An evening themed on the bygone glamour of the steamship cruise era of the 1930s will be created at a St George restaurant this month.And the inspiration for reviving a 1937 menu from the Queen of Bermuda ocean liner came from an unlikely place a neighbourhood gas station.Restaurant manager Piero Casalicchio was accustomed to being treated to viewings of old photographs and memorabilia of Bermuda when he visited the local gas station — then, one day, something unusual and unmistakable caught his eye. It was an elegantly decorated, 76-year-old menu card from the Queen of Bermuda, which was once a regular visitor to Bermuda’s shores.“A few times when I went into the gas station a gentleman there would show me old photos, and then this menu showed up,” said Mr Casalicchio. He immediately knew what it was as family members used to travel on ocean liners between the US and Europe during the golden era of the luxury passenger ships.“I thought we should do a revival of this [menu],” said the general manager of Griffin’s Bistro at The St George’s Club. He took the idea to the club’s managing director John Kyle and it was given the green light.On March 22 the bistro will host its special inaugural event, recreating the classy dining experience enjoyed by the likes of Clark Gable, Shirley Temple, TS Eliot and former President Harry Truman who were all, at some time, passengers on the Furness Line’s flagship Queen of Bermuda.Experienced restaurateur Mr Casalicchio believes the chance to experience a recreation of a dinner aboard the ‘Millionaires’ ship’ will entice customers to try out the restaurant, which has been given a more inviting atmosphere since he took over the helm last year.As for reviving the yesteryear menu, that appears to be fairly straightforward. “The menus of that era were very simple. I love simplification there are less ingredients but more freshness,” he said.The themed evening will feature memorabilia connected with the era, and there will be Sea Cadets in attendance to heighten the nautical ambience. It is also hoped that a few individuals who worked on the Queen of Bermuda before its final trip to Bermuda in 1966 will come along for the dining experience. Part of the proceeds from the night are to benefit the Bermuda Sloop Foundation and the St George’s Sea Cadets.Mr Casalicchio arrived in Bermuda in 2011 after his yacht, en route from Montauk, Long Island, to the Caribbean was caught in a storm and had to divert to the Island.A number of chance meetings led to him taking over the running of Griffin’s Bistro and The Beach House (formerly known as Blackbeards). He has given both venues a make over and is pleased with how they are doing, even though economic times have been hard.“The restaurant business is always a challenge,” said Mr Casalicchio, who has previously owned and operated a chain of restaurants on the US East Coast.“I was extremely happy to turn the two restaurants into something to suit the locals and keep a few basic recipes, such as fish chowder. They are doing very well and we’ve trained the personnel to step up the quality.”Mr Casalicchio is looking forward to the Queen of Bermuda Captain’s Table dining evening and has plans, if it is successful, to do it again.For details and reservations call 297-4235 or e-mail piero@stgeorgesclub.com