Only weeks after the demolition of 40 percent of the Cavendish Mall was completed, a gentleman who played a very important role in the once proud shopping centre’s history has passed away. Moe Kaizer died on December 25. He spent his last years at Maimonides Geriatric Centre on Caldwell Avenue in Côte Saint-Luc.
Moe, of course, was the owner of Pumpernick’s Restaurant. Originally located on Decarie Boulevard near Queen Mary Road, Moe moved to the Mall in the late 1970s. Unquestionably this was the Mall’s most successful restaurant ever. It was a destination dining spot, where people from across the island would travel to enjoy the vast menu and tantalizing salad bar. Moe was always on duty. And he guarded that salad bar as if it were a bank. If it was not part of your meal and you dared to try and grab a roll or some cole slaw, Moe would literally order you back to your table. Regulars adored him. When he decided to close up shop, several attempts were made to fill the void, but Chilis, Sternz Rhapsody and Jakes all failed. To this date, the now mini-mall is still without a full serve restaurant.
Here is what my constituent Phil Matlin had to say about Moe: “I knew him since 1952 when he was the buyer for Ruby Foo's Restaurant. He was one of my customers when I started with my dad in the produce business. From Ruby Foo's I think, he went to Juniors on Pare and Mountain Sights. I do know that he then went into partnership with Billy Manella at the Miss Snowdon Restaurant. He eventually took full ownership and changed the name to Pumpernicks, which he moved to the Cavendish Mall. I spent many evenings with him in the restaurant and watched his business grow and become a regular stop for everyone – teenagers to the seniors. I did lose contact with him after Pumpernicks closed. I was no longer in the business and did not keep up the friendship. During my time in the produce business he was one of the best restaurant men in the city. Certainly in the top three.”
I was contacted by a former employee of Moe's, now residing in Toronto. "I worked during high school at Pumpernicks on Queen Mary in the mid 70's, rising from from the ranks of dishwasher to busboy to short order cook," said this gentleman, who requested anonymity. "I have a vivid recollection of Moe running into the kitchen after the busboys hustling them on a busy Saturday night yelling, "Come on….Come on….Come on Man! Once I sliced a cheesecake too thick and Moe, ever so vigilan,t ran into the kitchen exclaiming to the head chef, "That boy is ruining my profits." I once sliced the cheesecake too thin and the waitress told me the customer asked whether I cut my finger slicing the cake. He was not a mean person and knew how to run a tight ship. I remember the head chef saying that he liked working for Moe because he gave him freedom in the kitchen."