph Cotton and Tyrone Powell.

Probably one of the more interesting patrons was Albert Einstein. According to Ms. Hall, he didn't care what people thought of him: "he'd sit down, eat two huge lobsters and leave without paying or leaving a tip. He'd say 'I live just around the corner, catch me when you can.'"

Because of the popularity of the restaurant's lobster Newberg and clam bisque, Wood started a mail order cannery business for these and several other items on Skipper's Dock's menu. This will be the subject of a future article.

Due to health issues, Wood sold Skipper's Dock in 1954 and subsequently moved to Florida. Over the years, ownership of the restaurant changed hands many times; however, for whatever reason, it never maintained the level of business or interest it had when owned and operated by Sydney C. Wood and family.

It is not known for sure when the restaurant closed for business but the building was torn down in 1975. When it closed, unfortunately, Groton lost one of its best five-star restaurants.

Jim Streeter is the Groton town historian.