Episode 2 - Heart of Darkness

[Tom]

vor 15 Minuten schrieb Paul Veres:

In the meantime, I was able to obtain some info on Chela's from a guy who studies Brickell history and had some unique prints you probably won't find anywhere online. I was on the fence between posting it here and in Miami Miscellaneous, but ultimately thought it's appropriate to include the whole material here and just reference it in Miami Misc.

First, here is an April 5th 1982 note from Miami Herald about the restaurant's opening by Chela Holman, a Salvadorian fleeing the civil war in her home country where she ran a restaurant Siete Mares (Seven Seas, sounds like sea food). Note that the restaurant originally opened as a simple sandwich shop, though with a high capacity of 100, to later follow up with more space.

The "more formal dining room inside" was probably further updated into what we see in the show over a year later, given this July 23rd 1983 Miami Herald ad print in Spanish (followed by a Google-translated copy):

What do you think of the prices, $18.50 for what sounds to be a multi-course dinner - stacks up well to what we see in the show?

More pricing info from later that year as this November 17th Miami News note shows - you can get a fettucine Alfredo for $8.95. 15 tapas for $6.95? That sounds like a good deal, and it's interesting the author felt the need to explain what tapas are to the 80s Miami.

Another short Miami Herald article, this one from December 22nd 1983 giving us a pretty good description of the place, plus more pricing info - drinks up to $6.50 a shot, pricey back then, but I think fitting the level of this establishment. I have to admit I've never had the pink squirrel cocktail... Will fix that sometime.  

"Cozy lounge in restful shades of earthy maroon".

"Flowing design".

"Large well-lit tables".

And it sounds like that whole courtyard in the circular front part of the building (still there today through the 90s building renovation) was occupied by the restaurant, featuring an "al fresco Mediterranean patio bar".

Finally, and this gets us to the March 18th 1985 event @daytona365 posted, a January 18th 1985 Miami Herald article bashing the place. There also, note the "etched mirrors" and "beige-pink tablecloths" which we see in the MV screenshot above (though glass, not mirrors, but probably a feature throughout the place elsewhere).

In summary, the place lasted only 3 years, yet was lucky enough to get MV filmed there during what was probably its short heyday in 1984.

Thanks for verifying the interior!

[Paul Veres]

Here's your "window"/door/corner/wall material @Tom, took these today, walking around that south-west corner from its west side to its south side.

[Tom]

vor 1 Stunde schrieb Paul Veres:

Here's your "window"/door/corner/wall material @Tom, took these today, walking around that south-west corner from its west side to its south side.

Wow! What a fast and reliable local detective service! Great pics. On the first, one can see some traces of a potential former window location (slight surface and color changes) that was at the right position like on TV and patched over. Not that we needed that further proof, with that many other matches, but these pics are the clincher for me.

Edited June 25, 2023 by Tom

[Paul Veres]

2 hours ago, Tom said:

Wow! What a fast and reliable local detective service! Great pics. On the first, one can see some traces of a potential former window location (slight surface and color changes) that was at the right position like on TV and patched over. Not that we needed that further proof, with that many other matches, but these pics are the clincher for me.

Was incidentally at the Marky's Gourmet grocery store today, which is a minute away, so stopped by! The building is completely abandoned btw, with a chain on the door, a mess inside, and the water access fenced off.

[Paul Veres]

Per the parking lot scene elements, the dimensions bothered me only slightly.

See comparison with the rectangles and the horizontal lines being exactly the same size between the two pictures.

Nothing below tries to argue the conclusion, I am mostly just practicing in observation.

• The door size matches exactly, but it is most certainly some standardized electrical closet door anyway so that alone wouldn't prove much
• Looks like in the 80s the door was mounted high in the wall, with a gap down directly into the parking lot asphalt. Since then, elevated area for landscaping was added along with the curb and a ramp to the door, which thickness/height pretty much matches the 80s gap
• My photo is taken from a much closer distance than the show screenshot, creating a different perspective even when sized right, so small distortions are possible
• Finally, the palm trees which were not there in the show

These are some mature, I believe, Washingtonia Robustas, though our chief botanist @Tom might have a better idea.

Could they grow that tall since planted after the show? Well it's been almost 40 years, long time.

Looking at the oldest and latest Google Street views available - December 2007 and December 2022.

Let's say that palm tree grew 11 "units" in 15 years (the red numbers are just relative measures). Could it have grown 74 remaining units in remaining years? I think so. First, they are usually brought pretty tall already. Second, the growth is probably not linear and they now grow slower than in early years. Plus again, the perspective is distorted here as well so these visual measurements are approximate at best.

[Tom]

vor einer Stunde schrieb Paul Veres:

Per the parking lot scene elements, the dimensions bothered me only slightly.

See comparison with the rectangles and the horizontal lines being exactly the same size between the two pictures.

Nothing below tries to argue the conclusion, I am mostly just practicing in observation.

• The door size matches exactly, but it is most certainly some standardized electrical closet door anyway so that alone wouldn't prove much
• Looks like in the 80s the door was mounted high in the wall, with a gap down directly into the parking lot asphalt. Since then, elevated area for landscaping was added along with the curb and a ramp to the door, which thickness/height pretty much matches the 80s gap
• My photo is taken from a much closer distance than the show screenshot, creating a different perspective even when sized right, so small distortions are possible
• Finally, the palm trees which were not there in the show

These are some mature, I believe, Washingtonia Robustas, though our chief botanist @Tom might have a better idea.

Could they grow that tall since planted after the show? Well it's been almost 40 years, long time.

Looking at the oldest and latest Google Street views available - December 2007 and December 2022.

Let's say that palm tree grew 11 "units" in 15 years (the red numbers are just relative measures). Could it have grown 74 remaining units in remaining years? I think so. First, they are usually brought pretty tall already. Second, the growth is probably not linear and they now grow slower than in early years. Plus again, the perspective is distorted here as well so these visual measurements are approximate at best.

Thanks! Yes, Washingtonian robusta. They are fast growers and can easily add a feet of trunk or more per year and can easily grow as tall as we see here in 40years!

[Tom]

The exterior of La Carreta Restaurant now and then