Chris Montagne was an Old Salt Italian fisherman from Sea Isle City who moved to Ocean City to open Chris Restaurant and run a fleet of fishing and touring boats. He married Dr. Marcia Smith and lived with her at their home at 821 Wesley Avenue from the 1930s until he died.
Chris' Restaurant, next to Hogates and the Ocean City - Somers Point Causeway Bridge, was a long time landmark and the first thing you saw when driving into Ocean City.
One of the boats Chris ran was the Flying Saucer, a converted World War II era PT boat that he took passengers for rides out the inlet and to the end of the island and back again, every day at 12 noon and 3 pm. When I worked at Mack & Manco's Pizza on the boardwalk you could count on Chris going by like clockwork. The boat rides lasted for many years, and you could be sure to get wet from the spray he kicked up - but that only made Chris laugh. The Flying Saucer rides only ended when Chris got pretty old and the boat sank at the dock one afternoon.
Chris was an alltime fascinating character. Even after he retired he continued to fish regularly. When I lived in Sea Isle City and drove down Ocean Drive I'd see him every morning emptying his minnow nets in the south end marshes. My brother Leo went fishing with him all the time, and took the picture at the top of Chris out on the bay in his boat with the big parrot Leo took care of for awhile.
When Chris retired, he sold the restaurant for a reported $1 million, but not to someone who would maintain the place as the living landmark that gave public access to the bay. Instead the city mistakenly allowed them to change the use of the property and convert it to condos, which made it private property and no public access. And the location, next to the noisy bridge and highway, was no conducive to living comfortably there, but somebody made a lot of money.
My Grandfater was Captain Frank Horner who ran one of Chris's boats . Spent my summers in Ocean City when my dad took vacation from Catterpillar Tractor Co. .
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to find the recipe for Chris's Rum Buns. A Sunday ritual.
ReplyDeleteMy late father knew the local harbormaster, who knew my grandfather who was a cabinet-maker for Chris-Craft, and they knew Chris, who took us out one night out past the breakwater riding on an ex-PT boat that had been restored and christened "PT-109", with church pews equipped with seatbelts and lifejackets. The full moon shining down on the ocean as we skimmed over the 18-foot wave crests is something I'll always remember as a 10 year-old boy in 1965. I'm sorry to hear that the place is no longer operating - there can never be another place to equal Chris' unique operation with excellent food and entertainment.
ReplyDeleteThe Flying Saucer burned in the bay off the Yacht Club, I believe in 1970. Several injuries.
ReplyDeleteyes! my aunt, uncle and 2 very young cousins were on the boat when this happened. they were all fine - was very scary!
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FYI: Young Jill Biden was a waitress at Chris's.
ReplyDelete"I did work for two summers in Ocean City as a waitress at Chris’ Seafood Restaurant. I loved it."
I remember the paper cup of huge oyster crackers at each table.
ReplyDeleteMy parents took me on Chris's Flying Saucer several times when I was elementary and junior high age. We always wore our bathing suits. Chris would turn to the crowd and say "This is a gonna be a wetta ride!" One time, a group of nuns in full habits were seated in the front row. Chris was not sure what to do about that. I recall that the ride was no different than usual that day. Alyce in Yardley
ReplyDeleteI worked at Chris' Seafood for 2 college summers with girls from Maryland U. We had a small house near Chris'. One of the gals sold tickets on the docks for the Flying Saucer, and all other boats. Serving meals on the dock was delightful Chris was very kind to us. (My family had 2 homes in OC in Gardens and on beach on 16th St. which have since be removed. Oh...my cousins used to come to the fish market (Chris's) many mornings by row boat just to get those wonderful warm freshly baked rum buns. So many memories....from 1935 as an infant until now....my second home away from Chevy Chase Md! (The new bridge is such a lovely entrance to OC).
ReplyDeleteThe Saucer did not sink at the dock. My father as the last Engineer aboard her. Her last run as a passenger carrying vessel saw her split her inner hull from the outer. I was a young child, but I was there.
ReplyDeleteChris had idled out into the inlet as required by the city and the coast guard, after clearing the Ocean Drive bridge, he opened the throttles and the bow came up. As this happened, a smaller speed boat, which always plagued the saucer, cut infront of her and Chris pulled the throttles back, bring the saucer dead in the water for a moment. Completely pissed off, he then pinned all three throttles to the bulkhead instead of more gently letting the saucer get up onto plane.
At this the boat pointed her bow straight into the air, the stern wiggling back and forth while all three props dug sand out of the inlet and then with a roar, she all but leapt out of the water and continued on her tour. Chris never backed the throttles off until they returned to the inlet. By this time the damage was done. The Saucer was an old boat, and her inner hull had split from the outer. The coast guard always hated her and would not permit repairs and recertification.
Her very last run was just Chris and my Father, a full speed run up the Tuckahoe River to Yank Marine where they pulled her out. On the way up river, Chris did not even wait for the Beasley's Point Bridge to open, she slipped under the closed drawbridge with inches to spare. It was as though she knew this was her lasr run.
She sat at Yank's Marine a good ten years before being finally cut up. A sad end to a once beautiful and fast boat.