RIPPE'S CAFE, STARTED IN 1910, WAS ONE OF SEATTLE'S EARLIEST UPSCALE "INSTITUTIONS," best known for its mahogany-and-brass booths and 24-hour service. For decades Rippe's, which later became Von's, attracted many of the city's leading citizens as well as visiting celebrities -- from Calvin Coolidge to Jean Harlow. Von's tony appeal fell victim to the fast-food trend of the '60s, though another incarnation opened years later.
