Nate Goldstone was the proprietor of Brookside Drug Store from 1941 until 1988. The drug store was located at Excelsior Boulevard and Brookside Avenue. It had a real soda fountain. During the 1950’s and 60’s it served coffee to businessmen in the morning, sandwiches to the working women at lunch, and chocolate sundaes to the kids after school.
Finally with the discount stores and groceries putting in prescription departments Nate decided to go out of business. He liquidated, sold the building and retired. Nate moved to Monrovia, California and lives near his younger son, his granddaughter and grandson both of whom are in college. Rain falling in California has caused homes to fall away onto the homes below. With this he has concluded that Minnesota is not all that bad a place to live. He has joined the Lions Club out there but still misses the friends he has in Minnesota and sends his regards.
Nate keeps in touch with St. Louis Park through the Re-Echo. He recently wrote the following memories that were triggered by the El Patio article:
I watched Culbertson’s change hands and George Faust trying his hand at running it, followed by Anchor Inn, followed by Bongiorno’s. That was a good restaurant. Mr. Bongiorno, however, overextened himself when he remodeled the building. It seems he made some serious structural changes to the building that took much of his capital to bring the building up to code. The restaurant started out a winner, but David had to cut quality in order to save money…………………….I was there long enough to see Duggan’s Steakhouse come to life.