Jazz evening celebrates Amato’s Supper Club

Jazz evening celebrates Amato’s Supper Club

Published 6:29 am Tuesday, January 27, 2026

A jazz evening is planned 7 p.m. Jan. 31 at Pacifick Distillers at No. 1 Fourth St., in Astoria.

It will celebrate the history of the Amato’s Supper Club, which was a hot spot in Astoria between 1941 and 1948.

Historians recall it was the spot to be seen, dine, dance, meet friends and see floor shows. It was located on 11th Street, between Commercial and Bond in the Sanborn Building, now the home of J.P. Plumbing.

The evening will feature a talk about the club’s history plus live music from the era performed by the six-member jazz group, the Sea Cats. Speakers will be Lauri Krämer Serafin, vice president of the Lower Columbia Preservation Society, and Jim Forrester, former owner of J.P. Plumbing. The evening is presented by the Astoria Jazz Festival/Jazz on the River.

Amato’s was known as the “Palace of the Pacific,” and could seat 500. The nightclub owner, George Amato was born in Portland in 1904, the son of Sicilian immigrants. After high school, he worked as a mechanic and later opened his own garage. Other business ventures included bowling alleys in Portland and Astoria, flea markets in Portland, fishing boats, restaurants and nightclubs.

He married Mary Luciana in 1934 and they were successful as business partners in multiple ventures. In Astoria, their first was a four-lane bowling alley in the Sandborn Building in 1934 with an entrance on 10th Street. They opened the Entertainment Salon nightclub in the basement of the bowling alley in 1936. There was food, beer and live entertainment. It became a mecca for shows in the 1930s then expanded into the Amato’s Supper Club with a full-service restaurant, bar, stage and dance floor.  
The Sea Cats consist of Celeste Olivares, vocals; Clarence Robinson, bass; Bradford Bleidt, keyboards; Alan Kalik, trumpet; Tom Hunt, woodwinds; and Michael Morrow, drums.

Tickets are $25, online at https://ticketstripe.com.