Nitty Gritty - 223 N. Frances St.

Ever wonder how Marsh Shapiro's Nitty Gritty got its name? In the 1960s a singer named Shirley Ellis, who had won amateur night at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, brought out a song called "The Nitty Gritty," which urged listeners to "get right down to the real nitty-gritty." Marsh said, "We liked the song, and we liked the name." Liked it enough to put it on the door when he bought the Frances Street restaurant and bar in 1968.