HUNGRY GERALD

Fat Man on Sugar Hill was an HG hangout way back when. Location: Upscale Harlem. 155th Street off Edgecombe Avenue. Sugar Hill. Like Joe Louis and Duke Ellington, you needed plenty of sugar to live there. Fat Man was founded by a fat man—jazz bass fiddler Charles McKinley Turner. When asked what he weighed he said, “Ten more pounds than Fats Waller.” His partner was Edward Mallary, jazz trumpeter and former husband of Ethel Waters. Originally, it was a late spot. African-American and white show biz and musical celebs were among the customers. Duke Ellington, Paul Robeson, Jimmy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Jack Teagarden, Katherine Cornell and Tallulah Bankhead. Tallulah loved the ribs. By the 50’s the food was mundane but the array of bourbons was splendid. A great R & B jukebox (called “race music” then.) :The atmosphere was lively and joyous. HG loved every minute. How can you go wrong with a name like Fat Man on Sugar Hill?